As a new Hubitat user, I’m excited to explore its capabilities, especially after hearing about the flexibility of the Rule Machine. I recently purchased my Hubitat unit during the sale and have been eager to dive in. My current project is creating a ‘stat holiday aware’ alarm clock, which I’ve built before using traditional methods. However, I want to enhance it with presence awareness—a feature I’ve heard Hubitat supports.
The idea is simple: if I’m at home, the alarm should go off. If I’m not home but my wife is, it shouldn’t. This requires reliable presence detection, but I’m a bit overwhelmed by the options available. Here’s what I’ve discovered so far:
- Virtual Presence Devices: These seem to be a core component, but I’m not entirely sure how they integrate with other systems.
- Life360 App: I’ve heard this is a popular choice for tracking family members, but I’m unclear on how it connects to Hubitat’s presence system.
- Smartphone Apps: There are several options for using smartphones as presence detectors, but I’m not sure which one is best suited for my needs.
- Third-Party Drivers: I came across a driver on GitHub by joelwetzel for iPhone presence detection, but I’m not confident in my ability to install and configure it.
I’ve searched the documentation extensively but haven’t found a dedicated section on presence detection. It feels like there’s a wealth of information out there, but it’s scattered and overwhelming for someone just starting out. I’d love to create a comprehensive guide or primer on the ‘Hubitat way’ of handling presence, but I need a bit more understanding before I can tackle that.
Has anyone else gone through a similar learning process? I’d appreciate any insights, tips, or resources that could help me get started. Hubitat’s flexibility is impressive, and I’m confident I can achieve the outcome I desire with the right guidance. Let’s make this happen together!