New to Smartthings and would like to know how to get echo to work with linear garage door opener

ibeastie · April 14, 2016, 3:52pm

All, thanks for the response. So I have the garage door already setup and working with ST. I created the virtual switch last night and Echo now sees the virtual switch. This is where I am confused. How do I program the virtual switch. Ultimately I would like to say, Alexa open garage door. Alexa, close garage door. Would I need Alexa Helper to do this? How do I get Alexa Helper? I see that the routines are mentioned. Up this point I haven’t really used routines with ST. Is this the best way to go? Let me know and thanks again for your reponses.

Automated_House · April 14, 2016, 3:54pm

ok Jason, i haven’t had my full dose of coffee this morning. I can’t find a link to the custom DH in that thread or any thread you linked to in that thread.

bamarayne · April 14, 2016, 4:02pm

Well, I have no idea what happened. It was there before…

But this is the device handler that I use.

I’m going to redo that write up

github.com

gouldner/ST-Projects/blob/master/SmartThings/src/GD00Z/Device/GD00Z.groovy

/**
 *  Z-Wave Garage Door Opener
 *  Z-Wave Garage Door Opener Modified for GD00Z by @Garyd, Copied and modifed by @Ron
 *
 *  Copyright 2014 SmartThings
 *
 *  Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may not use this file except
 *  in compliance with the License. You may obtain a copy of the License at:
 *
 *      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
 *
 *  Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software distributed under the License is distributed
 *  on an "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the License
 *  for the specific language governing permissions and limitations under the License.
 *
 */
metadata {
	definition (name: "RG Linear GD00Z Garage Door Opener", namespace: "gouldner", author: "Ronald Gouldner") {
		capability "Actuator"
		capability "Door Control"

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ibeastie · April 14, 2016, 5:49pm

So I apologize in advance for my continued confusion on how this all works. Where do I install this code? Do I need to somehow download an app on graph.api.smartthings.com to get this working. Is the virtual switch still in play here? Sorry for the repeat question but will the code that you sent me allow me to tell echo to open and close the garage door or is the verbage turn on/off? How do I add a device to a virtual switch? Please bear with me on my questions and unfamiliarity with customizing ST with echo.

bamarayne · April 14, 2016, 6:09pm

So very sorry. We got off track big time.

No, you will not need a virtual switch to make this work.
The verbiage will be, “Alexa, open/close the garage door”

Follow this link for instructions on how to install a custom device type. This should help you. Please ask all of the questions you need to.

SmartApp / DeviceType :"From Code" and "From Template" FAQ

I’m loving the new “From Code” and “From Template” options when creating a new SmartApp / DeviceType. Users don’t have to be instructed to fill out bogus information and then replace the resulting code with code anymore. The new instructions are: Login at http://graph.api.smartthings.com Go to “My SmartApps” or “My DeviceTypes” and click on the “+ New SmartApp” or " + New SmartDevice" button on the right. On the “New SmartApp” or “New SmartDevice” page, Select the Tab “From Code” , Copy the xxxxx source code from GitHub and paste it into the IDE editor window. Click the “Create” button at the bottom. Click the blue “Save” button above the editor window. Click the “Publish” button next to it and select “For Me”. You have now self-published your SmartApp or SmartDevice. Open SmartThing…

bamarayne · April 14, 2016, 6:24pm

@ibeastie
Follow this link. It’s better than the first one.

FAQ: An Overview of Using Custom Code in SmartThings (SmartThings Classic, Groovy Code) FAQ

So you’re new to SmartThings, you asked a question, and someone suggested “custom code” as an answer. Or you were browsing the forums, and you found something that sounded like it would be perfect for what you wanted, but again, “uses custom code.” What does that mean, how hard is it to do, and what’s the difference between a “SmartApp” and a “Device Type Handler”? (Note: the official terminology has changed a couple of times. “device type handler,” “device handler,” “DTH,” and “device type” all mean the same thing, and you will find all these terms used in the forums.) SECTION I: SMARTAPPS AND DEVICE HANDLERS: WHAT THEY ARE SmartAPPS: Tiny Programs to decide what a specific device should do when, or to collect the information from a specific device SmartApps, including the various f…

MichaelS · April 14, 2016, 6:54pm

Hey there…I am the author of Alexa Helper…Sorry to give you more reading material, but this should help…

http://thingsthataresmart.wiki/index.php?title=Alexa_Helper

In addition, I am here to help if you need it.

bamarayne · April 14, 2016, 7:54pm

We are probably confusing the hell out of you… Sorry.

But to clarify. There are two ways to do this.

using custom device handler and direct use with Alexa (what I described above)
using Alexa Helper. Which is an outstanding so that does a whole lot of great stuff.

Either way will give you the same result in the end. Your garage door will go up and down when you tell it to. I honestly don’t know if the verbiage is the same for both methods, but again, same end result.

