Control Pages and Virtual Devices

Posted on
Sun Nov 18, 2018 8:27 pm
ketchup318 offline
Posts: 32
Joined: Aug 04, 2011

Control Pages and Virtual Devices

Hi All

I'm setting up my control pages and have a questions about using Virtual Devices.

My virtual devices are used to control lights that have multiple switches; three way, four way, five way lights. The virtual devices essentially turn on each of the switches to the light. I like it that way because all the indicators show the correct levels. I'm not sure if there's a better way of doing this, but it's the way I found that works for me.

I have timers and triggers that active these Virtual Devices by turning them ON and OFF. The problem is that when I put the Virtual Devices into the Control Pages, I can only toggle them. I see in the Virtual Device that there is an option for toggling, but it activates a single device. I'm not sure how to use that device to toggle the lights I want, and set all the indicators to the correct levels.

I could be going about this totally wrong... So I need help figuring out what's the best way to work this out.

Thanks

Posted on
Mon Nov 19, 2018 1:59 am
mat offline
Posts: 769
Joined: Nov 25, 2010
Location: Cambridgeshire - UK

Re: Control Pages and Virtual Devices

I don't use virtual devices, but my understanding is that they are just on/off and not configured to adjust brightness.

Late 2018 mini 10.14

Posted on
Mon Nov 19, 2018 10:25 am
jay (support) offline
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Re: Control Pages and Virtual Devices

Device groups are ON/OFF devices - they don't support brightness.

I think what you want here is to put one of the switches that are in the group on your control page. Then, create a trigger that whenever that light goes on it also turns the group on and vice versa.

Jay (Indigo Support)
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Posted on
Tue Nov 20, 2018 6:22 pm
ketchup318 offline
Posts: 32
Joined: Aug 04, 2011

Re: Control Pages and Virtual Devices

Thanks Jay

Sorry for the duplicate post.

The brightness I was referring to is the indicator lights on the side of the switch. I've noticed when you turn on the controlling device of a 4- or 5-way switch, the lights will come on as expected. But the status indicator lights on the other switches remain at 0%. That's why my action groups cycle through every light... more of an aesthetic thing than anything else.

I was hoping the Virtual Device could be toggled on/off, but that doesn't seem like it's possible. I'll toy around with your single switch idea with an associated trigger.

Thanks

Posted on
Wed Nov 21, 2018 12:09 pm
jay (support) offline
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Location: Austin, Texas

Re: Control Pages and Virtual Devices

So, I'm not understanding then why toggling the Device Group on the Control Page isn't doing what you want.

Ah, wait - when you created the group did you have all of the devices in the group turned on? If not, that's the issue. The device group saves it's internal state when you save the group (with the appropriate switch at the bottom of the config dialog after you first create the group). So if you had some on and some off, then that's what the group remembers the ON state to be and that's how it sets it when you turn it on (note the number or word in parenthesis after the device in the list in the config dialog).

Jay (Indigo Support)
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