Alexa AWS Custom Skill

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It would be very great to have a custom skill like this for pimatic

https://www.hackster.io/awshome/awshome-home-automation-using-rpi-alexa-iot-a3d3dc?ref=part&ref_id=17773&offset=16

You mean like https://pimatic.org/plugins/pimatic-echo/ ?

well pimatic-echo is not a native alexa skill but it does what it’s expected to

Pimatic-echo is a very great plugin but have some limitations. We could du much more stuff with a native skill. Controll heating, set variables, set colors, and so on

And the main idea i like is to read states from pimatic.

Alexa, whats the temperature in my room?
… is there a open window in my room?
… is there any update for pimatic?

Well yes this would be terrific indeed!!

Implementing an AWS skill would need some sort of cloud connectivity for pimatic. I don’t like the idea that my home can be controlled from the cloud. That’s why pimatic-echo like it is today. Everything is controlled on the local network.
But feel free to implement a skill

@michbeck100 but with the echo you have a cloud connection everytime you use it… And If we have a custom skill you know every command in the code. This would be okay for me

@n3ro the cloud in the way echo uses it is more of a problem than a solution. It can only communicate via the cloud (with some exceptions; for example wemo which is used by the current plugin).

Maybe we should revive this: https://forum.pimatic.org/topic/2739/amazon-alexa-or-echo-future-development-pimatic-cloud

There I already shared some thoughts on this topic some time ago.

look how node-red solved the cloud problem.

on the node-red server (raspberry) the connection is established to a “bridge”. Alexa however is connected to the bridge.
So only the bridge must be a cloud service and no ports have to be opened for pimatic.

Works like a charm. You can send values (% , -%, +%, ON,OFF, temperatures)

here is a link to the “bridge”.

https://alexa-node-red.bm.hardill.me.uk/

Sure but the problem is someone must host this “bridge” in the cloud and you need a way of authentication etc… However I also get drawn more and more to the conclusion that we would need such a solution as the current pimatic-echo is limited to switching and I have massive problems with a larger number of devices due to the wemo limitations.

@thex next step for pimatic-echo will be to support dimming. Then the devices show up as hue lights. I don’t think this will fix the device limit, though. If someone has a clue how to fix this, feel free to submit a pull request.

anyone is interested in a little “how to” for controlling pimatic with node-red / alexa?

currently i implemented:
% , -%, +%, ON,OFF

examples in german:

alexa, tisch 20% -> switches tisch light to 20%
alexa, decke heller -> gets current brightness level of pimatic light and add 25% to that value
alexa, küche aus -> light in kitchen off
alexa, küche 55% heller -> gets current brightness level of pimatic light and add 55% to that value

@Felix-Haverkamp said in Alexa AWS Custom Skill:

anyone is interested in a little “how to” for controlling pimatic with node-red / alexa?

currently i implemented:
% , -%, +%, ON,OFF

examples in german:

alexa, tisch 20% -> switches tisch light to 20%
alexa, decke heller -> gets current brightness level of pimatic light and add 25% to that value
alexa, küche aus -> light in kitchen off
alexa, küche 55% heller -> gets current brightness level of pimatic light and add 55% to that value

yes

here we go:

https://forum.pimatic.org/topic/3118/alexa-node-red-skill

have fun

I’ve seen a lot of issues on the pimatic-echo plugins closed by @michbeck100, I think a pimatic skill is on the way, right?

@mat1990dj what issues did you see?