Hello, glad to be new Hubitat user. Vera had a very useful feature called Modes that has a different context from the Hubitat implementation. I used the Home and Away modes in Vera to define which "scenes" (similar to basic apps and rule machine apps in Hubitat) would execute based on whether my home is occupied or not. I believe Hubitat modes are set to specific times of day. This would be similar to leaving your home for a few months and enabling or disabling apps based on whether you are there or not for an extended period of time.
I messed around with Mode Manager and was able to crash and corrupt the C8, I ended up starting from scratch since something seemed really broken - for example, I would get an error message when trying to access the hub and would be able to get in once after a reboot, then not once logged out.
Anyway, if anyone has advice as to a good way to implement something, either mode manager, variables or what not, let me know.
I did find a post (that I cannot find again) where this was discussed. Sorry if this is a repeat. If someone can point me back to a topic that may offer suggetions, I'd greatly appreciate it.
Other than the crash, I really like the C8 thus far. It only has taken me a few hours to set everything up again, including basic and rule machine rules, albeit in a very simple manner...
This is not the case; you can configure modes based on whatever you want. The Mode Manager app you mentioned can set modes based on time of day, presence, button pushes, switches (including ones you might expose to a voice assistant to do this that way), or other options it provides. Mode Manager is also not the only option; it's just a built-in app that makes this easy. You can write your own rules to set modes based on whatever you want, use another custom app, or set them manually, among other options. (That being said, it's probably the most popular option.)
I think most people do set mode based on time of day, with presence overriding this (e.g., time of day won't change you out of away mode if that's what you're in), but there are many options. I don't use presence in modes at all, for example, but I think I'm in the minority.
This part I might not quite understand, but it sounds like you're talking about modifying app (automation) behavior based on mode. Most apps have this feature built-in--for simple apps, sometimes an all-or-nothing "only do this in certain modes" kind of thing, for others like Rule Machine rules pretty much any logic you can think of ... and lots of things in between. Sometimes these features are called "Restrictions" (e.g., in Basic Rule), other times there are "per mode" options or similar in the app.
Modes, with or without Mode Manager (though it can probably do what you want), are usually a good place to start since most apps "know" about them. That being said, hub variables, virtual switches, or anything else that the particular apps you are using have a way to "know" about would also work. This will vary depending on the particular app you're using. If you're still having trouble figuring things out, maybe start the other way around: share some information about an app/automation or two you want to be different in different "modes" (or whatever), and maybe someone can suggest a solution.
Wow! Thanks for the quick response! I'll fool around with mode manager again, and this time do a backup and download it first.
Good idea to describe a use-case: I have two residences in different states. When I leave one of them, I'm usually at the other one for a few months. I have "scenes" on Vera that only run when I'm away for a few months. As an example for when I'm gone, turn on the lights in the kitchen at some time in the evening, then off again. Same thing with upstairs lights, etc. I also have an outbuilding at one residence. If someone trips a z-wave motion sensor near the house, I have lights go on in the outbuilding and elswhere.
Conceptually, this is similar to vacation mode on my Honeywell thermostat - for example, I have it set now to only heat the vacant house to 55 degrees until mid-November, then go back to the regular schedule.
None of these "scenes" are necessary when I'm at that home. The idea is to simulate someone being there by turning lights on and off at somewhat random times. That's the main use-case.
Hopefully that helps clarify what I'm looking to do.
OK, figured it out, using mode manager is an easy method for this use case - I just defined a mode called Vacant and then built a rule where that mode is a required expression... Works great!
It takes a while to get used to the nomenclature and a different UI, but it is all starting to make sense...
Awesome! I'm gonna get rid of my other Vera and replace that one with a Hubitat as well...
