Virtual Button to turn off switches and dimmers

📐 Rule Machine®
1

I thought I had this one figured out last night, but it didn't work. I created a virtual button called "Going Out" then setup a rule so when it is pushed, it will turn off different switches and lights around the house. When I push the button on my dashboard, I get nothing. Can anyone give me some insight as to what I did wrong in the setup?

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2

I take it back. It does work on the hubitat dashboard, not my Sharptools dashboard. :thinking:

3

Turn on rule logging to see what's going on. Also, you can look at the logs for the virtual button device, and look at its Events. It could be that Sharptools isn't sending the push command.

4

@bravenel Thank you for the quick reply. Absolutely nothing in the logs when I press it. I shared the button with Sharptools and it showed up in my "things" list. I added it and the button popped up on my dashboard, but it doesn't do anything when pressed.

5

This sounds like a Sharptools problem. You should contact @josh.

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6

Thank you! Appreciate the tip on the logs!

7

Hey @TheTrailGeek - you might consider using a Virtual Switch with the Auto Off feature enabled.

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Since the Button related capabilities don't inherently expose the internal commands for push(), release(), hold(), doubleTap(), we don't expose them on SharpTools dashboards. The Virtual Button driver is a bit unique in that it exposes custom commands that are not part of the documented Button related capabilities.

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8

@josh Thank you that worked!

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9

Reading this thread, I have a few questions. I want to use virtual buttons in rules. SO that I can build conditional actions based on the button using push, hold, double tapped, and released. I want to add the virtual button to my dashboards and make simple multi step shortcuts.

  1. When I push the virtual button on the dashboard, and then check the logs for that device, it does not record any activity. I can see activity if I set a value in the push section on the device, and then click on push. How do I make that work?
  2. Where is the virtual momentary contact switch?
    I do not see that as an option. Only virtual switch. The problem again is that it if I can find it, It only allows 2 states, momentarily on or off. Any suggestions to making it allow multiple states?
  3. is making the virtual button work on dashboards a future enhancement?
    For my immediate need, I will based on TechMedX's suggestion (thanks) I can do this with a virtual lock, because the actions I want involve locking a door and turning off lights, etc.
10

I just tried this with a Virtual Button device, and the dashboard tile registers "test button button 1 was pushed" in the Log.

In the device itself, make sure "Number of physical buttons" is set to "1"; on the Dashboard, do "Edit Tile" and make sure that "Button Number" is set to "1" as well.