Indigo Automation 'Disease'

Posted on
Thu Feb 22, 2018 7:43 am
Swancoat offline
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Location: Houston

Indigo Automation 'Disease'

So the biggest problem with Indigo and the wide array of available plugins is that I pretty much feel the need to automate everything, if it needs it or not. (The availability of a plugin or at least available API has influenced multiple major purchase decisions).

Most recently, my wife bought some of these flameless LED candles for the living room coffee table. They're battery powered and come with a junky little IR remote to turn them on and off.

We've become so accustomed to hitting 'All-Off' at night and everything actually shutting off, that I've woken up a couple of mornings this week and found the candles still on. Well... the TV stand in the living room already has a Global Cache IP2IR in it that Indigo uses to Automate some AV equipment via Cynical Cache. I pulled out an IR blaster, mounted it discretely enough on the side of a photo frame aimed out towards the coffee table, and now I'm controlling a $25 set of battery-operated candles via Indigo (and now I'm sure they're off at night too!).

Not only that, but with the Hue Bridge plugin, my kids love using the Echo to turn the candles on and off.

http://nerdhome.jimdo.com

Posted on
Thu Feb 22, 2018 8:07 am
Different Computers offline
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Re: Indigo Automation 'Disease'

Swancoat wrote:
The availability of a plugin or at least available API has influenced multiple major purchase decisions.


I hear you there! That's why I won't buy an amp that isn't a compatible Yamaha, Denon or Monoprice.
An electric car that isn't a Tesla or a Leaf.
Solar panels that aren't compatible with Enphase or EverSolar.
A robot vacuum that isn't a Roomba.

Where are those "Works with Indigo" cross-marketing package stickers? :P

SmartThings refugee, so happy to be on Indigo. Monterey on a base M1 Mini w/Harmony Hub, Hue, DomoPad, Dynamic URL, Device Extensions, HomeKitLink, Grafana, Plex, uniFAP, Fantastic Weather, Nanoleaf, LED Simple Effects, Bond Home, Camect.

Posted on
Thu Feb 22, 2018 9:02 am
Professor Falken offline
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Re: Indigo Automation 'Disease'

Wait! I have a use case for this setup.

I was looking for a way to signal that the home alarm is armed (and will sound if door is open) near doors where there isn't an alarm panel right there. Apparently all I need are some remote controlled candles, IR blaster, and an IP2IR and I can have a candle on a table signal that, right?

Posted on
Thu Feb 22, 2018 9:03 am
Colorado4Wheeler offline
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Re: Indigo Automation 'Disease'

Swancoat wrote:
So the biggest problem with Indigo and the wide array of available plugins is that I pretty much feel the need to automate everything

You aren't alone! I'm sure a large number of use feel that way. Heck, some of us feel so much that way that we write the plugins :P.

Swancoat wrote:
The availability of a plugin or at least available API has influenced multiple major purchase decisions

True story! I've purchased many things just because they are supported in Indigo via a recent plugin or software update.

My Modest Contributions to Indigo:

HomeKit Bridge | Device Extensions | Security Manager | LCD Creator | Room-O-Matic | Smart Dimmer | Scene Toggle | Powermiser | Homebridge Buddy

Check Them Out Here

Posted on
Thu Feb 22, 2018 11:35 am
jay (support) offline
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Re: Indigo Automation 'Disease'

It's really bad when your spouse, while shopping for a new refrigerator (to replace the piece of junk Samsung that's only 18 months old - long story), asks "hey, this LG has WiFi, does that mean Indigo can talk to it?"... :P

True story, happened last night.

Jay (Indigo Support)
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Posted on
Thu Feb 22, 2018 11:41 am
siclark offline
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Location: UK

Re: Indigo Automation 'Disease'

jay (support) wrote:
It's really bad when your spouse, while shopping for a new refrigerator (to replace the piece of junk Samsung that's only 18 months old - long story), asks "hey, this LG has WiFi, does that mean Indigo can talk to it?"... :P

True story, happened last night.


Just make sure you don't include in your All Off action group.


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Posted on
Thu Feb 22, 2018 11:43 am
jay (support) offline
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Re: Indigo Automation 'Disease'

Swancoat wrote:
Most recently, my wife bought some of these flameless LED candles for the living room coffee table. They're battery powered and come with a junky little IR remote to turn them on and off.

We've become so accustomed to hitting 'All-Off' at night and everything actually shutting off, that I've woken up a couple of mornings this week and found the candles still on. Well... the TV stand in the living room already has a Global Cache IP2IR in it that Indigo uses to Automate some AV equipment via Cynical Cache. I pulled out an IR blaster, mounted it discretely enough on the side of a photo frame aimed out towards the coffee table, and now I'm controlling a $25 set of battery-operated candles via Indigo (and now I'm sure they're off at night too!).


That's a great use BTW. I'm putting accent LEDs everywhere, but have been relegated to using the ones that have timers on them (6 hours on, 18 hours off) since I couldn't find any way to control them directly (btw, these are pretty awesome - I'll take pictures this evening when they're on). I was just looking around last night to see if I could find something that would integrate these types of accent lights with Indigo. Nothing yet, but I have hope that I'll eventually find something...

Jay (Indigo Support)
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Posted on
Fri Feb 23, 2018 6:34 pm
durosity offline
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Re: Indigo Automation 'Disease'

I’m sitting here trying to think of some witty retort to this. And I just can’t. Weird eh?

Computer says no.

Posted on
Fri Feb 23, 2018 6:48 pm
Colorado4Wheeler offline
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Re: Indigo Automation 'Disease'

durosity wrote:
I’m sitting here trying to think of some witty retort to this. And I just can’t. Weird eh?

