We have 9 Picos and counting, and while their configurability is a great addition to our house, it can be tough to remember what each button does in each room we have them in (family room, office, bedroom, etc.).
We aren't using them one per light, but have them setup to perform multiple funtions w/fans and lights in each setting. After a few days it was clear that none of us was every going to actually remember the varied button functions in each room.
So...labels to the rescue. Printed out the P (pushed) and H (held) actions that each button is assigned to on Avery labels, used scissors to cut and then my meat-hook hands to place the teeny-tiny itty bitty (I mean, they are small!) labels on the buttons. Mostly askew, but I did the best I could.
Family is now very happy w/Picos, They are memorizing their most commonly used buttons over time, but having a quick "cheat sheet" to help them remember which button does what is a game-changer in terms of WAF, FAF (Family Approval Factor), and SWWIMHAF (Strangers Who Walk Into My House Approval Factor). An hour of printing, cutting, and sticking well spent. Not for everyone as the Pico's beautiful clean looks get a little cluttered, but we are a function-over-form family. In the future I may switch to clear adhesive labels for a cleaner look just becuase that would be fun to try, but I had the paper labels in hand so started w/that.
I miss the days where say SmartHome or others provided a option for laser etching of the buttons and paddles. There was a clear plastic cover for labels on some of my old button controllers where you could print out the associations. Now I have to deal with single, double, triple taps up and down and held up and held down. I can go as far as 5 or 6 taps but that gets way to complicated
Yeah, you really can get "too cool" w/these buttons pretty quickly. I always try to automate rather than "buttonate," but there are lots of use-cases (at least for my family) where the they either truly need a button, or demand one so they to feel in control of their environment.
Yeah, I really liked that but the cheap bastard in me just can't get past the "...but the Avery labels are free - you already have a box of them and you will never use them for anything else."
Because of the Covid isolation we just don't have outside visitors in our home any more, so maybe our standards are slipping...
Same here. The top button is always press for Scene by mode, hold for 100% on. The bottom button is always off, nothing more. The triangle up/down will dim lights up and down when held/released and step up and down on presses. The center button is the only one I program different. Some disable motion rules while others are on-by-scene and auto-off after five minutes.
Consistency is always best. Other than my wife's closet lighting most of them never get used.
You guys live in a wonderfully simple world...I envy you.
Our setup in the office for example:
Wife has desk location alpha, her work spot w/work laptop, two large monitors, work paper work, filing, printer, etc.
Wife has second desk location beta, her "personal" spot w/her personal laptop and personal stuff.
Son has one location in the office.
Third location at the end of the office w/couch and TV
Three sets of lights in the room, and one fan.
Each location has its own Pico, because GOD FORBID!! that any family member has to get up and actually walk to a central light or fan switch. So there is a pico at each of those four locations that can turn on and dim up/down two of the three sets of lights, control the fan, and also control the whole house fan which they use off and on to cool off the room rather than AC (wife hates AC). Luckily, the third light set in the room is over a window seat that is rarely used, and has a very convenient switch, so it's not covered by the Picos.
All the picos in the office are set up exactly the same for consistency, that is the only rational part of this. I tried for a while having individual buttons for lights and fans (when we were using minimotes), but they kept getting lost, carried into other rooms (huh?!) and dribbled around the office so when someone wanted one they couldn't find the right one. So I went to attaching a minimote (and now a pico) to each location, and it's been the only approach that allowed me peace from "Where is the controller, I can't turn the lights on, this stuff sucks..."
Following the old adage, the customer is always right. And since I'm the one inflicting this smart home stuff on them, I need to give them their due.
Whew.
Forgot to mention that I have automated some basic stuff in the office, but their use and needs vary a lot, so direct control is still a big priority.
If they're using a computer in these locations you can use makerAPI to create desktop shortcuts to do anything. You could even include the shortcut in startup.
An hour of printing, cutting, and sticking well spent. Not for everyone as the Pico's beautiful clean looks get a little cluttered, but we are a function-over-form family. In the future I may switch to clear adhesive labels for a cleaner look just becuase that would be fun to try, but I had the paper labels in hand so started w/that.
I always try to automate rather than "buttonate," but there are lots of use-cases (at least for my family) where the they either truly need a button, or demand one so they to feel in control of their environment.
