Vera Edge - Use of Conditionals?

[justsam]

Ok, I have started to get back into HA, after being a long term user of OmniProII.
 
I really want to just do a few simple things, and I have a VeraEdge on the way to me and already have a few Zwave devices I have been using with my 2Gig alarm.
 
I have downloaded the Vera pdf but it is still not clear to me what level of conditionals I may have.
 
By way of simple example:
 
Front door motion detect to turn on porch lights, IF not already ON, and IF dark.  Set ON duration for xx minutes, and notify event via smart phone.
 
Sees like a simple, common type application, but for the life of me, I don't see something akin to it in the pdf.
 
Is the type of thing I need some form of extension such as a PLUG IN or some othe coding script?
 
Any advice or time to go back to OMNI?

 

[ano]

I can't speak for Vera, but the Omni can probably perform more complex logic than you might realize. The secret is Buttons, and the Omni has some special Buttons at the top of the numbering range. These Buttons are only called by number and are hidden.
 
So normally the Omni has one or many triggers, then one or many conditionals, then one or many actions.  Pretty simple, but a Button can have one or more conditionals, and one or more conditionals.  So the "secret" is to use multiple Buttons for actions. So now you can have one or more triggers, then multiple Buttons. Each Button can have multiple conditionals and multiple actions.  Not quite If, Then or Else, but pretty close. You can also chain Buttons, and Buttons can be called by Buttons. Quite flexible actually.

 

[LarrylLix]

Reports from previous users of Vera with Zwave are not good from converted ISY users.

 

[justsam]

Yes, I am aware of the programming power of the OMNI, as well as it's reliability.  I agree that the use of buttons can make even complex nested conditionals easy.
 
I was just trying to determine if there is something like that that can be done with VERAEDGE, since I really do not need all the other features of the OMNI.

 

[ano]

You said you own an Omni Pro II, so why switch? 

 

[scottmi1]

Check out the PLEG plugin for Vera. Makes it fairly simple to do the type of conditional events you mentioned. 

 

[justsam]

I sold the home that I had the Omni.  I wanted to try the Vera in this new home since I really did not need all the power of the Omni.
 
I have since received the VerEdge and will be sending it back.  I spent well over 2 hours just trying to get it to operate in a WiFi mode.  It worked fine with wired internet which was used for setup, but could never get it to join the WiFi network even thought it did find it on the scan.  I did a search and tried all the suggested tricks with no luck.
 
I just do not have the patience anymore to deal with such issues, as I would consider myself at least fair in ability to deal with such things. I was able to register and see the programming dashboard which did not give me a good feeling of capabilities.  I did review the PLEG plug in which comes much closer to getting it done, but to me such simple examples should be within native capabilities.

 

[wkearney99]

Personally I would never put an automation controller on WiFi if I had the option to use it with a hardwired Ethernet connection.  There's just too many ways WiFi can get screwed up.  A nailed-up wired connection is as likely to be running as the controller itself.  I wouldn't have made WiFi joining a big issue.  
 
One thought, does your WiFi password have more than 8 characters and a mix of punctuation?  I've noted a number of devices having trouble with that kind of issue.
 
And if you don't have the patience... oh brother, you're in for trouble when it comes to the state of home automation these days...