Is there a way to make the amazon echo skill run through the app rules? Like I have a switch that I want to come up at 100% during the day, but only 30% at night. When I push the button, the right thing happens, but when I ask Alexa to turn on that light, it comes up at the last setting, which might be the wrong level.
If I can't get the skill to run directly through the rules, is there a way to monitor the environment so that the Hubitat will see that the light has turned on and then apply the proper level (which might result in a bright flash, but what are you going to do...)?
Have Alexa trigger a Virtual Switch (VS) in Hubitat (either directly, or via a routine, if you want to get the voice command to your liking) - Then just have HE do whatever you want in the a rule or automation triggered by the virtual switch. - Then at the end of your automations, turn the the VS back off. -
I do this in lots of cases, including my "goodnight/goodmorning" routines - Which are triggered by voice, and then flip a VS, which starts an entire sequence of events, and conditional logic depending on time, Day of Week, temperatures, lux, weather forecasts, etc. - All that complexity that you don't want to try to do directlt in a Alexa or GH routine.
Hope that helps, and let me know if you want to see a sanitized RM example, otherwise, I'll assume the above can get you started down the right path.
I added a virtual dimmer and now a rule runs when Alexa turns the dimmer on or off so I can set the proper day/night value of the dimmer, but I can no longer set a specific level of the physical dimmer via Alexa (the physical buttons work just fine).
The Hubitat knows the virtual dimmer's "level", but I can't seem to get its value to be a value that I can set the physical dimmer to. Is that possible?
You should be able to just mirror the level from the virtual to the real one, either with a rule or the mirror app. But that might possibly mess with your other rule you made.
Personally I solve this issue with room lighting. I can set the preferred levels per mode (or time groups). Then I have the switch turning on, activate the RL app which then sets it to the proper dim level. I avoid the bright flash by setting the default level on the device to a lower level (a setting on Zooz dimmers), and then the RL will ramp it up to the proper spot based on the mode.
No virtual dimmer involved with this method, so setting a specific level is not a problem once the light is on.
Here is my most basic example (sorry all of mine are sort of complicated).
This one can also be activated via a remote, and it also is setup to turn the fan on at night, but not back off again until morning (in the period setup).
