So basically there are other ways to do this, but I think it could be implemented into the ui some how and would add for greater experience.
I am currently using a virtual switch/sensor I created in smarthings to do this, but it came about when I saw how many people were having issues getting ring camera and other devices to live view on some tablets or tv or streamers.
Basically this virtual switch would be both a switch and a open/close sensor and the reason it has to be both is to simplify things as apple and google and amazon love having there routines, automations triggered by sensors.
So if virtual switch is turned on it triggers the virtual sensor to open and vice versa.
Obviously everytime the end user creates a virtual switch/sensor (shall we call it a switchsor for short) it gets its own unique id and entities.
so I have this routine setup just for ring door bell.
alias: Ring live view
description: ''
trigger:
- type: occupied
platform: device
device_id: a61a6c3a9ed091a0b508ac6578a23c58
entity_id: binary_sensor.front_door_ding
domain: binary_sensor
condition: []
action:
- type: turn_on
device_id: 9ef95f23e76484de9eaf5813d6ca798c
entity_id: switch.ring_switch
domain: switch
- delay:
hours: 0
minutes: 2
seconds: 0
milliseconds: 0
- type: turn_off
device_id: 9ef95f23e76484de9eaf5813d6ca798c
entity_id: switch.ring_switch
domain: switch
- service: fullykiosk.load_start_url
data:
entity_id: media_player.fire_tablet_media_player
mode: single
ring switch is my virtual switch, but this then triggers the other entity created by this which is the virtual sensor which amazons smart stuff actually detect, then in alexa app I have setup a routine that when the sensor changes to open to have the command alexa show front door and select the tablet as device to say it on.
this then loads up the live view on the tablet and the automation above closes it after 2 mins.
But this switch is not specific to this I created another that, is used to make Alexa tell my non HA compatible but Alexa compatible robot hoover to start (again the switch is controlled by HA)
there are so many useful ways to use this type of double layered (both switch and sensor) virtual switch. which will open a lot of smart products to be used with home assistant that are not integrated yet but are in amazon, google and apple.