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

Devices & Integrations Community Created Device Types
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749

I’m on iOS, so mine is different. For me, there’s a couple different ways to navigate to it, but if I start on the main Routines page (selected from the ‘More’ menu at the bottom of home screen) and hit the plus in the upper right corner, then select the ‘Add action’ option, that brings you to an ‘Add new’ screen where you then select ‘Smart Home’, then ‘All Devices’ and then the virtual garage device is listed on the Select Device page and you add it as an action in the routine (switch on/off).

EDIT: I have the ‘Ask Alexa’ smartapp installed in SmartThings; not sure that makes a difference…

750

Sorry, I think with multiple conversations going on, there is some confusion. I am looking for the Virtual TV to show up for Routines. Yes, if I create a Garage Door, Momentary Switch, or Contact Switch, they show up for Alexa routines.

Thanks!

751

Because I’ve the netatmo weather modules and they dont work the right way with the google home app. I thought that maybe the google home app would recognize the virtual one. Sorry my English is bad.

752

My bad! Nevertheless my virtual TV shows up and can be selected for routines as well! :thinking:

753

OK, then yes, that makes sense.

You still have the mirroring issue to contend with. Solutions are possible for technical users who want to get their hands dirty, but right now for most non-technical users, it’s a showstopper.

754

I checked on an iPhone and it doesn’t show up there either. I probably need to try creating a virtual TV from an iPhone and see if that makes a difference.

755

That’s a bummer. I don’t know why this would be happening. It certainly shouldn’t matter if it’s iPhone or Android. Maybe some others can test and see if they are seeing the same thing.

756

Tested using the latest vEdge virtual driver version 2.5, I created vEdge TV1 virtual device using Android, and I created a vEdge TV2 virtual device using iOS. Neither are available to be used as a When this Happens trigger in Alexa Routines, but they are both available as an Action to Power On/Off the vEdge TV virtual device in Alexa Routines.

Are you wanting to control a non-SmartThings compatible HDTV that is connected to a Fire TV device using HDMI-CEC for power On/Off control of the connected Fire TV HDTV from SmartThings using the vEdge TV virtual device?

757

I use it in a scene as a trigger for an Alexa routine that changes my home theater receiver input to TV audio when I want to use a streaming app on the TV (vs the FireTV). I have multiple scenes for each type of input device to the home theater so that I can tell Alexa “Watch Fire TV” or “Listen to Sonos” or “Watch Samsung”. I can probably just use the momentary switch like I currently do, but since there is a virtual TV, thought I’d be able to use that.

758

Sounds like I need to add a contact to the TV device so you can use it for a trigger, and not just for actions. I will do this in the update I’ll be posting later this week.

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760

I am also seeing the same issue with the presence sensor. Available as an Action but not as a Trigger. That would also be helpful to have available for routines as I have some routines that trigger off a virtual contact/switch when certain people arrive/depart home.

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761

Need your input on how you want the switch and button to behave. Right now they (both, since they are synched) act as a trigger to open/close the garage door. If you choose to unsynch them, do you still want one of them to trigger the open/close garage door state? Which one, the button or the switch? And just so we’re clear, whichever one does NOT trigger the door state will basically do nothing other than to change its own state.

762

You got it.

763

You are a God!

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764

I really don’t like contact features on various virtual devices since using a contact sensor creates some annoying clutter on the status information section of the Favorites page when the virtual contract is Open. That’s why I only have one virtual contact device and instead use 14 virtual motion sensors for Alexa integrating. And now that you added the ability to use all of the various SmartThings ICONs with the virtual motion devices, it’s wonderful. I do understand that virtual devices are mostly used by everyone for Alexa integration, but I just don’t like the status page showing all the virtual contacts Open.

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765

So, I currently see three items, and I’m not sure how they map in things like Google Home, or the Smarthings UI, so I’m not sure how to answer this. But I can describe what I want a bit more? And answer more questions.

There is the on/off switch, there is the contact sensor, and there is the door closed/open.

I don’t think I even noticed that the door closed/open was something that you could interact with, but now that seems obvious.

Generally speaking, I don’t care too much if the ‘primary interaction’ for using the garage door from the main screens of Smartthings is the on/off switch or the open/closed switch, though, I would like it to be one of them instead of not having something you can press there at all, which seems to be the current state.

I do care that I be able to tell Google Home to open or close a garage door, and ask about the current state.

In either case, I don’t want the primary interaction to alter the state of the door itself, just change it’s own state, and let me drive automation from that.

But I do need to be able to drive the state of the door via automations, and I am perfectly fine if doing so alters the state of the primary interaction mechanism.

What I don’t want to happen is this: I tell it to close the garage door. The door state immediately changes, but something prevents the door from actually closing. I look at the app / google home, and it says the garage door is closed, even though the tilt sensor is correctly indicating that the door is, in fact, open.

Having the same kind of malfunction happen on opening is far less of a hazard, but it would still be nice to avoid.

766

NOTICE OF UPDATE TO VEDGE DRIVER

I am pushing out an update to the driver that contains these community-requested enhancements:

  • Temperature/Humidity: new option in device Settings to select which you want shown on the dashboard (changes value and icon) (@mooch91)

  • Presence: new option in device Settings to add contact (not displayed) for use in Alexa ‘When this happens’ conditions. present = open, not present = closed (@h0ckeysk8er); Note that I did not make the contactSensor a fixed part of this commonly-used device, but rather a configurable option - acknowledging @DaWeav’s comment about proliferation of virtual contacts and their state display on the Favorites page.

  • Garagedoor: new option in device Settings to turn OFF synching between switch and door button; also added control to dashboard (@Pouncer - we can continue our discussion if this doesn’t meet your needs!)

  • TV: added contactSensor capability (not displayed) for use in Alexa ‘When this happens’ conditions. on = open, off = closed (@h0ckeysk8er, @DaWeav)

The update will be automatically installed to your hubs. New driver version is:

2022-07-29T00:03:29.826948235

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767

The update will be automatically installed to your hubs.

Note that the platform has been having problems all day and many people are still having problems with the app and with device control. I would wait to make/test any changes Until things have settled down. :thinking:

768

Good point. I seem to be back to normal but sounds like others still aren’t.

1 Like
769

My hub is online but none of my virtual switches are working