v10.6 is out, with Alexa Integration. How?

[Ryan Bo.]

1. please let me add voice commands to scenes that are homeowner editable from the Lutron App
2. please add user selectable command words so that I can say "open kitchen shades" instead of "turn on kitchen shades"
3. is there a way to make use of the "off" command, so that I can say "turn off xyz lights" instead of "turn on goodnight scene"
4. open it up so that individual devices can be added to voice commands, instead of only allowing scenes

1. You already have this ability
2. we are still working on more action words
3. you can use off when toggling a light on and off but if you're calling a single action scene then you need say "turn on XXXX". Even if you're turning lights off you're still turning that scene on
4. thank you for the feedback

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1. please let me add voice commands to scenes that are homeowner editable from the Lutron App
2. please add user selectable command words so that I can say "open kitchen shades" instead of "turn on kitchen shades"
3. is there a way to make use of the "off" command, so that I can say "turn off xyz lights" instead of "turn on goodnight scene"
4. open it up so that individual devices can be added to voice commands, instead of only allowing scenes

1. You already have this ability
2. we are still working on more action words
3. you can use off when toggling a light on and off but if you're calling a single action scene then you need say "turn on XXXX". Even if you're turning lights off you're still turning that scene on
4. thank you for the feedback

[baudfather]

Great to see Alexa integration - are there plans for Google Home integration? If not, this should really be on Lutron's radar - https://developers.google.com/actions/ and hopefully won't require too much more work.

Ordered my Google Home unit, can't wait to experiment once more dev tools are rolled out in December. Much smoother and more slick than Alexa from everything I've been reading.

[skmadden1]

Has anyone been able to get Alexa controlling RadioRa 2 using voice commands? The homeowner has an echo dot, RadioRa 2 and some wink lighting. Alexa controls the wink perfectly, but is unable to discover the Lutron devices. We have a Connect bridge and we are using the Lutron Connect app. We have enabled the skill within the Alexa app. Alexa still only find the wink device. Any suggestions? Has anyone been able to make this work?

[skmadden1]

I cannot get Alexa to control my RadioRa2? Has anyone had success?

[Lukeetal]

I have been using since the skill was released. Did you update the Ra software to 10.6? Follow the steps in the guide posted here on the formum? I had 0 issues with setup so I am not sure of anything else to suggest. It just works for me.

[Justin]

I am loving the Alexa / Lutron Homeworks integration but I have run into one issue for which I hope that someone has a solution:

I understand the "off" issue and so I am using "dark mode". As in "Alexa, turn on Kitchen Dark Mode" or "Alexa, Turn on Bedroom Dark Mode".

However, I have found that issuing any of these commands results in Alexa responding with, "I found several devices matching that name, which one did you want". If I respond "Kitchen Dark Mode" all is good. But the second step is annoying.

From playing around it seems that it is because any of these commands have repeated words. I have multiple kitchen modes (scenes), so it always happens with anything that uses the word kitchen. I also have multiple "dark modes" so it happens with any of those. However I only have one "cook mode" because it applies only to the kitchen so that works the first time, every time.

Anyone have this issue and come up with a solution so that you can use the same words (either room names or scene names) in multiple Alexa voice commands and not have to repeat yourself?

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I am loving the Alexa / Lutron Homeworks integration but I have run into one issue for which I hope that someone has a solution:

I understand the "off" issue and so I am using "dark mode". As in "Alexa, turn on Kitchen Dark Mode" or "Alexa, Turn on Bedroom Dark Mode".

However, I have found that issuing any of these commands results in Alexa responding with, "I found several devices matching that name, which one did you want". If I respond "Kitchen Dark Mode" all is good. But the second step is annoying.

From playing around it seems that it is because any of these commands have repeated words. I have multiple kitchen modes (scenes), so it always happens with anything that uses the word kitchen. I also have multiple "dark modes" so it happens with any of those. However I only have one "cook mode" because it applies only to the kitchen so that works the first time, every time.

Anyone have this issue and come up with a solution so that you can use the same words (either room names or scene names) in multiple Alexa voice commands and not have to repeat yourself?

[jtpollock]

I cannot get Alexa to control my RadioRa2? Has anyone had success?

I was able to get the App setup with minimal effort. Just had to make sure that Lutron was up to date on software versions. Everything works and has been pretty stable for a couple weeks.

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I cannot get Alexa to control my RadioRa2? Has anyone had success?

I was able to get the App setup with minimal effort. Just had to make sure that Lutron was up to date on software versions. Everything works and has been pretty stable for a couple weeks.

[jtpollock]

Ryan- thanks for your response. Really nice to get your feedback. A couple quick replies, and one more question on item #3:

1. for some reason I can't edit the only scenes that Lutron App says I can add voice commands to. Any scene that I am allowed to edit in the App, is not available to add voice command to. Perhaps there is something about how my Lutron dealer set the scenes? I guess I will have to make a house call with the dealer.
2. great news!
3. isn't there a way to "toggle" the scenes? On my Lutron Keypad I have a button "All Lights" that is a scene with 7 rooms and 20+ lights. I push the button once and all the lights come on to their preset levels. Then I push the button again and all the lights turn off. I'd like the voice command to work simillarly. "Alexa, turn on 'All Lights'" and "Alexa, turn off 'All Lights'" ... is this impossible to do?
4. thank you!

