Hey Osirion,
Well to be honest, i think there are extrem big differences between the Virtual Devices App and the Advanced Virtual Devices from the Device Capabilities App.
The Virtual Devices App
- This app is extremly lightweight, few hundreds kB in install size and mostly runs wel below 10MB in memory size.
- It let’s you create a Virtual Default(!) Class/Type-Of Device.
You can create a device, need to select a class (‘other’ is not an option(!)) and from that class you can select which default Homey capabilities (fields in AVD) you want to have on this VD.
What you now get is in accordance with it’s name: a Virtual Device. - You can pick/upload a custom icon for the device itself during creation.
- Very easy to use: absolutly no customisation or settings needed after device creation.
- Al(most all) based on default Homey flowcards.
The Advanced Virtual Devices from Device Capabilities
- The install size is about average to large, with al it’s default icon’s compressed/zipped in it, with currently 6MB. Memorywise it runs normally between 23MB and 30MB, but depending on your Homey and when you create AVDs or use Share Your Device or The Flow Exchange(r) you can easily get up to 50 or 60 MB of memory.
So for a default VD, the AVD and DC is a big overkill imho. - It let’s you create a Virtual Completly-To-Your-Wishes Device.
- You can set the class to any type, including other, making it not visible on certain other apps and software. You can do this after creation.
- You can add the same capabilities/fields multiple times.
This means you can have one AVD controlling multiple real device through separate UI controls (like buttons). Take this AVD Template for example: Control 2 dimmable lights as one. It let’s you control two real dimable lights through one AVD, but the AVD actually has a totla of three buttons (not possible with VD).
Or this more extensive Living room example. Here you have 3 neat looking custom-iconed buttons, with custom names and everything. These custom names also show up in flows, making it very readable.
I have actually added a few thing to my Living Room AVD, like the curtains and Sonos. All Living room devices within one(!) AVD. This kind of stuff is not possible with VD.
- AVDs can have as many fields as you would like. Except for Homey, browser, javascript, max-number-length, etc., limitations, there are now App limitations to how many fields you can have.
- You can add fields like Camera, multiple times, so you can put all camera’s in one AVD. Much more handy then a lott of devices in on “Room”.
- You can create your own capabilities (fields), not just pick from the default Homey types.
All default types can be used, but you can also pick a lott of other options or just set every field-option yourself. Create a Tag or insight, give the field a Name or Icon, SHow it or Hide it, Make it pushable or not. A lot can be customised. - You can now even add default lists/pickers and a few default-custom lists. (And you can request to add your own custom picker/lists to the DC app).
- You can customise the Device icon but also the Field icons (Buttons, Sensor, etc.) after the creation of the device.
- You can pretty much reconfigure your whole AVD after creation!
- You can Export and Import you whole AVD including it’s flows to other users.
Share Your Device! - Advanced Virtual Devices from Device Capabilities.
The Flow Exchange(r) - Exchange Your Flows with Others! - Flows - Homey Community Forum.
I know people are gonna be hesitant about SYD and TFE, but it actually works pretty well already!
See for example these posts with @DirkG: AVD created and shared with fantross.
Being able to create this Control 2 dimmable lights as one AVD is Unique!
There is no other way then AVD to create one virtual device to emulate multiple devices in one.
Being able to create an (A)VD and Share Your Device including flows with another user is Unique!
Even Athom doesn’t have a method for this 
Being able to import a AVD from someone else and have the flows configured to your own devices is Unique!
As soon as SYD and TFE becomes more well known and people start trusting and using it, this will be a very handy tool for helping others and newcomers!
I know you should create most of your own flows to start understanding it all, but be real, why keep inventing the wheel over and over and over? Why would i need to explain to @DirkG HowTo make the AVD and it’s flows, while explaining it will take me longer then creating it (if i want the images i already need to create everything first) then to just give it all to him: The AVD and Flows. And now he doesn’t need to really configure much, so less change at a mistake (since else he would need to create everything based on my print-screens and explanation).
So, i really like VD and it’s simplicity.
And i don’t think AVDs are gonne surpase it and i’m not sure it should.
VD is very easy to use, very handy for a lot of users.
But VD “only” let’s you “pick a (limited) default Homey Device”.
But:
AVD let’s you create your own device, the way you like it, with all the fields you need and the icons you prefer!
Also, AVD was build out of the need from a user to be able to set a Text on a Device Tile in the Homey/Web App:
From that, AVD (and DC) has grown very fast into a completly Unique App, there is no other App like it.
And yes, it does many things that other Apps do in some way or another, like VD but also like Better Logic: Add fields to an AVD and put the Tag and Insights On, and you have got about hte same thing, only now your variables are grouped together and you can have Image-variables.
But i don’t know about any App being able to simulate what AVD’s can do.
