Interactive flow-editor

KoenMartens

Hello,

Would it be possible to activate things on set times, without any manual input? So having an option in the left column to state "if time > 18:00" or "if time > sunset"?

Would be usefull to close curtains and turn on lamps etc.

I kind of assume it's possible, but haven't read/seen any proof yet.

Emile

Yep. Well, not on sunset (yet, it's a good suggestion actually), but you can trigger on a specific time/date event.

Fire69

Please, please, please make sunset and sunrise possible also!
Half my IFTTT-recipes are based on those times right now, and I was planning on migrating everything to Homey ofcourse!

Emile

@Fire69, why don't you make an Sunrise/Sunset app yourself? You cán programmatically trigger flow events!

MarkSwift

Come on Emile, sunset / sunrise is a must, be a nice man ;-)

Fire69

I'm absolutely willing to do (and learn first) some programming, but I think that something like that should be available by default :-)
I'm probably not the only one too :-)

Athomey

I for one have been asking MANY features as must have in my eyes, or even from a commercially perspective. However, I respect very much the considerations of Emile and Stefan for their choices on what's mainstream in their eyes or not. My suggestion is not using "be a nice man" or "i'm probably not the only one" as arguments, because they don't make a case, but simply making a better case for you proposal. If you plead and airtight case, they WILL include it, for sure. ;-) If it's less appealing than more important features to meet the deadline, they will not choose for it. My 2 cts ;-)

On topic: Could you give me a few examples of using sunrise/sunset for domotica? I'm very curious and willing to learn!

Fire69

You have been asking MANY features as must have in your eyes? So what's the difference with me? I feel this is a must have for my situation :-) And I can't imagine most other systems (Fibaro etc.) don't have this.

Examples?
For now it's limited to lighting, since I'm waiting for my Homey to start buying extra hardware.
Here are some recipes I use with IFTTT now:
- My indoor decorative lights turn on at sunset.
- My terrrace lights turn on at sunset and back off at sunrise.
- My gardenlight turns on at 6.30am and off at sunrise so my dog isn't sitting in the dark while we're off working.

Later I would at least like to use it to open/close my blinds and/or curtains.

Lesley

+1 for sunset/sunrise.

If I'm correct, even Homewizard does that

PeterGroeneweg

Sunrise / sunset would be a nice feature but not mandatory at the first release I think.

For a new question, is it possible to insert a timer like, "do something" when light is on for 5 minutes?

Athomey

You have been asking MANY features as must have in your eyes? So what's the difference with me? I feel this is a must have for my situation :-) And I can't imagine most other systems (Fibaro etc.) don't have this.

Examples?...

My point wás that there was no difference with you. :-) I'm in the same spot, and also receiving "no" every now and then. I totally respect their choices (not saying you don't ofcourse). :-) I was trying to help you out that if you build a really attractive (business!) case, the chance they build is is much bigger than when you simply use the arguments I've seen been used. However, I'm not all-wise, it's just my mind rambling and some thoughts. That why the 2 cts.

Thx for the examples, I'm trying to collect as many ideas as possible for home automation. I've got 40+ already. I espcially like the one where your do needs light to read the newspaper, heh, heh. ;-)

Athomey

((Sorry for the empty posts. Something went horribly wrong here.))

Sunrise / sunset would be a nice feature but not mandatory at the first release I think.

And like Emile said, build a nice case and I bet the community will write a plugin/app to do enable it.
Build a better case and maybe Homey will have it standard. :-)) Lots's of developers lurking these forums.

For a new question, is it possible to insert a timer like, "do something" when light is on for 5 minutes?

That'd be really nice! Maybe it's tackled by the feature of delaying the resulting action, Emile said it would be possible to trigger e.g. on a doorsensor, and then after 5 minutes trigger something. But that might not be the same. Emile, could you shed some light on that?

Fire69

You have been asking MANY features as must have in your eyes? So what's the difference with me? I feel this is a must have for my situation :-) And I can't imagine most other systems (Fibaro etc.) don't have this.

