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

Hi Arie,

You were spot-on, restarting the BLL app fixed it! Thanks. I didn’t realise that there was this dependency, but reading through your latest post it completely makes sense.

Well, its not really a dependency. DC can work without BLL.
But if you have BLL activated and installed, it will use it.

And if BLL wasn’t started or working, that was just fine.
However, BLL sometimes “hang” during restart. the API can’t handle with that so the DC when requesting the variables for use in the AVD would also hang.

Fortunantly, its resolved now (also looking at crashlogs it seems BLL is finally fixed).

Request:
AVD Thermostat tile: field picker and field title missing when the device has only one target number field.

With only one target number field:

  • the tile shows no dropdown, and
  • it shows no field title either, just the value (e.g. “6.0°”) with “Heating towards”

Expected: with a single target number field, the tile still shows that field’s title, without the dropdown, or with a one-entry dropdown.

(Workaround for now: I keep an unused second target number field (“dummy2”) on the device, only so the title shows)

@Rrrr ,
For me this is as it was before: Single slider → No name on top/ Multiple slider → Drop down and name on top.
This goes the same for On/Off buttons. Single button → No name on top / Multiple On/Off button → Drop down and name on top.
Mostly that will do for me, however it would be nice if the name of the slider or button is shown always…

Ah, now i know what you mean.
But im sorry, i cannot change how Homey presents a device in the app.
This is a Homey feature/bug/thing. I cannot control if that title is shown.

But i think your workaround is pretty smart :face_with_hand_over_mouth:

It looks like it was fixed? :folded_hands:

Update: it was not. Somehow after deleting the dummy target, the AVD showed a single thermostat with title in my mobile app. After coming back to it a few times (and changing some number properties) the title disappeared. So I put the dummy back.

AVD – Text field used as status indicator does not refresh automatically in Homey Mobile

Hello Arie,

I have created an Advanced Virtual Device (AVD) using Device Capabilities to control two synchronized radiators.

The AVD contains:

  • A numeric field for the target temperature.

  • A numeric field for the measured temperature.

  • A text field called “État”, used as the device tile status indicator, displaying both values (e.g. “7° - 17°”).

Everything works correctly in the Homey web interface.

However, in the Homey mobile app, the text status indicator on the device tile does not update automatically, while the numeric values update correctly.

As soon as I open the AVD on my smartphone, the status indicator refreshes and displays the correct values.

I have already tested:

  • The “Run Flow trigger cards” option.

  • The “Set status” Flow card with “Update mobile app” enabled.

Neither solved the issue.

Is this a known limitation or is there a way to force the text status indicator to refresh automatically in Homey Mobile?

Thank you for your help.

A textfield, or the special Status Field?

Because this one cannot be used for a Text Field.

So i am curious if you use the “old” status field or a regular textfield?

Can you show a screenshot of the AVD settings?

Hello Arie,

Thank you for your quick reply and for looking into this issue.

To answer your question, I am using a regular text field named “État” (Text 1), not the special Status Field.

I have attached screenshots of my AVD settings and the way it appears in the Homey mobile app.

  1. My AVD configuration

I created an Advanced Virtual Device called “Radiateurs de la véranda” using Device Capabilities to control two synchronized Atlantic radiators.

It contains three fields:

  • Consigne (Number 1): configured as a target temperature, allowing me to adjust the heating setpoint of both radiators.
  • Température (Number 2): configured as a measured temperature, displaying the average temperature measured by the two radiators.
  • État (Text 1): a regular text field, configured as “Sensor (Default)” and selected as the device tile status indicator.

The “État” field is updated by Homey Flows and combines the setpoint and measured temperature into a single text, for example:

7° - 17°

  1. Why I use a regular text field

My goal is to display both temperatures directly on the device tile:

  • 7° = target temperature
  • 17° = average measured temperature

When I open the AVD, the thermostat interface displays these values separately, as shown in the screenshots.

This is exactly the layout I want to keep.

  1. The problem

Everything works correctly in the Homey web interface.

However, in the Homey mobile app on my Android smartphone, the regular text field “État” does not refresh automatically on the device tile when its value changes.

The numerical fields update correctly.

As soon as I open the AVD on my smartphone, the text displayed on the tile refreshes and shows the correct values.

  1. Tests already performed

I have tried:

  • Updating the “État” text field using the Device Capabilities Flow card.
  • Enabling “Run Flow trigger cards” instead of “Nothing else”.
  • Using the separate “Set status” Flow card with “Update mobile app” enabled.

None of these tests solved the issue.

I now understand that the “Set status” card is intended for the special Status Field and not for a regular text field.

  1. My question

Is there a way to force a regular text field used as a device tile status indicator to refresh automatically in Homey Mobile, without having to open the AVD?

Or is this a known limitation of Homey Mobile?

I would prefer to keep the current AVD configuration because it works perfectly for controlling my radiators and displaying both temperatures.

Thank you very much for your help and for developing Device Capabilities!

Jean-Claude

(attachments)





Hello Jean Claude,
I seemed to have the same problem as you describe not updating the status. This was due to the free memory of the Homey. If the free memory goes below 300MB, the status does seem to react slow. If you have more free memory , all works fine.
Try to disable some of your apps temporarily and see how it works. For me it helped, let us know your experience…
Success with that!

Well, not by me. The AVD already correctly updates the text field, as proven by the fact that web does it correctly and reopening the homey (device) also works correct.
So this is really a Homey App bug and you should report it to them.
Personally i have it also that the homey tile (be it for locked f.i. or another capability like alarm_sensor) doesnt update until i re-go to that tile/device etc.

Well, a few years ago, the Homey App did have the same issue with Units at least (which i use for the special Status Field). That precicly why i had that special flowcard to update mobile through a workaround in the background.

You are very welcome and i wish this was something i can fix (in a normal way), but this is really at Athom Homey issue and you are better of contacting their support for this issue.

P.s. you screenshot show a correct configuration.

Personally i have about 1GB free memory and i also seem to have this issue on the app with other apps/devices.

Please use a dot instead of a comma

Not sure if this affects your reported issue in any way.