Over time I have bought into the current Dashboard setup, it offers a combination of
Data Security (with a side benefit of performance) - you select the devices you make available, limiting the device updates being sent to the dashboard to only those devices nominated by the admin user of the dashboard
Convenience - Device control and data is available both locally and remotely
More recent requests have included automated addition of devices to dashboards, whether as a default, i.e. all devices, or based on the selection of things like a Room linked to the dashboard.
This poses obvious problems when controlling the devices linked to a dashboard. I am not proposing to change this from previous requests or designs...
What I am proposing is a new Dashboard App, in the same way Rule Machine has gone through multiple iterations in recent years. A new version provides opportunities to change up the setup and more options to user to configure the devices linked to the dashboard.
Discuss.... Including what else you may want to see in the next iteration of Dashboards in HE...
Thus far, my only use of HE's built-in Dashboard app has been super basic. Any deeper dives I've attempted over the years have had excruciatingly low ROI – I decided long ago it was never going to "look pretty" – so I just slapped a few tiles onto the grid and called it a day.
So it's easy to agree with your underlying premise here, that there's room for improvement. But I've also learned to be "careful what you wish for" and will therefore pose these questions back at the OP:
Is there a 3rd party dashboard app you especially admire? (Which, by extension, already does what you need.)
Do built-in dashboard apps like HE's, SharpTools and ActionTiles have an "edge" (performance-wise) over others?
For those apps connecting externally, is the adjunct Maker API sufficiently well-suited to the task of providing all the security and data I/O needed?
What level of look, feel, ease-of-use or reliability is currently lacking that you'd like to see improved? (I know your post is Vx-focused, but begs the Ux question.)
Myself, I'd especially love to know how many active HE users use dashboards at all, and how often. I guess there's no real way to poll that type of thing on the Forum.
I used to use dashboards a lot. Now I primarily use them for other people who I want to have access to just a few devices. Problem with that is I have to give them 2 links, one cloud and 1 local. Local being when my internet is down.
I tried some of the other apps out there but always found them a PIA to setup, etc.
Now that Homekit is integrated I use that one for myself as it is self switching between local and cloud. But can't use it for other people as there is no way, at this time, to limit the devices for someone else.
Did HD+ morph into his Android app called Hubitat Dashboard? Or did they remain separate titles.
Meanwhile, I totally second what you said about hubiVue being the DB to beat for cross-platform users. Word on the street is they are about to roll out some cool new features.
Throwing in two cents. I get that some folks want dashboards, but IMHO that's if your vision is for a remote controlled home. I have worked over the years to build a smart home that makes decisions based upon the needs of the occupants without touching/pushing/anything. For the minimal times when you want to force behavior we use voice commands. So much easier to say "Alexa turn on TV lighting" or Alexa "Turn on All outside lights". Plus with Homekit integrations, I can go on a walk and say "Hey Siri, unlock the front door" when I get near my home. So, some folks find voice control unnatural, but for us, it seems very "Sci-Fi" and we're big Sci-Fi fans so, it works for us. I use dashboard basically as debugging consoles to see at a glance what is going on with sensors/switches etc. Generally I write a rule to make the house do what we want it do, when we want it to do it without any manual intervention. This is how I end up with upwards to 100 rules. The great thing is that Hubitat is flexible enough to accommodate what ever your vision is when it comes to the user experience.
I'm a big fan of dashboards and use Joes HD+ which has come a long way since I first started using it. I'm probably 75/25 between automation and dashboard. All of my lights are automated, integration with alarm system, window coverings etc all automated and much more. However I like to use the dashboards for certain items that I don't want automating but do want remote control of, such as lighting where I'm watching TV.
My main use for the HD+ dashboards is information. I like that weather, CCTV images, notifications, reminders, links to other apps (Sonos), Life360 AND control of all of my lights and outlets can be brought together within one app. The folders and app shortcuts within HD+ mean I can do it all seamlessly.
I know this was your last comment, but it is the one that resonates with me the most.... Admittedly I'm a control kinda guy, wanting dashboards or something similar to provide me with the ability to control my home to suit my current desires, which cannot always be foreseen in a rule. But I think your point is a good one, HE provides options, for those that want control as well as those who want an automated response, or at least those wanting a more "hands-off" approach.
To be fair, many of the advanced, customisable platforms do provide this ability, but the level to which they fulfil this can vary. I'm not someone who can confidently provide a critique of these options, but I know HE provides plenty of options in this space,
Thinking about this some more... it would be nice to have some default dashboards out-of-the-box... dashboards for climate control (monitoring and control), lighting, etc.
Dashboards can become high-WAF tools if implemented seamlessly, but the thing many users overlook is that they also provide a convenient (even necessary!) interface for youngsters, oldsters and those otherwise unable to use voice assistants reliably.
For people like me who are either caretakers, homebound, or must accommodate visitors unfamiliar with home automation – but who are comfortable navigating touch screens – dashboards can literally become a lifesaver.
Totally agree. There's no way I am allow to have automation at home without dashboard. It just makes no sense in my case with young kids and a low tech spouse.
Including what else you may want to see in the next iteration of Dashboards in HE...
