Making voice announcements & controlling Amazon Alexa Echo


#75

Same here. In no way am I looking forward to using the new app.


#76

IFTTT works for this. I’ve been passing variables from Alexa to my Sony smart tv and my Denon AVR - and to Smartthings - using Alexa, IFTTT and Sharptools (tasker of course).


#77

Would you mind showing screenshots so I can see an example? Do you use webhooks in IFTTT? Do you need Tasker t do this? I’m on iOS.


#78

Hi,

Can’t post complete screenshots as they contain confidential information.
But yes, webhooks is the start. So one phrase is “Alexa, trigger window report”. IFTTT then taps the hook provided by my Webcore piston. That piston is scrubbed a bit, and shown below.

The PUSH notifications are intercepted by AutoNotification/Tasker on my control tablet, and played by that tablet.

The Speak commands are the new addition for EchoSpeaks.

Windows Livingroom, WindowsOffice etc are groups of windows defined as global variables.

it occurs to me that this was not really what you are asking.
What you are asking is about passing variables from webhooks itself. Here is one:

ht t p autoremotejoaomgcd dot appspot dot com/sendmessage?key=——————&sender=https://goo.gl/———&message=dinner jazz=:=

The personal keys are scrubbed. When the tablet receives this, AutoRemote parses “dinner jazz” and selects the correct zone and plays Pandora Bebop Jazz on that zone (it also sets the volume I want).

If I say “Alexa, play dinner music classical” it chooses a different station and sets a different volume.

To accomplish these things, the words ‘jazz’ and ‘classical’ are variables recognized in AutoRemote.
I think I have a piston somewhere getting a variable from webhooks. Will post it when I find it.


#79

@WCmore
It’s irrelevant but this topic excited me for another idea…

Can we do something like this:

at a certain time or after a trigger (motion sensor etc)
speaker says “Would you like me to play music?”
and i say “yes”
and music starts…

it could be used for lights, music etc

I would love to hear all the options. Get a Rbp3, buy this speaker, buy that switch, or simply buy amazon :joy:


#80

I am definitely working on that Ike. With Amazon’s current API, the best I can visualize is adding a word to our phrase and saying, “Alexa, yes” to trigger the second part.

I will post in a new thread when I get the bugs ironed out, and have a good step-by-step guide.

EDIT
New capabilities posted here.


By the way, I love your new avatar! Very fitting!


#81

thanks WCmore:)))

“Alexa yes” sound very good, i love it.
pls let me know when ever it’s ready… can’t wait to add this to my house.


#82

I’ve tried this on and off several times and can never get it to work with my GH. But when I saw your other post yesterday WebCoRE asks a question, my voice response determines the action I wanted to try again. The problem I’m having is that I am receiving the notification on my ST and it’s not being passed to my GH. I checked which apps I marked per the instructions above and found that I have several ST listed under apps. See screen shot. Any advice?


#83

I am a bit confused by your question. If the screenshot is from Tasker, and you are trying to make voice announcements, then checking all of them would be my choice. (although I wonder why it shows so many SmartThings app installed)

Can you send a screenshot from your Tasker Profile (left side) that says “AutoNotification Intercept Event Behavior”?

Mine looks like this:

a_ProfileEvent_30


It is also important to clarify that you need some kind of speaker connected to the Android. (via Bluetooth or 3.5mm wire) You can test this portion by picking up the Android, and doing anything that makes sound. (game, MP3, podcast etc) Does the sound come out of your large speaker?

For this method to work, every single sound your Android makes should be piped directly to your external speaker.


#84


Yes, I’ve checked all the Smartthings listed and yes a Bluetooth speaker is attached. I even hear the ST notification from the piston I’m trying to run. It seems the notification isn’t being intercepted


#85

With AutoNotification, reduce the specifics as much as possible on the intercepts. The more specifics you include, the more likely something will be missed. So start with:
Event behavior: true
Notification type: all (whatever that is, been many months since I did this)
Persistency type: both
Notification app: Smartthings
Notification title: blank
Notification text: blank
Package name: blank

Only get specific later on, as needed. For now you want it to be as open as possible.


#86

Glen makes a good point. I suspect if you have 5 versions of SmartThings installed, that the line:
Package Name: com.smartthings.android
is the line that needs editing to point towards the correct app (or left blank).

Side Note:
Do not drop the symbol next to Notification Text! That is required to filter out other notifications

Also, Notification Type must remain “Only Created Notifications” or each trigger will repeat twice.


#87

I just noticed you need a capital “T” for SmartThings in two sections:

This is likely the culprit.


#88

I’ll give these things a try when I get back into town tonight! Stay tuned…


#89

Update - I hear the ST notification tone but it isn’t speaking. Thoughts?


#90

Sorry to ask again, but can you send a screenshot from your latest Tasker Profile (left side) that says “AutoNotification Intercept Event Behavior”?


An easy way to test the voice is
If you write a one line piston:
Send PUSH notification "® This is only a test"
and then test that piston to send the notification…

The tiny symbol at the beginning of the PUSH notification is the registered symbol.
An R with a circle around it. ®


Pro Tip

I actually save this test piston permanently.

pic

It’s perfect for a single line copy/paste into other pistons.
(which saves me the time of using ‘Character Map’ to copy that symbol each time I want something spoken)


#91


Tested using simple piston. Received “this is only a test” notification ding and text on phone, heard notification tone on connected Bluetooth speaker… But no words


#92

Just to clarify, was the notification on your phone

this is only a test
or
® this is only a test

??

If the symbol didn’t make it thru, Tasker won’t do anything with it.

Also, just to rule it out, can you uncheck everything under “Notification Apps”. (plural) and delete the info stored under “Package Name: com.smartthings.android”. Those are the two areas that would conflict if you have 5 versions of SmartThings installed.


#93

Notification was on my phone (words & tone) with ®. Tone only on speaker.
I actually switched to another old Android with only one ST listed under apps.


#94

I am tied up the next 36 hours, but afterwards, I will troubleshoot with you in a private message, and post the results back here afterwards.