[APP][Pro] Mode Switch - Smart home modes for lights, climate and devices — fully automated

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102

Mode Switch v3.3.8 – Test version

Version 3.3.8 is now available for testing.

Several improvements and new features have been added:

- Monitoring has been expanded and can now also work without power measurement.

- New Flow cards have been added for starting and stopping monitored appliances.

- New Flow cards have been added for main modes and submodes.

- Light controls for color and white balance have been improved.

- The contact counter has been made more reliable.

- Several background processes have been optimized to reduce CPU usage.

- Various fixes, translation improvements and stability improvements have been added.

If you test v3.3.8, feedback is very welcome — especially for Monitoring, Flow cards, contact counters and CPU usage.

Thanks again for testing! :folded_hands:

103

I see that in this test version, there is an issue with the monitoring system calculating the total kWh.

I hope to have a fix ready by tomorrow.

104

I played a liitle bit with the flow cards.

If I use the and card ‘main modus is’ and then ‘actual modus is’ I get all defined submodes as selectable not only the one defined for that main mode.

If I have defined submodes with the same name for different main modes it’s dificult to decide to select the right one.

Possible solution is a flow card like ‘main mode is … and aub mode is …’ where the sub mode is filtered by the main mode.

Use case:

I have sub modes ‘Guest in the house’ and ‘Guest gone’ for the main modes ‘away’ and ‘holiday’. They are triggert by a switch if our neighbor looks after our home if we are away and different settings are active depending witch main mode is active.

Ok, I could name the sub modes different, but with a lot of sub modes it’s still not perfect.

105

Hi Dietrich,

I’ve put version 3.3.11 into test, and it includes a new ‘and’ card where the main mode is… and the sub-mode [is…], with a filter for the sub-modes belonging to that main mode. And apparently, there was also a bug with the new lighting settings: if a schedule was set to turn off after a certain time, the light wouldn’t actually turn off

106

Thank you, that is a big improvement.

Therei s another flow card that need to be improved. The then card ‘set modus to …’ should be arranged like

Main mode

Sub mode

Sub mode

Main mode

Sub mode

Sub mode

107

There is a problem with the new flow cards.

I used the card ‘main mode … and sub mode is…’ and I reversed it.

’ main mode holyday and sub mode is no guest in the house’ also resolves to true if the main mode is not ‘holiday’

It should be like main mode is not holiday → false dont care about submode

Main mode is ‘holiday’ → true and sub mode is not ‘guest in the house’ → true

Ok I now use the card ‘main mode is…’ in front and that works.

108

I can change that card to: Main mode [is / is not] [Holiday] and sub-mode [is / is not] [Guest in the house]. That way, you won’t need to use Homey’s option to invert the card either.

109

Thats a good idea :+1:

110

Version 3.3.12 is now in Test.

Updated the main mode/submode condition card. You can now specify “is” or “is not” for both the main mode and submode. The THEN card for setting a mode has also been improved, with a clearer, properly ordered list of main modes and their corresponding submodes.

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111

:+1: very good.

112

Just FYI @Erikje, feel absolutly free to adjust your app how you (or users) would like. It looks like an amazing app!
Im thinking about exploring your app myself, although, home/away/asleep for me is a separate option to vacation (all 3 modus could be true while vacation is also true, meaning, wake up is later, or lighting goes different etc).

But my point, i hardly doubt our apps will conflict with each other: the DC app (or AVDs) is an extremly customisable app, but no logic behind it, and that will never be my intention (other then through templates). So AVDs will not overlap with the intention of your app.

And i hardly doubt that your app will ever have the ability to customise devices the way AVD does, else it will loose its purpose: a relative easy configured device which uses extreme customisable automation.

If anything, i wished our apps could potentially work together: your automation with my customisable AVDs, mean, that could be a dream come true tbh :face_with_hand_over_mouth:

113

Hi Arie,

I’d be honored, and I think this could turn into a fantastic collaboration between the apps. My initial thought (very basic) would be that the user can create a device using the AVD app, and then use or add it within the Modeswitch app. From there, just like with the mode switch, they could specify which devices should turn on or off based on a specific choice from a list or a button. We could see if that works and then expand further from there. Would that already be a viable option? Did you have any specific features in mind yourself?

114

Indeed, that was also my first thought.
It would make the Home device customisable (like the one im currently making/finishing has home mode, but also a toggle/button for vacation, but also shows all my outside locks, energy consumption, music-follow-through-the-house, and other generic house information).

Could you already use AVD through the homey-api, or do you then miss information or functionalities? Would we need to extend the API of the DC app/AVD?

