Alright guys i have a idea that i think would be very beneficial for a smart app to allow more control to GE Z-wave switches.
basically in my scenario i have a Z wave switch on my porch light and a Z wave switch on my detached garage lights, i think it would be cool to be able to like hold my porch light switch in the "ON’ position for lets say 3 seconds and have it turn on my garage lights and vice versa.
Or be able to like hold the patio light switch on and have it turn the security lights one.
Anyone ever created a app like this or want to try!?
It’s been tried, usually as a double tap option, but the short answer is that the variability of the cloud latency in the SmartThings platform means the precise timing doesn’t always get recognized. So the commands don’t always work, leading to a lot of frustration.
As it happens, the new zwave plus models of the GE switches, The ones that start with a “14” instead of a “12” will have the double tap feature built into some of the models. That allows for zone lighting control, such as a single tap turns on the light in the room that you’re in and a double tap might turn on multiple lights.
You can get lights with this feature now from the Homeseer line, and they are very popular for that reason. They have single tap, double tap, triple tap, on both the top and bottom of the switch.
It generally just works better to put this kind of feature into the switch itself rather than trying to manage it with a smartapp as it’s just really hard to get the timing right. If The switch can recognize the tap pattern, then it can send a single code to the hub to let it know what was requested.
If you do want to try the existing smart apps, you’ll find them on the quick browse list in the community – created wiki for lighting, typically with “double tap” in the thread title. They might work for you, it’s just the performance has been variable with a smartapp-only approach.
http://thingsthataresmart.wiki/index.php?title=How_to_Quick_Browse_the_Community-Created_SmartApps_Forum_Section
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cool i installed the “Double Duty” smart app and it seems to do what i want for the most part
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