Messages

1

VoxCommando Basics and Core Features / Re: Payloads with Alexa

« on: February 18, 2017, 01:13:26 PM »

Hey...I'm a junior member now.. not a newbie...lol...I wish

The emulate shutting down the listening isn't coming from Alexa.. if you type any old stuff into TelVox that generates an emulate, then it stops listening.
I switched over to the Non SP version this morning but it still does it on that version too.
It's hard to deliver a speech command without stuttering now and again..

I wondered if I should change the invocation name to G G Granville..
Did you ever get the TV programme in Quebec... Open All Hours with Ronnie Barker..many years ago.

2

VoxCommando Basics and Core Features / Re: Payloads with Alexa

« on: February 18, 2017, 12:32:15 PM »

I agree, but with so many room commands, when it does get it wrong, won't I get an emulate problem, whereby, VC stops listening. It was in all kinds of a mess this morning. It was acting strange. It would get an emulate problem and not listen.. but if I changed the room, it would work for that room but not obey any commands on the original room that got the emulate problem. Then, some time later it would now obey a command on that room.

The other actions, like blinds, TV etc are very limited in commands so Telvox would be fine. I'm just trying to work around the rooms problem..lol

3

VoxCommando Basics and Core Features / Re: Payloads with Alexa

« on: February 18, 2017, 12:10:17 PM »

Alexa is very much pattern & phrase. It will hear 'Alexa what time is it' from upstairs..as it only has to hear the word time.. tell it to Fade down the living room lights..no problem.. tell it to fade up the living room lights and it doesn't get it.. Fade goes with down in it's mind...lol.. so Jarvis gets Fade the living room off..instead of up

4

VoxCommando Basics and Core Features / Re: Payloads with Alexa

« on: February 18, 2017, 12:02:39 PM »

No, this is just the RAKO lights system. I have to do a CMD wget://RakoBridge/ etc and pass it a Room & Scene. So for this Command I will just use the payload it gives me on the event and get the room & scene info from the text. It's very quick

For the blinds, it works fine as It only has to Raise or Lower and that is going to get the TelVox
Same for the TV and the like.

There are 25 different light groups through the house so I have found the best phrases that Alexa uses.. It tends to want recognised rooms.. it didn't like 'Turn the stairs on' messed it up more than most. Changed it to staircase and it was 100%.. another was the piano room.. changed it to music room and hey ho..

5

VoxCommando Basics and Core Features / Payloads with Alexa

« on: February 18, 2017, 10:49:36 AM »

Hi,
I am getting an event payload{1} back from the echo Dot which contains 'Turn the Kitchen Lights On'..
I now want to extract the room part and the action... kitchen & On

I already have 2 payloads..rooms & scenes which I need to match to so that I can end up with a value for the room and scene to pass to my RakoBridge.

I cant do an if A contains B with A as {1} as I cant use my rooms payload in B.. or can I?

Thanks

6

VoxCommando Basics and Core Features / Re: Problem Interfacing to Alexa

« on: February 15, 2017, 03:47:09 PM »

Hi Kalle,
Thanks for replying.
I have now gone through the complete set up according to James's tutorial and have now got 5 skills.. each with a different invocation name.. Hayley, Jarvis, Samwise, Gandolf & the original Vox.

I am trying to eliminate any error I may have made in the previous versions.

I have 5 skills in my 'My Skills' and only enabled one at a time to test.
All 5 work perfectly on the test page to the sample text input of Raise the Blinds.
All 5 give me the same result from the echo Dot.. I cannot find that skill.. go to the skill section of your Alexa App... so it KNOWS it's a skill I am trying to invoke.

To have not followed the instructions to the letter once would be ok ish, twice would be bad.. but 5 times...lol

Is there any possibility that the UK version of the echo Dot is different than the US version? That's about all I can put it down to.

7

VoxCommando Basics and Core Features / Re: Problem Interfacing to Alexa

« on: February 15, 2017, 02:00:32 PM »

Hi James,

I will just start again.. set up a new skill and do it all from start to finish.. I guess I must have missed something but the fact the test code worked made me think it was running through the lambda bit ok.

