I created to virtual switches in ST using vEdgev Creator V2.94. Everting works great with one exception. I’ll give an example. If someone tells Alexa to turn off / on the kitchen lights the state of the kitchen lights do not change in the ST app. Is it possible to make this happen or am I wasting my time trying to figure it out.
Are the kitchen lights one of the virtual switches? What specific type of virtual device did you use? In my testing, a virtual switch reflects its state in either app regardless of which app turns the virtual switch on/off.
So when I first setup the virtual switches I used “Alexa Switch” but changed to “Lock” because the Alexa Switch option was extremely unreliable. Someone in the subreddit suggested the lock option. Yes the kitchen lights were on a virtual switch. My issue is if someone tells Alexa to turn a specific light off / on or any other device I have connected to a virtual switch the status of the device does not change in ST. So if ST shows the kitchen lights to be on and I tell Alexa to turn those lights off ST will still show the lights to be on even though they turned off via Alexa.
I suggest that you change to using either a virtual switch (not an Alexa switch) or a virtual light. As I said, my testing with a vEdge virtual switch, the state is correctly mirrored.
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I actually tried to use the virtual light option but it doesn’t show up in Alexa when creating the routine to link to the virtual light.
Ah, you want a virtual device that can be used in Alexa routines. That limits the choices since only locks and sensors are triggers.
Can you explain your use case? Are you trying to control a light that is only manageable in Alexa from ST?
Also, when you were using the Alexa switch previously, did you change the setting to create a separate contact sensor for triggering in Alexa?
The issue I’m trying to get around is family members are in and out of my house all the time. 95 percent of them use Alexa to power lights off / on. When they do this it messes up ST due to device status not changing when Alexa is used to power off / on a light for example. I’ve racked my brain trying to find a solution.
I use several automations in ST which a few involve using my phone as a presence sensor. So another example is when I return home at a certain time a shade lamp in my living room powers on. But if someone has controlled that shade lamp via Alexa while I’m gone my automation won’t work because ST isn’t showing the correct or updated state of the shade lamp.
Is the shade lamp a physical device in ST or only a virtual device? I’m trying to get the complete picture because if the device in ST is only a virtual device that is used as a proxy for a physical device in Alexa, it’s going to be tricky to have a virtual device follow the state of the physical device because you can only trigger on sensors and locks. Example:
ST virtual lock device called “Shade Lamp”
In Alexa, you have a routine that says that when “Shade Lamp” locks, then turn on a physical device called the “Real Shade Lamp”. Now, if someone tells Alexa to turn off “Real Shade Lamp”, there is no way to trigger a routine that says “when Real Shade Lamp turns off, unlock Shade Lamp” to mirror the state of the real lamp to the virtual lock device in ST.
I understand. None of my lights work directly with ST. I’ll try to explain my setup. My lights are connected to Alexa using the Smart Life skill. I did link Smart Life to ST but that was a disaster as actual devices will not show in ST. Only the routines from Smart Life will show in ST.
So. Lights connected to Alexa using Smart Life skill. Then lights using virtual switches in ST. Currently the virtuals are using the lock option. Unlocked = lights on and locked = lights off.
Do your family members tell Alexa to “lock Shade Lamp” and then an Alexa routine turns the light off? Or are they telling Alexa to turn off the Smart Life device “xxxxx”? If they are doing the latter, then it’s the same problem I described previously. If they are doing the former, then I would expect the lock status to mirror in both apps (it does in my testing).
Another option you might consider is switching your location tracking to Alexa and use virtual presence sensors in ST for any automation(s) that you want to trigger on presence. Then, you would not need the virtual devices to represent the Smart Life devices that need to trigger on presence since you could use Alexa routines instead. I use Alexa for all our location tracking and set the state of virtual presence sensors in ST using Alexa routines. I then use those virtual presence sensors in my ST Routines.
Try using Alexa multi-Trigger driver from Taustin driver test channel, it will work very smooth as already for me only this driver work smoothly with Alexa.
This is not going to get Alexa to update the status of the virtual device (multi trigger, Alexa Switch, or other) based on the Alexa/SmartLife light turning on. His issue is that Alexa does not apparently have the ability to write a routine that is triggered by a light turning on. In theory that routine could then turn on the virtual device when the light is turned on, or turn it off when the light is turned off.
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I was wondering if it’s possible to customize the Virtual edge switches? For example for the V-edge A/C switch can you remove buttons in the mode section that you don’t need in order to make the user interface easier?
The presentation is defined by the profile for the device in the driver.
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How can one edit the profile for the device driver? Is that possible or one would need to create a new driver from scratch?
You would probably have to fork the existing driver and create a different profile than the existing one. @TAustin can probably provide better insight into what might be necessary.
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@TAustin
I’d like to have a virtual fan controller with just the 4 speeds and without the oscillation. Is this possible? It would look identical to Lutrons fan controller. I use IR control for my fans through Swithub mini and can can create a routine to press the IR buttons to control fan speed. Definitely a cup of coffee in it for you. Thanks!!
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Connect the Smart Life to Google Home and create 4 automations to control each light (physical device on/off and virtual device on/off). Then virtual device will appear on Alexa and be controllable without experiencing any disaster.
I’ve used this to create some virtual devices in the past and it works great. Is there a way to setup a push notification for an open door? I want to send SMS or push notifications to 2 phones if a garage door is left open.
Thanks
But it shouldn’t be open if or when…?
… No one is at home? When the bedside lamp is turned off after 11 pm?
The SmartThings Home Monitor has a built-in feature that reminds you if a sensor isn’t in it’s correct state ((virtual) contact sensor open) when you arm the alarm.
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