[ST Edge] vEdge Creator: a virtual device generator for end users

@TAustin touch where it says “Use all Smoke Detectors”

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Oh gawd well now I feel like an idiot. But to be honest, it’s not very intuitive.

Thank-you!

Sorry @nayelyz

@Jake_Mohl gave you the answer, but I will add that Selecting sensors is an absolutely terrible UI for STHM. :rage: Lots of people get tripped up by it. See the community FAQ (The topic title is a clickable link)

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No problem, @TAustin, that’s why I shared the video, it took me a while too.
Thanks, @JDRoberts, it should go to customer support as an enhancement request.

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@TAustin Is there a way to use one of these to implement a “counter”. An example would be something similar to what Samsung dishwashers do with dish pods. You enter the number of of cycles (e.g. 100 pods) and it counts down on each cycle. When it gets close to the end, they reorder them on Amazon. Then you just reset it when you open a new box. This turnstile type of device is a little different since it needs a persistent count that is decremented/incremented

Could you use the dimmer? You’d need something to increment the dimmer value and reset it. (Rules or Webcore)

Otherwise, sure there could be a dedicated device to more directly implement that. It’s not unlike the virtual energy meter I’ve done for @milandjurovic71

True. It does act a bit like an integer version of the energy meter with a manual reset. These virtual devices are pretty slick. Very nice job.

I also tried out the Virtual Air Quality device and connected it to an automation with some mold sensors that I have. I tried the following:

  1. If any mold sensor alerts, then set the virtual air quality device to some arbitrary level
  2. Based on this level, use the SmartThings Air app to manage the air quality routines

The virtual device doesn’t show up in the list of eligible devices to participate in the SmartThings Air app. Is this known/intended? The Air app measures PM10, PM2.5, PM1.0 and GAS. Seems like the Air app/service would also work with the Air Quality sensor

That’s a new one on me. Do you have a pointer to the SmartThings Air app groovy code? It must be looking for a specific device type. The vEdge device profile has it defined with category of ‘AirQualityDetector’ and ocfDeviceType of x.com.st.d.airqualitysensor.

Samsung has several “SmartThings services” which work only with Samsung brand smart appliances. Samsung Air is one of these: it’s a proprietary service for the Samsung brand air purifier.

https://www.smartthings.com/partners/smartthings-air

I don’t believe it’s possible to add other brands to this service, but @Automated_House or @SamsungZell might know.

The ones I have checkmarked in the following image are the ones that I think are currently limited to specific brands.

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JD is correct, ST services rarely work with hub connected devices for some reason. I’ll link a response I just posted to the ST Air topic:

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Brilliant, Could Doorbell be added to it please ?

Could you use the existing virtual momentary button?

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Well Yes and No,

I use a Echostar Zigbee Door Bell Sensor, the a battery power sensors that sits across the 2 terminals over the existing bell.

It’s pairs with SmartThings with DTH, But… I want to trigger Alexa Routines, Sounds and Trigger Echo Show to Display 1 of my CCTV camera.

Alexa see the device passed over from ST but can’t use it in a routine, So that is where I use a Virtual Alexa Button DTH Currently then it appears like a Momentary Switch, this kinda works, But I would like Alexa to be able to make a Doorbell Chime from all the Echos around the house, Currently the routine will only play Sound from 1 Echo, But if Alexa saw the Device as a Doorbell it will allow it to Chime via all echos. Well so I am told.

Unless anyone can suggest another solution?

So you need a virtual device with not only a momentary button, but also a chime capability. SmartThings has one, but it shows as ‘proposed’ status. I think we’ll have to experiement to see if Alexa would view it as a doorbell chime or not. It’s pretty limited in the types of SmartThings devices it recognizes. Maybe somebody else already knows?..

Amazon owns Ring. “Chime” is the name of a Ring device. Ring gets special features through echo devices which no other brand has at this time, including the ability to play sounds on multiple echoes at once when a ring doorbell is triggered. Amazon/Ring call these “chime notifications.“

You can get a spoken announcement like “someone is at the door“ on multiple echo devices with any sensor as a trigger.

But the sound effects, including a chime, are currently limited to one Echo device. Nothing to do with smartthings, it’s just how Amazon has chosen to do it.

If you have a ring doorbell and you want to get chime sounds on multiple echo devices, you don’t do it through an Alexa routine. Instead, you select the doorbell under devices, and then there will be an option there to select the sound you want to play and which echo devices you want it to play on.

So a virtual device doesn’t solve this problem. It can’t be just any type of doorbell. It has to be a ring doorbell with a Ring account connected to your Alexa account, at least as of this writing.

You might still want to be able to identify a virtual device as a “doorbell“ so you could get a different icon for it, but that’s a different issue. :thinking:

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Well that is a bugger,

Currently I am using Routines that makes Doorbell Sound on one device. But announces “Ding Dong” so the announcement comes from all the echos, just not the Sound.

Screen shot attached of current Routine.

I suppose I could duplicate the same Routine for each of my 11 echos :rofl:

Damn Amazon… Corporate Greed!

I had this working beautifully when the EchoSpeaks SmartApp used to work.

Oh, well…

Cheers for your help guys!

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We love you …!

Feature request. Would it be possible to add a “partially on” flag to the virtual switches? My use case is to get rid of the lighting groups. The only thing I like about them is that if any device in the group is on, the light shows as on, and toggling will turn them all off.

Idea is this:
If the flag is on, the device shows as “on” in ST view, but the actual ON state is not triggered (so routines based on ON don’t fire).
Toggling a partially on switch will turn it off.
Turning on a partially on switch will set state to on.
Turning off partially on switch will set state to off.

Im spitballing here, but what do you think?

Interesting idea. Have you considered using the switch level or virtual blinds? They both have a variable on/off, open/close which you might also be able to use in the manner you’re wanting.