Does anyone know what the virtual device feature in the latest version of incontrol? I have a honeywell tuxedo touch alarm keypad and i purchased incontrol to add functionality to my zwave system. My tuxedo touch does not have the ability to control lights based on motion sensors and i dont have any zwave door window switches. I want to use my tuxedo for coming home scenes that are triggered by disarming the alarm. Is this the purpose of the virtual switch?
Incontrol Virtual Devices in version 2.217.....
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- Last Post 26 March 2013
mewsicmasta
posted this
25 March 2013
jonfrance
posted this
26 March 2013
Does anyone know what the virtual device feature in the latest version of incontrol?
The virtual switches are not linked to zwave devices. They are simply an on/off (or dimmer) switch which can be used within the InControl software to provide additional functionality. I’m not sure how they would be used with the integration of the tuxedo touch, if at all possible.
I use the virtual devices for a number of different tasks, but 2 of the main things I use them for is:
1 – To control multiple rules (or parts of rules) from a single switch. For example, you may have a number of different rules (or parts of scripts activated by rules/scenes) which you want to activate or deactivate if you are away or for whatever reason. Rather than go into the rules and enable/disable all the rules, I have set up the rules to have a condition based on the on/off status of a virtual device. This way I can use the virtual device to change how multiple rules work from a single switch on/off. This can also be used in[code][/code] the scripts which are activated by the rules, so for example you may always want a rules to perform its task but only in certain circumstances send out an email, you can create a switch to basically enable/disable the email part of the script. That’s just a couple of examples I use them for.
2 – To interact with external software. I have other home automation devices, non zwave, which I have had for some time. I use these virtual switches to interact with these other devices. I have custom programming to basically read and set the status of the virtual device, via the web API, and then use this in my external software. This then also gives me remote access to my other system via the InControl phone app and integrates it with zwave devices and rules etc.
Personally I find them extremely useful, but others may have no need.