Ok, first off, HOLY CRAP, HAI DUROSITY! You've been hiding for some time, hope you've been well.

Second, I thought of one today, I thought of it because I'm having to recode the entire solutions out of AppleScript and it was the first thing I "wrote" for Indigo (AppleScript isn't really coding) back in version 4 and it's been rock solid ever since.

So years ago I wanted to automate my curtains but there were no Insteon products that worked unless I really did some crazy wiring and, blah. So I ended up with these Add-A-Motor devices, awesome little devices that basically just pull the string back and forth for you (you can still get them on Amazon for $95 and now there's a plugin for them). I found that the cheap-o hardware store curtain rods would often stick and cause that motor to stick and it just ended up being a pain. So I shopped around for some high end ball-bearing curtain rods that were very nice and fit into the style of the house. I had to have them custom made for about $5,500.00. They worked (and still do ) amazing with these motors, never get stuck and are just slick as all get out.

So I spent $5,500.00 to support $300 in motors and $150 in Insteon OutletLinc's just so I could open my drapes with a button.

My Modest Contributions to Indigo:

HomeKit Bridge | Device Extensions | Security Manager | LCD Creator | Room-O-Matic | Smart Dimmer | Scene Toggle | Powermiser | Homebridge Buddy

Check Them Out Here

Posted on
Fri Feb 23, 2018 7:30 pm
DaveL17 offline
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Re: Indigo Automation 'Disease'

Colorado4Wheeler wrote:
So I spent $5,500.00 to support $300 in motors and $150 in Insteon OutletLinc's just so I could open my drapes with a button.

I'm pretty sure that I'd be single if I did that.

Not really the same, but in 1997 we paid way too much for a 42" plasma that only delivers 1080i. Moreover, we almost never use it at this point and the TV burns 60w of electricity while it's off, so I put an appliance module on it so we could turn it off-off. In other words, we have a very expensive black glass rectangle in our living room that's sometimes a mediocre TV.

I came here to drink milk and kick ass....and I've just finished my milk.

[My Plugins] - [My Forums]

Posted on
Fri Feb 23, 2018 7:53 pm
jh71283 offline
Posts: 127
Joined: Jun 16, 2014

Re: Indigo Automation 'Disease'

jay (support) wrote:

That's a great use BTW. I'm putting accent LEDs everywhere, but have been relegated to using the ones that have timers on them (6 hours on, 18 hours off) since I couldn't find any way to control them directly (btw, these are pretty awesome - I'll take pictures this evening when they're on). I was just looking around last night to see if I could find something that would integrate these types of accent lights with Indigo. Nothing yet, but I have hope that I'll eventually find something...


When you say accent leds, do you mean LED strips or just led based lights like the one you posted?


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Posted on
Fri Feb 23, 2018 8:32 pm
DaveL17 offline
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Re: Indigo Automation 'Disease'

jay (support) wrote:
I was just looking around last night to see if I could find something that would integrate these types of accent lights with Indigo. Nothing yet, but I have hope that I'll eventually find something...

Same here, and I think I've landed on a solution (I haven't worked out all the details yet). My wife has some of these accent lights that run on three AAs, which should be fairly simple to parse out of a 5v USB wall wart. I just need to re-familiarize myself with Ohm's law--which I haven't seen since the late 70s. :D

I came here to drink milk and kick ass....and I've just finished my milk.

[My Plugins] - [My Forums]

Posted on
Sat Feb 24, 2018 2:35 am
jh71283 offline
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Joined: Jun 16, 2014

Re: Indigo Automation 'Disease'

DaveL17 wrote:
jay (support) wrote:
I was just looking around last night to see if I could find something that would integrate these types of accent lights with Indigo. Nothing yet, but I have hope that I'll eventually find something...

Same here, and I think I've landed on a solution (I haven't worked out all the details yet). My wife has some of these accent lights that run on three AAs, which should be fairly simple to parse out of a 5v USB wall wart. I just need to re-familiarize myself with Ohm's law--which I haven't seen since the late 70s. :D


I've used these with some success:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Wifi-Remote- ... y5F6Nm8NpQ

They work on anything from 5v to 28v, and they work with my Flux LED plugin http://forums.indigodomo.com/viewtopic.php?f=134&t=19314

In your case Dave, you may be able to just wire one of these in, and run those LED's off the white channel only.

Posted on
Sat Feb 24, 2018 6:59 am
DaveL17 offline
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Re: Indigo Automation 'Disease'

jh71283 wrote:
In your case Dave, you may be able to just wire one of these in, and run those LED's off the white channel only.

Seems like an interesting option and it would be cheaper than an appliance module for sure. I think I'll get one just to try it out.

Thanks!

I came here to drink milk and kick ass....and I've just finished my milk.

[My Plugins] - [My Forums]

Posted on
Mon Feb 26, 2018 4:53 am
durosity offline
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Re: Indigo Automation 'Disease'

Colorado4Wheeler wrote:
Ok, first off, HOLY CRAP, HAI DUROSITY! You've been hiding for some time, hope you've been well.


Hai :) Alas not been great.. had a lot of anxiety issues and panic attacks over stupid little things like when the heating wasn't turning itself on correctly and things. Ended up nearly dismantling my whole system, stopped short by just disabling most of it. But im feeling a bit better now and not quite so determined to dismantle it all. Which is good. I think i just so frustrated by just tiny little things that weren't as they should be that it was just the straw that broke the camels back. Things like one temperature measurement in indigo being writen as 9 and others as 9C and so on. It's a stupid thing to get so upset by but my minds not been right for a fair few years now. Hmm.. perhaps i should sue matt and jay. :twisted:

Hey look.. it really is a disaease.

Hope you've been well :)

Computer says no.

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