I'm hoping there is a work around or something that I am missing. Maybe I'm just seeing something wrong?
I only really noticed this when using the Groups and Scenes built in app, but it appears to be universal.
When I tell Alexa to set a dimmer to a number 1-99 the level updates and the change happens.
When I set it to 0 or 100 (shades all the way open or closed) the level value does not update. Only the ON/OFF status. Why?
That doesn't trigger the blinds. This seems like it should be so simple. OFF=0 - ON=100. Is there a work around for this? Can Hubitat coders change that?
It would also be kind of nice to be able to just say off or on for the blinds instead of saying a number...but that's just a minor issue.
With Alexa, you can, if your driver implements the window shade capability. Then it's treated like a standard shade device, not "faking it" with switch and dimmer commands. So, more information about your actual device might be good to know, too.
A virtual dimmer should already work as you propose, but I'm not sure what the connection is between that and shades, so ... I second the above.
The dimmer "issue" is real...I may have fixed my immediate issue as I think Alexa was confused on the Groups and Scenes dimmer...I told Alexa the "Smartwings" was a light dimmer and she acknowledged it. Now the blinds respond.
The value does not update still for this dimmer or others as well. I am using the custom Smartwings app found on HPM. The built in did not work for me. PS - Blinds are Zigbee. I have not done a ton of looking at all the dimmer types...but this behavior seems to be universal for all of them. I have no idea why it's throwing some errors. I just installed them yesterday.
No this seems to be a universal "issue." It makes NO difference whether it's a simple virtual device, a Group and Scenes device, or a real dimmers...regardless of brand or driver.
just an odd note - more historical then of use, but I can recall multiple community drivers that struggled with 0 and 100 before. that oddity has been around! AFAIK everywhere I've run into it it got fixed - I recall CT bulb driver that used to take issue when told to be zero. Is it on? is it off? lol. anyways. back to my eggnog.
In general, most devices will return to their last level with an "On" command. (Of course, if you use "Set Level" instead, you can choose whatever you want, including 100, and it will just go directly there -- no separate "On" necessary, again, assuming standard behavior.) I think Lutron might be a bit different, and some other devices have options to control this behavior (e.g., Inovelli's newer devices have parameters/attributes that determine what a digital "on" command does -- return to the last level or go to a specific level).
The core cause may be that the Driver actual instantiation does not have the capability Window Shade commands. Looking at the code, the developer calls the capability; however, the commands do not appear in the instantiation. For this physical device model, the capability Switch and capability Switch level are coded to cause the off command - not supported by the device.
If window shade were the only capability, then the capability commands may properly control the device.
I still think having a toggle for how a dimmer works would be a huge value add. I have ever since I came over to Hubitat from Homeseer...which ON = 100.
What's preventing you from just doing a setLevel(100) instead of an on()?
As I mentioned above, some devices also have an option to configure this behavior (Inovelli for sure, and I'd be surprised if Zooz didn't). A custom driver could also override it with whatever you want, but in general, most stock drivers either just expose such device options or use the standard commands, and the device does whatever it does as a result. Not necessarily a bad idea, but not something Hubitat is intentionally making happen as some others (not you) have claimed.
Toggle exists but its just not the definition you are searching for. It operates as others have stated Off means Off, On means return to last (prior) dimmed setting.
Some devices like Zooz ZEN77 if you select double tap top button it goes to 100% regardless of prior dim level.
I have that exact scenario. I have a scheduled scene called evening glow that sets several dimmers to 25%. I have a ZEN32 with a button labeled Kit Task. When pressed it turns a couple of dimmers in kitchen work area to 100%. If you double tap the same button the lights return to prior setting.