Thanks for your help again

Wal

8

VoxCommando Basics and Core Features / Re: Problem Interfacing to Alexa

« on: February 15, 2017, 01:41:12 PM »

Hi James,
I have changed the name a few times, thinking it may not recognise it, and re saved it all.
Each time, on the test page it told me what the ask was.. eg ask vox, ask my vox etc. so I know the naming is ok.
And the skill is enabled in 'my skills'

Does the port you use make a difference? I can't see it does as when I type a phrase on the test page like 'lower the blinds', it carries it out as it should.. using my WAN ip and port. I cant get it to work using my ddns, but i'm not bothered about that.
I used port 80 inbound and port 80 private. Should I try a different port just in case?

Thanks
Wal

9

VoxCommando Basics and Core Features / Re: Problem Interfacing to Alexa

« on: February 15, 2017, 12:36:49 PM »

Hiya again,
If I say Alexa ask vox.. she says she can't find that skill. to find skills go to the skill sction of the Alexa app..
The skill is in my skills.. named voxcommando.

Now that I have tested it working via the test page.. do I have to do anything else to enable the echo to see and use the skill?

Thanks
Wal

10

VoxCommando Basics and Core Features / Re: Problem Interfacing to Alexa

« on: February 15, 2017, 11:22:57 AM »

Hiya,
On the test page it says

Please complete the Interaction Model tab to start testing this skill.
 Enabled  This skill is enabled for testing on your account. 

The skill is available in "Skills > Your Skills" page of the Alexa App when you select 'Yes' above. You can then enable the skill and test its functionality by asking Alexa, ask vox

11

VoxCommando Basics and Core Features / Re: Problem Interfacing to Alexa

« on: February 15, 2017, 10:59:19 AM »

Hi James,
45 years ago this would have all been a breeze...lol

I have found the problem, thanks to your direction. and renamed the VC commands
Now, I am way out of my depth..
When I tested the skill  from the test page it does everything..
Now I am back home and saying 'Alexa ask vox to Lower the blinds'.. it won't do a thing except tell me it's sorry as it cant find anything in my devices or account

Any help would be sooo appreciated as I am lost now.
Wal

12

VoxCommando Basics and Core Features / Problem Interfacing to Alexa

« on: February 15, 2017, 06:09:38 AM »

Hi all,

I have created the skill to get Alexa to pass commands onto my VC.
I have port forwarded ok and made the change to the code (line 89) to basically call the TellVoxCommando exe with the text of what I want it to do.

This works, but only some times. I am in the Test section and entering an utterance of 'raise the blinds'. I am Remoted onto my home laptop and can see VC and my blinds... oh..and the cat sleeping on my jacket!

The times it does not work are when I see in VC the words emulate:raise the blinds. If it shows the words raise the blinds then it works.

What causes it to say emulate at times?

It's probably something very basic that I have missed..lol

Thanks
Wal

13

BEAM IR/RF Wifi transceiver / Re: BEAM documentation / news

« on: February 14, 2017, 08:45:29 AM »

Thanks James,
So, how much is the Beam and is it available yet?

As for the Somfy Blinds... I have got around that problem by wiring up a somfy remote to an Ethernet Arduino acting as a web server, which when it gets a request eg 192.168.x.x/d it applies a voltage to the down button leg and brings the blinds down.. sending a CMD wGet to the web server lets me do it with VC in response to a voice command.

Still would like a Beam though as it's certainly less intrusive than the GC WiFi2IR.. which works perfectly now since you sent me the DLL

Wal

14

BEAM IR/RF Wifi transceiver / Re: BEAM documentation / news

« on: February 14, 2017, 07:13:46 AM »

Hi Kalle,

I have SOMFY wireless powered blinds in my house and was informed that the SOMFY RF transmitted from the remote is a rolling code.
Would this be a problem for the beam?

And.. when will the beam be available for purchase and how much?

Thanks
Wal

15

VoxCommando Basics and Core Features / Re: Wifi2IR help please

« on: February 12, 2017, 03:55:16 PM »

Hi James,

Absolutely excellent.. it works fine now.
Thank you so very much. I thought I had done something dumb.

Everyone I show vox commando to.. and how I have been utilising it.. thinks its really great.

Well, that's my evening taken care of.. programming my TV..lol

I have followed the step by step instructions on the amazon echo and can actually see the skill in my skills. Just need to start testing tomorrow.. The Microphone on the alexa is stunning.. I asked what time it was from upstairs.. ok, louder than normal but not shouting.. and it spoke the time. Can't wait to start using it with VC. Echo is ok, but VC is so so programmable.. excellent job

Thanks again my friend for your help today
Wal