topic Re: Room-Relative Automations and Routines in Home Automation

Room-Relative Automations and Routines

JRhodes — Tue, 14 Feb 2023 23:47:03 GMT

I’ll feel really stupid if this already exists, but relieving my frustration will be well-worth the humiliation.

QUESTION: Why can’t I create a general command that will trigger certain automations *only* for the room that I said the command in?

For example, my “Movie time!” command sets my living room light to a dimmed brightness and warmer color while I watch TV at night, like a movie theater. Now, when I’m in my bedroom and want to watch TV, if I say “Movie time!” to my bedroom speaker, nothing happens to my bedroom lights, but my living room light will turn on per the command settings. This same problem applies to “relax” or “good morning” or any command involving lighting adjustments. So — why can’t I have one simple command that will set a scene in whichever room I’m currently located??

Sure, I could create unique commands for each room based on room-specific trigger words, but shouldn’t the assistant be smarter than that? Like an option that allows me (us) to select “whatever room I said the command in” as the impacted devices?
Furthermore, this feature already exists when setting up audio commands!! (see screenshot) So why can’t similar logic be applied to lighting or any other connected devices?

I always thought the goal was to have an AI assistant like Tony Stark’s “Jarvis” where you don’t need to talk like a robot to get things accomplished, yet here I am, asking my bedroom speaker for something so simple it now sounds complex. Help me Nest Community!

Re: Room-Relative Automations and Routines

DWB1973 — Thu, 16 Feb 2023 03:21:33 GMT

Google Assistant is a constant work in progress and the complex coding that makes the Assistant "tick" has not been done before. While I agree with you, we shouldn't need to create separate routines for each room - that is the reality, for now. The more that I use GA, the more I've learned to limit my expectations and keep them realistic and within its capabilities.

Re: Room-Relative Automations and Routines

Juni — Tue, 28 Feb 2023 22:12:26 GMT

Hi folks,

Thanks for the help, @DWB1973

@JRhodes, thanks for reaching out. I totally understand that this is a good feature to use with your routines, but it isn’t available. I'd suggest you submit feedback about it, here's how.

Let us know if you have other questions or concerns; otherwise, we will be locking this thread after 24 hours.

Regards,

Juni