I have several 5-button pico remotes working with HE. I'm mostly using Simple Automation instead of Button Controller as I found it hard to get Button Controller to work properly.
On some of them, I have multiple buttons to control the same light or device. In particular I have one set to use button 2 to turn a pair of ceiling fans onto medium speed and if I press it again it turns them off. button 4 is used to turn the fans to high speed and again turn them off. But if the fans are already on medium and I want to change them to high, I have to press button 4 twice as the first press turns them off.
In another situation I have my kitchen lights on a dimmer switch. I have a button on a remote to turn them to 100% but if they are already on, the button turns them off. Then I have to press it again to turn them back on.
How do I get them to change the state but not have to turn them off first? Do I need to use Rule Machine?
Depending on your fan device (and the driver you're using), there is probably a "Cycle Speed" command you could issue that sounds like it might do what you want. You're going to have to use Button Controller or RM, I think, as Simple Automation Rules, last time I checked, couldn't do this. What was the problem you had with Button Controller last time? You could also use RM--RM with a "Button Device" trigger is nearly the same, plus the power of RM (conditionals and variables are absent from BC)--but no need.
For the kitchen lights, Simple Automation Rules can do "Toggle," which turns them on if off or off if on. However, you can't specify the level for "on" (unless you only want to do the on part of the action, not toggle), so I again think you'll need something else. Button Controller, similarly, only has the "Toggle" option with no settings, so RM might be a good pick. Again, a "Button Device" trigger will get you something about like BC, but also access to conditionals you could use to create an action like:
IF (Kitchen Lights Off) THEN
Dim Kitchen Lights to 100%
ELSE
Turn off Kitchen Lights
END-IF
yeah i have had to delete and start over a few times. but once you have the conditions setup that part isn't to hard. plus you can setup all your conditions and actions. then use the insert function to put the conditional logic in place if you so choose.
Ok, it took a lot of back and forth with getting things in the right order but the kitchen lights are working like I want from the button. I had to use 99% as the GE switches don't seem to go to 100% I went ahead and set the trigger level to less than 95% as can't tell the difference. The reason for all this is that my elderly parents live with me and my dad just can't seem to get the concept of pushing the regular wall dimmer switch just once to turn the lights on and off. He holds it so it ends up in some odd dimming level. I had an old phone jack next to the counter where I mounted the pico remote to control several things as well as trying to give me a one button push to fix the kitchen lights. Now onto fixing the fan controls. Should be straightforward with this practice.
Thanks for your help.
Select Actions for Pico Kitchen - Lights 100%
IF (Dimmer level of Kitchen Lights(99) is < 95(F) [FALSE]) THEN
Dim: Kitchen Lights: 99
Dim: Kitchen Sink: 99
ELSE-IF (Kitchen Lights(on) is off(F) [FALSE]) THEN
Dim: Kitchen Lights: 99
Dim: Kitchen Sink: 99
ELSE
Off: Kitchen Lights
Off: Kitchen Sink
END-IF
Started out copying the rules to the other remotes but found I could just add the other remotes as triggers to the existing rules. Much simpler and less items in the list.
Thanks, now to think of more complicated things I can do with Rule Machine. I hadn't used it much since it was frustrating getting things out of order and having to start over.
My first computer experience was learning to program in basic on a Varian computer with a teletype machine and a punched paper tape interface. Back in 1978.
