User created/edited device-specific profiles?

Any plans to support custom (user-generated) device profiles? There are new devices coming out all the time and as with most platforms, the built-in support can't help but lag behind, even if customers are generating reports. Waiting for a once a year update is already painful, but become untenable if one's particular device(s) are missed on that upgrade cycle.

Most devices of common types will work to a basic level, like relay switches and dimmers, but having support for additional features, like custom parameters directly within the edit UI, plus advanced capabilities like scene commands without having to use raw packet matching, would be miles better.

I'd like a way to create and edit device profiles for my own use at the very least, but ideally be able to submit them to a database where others can vet and download for their use as well. Most of my Z-Wave devices aren't listed in Indigo (I'll be submitting them all shortly) - including a number which are already a few years on the market.

Scene commands are all handled/supported by my Zwave Scene Controller plugin.

Parameters can be set easily using Interfaces > Zwave > Modify Configuration Parameters*.

(*Your question in the other thread is complicated and I’ve not read the manual yet in order to respond, but it’s the exception rather than the norm).

Those two aside, I’ve wondered about user-submitted device profiles myself, but they aren’t “as” necessary once you have the two above answers.


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Apologies, you weren’t the author of the other thread I was referring to - I knew you’d posted elsewhere but it was wrong thread I was remembering.


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Thanks for the heads up on the plugin, I just checked it out and it looks like it will work well to get quick access to the scene commands without waiting for a definition. I'm surprised that this type of scene control doesn't seem to be available by default in Indigo for undefined switches. Your plugin for example can tell when a scene command it a single, double, triple, etc. click. Indigo only displays a numeric scene ID which is a lot more work and meaningless to a lay person.

I'll still submit relevant info in any case to hopefully get these device models included directly into Indigo. Unfortunately, without the devices added directly to Indigo, or to a database accessible by everyone, things like setting up a plugin and then manually creating some kind of definition for the device (identifying button IDs, etc.), needs to be done repeatedly by any customer that wants to use that device.

Same goes for modifying parameters. Ones that are somewhat integral or basic to the device should be presented in the edit UI for that device - look for example at the Homeseer Switch and Dimmer devices with Scene control - Indigo allows setting LED parameters and others directly in the UI. No need to reference documentation and then specifying toggle bits just to change something.

I'm really looking for a way to get devices fully supported by the community so they look/feel/act like they're built-in from the start. That makes things easy for anyone coming afterwards, such that the device is essentially plug and play. It also takes pressure and timing constraints off of the developers, because it would take a long time for them to get to every device on the market, let alone adding them in a complete state to include all parameters, etc. This isn't an issue unique to Indigo, other platforms have their own archaic distribution/release practises for device definitions (look at the nightmare that's OpenHAB).

[jay (support)]

This isn't an issue unique to Indigo, other platforms have their own archaic distribution/release practises for device definitions (look at the nightmare that's OpenHAB).

Perhaps this is a clue as to why we haven't done it?

The fact is that adding a device definition still often requires coding. The Z-Wave spec isn't exactly detailed in many respects - which leaves a lot of implementation details up to the manufacturers. And they all do the details differently which often times requires code specific to the device. There are opportunities to make the process a bit more open, and we'll look at those going forward. But having a couple of releases of Indigo a year (which we starting with Indigo 7.2 and hope to continue moving forward) will help with "official" support lag.

As with everything, we have to very carefully balance what we spend our limited resources on.

The devices I have that Indigo doesn't know via definition all work, so it wouldn't be a big deal to be able to define via something like XML their additional parameters. howartp's Scene Controller plugin currently detects all the hold and multi-taps from these devices as well, so if that were natively supported by Indigo it would really streamline the ability to have a simple definition for these devices. Sure, some devices might require additional code, but every time such code is created, it would be great to be able to leverage in the future for any other similar/compatible device via easy definition.

When I buy a new switch, I want it fully supported like yesterday.

I'm going to pull the trigger on some additional Zooz and Inovelli switches this month and the Inovelli in addition to scene multi-tap also has parameters for setting its LED (RGB) and an additional stand-alone scene button.