I have multiple mode lighting apps setup like below and originally when the switch was physically turned on/off the Alexa device would update the status properly. Recently I noticed that none of my mode lighting apps are now updating their associated Alexa device. I did also reboot the hub. Not sure when this started happening.
Edit: I do see the "physical" command in the log when I turn the switch on/off. I can also still control the switch from the Alexa device itself. Anyone else experiencing this issue?
Still can't track down this issue. I am noticing in the logs the following when I turn on one of my dimmers physically. It is showing both a digital and physical command, I expected only a physical command to be shown. Is it normal to see both commands present when turning on a switch?
dev:9682019-01-01 09:35:31.135 pm infoLiving Room Dimmer is 10% [digital]
dev:9682019-01-01 09:35:31.133 pm infoLiving Room Dimmer is on [digital]
dev:9682019-01-01 09:35:30.898 pm infoLiving Room Dimmer is 10% [physical]
dev:9682019-01-01 09:35:30.894 pm infoLiving Room Dimmer was turned on [physical]
I am also not seeing any events logged under the parent device's Alexa child device.
Hoping to get some feedback with this issue. I have a ticket open with support but have not received a response back in about 10 days. The last response I received was that they have identified the issue. I did not see anything in the new 2.0.4.109 update regarding the problem, but I did try the new update but the problem still persists.
I believe your support ticket may have got lost following some third party helpdesk issues, which are now resolved. Did you receive an automatic reply to your support Email?
I literally just received a response back today. But originally I did receive an email after I submitted the ticket that my issue was being looked at. Never submitted a ticket before so didn't want to be too pushy but 10 days seemed a bit long without a response.
The Alexa Dimmer device is not updated by turning the physical switch on or off, and it never has been. It's purpose is to provide a control device, and that's all.
In the past the Alexa device did update its status when the parent's status changed. Now maybe this was not intended to work this way, and in the course of an update to fix something else stopped working. I have automations that use an Alexa device but if the switch is turned on/off that automation is now out of sync with the device.
I was originally using the Alexa device in automations in knowing that the status was synced that no matter how the light was turned on, my automations would be aware of the current state of the light.
What would be the best way for the virtual device to keep in sync with the psychical switch? If this is not possible then what is the real use for the Alexa device at this point? With Google Home I can still add the switch as is, without the need for the Alexa device.
There was never any intent for the Alexa Dimmer to be synched or to represent any status information. It's only intent was as a controlling device. The code for Mode Lighting has never set the state of it -- there have been no changes in this regard to that app. Yes, with a single device you can just use that directly in GH. But if you have multiple devices being controlled by Mode Lighting, you would need the Alexa Dimmer to control them with GH or Alexa.
To keep what in sync? The app is designed to allow you to change individual devices without changing all devices. It's not intended to keep everything in sync. If you want to sync everything back up, use a button or the activation switch or GH.
For example, you can turn off one device, then tell GH to turn on the Alexa Dimmer, and that device will come back to the correct level. Even if you had turned it on with GH to begin with.
I am just trying to find the best way to control lights with different levels depending on the mode. Most of my lights will turn on at different levels depending on which mode is running if you turn the physical switch on. So what I am trying to accomplish is keeping the level per mode set and also when either an automation or GH calls to turn on the light that it obeys the level per mode. This was why I originally used the Alexa device because it would obey the level per mode no matter if the light was turned on physically, through GH, or triggered by another automation.
If I pass through the dimmer directly to GH, it will not obey the level per mode and will just turn on at the previous level.
Controlling the lights with the Alexa Dimmer accomplishes this, be it from GH or some other means.
This is what the Alexa Dimmer device is for.
What I don't understand is your original post about the Alexa Dimmer not updating status, and what that has to do with anything you've brought up. It's status is unimportant unless you were putting it in the condition of a rule -- which is not its intended use. It's there to give you control to put all of the selected lights into the right state per mode.
So for example I have a light that is usually turned on physically. But I also have a simple lighting automation that turns on that same light if you open a closet and then turns it off when closed. There is a virtual switch that is triggered when the light is already on so that if the closet is open and then closed it doesn't turn the light off.
I want both the door opening and physically turning on the switch to turn on at the specific level depending on mode. But what happens is if you physically turn on the switch then the Alexa device is unaware that the light is on and so the light then turns off if that closet is opened and then closed.
This is well beyond the intended functionality of Mode Lighting. You can do dimmer-per-mode functionality in Rule Machine. And there you could incorporate the extra logic for this automation.
