I have created a trial rule to see what I can do with Rule Machine. I thought I could get this Rule Machine thingie under my belt but I guess I have bunches yet to learn. Could someone help me understand why my rule won't work? By the steps it should be clear as to what I'm trying to achieve.
Thanks, Dekade
Um, you didn't describe what you intended it to do, nor what it actually does... So how are we supposed to tell you what is wrong?
it isn't clear to me at all what it's not doing that you were expecting it to do.
The problem with your rule is most of all your actions will always be false.
The ONLY trigger that gets your rule evaluated is the Sunrise +462 minutes. So only that one minute per day is this rule evaluated and any true actions ran
So according to the way your rule is written on a Sunday is the only time this rule will do anything
I felt by reading the rule, as I've written it, that it would serve self explanatory. I'm simply trying to turn on and off a light a different times of the day and different days of the week. My apologies for confusion on my rule intentions.
I actually don't think this rule can ever evaluate as true. Unless your sunrise happens at exactly 8:18am.
But even if your cleaned up the triggers and the conditions, the actions make no sense to me either. You're turning on your outside lights for 5 minutes at a time at 4:00 and again at 4:15? Why would you want the lights on for 5 minutes? Something happens outside at exactly 4:00 and 4:10 every single day except for Monday?
If you explain in words what exactly you are trying to do, that would probably be a lot easier.
Yes, I feel that also. But, what does it take to get the rule to activate in the other areas? I used to do conditional scripts in FileMaker Pro but evidently Rule Machine is a significantly different beast. Seems like my Else-Ifs should be nested under the IF but I see no way to do that.
It is strictly for experimentation ONLY. I am simply trying to get a rule to work as I learn how things operate in Rule Machine. This rule experiment is constructed ONLY for the purpose of running to the windows to see if it works.
The main problem with your rule isn't the conditional actions, its what you are using to trigger the rule. Sunrise +462 minutes is only valid for 1 minute total of every day. And being that sunrise value changes everyday, it's pointless to use an absolute trigger (sunrise +462 minutes) with absolute conditional actions (Time is 4:00 pm) They will never match up but maybe one day per year.
Right. The triggers should be the times that you specified in your if statements - or something like that
Actually there's a few other ways to do it too, but that would be one way. I do that on a number of my rules.
Okay, I'm starting to vaguely understand. So, what should my trigger actually be? I thought the trigger was the fact that once the clock struck Sunrise +462 minutes then the rule would go into action.
No, that trigger means it runs exactly once at that exact time and then never again that day.
Similar to what @JasonJoel suggests.....each time of day you what the action to be evaluated to be ran. There are many more ways but without knowing the complete need you are looking for that is the basic explanation
Again - why I wrote the rule this way
So, do I make the rule with only actions and no trigger?
The trigger is what tells the rule to be evaluated (if conditional actions exist) or run the actions listed (if no conditional actions exist) The trigger is not a starting stopping point.
Like everyone said there are multiple reasons that rule will never work. Something like would do what you are trying to do.
Okay...well, you have to describe in words what you are expecting to happen because this will never fire.
Trying to evaluate a ficticious rule is also very difficult because it doesn't make sense logically. So, why not simply give a hypothetical situation, even if you have to make one up. You won't have to actually implement it because WE know it will work. So, you won't have to go running to the window ever. 
You have to have triggers or the rule wouldn't ever run. So just think through your logic and ask yourself WHEN you want the rule to run (or at least check the rest of the action conditions to see if it should do something). Those are your triggers.
I have already done that scenario here at my desktop and know that it works. The problem I run into is when I want to add a different on and off time to the same day AND also a different on and off time to a different day. What do I add to your sample - More Else If's before the End-If?
The ONLY time that rule that you posted would ever work is on Sunrise +462 minutes on Sunday ONLY.
The Time of day that you want those other actions to happen need to be your trigger
It would never work at any other time.
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