CoRE can be a bit intimidating, for those not familiar with it but it is a very capable for doing just about anything you can think of regarding your SmartThings. Getting started is the important part and there are lots of knowledgeable people who can help if you have a problem. Here are a couple links to look over:
https://community.smartthings.com/t/core-for-dummies-how-to-get-started-and-make-your-first-piston/55214
https://community.smartthings.com/t/faq-what-is-core/59981/5