Hey everyone! I’ve been diving into the world of smart home automation, and I wanted to share a project I’ve been working on. I’ve always been a bit forgetful, especially when it comes to closing windows, so I decided to create a dynamic dashboard that keeps track of all my open windows. Here’s how I approached it!
The Vision: I wanted a tile on my dashboard that would dynamically display a list of open windows. The idea is to have a conditional view that only appears when at least one window is open. The view would show a table with two columns: one for the window name and another for a timer indicating how long the window has been open (in minutes and seconds). As a bonus, I thought it would be great to have a warning notification if a window has been open for more than five minutes.
The Challenge: I’m still pretty new to this, so I wasn’t sure where to start. I’ve heard about using basic elements nested into each other, but I wasn’t sure if that would be enough. Would I need to code a custom component, or could I achieve this with the existing tools?
The Journey: I began by researching how to create conditional views in my dashboard. I found that using templates and automations could help me achieve the dynamic list I wanted. I also looked into how to track the duration a window has been open, which led me to explore the use of timers and counters.
The Results: While I’m still in the early stages, I’ve managed to set up a basic structure that detects open windows and displays them in a list. The timer functionality is working, and I can see how long each window has been open. The next step is to implement the warning notification for windows that remain open for too long.
The Questions: I’m curious if others have tackled similar projects and if there are any tips or tricks I should know about. Is it possible to achieve this without coding a custom component? What tools or integrations do you recommend for tracking window statuses and sending notifications?
I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences! Let’s brainstorm together and see how we can make this project even better. Thanks for your insights! 