Lets continue in PM? Or are we gonna talk (mainly) here so users can opt-in?

In the meantime, im gonna explore your app a bit.
:wink:

115

I put version 3.4.5 into testing this morning.

The key changes in this test version are:

· For Zones & Sensors, it has been added that you can now also choose sunrise and sunset instead of only selecting between specific times.

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The biggest change in this test version is:

· You can now also configure it via a URL that you can open in a browser.

You can find this by opening the menu on the Mode Switch app settings page.

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It is listed under Management - Local configuration.

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The app will then create a URL, which can be accessed when you are on the same network as your Homey.

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The page below will then be visible, where all settings can be configured. It is also more comprehensive than the settings available through the app.

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I want to design this page to be as easy to use as possible, so that basic settings are as simple as possible for users, for example by adding more explanation.

116

Hello Erikje, I tsted the flow cards ‘Main modus is… and Sub modus is…’ they don’t work the right way.

I change the modus to sleep and and trigger a flow

Modus changed → Main modus is Away and Sub modus is not guest in the house

The result is TRUE but it should be FALSE because the Main modus is not Away..

117

Hi Dietrich,

I was testing this card myself and noticed that when the card was inverted, there was no visual indication of it. So it’s possible that the card is inverted in the background on your side without you realizing it.

I’ve now made an adjustment to the card so that it clearly shows when it has been inverted. Hopefully, this will make it work correctly for you as well.

V.3.4.6 is now in test

118

Ok, that was the problem. It’s working now. Thank you.

119

So @Erikje, what kind of beautiful suprise have you got for us? :wink::grin:

120

Mode Switch 3.5.5 – AVD integration is ready for testing!

:light_bulb: How did this actually start?

This new integration actually started with an idea from @Arie_J_Godschalk .

He came up with the idea of making Mode Switch and Advanced Virtual Devices (AVD) from Device Capabilities | Homey work much more closely together.

And I immediately thought it was a great idea. :blush:

By connecting the possibilities of both apps, they can complement each other really well. An AVD can trigger actions within Mode Switch, while Mode Switch will also be able to directly control an AVD: switch buttons, change selections, and even update text and numeric values.

This means an AVD is not only something Mode Switch can react to, but something Mode Switch can actively control and update as part of your automations.

:radio_button: What can you do in this version?

Mode Switch can import and display lists and buttons from an AVD. You can then link basic actions to these controls, for example to switch devices on or off.

Also new in 3.5.5 are AVD Button Groups.

This allows you to place multiple AVD buttons or On/Off controls into a single group. When one is activated, the others can automatically be switched off without triggering their linked Mode Switch actions again.

This can be useful, for example, if you have an AVD for your ventilation system with several buttons, but only one of them should be active at a time.

You can now find the new option in the menu:

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Import an AVD device:

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You can then open a button or list item and select which devices should be switched on or off.

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When you give a Button Group a name and assign that same group name to multiple buttons, a Group Action will appear below them.

Here you can also configure what should happen when all buttons in the group are switched off:

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:world_map: Where are we heading?

v3.5.5 — Now in testing

Use AVD lists and buttons

Link basic actions

Button Groups for AVD buttons

v3.5.6 — AVD in de Mode-widget

Use an imported AVD as the source for the Mode widget

Control AVD lists directly from the widget

Use AVD buttons or On/Off controls as widget buttons

v3.5.7 — Expanding the AVD integration

Full light settings for AVD actions

Delayed actions

A redesigned AVD configuration page using the same style as Modes, Monitoring and Planning on the local configuration page

Mode & Switch devices will no longer be offered for new installations or to users who are not already using these devices

Existing Mode & Switch devices will continue to be fully supported

  • Since AVD can now take over this role, new installations will no longer need a separate virtual Mode & Switch device.

v3.5.8 — Mode Switch can write to AVD

Change text fields in an AVD

Change numeric fields in an AVD

This makes the integration work in both directions: Mode Switch can not only react to an AVD, but can also update values in the AVD itself.

v3.5.9 — AVD actions throughout Mode Switch

The new AVD actions will become available in more and more rules throughout Mode Switch

  • Planning
  • Monitoring and Activities

The ultimate goal is for AVD and Mode Switch to work together as two complementary apps, with each app doing what it does best.

  • The roadmap is still under development and may of course change during testing.

And of course, a huge thank you to @Arie_J_Godschalk :raising_hands: for this fantastic idea! It’s great to see what can grow from a single good idea.

121

Looks amasing m8!

I cant wait to test this next week.
:partying_face: