Existing 3-Way switch wire and devices

[penright]

Wasn't quit sure what title or how to set up the question. I did do some googling on the subject. I understand the principle behind 3-Way, how the travelers are wired.
Let me see if I can set the stage .....
I have two multi-switch boxes. I will use the real locations.
 
Location 1: House Main Entry.
There are 2 single pole and the one double pole (3-way). The switches and face plate is brown as is all outlets and switches. Also they are narrow toggle.
Single Pole 1: Porch Light
Single Pole 2: Overhead Entry light.
Double Pole: Garage door light sconces.
 
Location 2: House Garage Door Entry
There are 1 single pole and one double pole.
Single Pole: Garage Lights
Double Pole: Garage door light sconces.
 
As you can tell the 3-way controls the garage door light sconces. The house was built in 2016. I am wired from breaker to Location 2 hook to common. Then a 3 wire with ground (w,b,r) is ran to Location 1 with black and red as travelers. Neutral to neutral. Then at location 1, the load is connected to common and neutral, with travelers from location 2 connected to travelers at location 1.
Clear as mud? ...
 
So I just installed my GoControl for the garage overhead door. I also have a Vision 2 relay device. So I wanted to use it at Location 2, thinking I could kill two birds with one stone. I want to create a rule to turn on the lights when overhead garage door is open during dark.
 
That is when I learn about how 3-way switches worked. Hang on I getting close to asking questions. . 
So for now, I am using the travelers and bypassing the double pole at location 1, and using the double pole at location 2 as just a single pole.
 
If I am understanding right, to keep the 3 way function and have correct reporting, then I need a "primary" and "aux" switch. I need them to be toggle and brown. Oh, and it would be nice if they are narrow.
Now for the question, where can I find them?
Am I making this too hard?
 
 

 

[pete_c]

Here do not utilize aux UPB switches for multiway switches. 
 
I just capped the wires and or use these wires as a hot lead in the other switch boxes. 
 
In the other multiway boxes use regular UPB switches in a virtual multi way switch.  In UPB landia use scene links between switches or groups of switches. A multipaddle UPB switch can serve a load and multiple links to multiple switches with loads. 
 
I did the same when using Insteon switches.
 
The AUX switches are skinnier and have no intelligence and more reasonably priced. 
 
Here had all metal 4X4 boxes with two switch metal mudplates which make things a bit tight.
 
Here though had a hot, neutral in every switch box post install.  You have an advantage here if you can use plastic and deep switch boxes.
 
Here did the GDO / GD's / under driveway sensors  / fore and aft driveway PIRs with multiple sensors connected to the OmniPro 2 panel plus CCTV in garage, front of garage facing driveway and end of driveway facing garage.   PIRs, NO GD switches, RFID on automobiles triggering garage daylight at night via UPB switches.  In recap garage sensors were primarily wired with only the remote control of the GDO being wireless.  An issue did crop up here in the 1990's using whatever logic to automate the GDO / alarm panel et al.  IE: wife pulled in to garage while on a conference call, leaving the car running, the GDO did do it's automation stuff causing a low WAF that day.

 

[penright]

Here do not utilize aux UPB switches for multiway switches. 
 
I just capped the wires and or use these wires as a hot lead in the other switch boxes. 
 
In the other multiway boxes use regular UPB switches in a virtual multi way switch.  In UPB landia use scene links between switches or groups of switches. A multipaddle UPB switch can serve a load and multiple links to multiple switches with loads. 
 
I did the same when using Insteon switches.
 
The AUX switches are skinnier and have no intelligence and more reasonably priced. 
 
Here had all metal 4X4 boxes with two switch metal mudplates which make things a bit tight.
 
Here though had a hot, neutral in every switch box post install.  You have an advantage here if you can use plastic and deep switch boxes.
 
Here did the GDO / GD's / under driveway sensors  / fore and aft driveway PIRs with multiple sensors connected to the OmniPro 2 panel plus CCTV in garage, front of garage facing driveway and end of driveway facing garage.   PIRs, NO GD switches, RFID on automobiles triggering garage daylight at night via UPB switches.  In recap garage sensors were primarily wired with only the remote control of the GDO being wireless.  An issue did crop up here in the 1990's using whatever logic to automate the GDO / alarm panel et al.  IE: wife pulled in to garage while on a conference call, leaving the car running, the GDO did do it's automation stuff causing a low WAF that day.

Pete, thanks for the reply, but I am so new I got lost in the abreviations. I think your post was in two parts. One was controlling the lights and the second was sensing the car. 
 
Would like to understand the RFID tagging better.
 
On the subject of the 3-way, did I understand correctly, you did what I did, just bypassed the other switch?
 
Most switches are white/ivory and decora. I can not find anything with toggle and brown in the way of smart switch.

 

[pete_c]

Apologies; GD - garage door and GDO - garage door opener.
 
Originally here wired security LV infrastructure under the driveway, front by GD and underground to the end of driveway and in a brick mailbox.
 
There are hard wired triggers using wired sensors in and outside of the garage.  This is separate from the car RFID triggers.  Same company sells RFID receivers with solenoid switches paired to RFID tag numbers which you can connect to a security panel. 
 
The RFID tags sit above the automobile dome lights and work fine right under the metal (years now).  There are two RFID receivers; one in the attic of the two story and one in the garage.  Both need to be triggered to on. change the car at home variable.
 
I can but do not utilize the tags to automatically open the garage door or shut off the alarm.  IE: just turns on lights inside and outside after hours, do text to speech announcements and run other automation triggers.
 
I did not bypass the 3 way switches here. I removed them and replaced them with automated switches.   I mostly capped the travelers and just used the hot and neutral in each of the light switch boxes.
 
Second floor hallway had one switch with the load for the hallways lights and 3 3 way switches by each bedroom door to control the hallway lights.  I put 4 automated Decora switches in their place with 3 of the switches doing virtual control of the load of the primary switch.
 
Many years ago did utilize the X-10 toggle type switches.  As I migrated from X10 to Insteon many years ago went to the Decora style switches and continued to utilize the Decora style switches with current UPB light switches.
 
All of my switches are white today.  The UPB folks do have different colors for their switches.

 

[penright]

Apologies; GD - garage door and GDO - garage door opener.

 
No apologies necessary, I the one who is out of the loop on acronyms.
 
 
 

Originally here wired security LV infrastructure under the driveway, front by GD and underground to the end of driveway and in a brick mailbox.
 
There are hard wired triggers using wired sensors in and outside of the garage.  This is separate from the car RFID triggers.  Same company sells RFID receivers with solenoid switches paired to RFID tag numbers which you can connect to a security panel. 
 
The RFID tags sit above the automobile dome lights and work fine right under the metal (years now).  There are two RFID receivers; one in the attic of the two story and one in the garage.  Both need to be triggered to on. change the car at home variable.
 
I can but do not utilize the tags to automatically open the garage door or shut off the alarm.  IE: just turns on lights inside and outside after hours, do text to speech announcements and run other automation triggers.

I have a Almond+, it supports zwave, zigbee, and ip. 
So the approach sensors were hardwired and there are RFID receivers that can read from a distance. This is part of your alarm panel? What brand of hardware is that? Do they have a version compatibility with my controller's communication protocols?
 
 
 

 

 did not bypass the 3 way switches here.  I mostly capped the travelers and just used the hot and neutral in each of the light switch boxes.
 
Second floor hallway had one switch with the load for the hallways lights and 3 3 way switches by each bedroom door to control the hallway lights.  I put 4 automated Decora switches in their place with 3 of the switches doing virtual control of the load of the primary switch.
 
Many years ago did utilize the X-10 toggle type switches.  As I migrated from X10 to Insteon many years ago went to the Decora style switches and continued to utilize the Decora style switches with current UPB light switches.
 
All of my switches are white today.  The UPB folks do have different colors for their switches.

Just dawn on my that UPB is like x-10 in the fact that it controls over the wires. I now see why you capped travelers but kept the switches. 
Again I need something that supports 3-way in my controller's protocols.

 

[pete_c]

I have a Almond+, it supports zwave, zigbee, and ip. 
 
Understood.  Here too have a few Almond devices as I was involved with Securifi when they started way back and still a moderator there on the Securifi forum (not too active these days).  For a while purchased wireless Zigbee and Z-Wave devices for just testing the Almond + and Almond 2015.  Not tinkering much these days with them.
 
So the approach sensors were hardwired and there are RFID receivers that can read from a distance.
 
yes.  The approach sensors are generic hard wired sensors for anything in the driveway.  The RFID tags are automobile specific and only for my cars with tags..
 
This is part of your alarm panel?
 
yes and no.  The RFID is not proprietary.
 
What brand of hardware is that?
 
It comes from a MFG in China.  It is generic.  The tags each have 4 numbers and trigger the recievers which send the data via RS-232 (very generic) and turns on and off solenoids on the same board.  No cell phone or Internet dependencies for these.
 

 
Do they have a version compatibility with my controller's communication protocols?
 
It is just serial ascii stuff.   Securifi put out the API for development on the Almond + such that you can connect the Almond Plus to anything serially, via USB, et al.
 
I am using a Leviton OmniPro 2 panel and Homeseer automation software. (for many years).
 
The Leviton talks X10, UPB, Zigbee and Z-Wave.  The software talks similar but have used up to 16 serial com ports for other automation stuff.
 
The alarm security panel OS is in firmware where as the software is software (much easier to tinker with).
 
The RFID reciever just talks regular serial chit chat  / solenoid switches (which you can connect to the alarm panel (zones).
 
Again I need something that supports 3-way in my controller's protocols.
 
The UPB powerline switches work in legacy 3-way methodology using a UPB Aux switch or virtual 3-way using links.  I do not think you can mix a legacy 3-way switch with an automated switch.  The automation pieces are similiar to X10, Insteon, Zigbee and Z-Wave.  Not sure that the AUX switches use 120VAC in the traveler wire.  Never checked though.
 
Most of my UPB switches are multifunctional with paddles such that one paddle talks to the primary load and the other paddles control scenes or other local lighting.