Smartthings Multipurpose Sensor (garage door) activating IFTTT, but only during a specific time period?

[Natepowers]

Hello there. Newbie here and I recently got my hub up and running. I have a Multipurpose Sensor currently mounted on the garage letting my Actiontiles know if the door is open or closed.

My goal was to have the door activate a light or two for the wife when she arrives late at night. I work night shift and often asleep when she arrives home. I was trying to find a way in IFTTT to have the sensor when the garage is Open ( sensor tilted) to activate a non ST plug through IFTTT. I of course would want this only after sunset and to stop after sunrise.

Is this possible? Any help is greatly appreciated.

-Nate

[MarkTr]

What type of light / how are they controlled?

The way I would do it is to create a virtual switch* in SmartThings and authorize it to be used in IFTTT. Create a Smart Lighting routine that turns the switch on and off appropriately - when the garage door opens, after sunset / before sunrise, perhaps with an auto-off after 10 or 15 minutes - and sync the switch to the actual lights through IFTTT.

You can probably also create an IFTTT recipe that does this but I’m not familiar with what conditions you can or can’t set there.

*creating a virtual switch can be done from the IDE or using the Virtual Device Creator SmartApp in the Classic app, but as far as I can tell, it’s not possible to do directly in the new app.

FAQ: Creating a virtual Device

Virtual / Simulated Device Types are functional “Things” but are not physical devices you have. Installing them allows you to control them via SmartApp’s just as you would a physical smart device. Creating Virtual Devices - On/Off Switches There are many reasons you’d have the need for a virtual switch. You want one switch to control multiple other switches and/or commands. You have a multi relay device and want to control the relays individually. (currently ST doesn’t support this) You could use virtual switches the same way you’d use Hello Home Actions, to take care of multiple actions or state changes with the change of your virtual switch state. To create a Virtual Switch Login to the IDE @ https://graph.api.smartthings.com/ Click “My Devices” Click the “New Device” Button Ente…

[Natepowers]

I have several of these WIFI plugs that are enabled through Smart Life and Alexa. Prior to ST I was building the smart house up slowly as we rent and dont own the house. One Day. The garage lighting is on a Smart Life plug which simply turns on and off.

[Ray_Stone]

As MarkTr said, it depends on what you have setup.

I have a Smarthings multipurpose sensor on my garage door and a Zooz light switch controlling the lights inside my garage.

I have automation in ST:

 If the sensor reports the door is open  AND  it is between sunset and sunrise
Then the lights in my garage go on  AND turn off ten minutes later

I set it up for when we come home late

I am no expert and new myself, but I checked IFTTT and it only allows one condition - so you could do either sensor reports or the non-ST switch, but not both. I have read that if you sign up for a developer’s account there are more conditions allowed. However, I have not tried it.

Instead of the Zooz switch, you could use any ST controlled outlet or switch. My experience so far is that it is much easier to do automation in ST than IFTTT. Setting up my automation took a few minutes ST only because it was the first one I created using multiple conditions.