SmartThings Alexa Bali Blinds

Devices & Integrations
1

Hi There,

I am trying to connect Bali Blinds with Alexa using Samsung SmartThings Hub. I got the blinds connected and working with SmartThings, but It doesn’t show in Alexa SmartThings skills. Other Devices that are connected to SmartThings are visible in Alexa SmartThings skills. How do I make it work with Alexa?

Thanks,

2

If the blinds don’t show up in the Alexa app then the device handler is not presenting the unit like a switch or dimmer. So, it will not be directly compatible. You will need to use a proxy device like a virtual switch to control it (with something like WebCore to like the virtual to real device), or install Ask Alexa (my app) which SHOULD allow for direct control of the blinds with a skill command (i.e. “Alexa, Tell SmartThings to open the blinds”). The installation of Ask Alexa is quite heavy and I only recommend it as a viable option. Instructions are here: http://thingsthataresmart.wiki/index.php?title=Ask_Alexa

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3

@Sdubey
Did you get it to work? After hours of trying I ran across a work around of sorts. I set up the shades as “scenes” in the ST app. Then in the Alexa app I was app to set up “routines” with those scenes. Not sure how many shades you have, but it was pretty quick and easy with my 3.

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4

That worked for me. Thanks! I was using Wink but that won’t allow Alexa integration. I bought a Samsung smarthings hub and created a scene. Those scenes get recognized by Alexa. Of course, I had to exclude the shade from Wink first, then add it to Samsung. To add the shade - Add Device manually, then Window Treatment, then Springs Window Fashions, even though they are Z-wave Graber blinds (Zebrablinds told me that is the official module for their z-wave blinds). With this setuo , you have to create a bunch of ST scenes to get what you want in Alexa since the devices don’t show up. Zebra tech support (Joe) contacted me and told me how to use IDE to to change the blinds to Z-wave dimmer - generic. That allows Alexa to see the blinds as individual devices which allows you to give Alexa commands to each blind. Here is what Zebrablinds sent me. It worked great. I found the Basic version better (I tried both) - it allowed more functionality inside Alexa.

Basic Version:

  1. Go to https://graph.api.smartthings.com/
  2. Login and then click on My Locations, then click on your hub name.
  3. Login again (if it asks you to, sometimes it won’t).
  4. Go to My Devices, then click on the device name for the shade
  5. Click on Edit, and under device type, choose Dimmer Switch or Z-wave Dimmer Switch Generic and save.
  6. Now once you do that on all the shades, you will need to get Alexa to search for new devices again or they might not show up.
  7. Enjoy!

Slightly More Complicated Version with the Community DH

Part 1:

  1. Click on the "My Device Handlers" section in the navigation bar.
  2. On your Device Handlers page, click on the "+ Create New Device Handler" button on the right.
  3. On the "New Device Handler" page, Select the Tab "From Code" , Copy all the code from this page https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ericvitale/ST-Z-Wave-Shade/master/devicetypes/ericvitale/zwave-shade.src/zwave-shade.groovy and paste it into the IDE editor window.
  4. Click the blue "Create" button at the bottom of the page. An IDE editor window containing device handler template should now open.
  5. Click the blue "Save" button above the editor window.
  6. Click the "Publish" button next to it and select "For Me". You have now self-published your Device Handler.

Part 2:

  1. Go to My Devices, then click on the device name for the shade
  2. Click on Edit, and under device type, choose Z-wave Shade (Might be on the very bottom) and save.
  3. Now once you do that on all the shades, you will need to get Alexa to search for new devices again or they might not show up.
  4. Enjoy!
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6

This worked perfectly. Extremely simple compared to Wink. Thanks!!

7

worked beautifully…only question now, can I reconnect the remote to ALSO control the blinds or does it only work with Alelxa now?

8

THANK YOU for sharing your fix. Worked super.

9

I also want to know how to add the remote (in my case, the multi channel remote) back to the configuration of the shades. The instructions in the manual don’t seem to work.

10

Seriously thinking of pulling the trigger on some Bali motorized cellular shades. Any feedback from those that have been using them would be much appreciated. Any issues? How is the battery life for a window with a shade that will be up and down at least once daily?

11

Has anyone been able to reconnect the Bali remote so that it will also work once the blind is connected to SmartThings. If so please explain. Thank you.

12

Read starting with the post below. This may be your answer.

13

Thank you Michael. I gave it a quick read. But will read through it again later. I’m not sure this will help my situation. I have read that others are also having trouble making the Bali remotes work once the blind is connected to SmartThings.

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14

Your welcome, it seems in what I read there that Mariano made it work with one of his drivers.

15

Thanks to everyone. I have all my Bali Somfy remotes working again as well as my blinds are connected to SmartThings and Alexa. Cheers​:grinning::+1:

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