I use the method I described, but I also use Alexa helper extensively with a lot of other automations.

ibeastie · April 14, 2016, 10:32pm

So I was able to get the parent and child code on the api site. Where do I go from here now?

bamarayne · April 15, 2016, 12:10am

Are you going the route of Alexa helper?

ibeastie · April 15, 2016, 1:34am

Yes. Sorry about that.

Automated_House · April 15, 2016, 2:26am

Got mine to work with just the custom Device Handler. Thanks @bamarayne!

bamarayne · April 15, 2016, 2:42am

Not a problem… Ok, you have the parent and child apps installed in the ide? And you have the door controller included in smartthings?

When you go into the device, does it open and close properly?

ibeastie · April 15, 2016, 2:54am

It opens and closes in st. Confused on how to get it to open and close with Echo

bamarayne · April 15, 2016, 3:28am

Ok, follow these steps…

1 - open Alexa Helper
2 - tap on add/view virtual switches
3 - name the switch whatever you want to say to Alexa, garage door should be good. Make it an Alexa switch. Tap create switch. Tap done. Tap done again.
4 - tap create new Alexa scenario
5 - name the scenario, garage door open/close
6 - Tao scenario type. Choose the third one down (devices). Tap done.
7 - tap control scenario settings.
8 - Tap control switch, choose the switch you just created.
9 - choose switch state reacts to. Choose on/off.
10 - scroll down to “when switch is on” and choose smart things device control.
11 - scroll to the bottom and choose garage door. Choose your garage door. Tap done.
Scroll down to “when switch is off” and repeat steps 10 & 11.
12 - Tap done repeatedly until Alexa helper closes.
13 - go back into Alexa Helper. Your garage door scenario will be on the first page. If it is tap done.
14 - open the Amazon echo smart app.
15 - tap on my switches.
16 - choose the box next to the switch you created.
17 - tap done. Tap next. Tap done.
18 - tell Alexa to discover your devices.
19 - tell Alexa to open the garage door
20 - if it opened tell her to close the garage door.
21 - if that verbiage diedoes not work, try telling her to turn on/off the garage door.
22 - enjoy.

Let me know what the verbiage is.

Edit:
If the verbiage is on/off using Alexa helper I know for a fact that open/close works great using the custom device handler.
Fyi, this device will not run local with either of these methods.

ibeastie · April 15, 2016, 12:51pm

Maybe I should go custom handler then. I really want to say open and close. How do I go about doing that? The Alexa Helper App did not show up or is myapps I the st ap. What do you mean by run local? Apologies again on my ignorance. This whole custom smart home thing is new to me

MichaelS · April 15, 2016, 12:59pm

There are a lot of steps to get this to work…Be sure to read through the manual here:

http://thingsthataresmart.wiki/index.php?title=Alexa_Helper

Your first step is to get the app installed. Be sure to publish it in the IDE…you will then see it in the marketplace.

I have the exact set up as you, and no offense to anyone here, but forget about any custom device, the statement about running locally, or any thing else…the Linear Garage door opener works great as installed by the SmartThings app. You can always change it later…right now just focus on getting it to work with Alexa Helper.

And please note, there is nothing special you need to do to use the command open/close…That is a function of the Amazon Echo, NOT Alexa Helper or SmartThings. Once you get this working you should simply be able to say “Alexa, open Garage Door” and it should open.

Very high level steps you need to follow are here. Refer to the manual for more specific detail:

Install the code for Alexa Helper and the child app
Create an Alexa Switch to control the open/close states
Associate the Alexa Switch with the Garage door device (using a Control Scenario within Alexa Helper)
Associate the on command with open, and the off command with close
Test and have fun!

Let me know if any of this is helpful.

bamarayne · April 15, 2016, 1:23pm

Yeah, I want sure about the verbiage which is why i mentioned.

@ibeastie Once you get the software installed, just follow the steps above and read the instructions…

You’ll be good to go!

ibeastie · April 15, 2016, 1:48pm

Michael, for some reason I don’t see “my device types” I have the the Parent Published and the Child set to unpublished like the documentation suggests. Not sure why things look different. Correct me if I am wrong but “my device types” is where I will create the “Alexa Switch?”

MichaelS · April 15, 2016, 3:08pm

The Parent app needs to be published. The Child app CAN be published but it is not necessary and it can just confuse the user when looking in the market place.

Regarding the Alexa Switch, that code is here: https://github.com/MichaelStruck/SmartThingsPublic/tree/master/devicetypes/michaelstruck/alexa-switch.src

You WILL publish this code under My Device Handlers. Again, there are a lot of critical steps, but once you get through them you will know 90% of what you need to do in other Smart Apps. The device installation is listed here: http://thingsthataresmart.wiki/index.php?title=Alexa_Helper#Virtual_Switch_Setup

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