General question about automations

Configuration
1

So I’m a SmartThings user that’s just started using HA. I’m way over my head trying to figure things out.

I created an input selector to make “modes” and I’m trying to set up an automation so when I arrive, it changes the input Selector to “home”

Can this not be done in the UI? I cannot figure out how to change it?

In smartthings you can create a dummy switch and it would be added as a device. When I made the input selector helper, it doesn’t appear as a device in the “device menu” of the automation under actions. Am I missing something?

It almost seems like setting automations up in the app is only for very basic things and if you want anything above extremely basic, it has to be coded.

I’m fine with coding, I’ve created many custom smartthings Apps but if there is a simpler way to do something so basic, I’d rather go that route.

2

Use the service action type and use the input_select.select_option service.

It’s not a device, it is an entity. Devices can have many associated entities and represent physical real world devices. However entities can exist on their own. They are controlled with services, not device actions.

3

Thank you! After playing around a little I kind of figured it out (and learned more). I’m starting to get the hang of home assistant but I do have some other question that I will open a new thread on.