New AutoView Z-Wave Somfy Motors from Bali

[waltzer11]

thanks for your prompt response. i am not that "techie". i hope someone will be able to create a plugin to make it simpler.

i agree: plugin may not help. Gregreid, you mentioned that java software emulates Philips Hue Hub. So if i buy the Philips Hue or the Smarthing Hub ($60 and $80 respectively at amazon) and make one one of them as the primarily controller just for the autoview bali shades, will it solve my problem? meaning since you said alexa can communicate with Philips Hue Hub, then i can ask alexa to turn on/off the shade.

[integlikewhoa]

thanks for your prompt response. i am not that "techie". i hope someone will be able to create a plugin to make it simpler.

i agree: plugin may not help. Gregreid, you mentioned that java software emulates Philips Hue Hub. So if i buy the Philips Hue or the Smarthing Hub ($60 and $80 respectively at amazon) and make one one of them as the primarily controller just for the autoview bali shades, will it solve my problem? meaning since you said alexa can communicate with Philips Hue Hub, then i can ask alexa to turn on/off the shade.

The free java program (HA-Bridge) doesn't require an actual hue hub or a smart things hub.

It does mimic a hue hub but allows you to add non hue devcies to it using http or url. So all of veras devices can be added.

[gregreid]

So if i buy the Philips Hue or the Smarthing Hub ($60 and $80 respectively at amazon) and make one one of them as the primarily controller just for the autoview bali shades, will it solve my problem? meaning since you said alexa can communicate with Philips Hue Hub, then i can ask alexa to turn on/off the shade.

No.  A Philips Hue hub only knows how to control Philips Hue lights, AFAIK.  It has no way of controlling Z-wave devices.  So although Alexa can talk to the Hue, the Hue doesn't help with your blinds.

A SmartThings hub is similar to a Vera controller, for Z-wave devices.  But Alexa doesn't know how to talk to SmartThings any more than she knows how to talk to Vera ... which is to say, not at all.

I suggest you try adding the Vera Controller plug-in (aka "Vera Controller Smart Home Skill") and allowing it to provide the interface between Alexa and your Vera Z-wave devices (including your blinds).  There will be some lagginess, as I mentioned earlier, but it is much easier to set up than the HA Bridge.

[waltzer11]

So if i buy the Philips Hue or the Smarthing Hub ($60 and $80 respectively at amazon) and make one one of them as the primarily controller just for the autoview bali shades, will it solve my problem? meaning since you said alexa can communicate with Philips Hue Hub, then i can ask alexa to turn on/off the shade.

No.  A Philips Hue hub only knows how to control Philips Hue lights, AFAIK.  It has no way of controlling Z-wave devices.  So although Alexa can talk to the Hue, the Hue doesn't help with your blinds.

A SmartThings hub is similar to a Vera controller, for Z-wave devices.  But Alexa doesn't know how to talk to SmartThings any more than she knows how to talk to Vera ... which is to say, not at all.

I suggest you try adding the Vera Controller plug-in (aka "Vera Controller Smart Home Skill") and allowing it to provide the interface between Alexa and your Vera Z-wave devices (including your blinds).  There will be some lagginess, as I mentioned earlier, but it is much easier to set up than the HA Bridge.

"Vera Controller" is already included as smart home skill and Alexa can control all my zwave devices (except autoview bali shade) including Wink devices and harmony hub. my wife is very fond of Alexa: Alexa turn on/off TV, dim light1 to 50%, turn off kitchen light, turn on stereo, etc. now i am in trouble - last night she ask if Alexa can open/close this new shade. i lied and said they are still fixing the problem - LOL. i have 9 corded shades that we open and close manually since year 2000. i bragged about autoview and told her pretty soon you dont have to do this manually. By the way, YouTube shows autoview bali blinds can be operated by SmartThings hub. anyway, thanks for all the input

[gregreid]

By the way, YouTube shows autoview bali blinds can be operated by SmartThings hub.

Yes, a SmartThings hub can control autoview blinds, as it can control most any Z-wave device.  Ditto for Vera.  But Alexa can't talk to the SmartView hub, AFAIK.

So you ALREADY have the Vera Controller skill for Alexa Smart Home?  And you're using it to control lots of other Zwave devices (via Vera).  Great.  I'm surprised that it doesn't know how to control blinds, but I know that it does have some "filters" on what it'll control.  For example, it refuses to control any time of "lock" device "for security reasons".  Still, it ought to be able to control blinds, I'd think.  You did re-run the discovery process after adding your blinds, right?  If so, maybe you could take it up with the Vera support folks.

[waltzer11]

By the way, YouTube shows autoview bali blinds can be operated by SmartThings hub.

Yes, a SmartThings hub can control autoview blinds, as it can control most any Z-wave device.  Ditto for Vera.  But Alexa can't talk to the SmartView hub, AFAIK.

So you ALREADY have the Vera Controller skill for Alexa Smart Home?  And you're using it to control lots of other Zwave devices (via Vera).  Great.  I'm surprised that it doesn't know how to control blinds, but I know that it does have some "filters" on what it'll control.  For example, it refuses to control any time of "lock" device "for security reasons".  Still, it ought to be able to control blinds, I'd think.  You did re-run the discovery process after adding your blinds, right?  If so, maybe you could take it up with the Vera support folks.

Yes i ran discovery 3 times after "forget all devices". good suggestion, i will contact vera support and will update you. thanks.

[integlikewhoa]

By the way, YouTube shows autoview bali blinds can be operated by SmartThings hub. anyway, thanks for all the input

I operate mine with homeseer and vera can do it too. The problem like already said is Alexa control not vera. you can control the blinds with vera app. You need alexa to understand it.