Examples?...

My point wás that there was no difference with you. :-)

Ah, sorry, I didn't quite get that from your post :-D

I'm in the same spot, and also receiving "no" every now and then. I totally respect their choices (not saying you don't ofcourse). :-) I was trying to help you out that if you build a really attractive (business!) case, the chance they build is is much bigger than when you simply use the arguments I've seen been used. However, I'm not all-wise, it's just my mind rambling and some thoughts. That why the 2 cts.

I respect their choices too ofcourse :-) Although there's no harm in trying is there?
But you're right, building a case with some examples does probably work better. :-)

Thx for the examples, I'm trying to collect as many ideas as possible for home automation. I've got 40+ already. I espcially like the one where your dog needs light to read the newspaper, heh, heh. ;-)

Unfortunately, he doesn't read the newspaper, he just destroys our garden. Maybe I should just leave the light off :-P

TheoDeKoning

+1 for sunset/sunrise

Julian

+1 also for the sunset/sunrise.

To be honest, since in my view it is such a basic trigger (even the KAKU internet station and the Homewizard have these) I am quite amazed that it is not possible on the Homey?!? I have my curtains and lights working on this trigger so from my point of view it would be mandatory ;-) I cannot imagine it will be that hard to put it in Homey (again, since even KAKU and Homewizard have it :-))

Emile

It's not hard, and we'll probably integrate it, I just wanted to point out that it's easy to do something like this yourself as well when we decide not to publish it in the core software

TheoDeKoning

For you and experience programmers it's maybe easy.
Be aware that some later byers could have problems with the interactive flow-editor already.
For myself as an example is Linux unknown territory.

But with help from others I was able to make a PHP program for the Kaku ICS-1000 to used om my pc.
They make the send part for the commands and how to used that part.
I have try to understand that part and it is me succeeded for only 50%.
Thats why I think I can manage the programming with help all I shall not understand every thing.

So Emile, be careful with advertising how flexible Homey is in doing a lots of things without telling that you have to do many of thinks yourself.

Athomey

+1

MarcoF

Just a few things of what i'm using sun info for;

Sunset;
- turn on frontdoor light
- (if nobody home) switch on several HUE lamps
- (if nobody home) close backyard sunscreen
- (if nobody home) randomly turn on some light through the house
- (if nobody home) turn on light in backyard
- (if motion in room) turn light on

Sunrise;
- turn of frontdoor light
- (lights in house on and nobody home) turn lights off
- (lux > 5.000, nobody home, wind < 5ms, no rain) sunscreen open

Athomey

Thx Marco and Theo!

MarcoF

The big advantage of sun info; its highly predictable and accurate.
So using sun info makes you less dependent on lux-sensors and make the system more reliable and less expensive.

The only thing you need; Coords (location of the system)
And now a days with geo options(set location on a Gmap) in modern browsers, thats not an problem anymore.

MarcoF

If you guys are implementing an sun- rise/set function; please create an random time offset option!
It makes scenes which turning lights less predictable and more human.

Athomey

@Emile: A random time-delay function for ANY scene/trigger/action would be really nice. 2cts

TheoDeKoning

This is what I found on the i-net. https://github.com/mourner/suncalc/.
Looks good but how do you put it in Homey.
What and where do you have to change something to use some time before/after sun rise/set.

MarcoF

@Athomey; that is great idea!

If (sunset) then switchLight.randomDelayMinutes(2,4).On(kitchen) end
If (sunset) then switchLight.randomDelayMinutes(3,7).On(frontDoor) end

MarcoF

Is it already possible to do;
when {smartPlug(WashingMachine).powerUsage} is {<=10} , sendEmail {to:MarcoF;subject:Washing Machine Ready;Message:Washing Machine is ready, please empty it!}

if powerUsage of smartplug "WashingMachine" is <= 10W then sendEmail to MarcoF@.....

Or send pushmessages to multiple smartphones.

Emile

Yep!

MarcoF

Awesome!

Fire69

That's actually really cool indeed! _o_

Emile