Smart Triggers for SmartThings? (Schedule plus Geopresence)

SmartApps & Automations Automation Ideas
1

I’d like to automate turning the lights on when I get home, but only after sunset. How do I do that?
I created a routine with the SmartThings android app with these triggers (someone arrives and at sunset), but it turns the lights on when I get home regardless of time, and it turns on the lights on at sunset regardless if I’m home.
This is dumb, not smart.
How can I setup smarter rules with more logic conditions within the SmartThings app? Any documentation I can look at?

2

You basically setup an OR situation.

Someone Arrives OR at Sunset

I think you will need to create a mode that get’s set by a routine after sunset. Then you can say in your routine “Someone Arrives” and only perform this action when in x mode.

3

SmartThings is very powerful, but not very intuitive. You can do exactly what you want with the official “smart lights” feature. Select a light to come on by presence and then you will be able to specify “more options” and pick a specific time range when the rule will apply.

You will need to do a one time install of smart lights from the marketplace section of the smart things mobile app. After that you can create “smart lights automations” (rules) with various options.

Support Will be able to help you if you have any questions since this is an official feature. :sunglasses:

https://support.smartthings.com/hc/en-gb/articles/205380404-Smart-Lights

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4 Likes
4

I do something similar but not with presence. I have a door contact that when opened runs smartlighting and after sunset turns on lights in the house.

I have a rule (in CoRe) that if any presence device is not present after sunset to turn on the porch light.

5

I find setting modes using presence and sunset/sunrise, and then using Smart Lighting to be the easiest way to do this.

House knows we are home or not, and all SL and CoRE rules act based on the house mode.

6

Thanks this is exactly what I was trying to do! Got a lot of the stuff programmed the way I want using these. Still some things that I haven’t figured out how to do, but not a big deal right now.

I’m still not quite understanding how a Routine differs from a SmartApp and why the have these seperated? Also it was a little confusing that I could find my SmartLights Automations via navigating from the Marketplace, but you have to go to Settings --> SmartApps in order to see all the other SmartApp automations that you have added. Not having a consistent UI is pretty confusing.
Wish they had a web based version of the interface to make it easier to create automations.

Also what is CoRe?
Thanks.

7

A routine is a simple smartapp that the company decided to put in a separate section of the mobile app with the idea that many people would only need routines.

Core is a very sophisticated community – created rules engine Smartapp. Popular and much appreciated by power users, but too complex for some people.

Smartthings is very versatile, and there are many different ways of accomplishing the same goal. It’s just that none of it is very intuitive. The following might be of interest.