I know that the bridge will work for you. I also know that homeseer (and probley vera but i'm not sure) see's the blinds as a dimming bulb. So by nature alexa finds my blinds from homeseer as a dimming light bulb. Problem comes in when you use the words up and down 50% vs. saying dim to 50% or turn on or turn off.

[waltzer11]

By the way, YouTube shows autoview bali blinds can be operated by SmartThings hub. anyway, thanks for all the input

I operate mine with homeseer and vera can do it too. The problem like already said is Alexa control not vera. you can control the blinds with vera app. You need alexa to understand it.

I know that the bridge will work for you. I also know that homeseer (and probley vera but i'm not sure) see's the blinds as a dimming bulb. So by nature alexa finds my blinds from homeseer as a dimming light bulb. Problem comes in when you use the words up and down 50% vs. saying dim to 50% or turn on or turn off.

Yes Vera also detects it as a dimming bulb. I used VeraMate app and shows with a slider. VeraMate has a voice control; I just gave a command dim office shade to 50% and it did. Vera support ask me to rename the shade from Shade1 to Office Shade but still Alexa did not discover it. I will have problem using the bridge; I am not familiar with coding, programming, even lua code. If I need a lua code I search this forum and/or ask for help. thanks.

[integlikewhoa]

Yes Vera also detects it as a dimming bulb. I used VeraMate app and shows with a slider. VeraMate has a voice control; I just gave a command dim office shade to 50% and it did. Vera support ask me to rename the shade from Shade1 to Office Shade but still Alexa did not discover it. I will have problem using the bridge; I am not familiar with coding, programming, even lua code. If I need a lua code I search this forum and/or ask for help. thanks.

The bridge uses no code. its a java program that when runs allows everything to be setup via a web browser. On a windows computer that means you double click the icon and it runs. 

[waltzer11]

Yes Vera also detects it as a dimming bulb. I used VeraMate app and shows with a slider. VeraMate has a voice control; I just gave a command dim office shade to 50% and it did. Vera support ask me to rename the shade from Shade1 to Office Shade but still Alexa did not discover it. I will have problem using the bridge; I am not familiar with coding, programming, even lua code. If I need a lua code I search this forum and/or ask for help. thanks.

The bridge uses no code. its a java program that when runs allows everything to be setup via a web browser. On a windows computer that means you double click the icon and it runs.

thanks. i started to google how to install HA bridge. with my 72-year old brain, i'll probably have a hard time or will take me longer to make it work. do you still need vera if you have HA bridge successfully running?

[gregreid]

do you still need vera if you have HA bridge successfully running?

Yes!  The HA Bridge is a piece of java software that forms the "bridge" between Alexa (who thinks she's talking to a Philips Hue Hub) and your Vera (which actually controls the Z-wave devices, like your blinds).

[blink451]

I'm able to control my Autoview shades with Alexa by creating scenes in UI7 (no ha-bridge required). For example, I have scenes named "Shades Raised" and "Shades Lowered" which open/close the shades. Alexa is able to find these scenes through discovery. It's a little awkward to say "Alexa, turn on shades raised," but it works.

[waltzer11]

I'm able to control my Autoview shades with Alexa by creating scenes in UI7 (no ha-bridge required). For example, I have scenes named "Shades Raised" and "Shades Lowered" which open/close the shades. Alexa is able to find these scenes through discovery. It's a little awkward to say "Alexa, turn on shades raised," but it works.

i also have scenes in UI7 "close office shade" and "open office shade. Alexa was able to discover these 2 scenes. i did exactly your command: "Alexa turn off close office shade". her answer: office shade doesnt support that. i will try to rename the shade.

[gregreid]

If you have Alexa controlling blinds through Vera scenes, then you must have the Vera Smart Skill added to Alexa's Smart Home capabilities.  And that's fine ... it does work and is relatively easy to set up, but as I mentioned before, I was disappointed in the several second lag between my voice command and the action.  I already had the HA Bridge installed and set up, so I stayed with it.

As for "open" and "close" commands not working, Alexa waffled back and forth on this a few times in the past several months.  Initially "open" was equivalent to "turn on", and "close" was equivalent to "turn off".  And that was great!  (Note that folks in the UK often use "open the kitchen light", so it made sense.  But then Alexa started tightening things down, thinking that "open" and "close" would be used to control locks (like your front door) and they didn't want to support that (for security reasons).  At least that's my hunch of why they stopped supporting open/close.  Yet, a few weeks after they stopped supporting the open/close as equivalent to turn on/off, they reverted to supporting open/close again.  And then back to not supported yet again.  It's stayed not supported for some months now.  Pity.   

So anyway, I currently have scenes for my blinds so that I can "Alexa, turn on living room blinds" to close then, "Alexa, turn off living room blinds" to open them, and "Alexa, turn on (or off) living room blinds halfway" to set them to their 50% position.  It was so much nicer to be able to say "Alexa, open living room blinds" (for example), but Alexa won't let you do that anymore.

IMO, Alexa's settings should allow a configurable checkbox for us to specifically tell it that "I want to allow open/close as equivalent to turn on/turn off, and I accept the security risk of doing so".

Greg

[waltzer11]

i removed the shade from vera and paired it with my Wink hub successfully and Wink can open and close the shade. usually, wink will create that device in vera and alexa will be able to control it but NO GOOD. the GE bulb and Cree bulb for Wink appeared in vera. something is wrong. anyway thanks for the input. vera support did not get back to me yet for follow up. i just emailed alexa support. very frustrating.