Tutorial: Controlling any Device with Alexa and Node Red, NO CLOUD

[3ATIVE]

@VinistoisR

A video can go along with a tutorial for the young crowd. Adults prefer reading information, videos are for entertainment.

• I disagree - Video is the best medium to demo a project. I guess It’s too fast for you to follow. Sorry about that, you can always pause it or go back and re-watch a part when you get lost.

I think you’ve seen that for some people, a video with no write-up is downright insulting. Add to that a click-baity thumbnail and a few of us are throwing up a bit.

• I see now It’s blatantly obvious that “some People” want it ‘spoon fed’ to them, that’s not the purpose of my videos.
• As for my ‘click-baity’ thumbnail - if you feel descriptive bullet point text of the content is click-bait, I don’t feel the problem is with me.

I dont doubt your video is exhilarating and you’ll be a big star for sure, beyond that, a video is a very inefficient way to share a node-red flow. When Amazon imposes changes that make your video irrelevant, are you going to edit it? Make a new one? If it was a write-up, you could keep it up to date easily.

• LOL 'exhilarating ’ and ‘big star’ - As I’ve stated previously, I guess you missed that… I don’t make these for the glory…how that reading going for ya now?
• Again, the purpose of my video was NOT to share a Node-Red flow, there’s a link to that in the description.
• YES, like most producers and video tutorial makers (Digi-Blur, DrZzz, et al), when breaking changes occur I will be more than happy to demo the ‘New Way’… AND announce it to the world too. All in my continued effort to keep ppl informed. Re-Doing a video is just as easy for me as editing a text doc. Besides, I and many others feel the semi-passive visual medium is the best way to consume information and/or demo a project.

• Finally: Thank you for your feedback. However, I can’t subscribe to your way of thinking,
  – I don’t think I’m that old.

[3ATIVE]

Thank you Brian.

And I appreciate your continued support fella.

[nickrout]

Sorry to have kicked off this video discussion. Your vids are well produced and helpful. From my point of view I am usually listening to the radio, so clicking on a video is interuptive to me and those in the room. We save that for Trump mashups

Additiojnally if I click on your video in the forum it plays in the forum page and all the extra useful info on the youtube page doesn’t show unless you also click on “open in youtube” button (I call it the rabbithole button, see you in a couple of hours)

So IMHO providing a short description as well as a text (eg blog/github) link as well as a video is likely to reach the widest and most receptive audience.

Cheers.

[123 (Taras)]

Posting the flow’s code would also be helpful (either in your repo or here).

[3ATIVE]

LOL That’s ok Nick, Thank you.
I’m not adverse to or shy away from criticism… in-fact the whole point of sharing content is to GET criticism / feedback, as well as disseminating my knowledge / ideas / etc. - So, we’re good dude.

It just got my back up that people seemed to be commenting on the medium rather than the message - I thought posting in “Share your projects” forum would invoke comments on the project itself not the delivery method! LMAO

Cheers.

[123 (Taras)]

@3ATIVE

commenting on the medium rather than the message

Probably because the majority of topics in ‘Share your projects’ contain all the details and aren’t just a URL to somewhere else.

Here’s a particularly well-documented example that uses both node-red-contrib-amazon-echo and node-red-contrib-alexa-remote2 to create room-based awareness.

Approaches to room aware voice commands for Alexa with Node-Red

Introduction Hey all, this is my first post, so go easy on me I just got started with Hass.io a couple weeks ago and I’ve been addicted ever since. I’ve been working to move the entirety of my home automation into Node-Red and implement some those features we’ve been waiting for the longest, including our desire for room-aware commands. Last night, I succeeded in developing a new, very straightforward approach for making room aware commands with Node-Red. Since I didn’t see this approach…

[3ATIVE]

I refrained from that as the point was not to share the code per-say but, rather a project over-view.
Then I leave it to the individual to seek further info / description / etc.

I didn’t see the point in posting the whole project if when people watch the outline they decide it’s not for them.

Think of my post(s) as announcements - with ‘further’ reading required should you find it / them interesting / useful.

[3ATIVE]

@123

Probably because the majority of topics in ‘Share your projects’ contain all the details and aren’t just a URL to somewhere else.

I understand, I will take that on-board for my next post - Thanks.

@Everyone - Let’s please try and keep this thread about the project I presented and limit comments / suggestions to those about the content going forward.
It’s got over-ly long with hardly ANY posts concerning the message. With that in mind, I will ONLY respond to comments and questions about the project itself.

Cheers.

[SteWi (Stefan)]

works like a charm! Thanks!

[3ATIVE]

@SteWi

works like a charm! Thanks!

EXCELLENT, thanks for your feedback. I’m glad to hear it helped you.

[123 (Taras)]

@3ATIVE

I will ONLY respond to comments and questions about my project / presentation.

I had asked you to share the flow and you dismissed it because it’s merely a “project over-view” and “I leave it to the individual to seek further info”.

Well, I’m seeking further information from the project’s author and that seems like the best person to ask. Except he’s unwilling to provide it. That’s unusual for “Share your Projects”.

[3ATIVE]

I’m more than happy to help you - Please be more specific on what you’re having problems with.

[123 (Taras)]

I don’t think one can be more specific than “please post the flow”. That’s commonly done with Node-Red projects here (and on the Node-Red community forum) to spare users the tedium of having to re-create it node by node.

[nickrout]

With respect mate, there are no json files on your github page, only a readme.

[3ATIVE]

@nickrout

With respect mate, there are no json files on your github page, only a readme.

A readme that contains the ‘Function’ node code I use - Hint: Ctrl+C & Ctrl+V

[123 (Taras)]

You’ve expended more effort resisting requests than simply complying with them. Your advice that copy-paste requires little effort is all that’s required of you to share the flows you’ve created to control the thermostat. Node-Red’s export feature is easy to use.

[3ATIVE]

If you were to watch my video you will see my setup is split over two flows - Do you want me to share both of them?
Or perhaps you’d like me to do all the work for you and create a whole new flow containing everything you need to recreate this. As stated prior to your replay…

@3ATIVE

DUDE it’s just 3-4 nodes!!!
My video is only five and half minutes long and people have spent all day asking for a flow share instead of simply re-creating it. TBH it would take as much time changing any flow I share than it would creating a new one.

[3ATIVE]

For everyone else…

• I’m ALWAYS available to help you with any problems you have once you’ve followed my example and I’m more than happy to Google Hangout with you to step through and fault-find your flows.

Hopefully this message won’t get lost in this thread by the few people complaining and wanting me to do everything for them.

[Flamez]

Is there anything like this for google mini’s?

Thanks.

[123 (Taras)]

@3ATIVE

Do you want me to share both of them?

Yes.

@3ATIVE

Or perhaps you’d like me to do all the work for you

@3ATIVE

DUDE it’s just 3-4 nodes!!!

@3ATIVE

people have spent all day asking for a flow share instead of simply re-creating it

@3ATIVE

the few people complaining and wanting me to do everything for them.

You’ve spent more time berating and shaming than simply posting the requested flows. Despite your words that you will help, your many replies have been unhelpful.

You are certainly free to refuse requests for sharing your flows. That can be done without having to characterize the requests in a negative light.