Are Your Pistons Device-Based or Event-Based?

#1

I tried putting this in the ‘spare’ category as I don’t really feel this is the right one, but I couldn’t create a topic there for some reason.

I’m about a month into using webCoRE now and I’m struggling with that “gut it and do it differently/better” dilemma. Out of curiosity, what is your method for creating a piston? In other words, do you have one for controlling family room lights, one for kitchen lights, etc.? Or do you have one for when you arrive home, one triggered at sunrise/sunset/other times of the day, and others based on events?

I started out with the former and I’m starting to think it’d be better to make them all events based as I start to get more and more devices installed… and have shared triggers between devices. For example, when my wife or I arrive home there are 4 or 5 pistons triggered for the garage doors, outdoor lights, kitchen lights, and family room lights. Making changes to time or events is starting to take a bit of an archaeological dig to make sure I get all the affected pistons and devices.

Anyway, just curious what your method is and what some of the pros and cons are you’ve had with it.

Cheers,
-Dan

#2

use a mix of area devices pistons and event happened pistons plus use global variables to parameterize everything.

#3

What he said. :smile:

#4

What he said, "parameterize":grin:

#5

Kind of a mash up for me… grows over time and is what it is… so long as it works I’m happy.

#6

As has been mentioned above. It’s really need driven so some are event-based and others are written with devices in mind. Some are both.

#7

The virtual home coming along nicely? :wink:

I have a mix of both. Event based things like keeping the house in the correct mode or when we get home/leave home do things.

Others like if this light turns on then match a smart bulb to the first light

#8

The full extent of my home automation is Alexa <> ST <> Harmony, and some simulated switches to trigger harmony activities.

I have a single webcore piston logging 9 mobile presence locations to help with my timesheet at work, and that’s it for functional stuff!!

Beyond that I have a stack of other simulated devices for testing purposes so I can help out on there, but for at least another 6 months I’m going to be hubless and stuck in a virtual world :frowning:

#9

I have a setup for my work time sheet as well. I created a time card and fleet management system for the company I work for. I am a tree trimmer so it’s certainly outside the scope of my duties. Upgraded them from manual punch cards and paper logs of trucks driven and fuel logs to a nice web app for doing all those things with handy reports.

So now when I arrive at work it just sends an http request telling the system to clock me in. Also have it setup and working with a friend too. Nothing like arriving at work and getting a notification that I have been clocked in.