Is there any doc on what all virtual devices can be used for?

[dave7]

I could not find any doc on what all or anything that virtual devices can be used for.
Presumably they could be used for testing rules but what else can they be used for?

I read where someone had a virtual motion sensor...is something like that just for testing rules associated with a motion sensor before moving the rule to the real motion sensor?

Thx

[aaiyar]

The list is really long - and probably limited only by our imaginations. Anyway, here's an Alexa-centric start;

1. Virtual motion/contact sensors can be used to trigger Alexa routines.
2. Virtual dimmers along with a rule can be used to control a thermostat via Alexa.
3. Virtual locks along with a rule can be used to control a garage door opener via Alexa.
4. Virtual thermostats can be used in conjunction with temperature sensors and a rule to control real thermostats.
5. Virtual switches can be used as momentary switches for a variety of purposes.
6. Virtual presence sensors can be used to establish physical presence.
7. Virtual temp/humidity sensors can be used to store temperature/humidity averages from a collection of temperature or humidity sensors.

[dave7]

So does one use a dashboard tile or the virtual device itself to activate/deactivate a virtual motion sensor?

How do you trip a virtual presence sensor? Same way?

[neonturbo]

Aaiyar has a pretty good list. I would add you can change one thing to another. You could make a contact sensor appear as a motion sensor, or a switch, or a button... There are weird but fairly common use cases for this. Alexa is a good example here, she doesn't understand what some devices are, so to make them usable, you have to pretend they are something different.

You can't directly link the two devices (virtual and non-virtual), in other words there is nothing in the virtual driver where you can point from one device to another. But with rule machine, or simple automation rule, or an app, you can transform them.