I’m at the point of creating a lock code dashboard. Per the documentation, I get stuck going from step 5 to 6. Six says scroll down within the same rule window and select Create Local Variables. My problem is there is nothing to scroll down too. I’ve deleted and made 3 attempts, same result. If I press DONE I’m out and can’t go back.
11 days later still struggling to get the lock code dashboard working. I can not create the LocalVariable as there is nothing to scrool down to in the same rule window. I'm stuck. Pleasehelp.
But what you need to do is create a variable, no matter how the UI presents it. A hub variable could work directly with Dashboard without the need to make a connector (never tried it for this particular purpose but assume it should work...), but a local variable can with one, too. Just go to the "Select Actions to Run" page and create the variable in the table at the bottom, which is likely a bit different from previous versions but ultimately the same idea.
Are you trying to create the variable, as you are in your above screenshot, or create a trigger based on this variable changing, as the screenshot you showed from the docs above indicates? If the former, the docs you are looking at provide the suggested name, type, and initial value for each variable. Follow those steps for each.
I believe you are correct, the document needs updating. My exposure to programming dates back to Fortran in college back in the mid seventies. The logic on how all this is connected together hasn't yet gelled in my mind. Without clear instructions I need my hand held. Do you know what is the lead time to having instructions updated when the hubs are upgraded. I was able to integrate Lutron devices which I think is more complex, but given the clear instructions I was able to complete the task. Going from step 5 to 6 no longer works in ''How to use Dashboard to Manage Lock Codes''. Would you happen to know when this document will be updated for users of my level to be able to follow it.
I do not have a timeline, but this is sort of a niche case that came up a while back that I haven't seen recently, and with the latest platform update (just released today!), those updates will take priority for now. But everything else is on the list.
If you're having problems with step 5 to 6, the only difference there is that in step 6 you'll need to click/tap into the Select Actions to Run page there instead and use the table at the bottom of that page to create variables instead of the particular page highlighted in that step. (I can't recall if the table still looks the exact same, but that's more or less it--just create variables with the specified name, type, and initial value.)
Bertabcd1234, thank you for your clarifications. Just to give you a bit of history, I'm currently on the Wink platform with 3 sites, 2 of which are Airbnbs that I manage from the app remotely. Wink has shown over the years to be less and less reliable. My test site is my home where I'm attempting to transition from Wink to Hubitat. At my Airbnbs airbnb.com/h/Plaza10 I offer my guests personalised entry codes, so I need to masters the functionality of this feature.
The screen shot above confirms that I have successfully completed the "Trigger Event".
This is where I get confused. The next step as you mentioned earlier and is itemized in the documentation is to Create Local Variables. This is where the documentation no longer follows the screen. My only option is to select done with this trigger. In doing so I'm out of that screen.
In your first note to me yesterday you said: "Just go to the "Select Actions to Run" page and create the variable in the table at the bottom. This is where I am blocked. How do I navigate there from the main menu.
Do this -- you'll have to to get back to the "main" rule page.
Hitting "Done with this Trigger Event" should take you back to the "main" page for this rule, not your hub's Apps list (in other words, the above should do it). However, if you do somehow end up there instead, you can just go back into the rule from that list. You need to be inside this rule to create local variables ("local" meaning that they are particular to the rule in which you create them).
Thank you for your help, I managed to pass the ''variable'' step however I don't have the connector column. When I go back to settings / Hub Variables it does appear. So how is it that the Connector column appears in the Hub Variables but not in the ''Lock Code Rule''.
I forgot that local variables no longer have connectors in Rule 5.1. You'd need to use a hub variable for this instead. (There may also be a different/better approach in general; I don't think anyone has tried this in quite a while. In the unlikely even you have an existing install called "Rule Machine Legacy," you could do this as-is using that instead.)
Local variables and hub variables are completely separate -- local variables only work in this particular rule -- so I'm not sure what you mean here. (If you have two with the same name, that is coincidental but also something I'd avoid.)
Berta, I do not have access to Rule Machine Legacy. I deleted the Variable and the rule that I created that was missing the Connector column and tried the process over again from scratch and I get the same results. In named the variable I added ''Lock Code Var'' to reduce my confusion as many items are labelled ''Lock Codes''. The Local Variables table is still missing the Connector column.
You mention that I need to use a hub variable instead. In Settings, when I select Hub Variables I am brought to this page
Hub variables and local variables are separate. Hub variables are available to any app on the hub. Local variables are a similar feature but only available to the specific rule in which they are created and not visible outside that context. You cannot access local variables from hub variables -- that is outside the design.
What I was suggesting is to create a hub variable instead of a local variable, then use that in the rule instead of a local variable (for any variable where you need a connector; this may not be all of them). You may need to adjust the names to make it less confusing, especially if you're doing this in multiple rules, since again, hub variables are shared among all apps.
Supposed to be Bert (for "Robert"), but back when I joined, the software backing the forum just took part of what was then my e-mail address for my now unfortunate username, and either you couldn't change it back then or I didn't know how, and now it's kinda stuck...
Hi Robert, (my younger brother is a Robert we call him Bob). So it sounds like a local variable would work better for me because in the near future I'll have 3 hubs out there and each will have a Lock code dashboard so what I believe you are saying is that the Hub variable would be visible when working on the other hubs and could create confusion, while a Local variable would be present strictly in the Hub for that given location. So in naming this ''Hub variable'' I need to add a location in it's title.
From my perusing when I go to settings / Hub Variables /. I still come up with the last screen shot I sent you. Is that screen shot that of a Local variable or a Hub Variable (the title seems to indicate Hub variable). If it is a local variable I suppose I delete this and created a Hub variable. If this is a Hub Variable how do I integrate it into the dashboard making process. Norman
OK, I think it became easier to update the document (as long as the original 50-some steps and screenshots were...) than to keep picking it apart to find the thing that have changed.
I think it is up to date now and works (possibly with a few typos given how terrible both this system's spellcheck and my keyboard-mashy fingers are). At the very least, the screenshot at the end of the first section is an actual working rule from the hub I tested the steps on:
I’m astonished that you wrote to me so late last night. I don’t know what time zone you are on but even for the West coast wow, bravo.
For some reason, I seem to be locked out of access to the community. I get a message that my email already exists or is in use. I’m using the same password to access my hub through AWS as well as to access the community, is that what I should do?
I struggled a bit at step 24 “define expression element select new condition“ where the documentation did not quite match the screens. But I think I got through it.
In reviewing what I managed to accomplish, I notice that all the characters in black below do not appear in your screen shots, is this a problem
Robert I’m now attempting to create the dashboard tile and struggling a bit. Can you tell me if what appears above is accurate, if it is I’ll continue to work on creating the dashboard.
