Would be great if the Alexa skill would support virtual switches. There are lots of routines I'd like to trigger by voice command, but the Alexa skill currently only supports basic device commands. If virtual switches were supported, I could use Alexa to switch the virtual device, and use that to trigger an HE routine.
EDIT: Just to provide an example for context: I have an Alexa routine for "bedtime," which turns off all my house lights and turns on my bedroom light. I'd like to have HE dim my bedroom light over 30 minutes when this routine is triggered. As it stands, Alexa doesn't support that type of routine and HE's Alexa skill doesn't support any way to trigger a routine that could dim the lights for me.
Virtual switches do work with Alexa and what you want to achieve is simple by turning on a switch to activate a rule machine rule.
You have to select the virtual switches to be exposed to Alexa via the Amazon Echo Skills app on Hubitat Elevation. Did you do that?
Yes, I added the virtual switch under HE's Echo Skills app. From there it shows up in the device list, but still can't be added to routines. Kind of strange. My understanding is that this is due to the HE Alexa skill, but I could be wrong.
EDIT: I guess it was an Alexa syncing issue, since it's available now.
Are you talking about as a trigger for a routine? That isn’t supported yet, but Alexa turning ON a virtual switch by voice has been possible since day one.
After you select the virtual switch to be available in the Alexa app, you have to discover devices again in your Alexa app so they are available to use.
Sorry, I mentioned in my edit that it was an issue with Alexa syncing. I guess I jumped the gun when everything didn't work right off the bat.
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It’s available right away sometimes, but that’s a relatively new feature of Alexa Voice Services (e.g. nothing to do with how Hubitat or the skill performs). However, it doesn’t always work, so you should always manually rediscover devices in the Alexa app when you expose a new device for use.
By the way, buttons do not work with Alexa or Google Home. Those never have. Not with any platform.