Best, -Jeff-

[joshg]

3. isn't there a way to "toggle" the scenes? On my Lutron Keypad I have a button "All Lights" that is a scene with 7 rooms and 20+ lights. I push the button once and all the lights come on to their preset levels. Then I push the button again and all the lights turn off. I'd like the voice command to work simillarly. "Alexa, turn on 'All Lights'" and "Alexa, turn off 'All Lights'" ... is this impossible to do?

Yes, I've posted details of how to do this elsewhere on this forum. Very few people seem to be doing this properly to get true voice "Turn on Living Room", "Turn off Outside Lights", "Turn on Everything". It's quite easy to do.

Make a virtual keypad in a new "room" in RR software called something like "Alexa Voice". Best to create a virtual RRT15-RL since this will take up a device count spot, and this model gives you 17 programmable buttons. yes, 17, not 15. Name the button what you want "Living Room", etc. IMPORTANT: Set it as a TOGGLE button - either toggle devices or toggle shared scene. Transfer to your equipment as usual.

In Connect, now go to voice integration section and enable that new keypad... you can rename your voice commands here, so if you called the button just "living room" or "LR" in RR software, here you very specifically call it "Living Room Lights". Enable that keypad, set all your voice commands (DO include the word "Lights"). Force Alexa now to discover devices.

That's it, you can now command true on and off commands to individual lights or groups of lights or everything in your house. I have toggles for every room, for outside lights, for "all lights", for "downstairs lights", etc.

"Alexa, turn on kitchen lights" will work fine. "Alexa, turn off everything... everything will work the way you wanted it to.

In its current implementation, scenes are just awkward. "Alexa Turn on Dinnertime" or "Turn On Movietime" is just awkward. Worse is "Turn on Darkness" or "Turn On Goodnight". Just set up your virtual buttons (they'll never be on an actual keypad) as described, as toggle commands, and "turn on kitchen lights" will work just fine, as will companion off commands.

THAT SAID, you can't do the obvious things that a $59 smart lightbulb can do with Alexa. You can't tell it to "Dim Kitchen Lights to 50%", or "Raise the bedroom shades". Lutron is just not doing this in a way that is ideal for us... but I hope all of us will continue to tell them we want to open up "open, close, brighten, dim, raise, lower" as other smart devices can do. They currently explain that it's just too much choice for consumers and will be too confusing. I think they're wrong on this. Let us make it simple for our customers... just give us the commands we need to do it right. Forcing us to only trigger scenes is NOT making it better for consumers.

[SHPLights]

Joshg's solution to create virtual toggle buttons on a virtual 15 button keypad works very well. Thank you for suggesting it. At the moment, I am not particularly bothered by the inability of the system to dim the lights at my command. As a practical matter, I don't find that that is something that I want to do very often and not something that is crucial that I do by voice command. on the other hand, the fact that Lutron now integrates with Sonos is amazing. On one of my party mode buttons, the one that I have learned to Alexa, I have it turn on every zone in my house and play my favorite party playlist. Very very cool. In fact, I'm thinking of adding more virtual buttons that will either play certain rooms or different playlists.

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Joshg's solution to create virtual toggle buttons on a virtual 15 button keypad works very well. Thank you for suggesting it. At the moment, I am not particularly bothered by the inability of the system to dim the lights at my command. As a practical matter, I don't find that that is something that I want to do very often and not something that is crucial that I do by voice command. on the other hand, the fact that Lutron now integrates with Sonos is amazing. On one of my party mode buttons, the one that I have learned to Alexa, I have it turn on every zone in my house and play my favorite party playlist. Very very cool. In fact, I'm thinking of adding more virtual buttons that will either play certain rooms or different playlists.

- - - Updated - - -

Joshg's solution to create virtual toggle buttons on a virtual 15 button keypad works very well. Thank you for suggesting it. At the moment, I am not particularly bothered by the inability of the system to dim the lights at my command. As a practical matter, I don't find that that is something that I want to do very often and not something that is crucial that I do by voice command. on the other hand, the fact that Lutron now integrates with Sonos is amazing. On one of my party mode buttons, the one that I have learned to Alexa, I have it turn on every zone in my house and play my favorite party playlist. Very very cool. In fact, I'm thinking of adding more virtual buttons that will either play certain rooms or different playlists.

- - - Updated - - -

Joshg's solution to create virtual toggle buttons on a virtual 15 button keypad works very well. Thank you for suggesting it. At the moment, I am not particularly bothered by the inability of the system to dim the lights at my command. As a practical matter, I don't find that that is something that I want to do very often and not something that is crucial that I do by voice command. on the other hand, the fact that Lutron now integrates with Sonos is amazing. On one of my party mode buttons, the one that I have learned to Alexa, I have it turn on every zone in my house and play my favorite party playlist. Very very cool. In fact, I'm thinking of adding more virtual buttons that will either play certain rooms or different playlists.