“When things quiet down” and “when things start happening” in new app?

Is there a way to replicate “when things quiet down” and “when things start happening” in the new app? I would like to get rid of the old app altogether but I still have key routines running on these conditions.

Yes. It’s just motion and not motion for X minutes

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If you’re using Smart Lighting, the same SmartApp works the same way using the same data in both versions of the app

I have attached screenshots to provide greater clarity to my question. These features are an option for automating a routine in the Classic app. Hope someone can help.

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The equivalent in the new app would be an automation with those same motion sensors on the IF side with each set to “no motion for 15 minutes”.

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Thanks @Automated_House - I did happen to give that a shot. However, I was unable to replicate the same behavior. As one example, unless at least one of the motion sensors in the type of automation configuration you suggested is triggered with a ‘no motion’ event during that period, then the ‘Then’ clause would not trigger at all. In the Classic app, it would simply trigger immediately at the earliest time (at 11:15pm) if none of the motion sensor’s “no motion” event had been triggered within the previous fifteen minutes. The results I would get seemed very unpredictable. Maybe I was doing something wrong, but perhaps others have had better results?

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ah, I see. So in the automation in the new app the time range doesn’t act as a trigger? What if you have two automations, one for time range and one for a specific time?

I would say that the time range in the new app is relevant and provides a framework for at least one of those triggering events to occur. But logically, I need the “when things quiet down” to trigger if they have already been quiet when that time range begins. Instead, the new app seems to want at least one event to occur during that time period. So if everyone has already been in bed, someone has to get up to trigger a “no motion” event. Does that make sense?

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makes sense. The time range is acting more as a “filter” instead of a trigger to start the automation. I’d be curious if a specific time automation can use the time as a trigger.

I’ll play with your idea of using two different automations, but in my previous testing even when the automation triggered in the middle of the time range, it would not trigger as was anticipated. It was like the function would look at each individual motion sensor and only trigger when each of those sensors realized a ‘no motion’ event, which kind of makes sense since the “And” operator is looking for each event to occur. Which, several of those sensors were not likely activated during that time range. Instead of only offering an “And” operator for each sensor, it seems we would need either a “no motion” Or a “Null” event to indicate there was no activity at all.

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Here is a screenshot of one of my test automations attempting to duplicate the old “when things quiet down” in the new app:

It appears that the automation does not work as intended during the period specified. The automation won’t trigger at all until at least one of the motion sensors register a 15 minute ‘no motion’, which is not the way the old “when things quiet down” works. Does anyone have any other experience trying to replicate “when things quiet down”?

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I still use many SmartApps originally designed from Classic in the new app, especially now since those can be installed via the new app as long as you have them published in the IDE. Until the new app implements more capabilities with Automations, and eventually Rules API, why don’t you continue to use “when things quiet down” with the new app?

This is one of the last items I need to replicate in order to get rid of the old Classic app altogether. This particular item was a part of a “routine” in the old app, that is not found in the new app (unless I’m missing something). Just asking if anyone has figured out a workaround. I assume they will formally replicate all of these features, but without a public outline of future features I would have no way of being certain. It just seems like it would be such a small and simple feature to program, (says the guy who isn’t a programmer).

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Hi all,
I just found this thread after suffering from the same problems. I’ve raised this a few times with Samsung to implement the same when things start happening / quiet down but I’ve had no response.
The workarounds are nasty as hell and have never consistently worked. In some cases I’ve jumped around Infront of a motion sensor to trun a light on with no joy. I then walk past it 2 minutes later and, poof! Light comes on.
When you combine a sensor trigger and a time range, it never consistently works. Ever!
When will we ever get better automations, and complex if statements??

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FWIW, what you’re describing works perfectly in the Smart Lighting SmartApp. Smart Lighting works with either the Classic app or the newer STSC app and runs locally if the devices being controlled run locally.

I have two automations in Smart Lighting triggering based on a motion sensor.

  • Turn on with motion, turn off 5 minutes after motion stops (no time constraints)
  • Turn on with motion only between sunset and sunrise, turn off 10 minutes after motion stops

These were one of the first things I did with SmartThings close to a year ago. They work flawlessly and are virtually instantaneous.

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Same for me. Use Smart Lighting.

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Hi, any updates about this? I just moved from the Classic to the new one and this is a nightmare! Today for example the alarm triggered because the “things start happening” replication the app does didn’t work, so we opened the door for our dogs and it turns out everything was still on Night mode!
Any help is much appreciated!
Tks

I ended up moving most of my automation to webCore. I was hesitant to do this at first, but in my limited experience it really is the most comprehensive and stable way to trigger complex, or even semi-complex automations. It was intimidating to use at first, but I quickly realized how powerful it is to fix many of the shortcomings of the smartthings automations. Try it and you may have a similar experience as I had.

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Mode preconditions weren’t working for awhile. They are now, but you have to go into the automation, edit it, save, edit again how you want it and save again. My automations (including my good night and good morning “routines”) seem to be working now, but with all the flakiness, I wouldn’t be surprised if things go sideways again.

Couldn’t agree more. WebCoRE is the way to go for me or at least until SmartThings stops supporting it which would be a disaster for me.

80% of my rules are built from webCoRE Pistons and I have over 250 devices.