[APP][Pro] Advanced Virtual Device (Device Capabilities App) with Unique Text Status Indicator

[Quint]

Hi guys, I created an AVD from my (BlueCurrent/Umove) EV charger sensors coming out of HomeAssistant. The idea was to combine all sensors and make it available in Homey as 1 device and to be recognized as 'EV charger’.
I used the Device Class ‘ev-lader’ and added the Energie, Vermogen, Voltage, and Stroom sensors as real fields.

Now everything seems to work it is also recognised as consuming power in the energy overview. However in the Homey Energy tab (with the house) the EV Charger is supposed to be shown and the garagedoor should be opened. This is however not happening.

Can anyone confirm they have an AVD that is showing up in the (garage) Energy tab as EV Charger?

[Peter_Kawa]

Hi Quint,

I just wondered why you’re not using the Home Assistant Community app to import a Home Assistant device and/or a bunch of entities instead?
It has everything in place to customise everything when you add the device as the “Custom device” type, including device class ‘EV-charger’

[Quint]

Brilliant… way easier indeed. Thanks a lot Peter.

I guess I was relying on AI too much that pointed me in the area of an AVD rather than using the native HA community app functionality.

it’s working perfectly now.

Thanks again!

[Rmb]

The first number field I create as Power(Vermogen kW) always gets the name Energieverbruik in stead of the name I gave. Is that the intended way it should work?

[s73nm]

Was there ever a solution for creating a home battery that shows up correctly in the energy tab?

I’m trying to do the same for my Huaweii home battery. I have everything working for fetching the desired values using Modbus, but so far I’m not succeeding in a full integration with the dashboard.

Reading through this topic it appears that the conversation died after the suggestion that there might be a need for separate capabilities in this post.

[DirkG]

No, to my knowledge, nothing has changed in this regard so far.

[Michel_van_Lier]

How can I make a virtual button/device that can be used as a starter in Google Home automation? Initialy this was part of experimentation section in homey which is gone now. There I made an koffie machine that I was able to use as a starter. I did the same with DCA, but the device is even not seen by Google Home.

[Mike1233]

@Michel_van_Lier There is an app called Virtual Device. https://homey.app/nl-nl/app/com.arjankranenburg.virtual/Virtuele-Apparaten/ You could try that one.

That is not the same as the app that you are now asking your question. https://community.homey.app/t/app-pro-virtual-devices-virtual-devices-to-simulate-1-or-more-real-devices/1723

[Peter_Kawa]

From what I know a virtual kettle and virtual lock can be selected as automation triggers.
Probably more device classes will fit as well, but you’ll have to experiment.

This can also be accomplished with the Advanced Virtual Device of this topic & app (Device Capabilities), you can even change the device class after adding the advanced virtual device.

[DoctorBazinga]

(On Request (by @Arie_J_Godschalk ) this is a Post relocation:)

Dear All,

I need your help please :folded_handst2:

until now I used flows that updated the virtual gasmeter sensors in my virtual gasmeter from the values they too from my smartgateways Warmtelink (district heating) measuring device/sensor.

But I just saw that the advanced virtual dive should be able to do this right away/automatically within its configuration/settings. but is still fails somehow/ The values need all to be multilied by 32.68 m3/GJ.
please help ; What to write in the BLL expression ??

Until now the shown value is “0” (zero) but it should be (0.134GJ * 32.68 m3/GJ) = 4.38 (m3)

By the way how fast & how frequently are these numbers/values updated ? I assume without the need of any flow running/starting ??

Additional Info :

This device and its values that is/ Are the source for my virtual gasmeter

These values have to me multiplied by 32.68 to get the corresponding gas m3 values.

[Peter_Kawa]

Did you test with other input devices?
It should update on any value change, no flows needed.

I ran a test with a meter_gas capability:

Actual Gasmeter:

Value of calculated numberfield 3:
6055.48 times 32.68 = 197895

I also tested with a temperature value, it works (right away)

[DoctorBazinga]

Thank You for your effort an testing.

I will copy your “$value*32.68” and report back. As I remember I had the same BLL expression but nothing had changed/worked for a couple of hours so I altered it to “{{$value**32.68}}” . This has produced some values/numbers but not consistent for an whole day. So I’ll test yours again.

I report back.

Do you know how/when the vaules is updated ? Is there a certain/specific time period or is it just right away/immediatly when the source value has changed ??

[Arie_J_Godschalk]

@DoctorBazinga

immediatly when the source value has changed

Yes

[David_Piper]

Hi There. I, too, got frustrated with not having my battery reflected correctly in the Energy Tab. AVD can get close, but, as other posts have shown, it falls short by not setting the Energy Tab settings correctly. As a result I have created this app that is available as a test app in the app store:

Unreal Battery | Homey

It’s a very simple limited app. You link your real battery to the “unreal battery” with a 2 card flow diagram. Here is my flow:

Make sure the time interval on the Date & Time WHEN card and the time interval on the Unreal Battery THEN card are the same. [Why, oh why isn’t the interval forwarded from the Date & Time card as a tag???]

These are the capabilities exposed by the unreal battery device:

Let me know if you find it useful. Here’s to the day when AVD closes the loop and I can retire this “bodge”.

[Arie_J_Godschalk]

@David_Piper

Here’s to the day when AVD closes

Yeah , sorry i haven’t been able to fix it yet, been in and out of the hospital since December.

But right now it’s going well, I hope it’ll be soon that I can fix it.

[David_Piper]

Hey Arie. Sorry to hear about the hospital stuff. That’s nasty. In the meantime I got what I needed - and I’m happy to share it too. Take time and get better - that’s the most important thing.

[David_Piper]

I have updated the app to generate unique device ids so that you can have as many unreal batteries as you want. Submitted for publication too.

Here’s what you can see in the Energy Tab for the battery:

Default View - net energy “under the house”

Click Once on net energy - changes to charged energy “under the house”

Click Again on charged energy - changes to discharged energy “under the house”

The battery “pill” (bottom left) shows the instantaneous power (charging or discharging).

[DirkG]

Get well soon, Arie!

[Damian_Surma]

I’m analyzing the possibilities of AVD, and I admit it’s a fantastic tool. However, I think my knowledge isn’t sufficient to achieve what I’m looking for. I want to create an AVD that will be the equivalent of a light bulb—it should turn on and off like a real bulb, and I’ve managed to do that. However, I can’t figure out how to set the virtual power consumption of this bulb so I can use these values ​​later.

[Peter_Kawa]

Hi Damian,

If I get what you say, you can add virtual power usage by adding a numberfield like this:

Set the power to a virtual number of Watts when the virtual light is turned on, and set it to 0 Watts when turned off: