[bgnome]

From what I saw in the code, the notifications are tied to Blynk and IFTTT. If you don’t use Blynk, you can still use IFTTT for notifications through its own app or set up an email or text message without requiring an app..

[bgnome]

The OG firmware has a built-in setting now that will send you a notification that the door is still open after a set amount of time. It also seemed to repeat the notification after some time if the door remained open. I think this would obviate the need to keep checking door status after attempting to close, especially if you set a short time limit.

[bgnome]

Yeah, I couldn’t figure out how to get IFTTT to read the data AND do something with it. It seems to be one or the other. I tried to perform multiple webhook actions through platform.ifttt.com but it wouldn’t let me.

But, the event “opengarage” pushes a string that is meant to be the Blynk notification. Using that, I can chain IFTTT applets together via apilio.io:

Check to see door is open before closing with IFTTT and apilio.io

[bgnome]

Ok, I have figured out a way to get IFTTT to check if the door is open. You will need some sort of trigger like a time of day, a SMS to IFTTT, etc.

Check to see door is open before closing with IFTTT and apilio.io

[bgnome]

Now with IFTTT, I required an applet that sets Opengarage_status and an applet that will CLick the button for OG. After that, you can make up any applet to open or close your garage door based on whatever trigger you want.

So on IFTTT:

Applet: Whenever OpenGarage changes status, send to apilio.io
Trigger: Receive a web request
Event Name: opengarage
Action: Make a web request
URL: (Copy “Set value” link from Opengarage_status variable but replace “your-value-goes-here” with Value1 from IFTTT ingredients list)
Method: Get

Applet: Web request to click button for OpenGarage
Trigger: Receive a web request
Event Name: Click
Action: Make a web request
URL: (Use the link that triggers a button press on your OG set up previously)

Example of an applet to close the door
Applet: If garage door is open at 10:00 PM, then close door
Trigger: Every day at
Time: 10pm
Action: Make a web request
URL: (Use “Evaluate” link from close_door logicblock)
Method: Get

Example of an applet to open the door
Applet: If You say “Alexa trigger garage door open”, then check and open garage door
Trigger: Say a specific phrase
Phrase: garage door open
Action: Make a web request
URL: (Use “Evaluate” link from open_door logicblock)
Method: Get

The first applet fires everytime OG sends IFTTT a notification. Value1 will be something like “My OpenGarage just closed!” and is stored under Opengarage_status. Whenever an applet triggers one of the logicblocks, it checks to see if Opengarage_status contains “OPENED” or “closed” then if the argument is positive, will send a Click back to IFTTT. If there is a negative result, I have it send Already_open or Aleady_closed to IFTTT which then sends the appropriate notification, but this is optional.

This process could be cleaner if we could get the garage door status directly from Blynk or the OG and then send the button click based on that value. However, I could not figure out how to read a value in IFTTT without some sort of trigger or send that same value once it was read. Once I figured out that the opengarage event that is sent to IFTTT by the OG when activated actually contains the text for the notification in Value1, I figured I could use that as my conditional flag for apilio.io. I am hoping that eventually an independent open and close function get incorporated into the firmware or we get a native IFTTT service, but so far it has been a lot of fun figuring this stuff out.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 5 months ago by bgnome.

[bgnome]

Ok, now on to the meat and potatoes. I apologize in advance as I have the programming skills of a room full of monkeys with laptops.

On apilio.io I have the following set up:

String Variable
Name: Opengarage_status
Value: blank

Conditions
Name: Garage_door_already_closed
Variable: Opengarage_status
String contains: closed
Name: Garage_door_already_open
Variable: Opengarage_status
String contains: left OPENED

Logicblocks
Name: open_door
Conditions: Garage_door_already_closed
Actions for positive result: Click
Actions for negative result: Already_open
Name: close_door
Conditions: Garage_door_already_open
Actions for positive result: Click
Actions for negative result: Already_closed

• This reply was modified 7 years, 5 months ago by bgnome. Reason: Garage_door_already_open modified to account for automation notification about door being left open

[bgnome]

You will need to have IFTTT already set up with your OG.
Ray has a write up on this thread:

“Alexa, open my garage door” — Using IFTTT with OpenGarage

I also have an alternative method using Blynk:

IFTTT through Blynk

You will also need to sign up at apilio.io and input your IFTTT key:
http://www.apilio.io

The idea is to have OG send status changes through IFTTT to a variable stored on apilio.io. Whenever an open or close request is received through IFTTT, it is checked against this variable, and then sent back to IFTTT.

[bgnome]

I also got Alexa working through IFTTT using Blynk since we already set it up for OG.
You can incorporate filter code in an IFTTT applet if you become a Maker (free):
https://platform.ifttt.com/maker
Unfortunately, that is beyond me. Perhaps doing the status check through a custom Alexa skill would be possible?

Edit: Apparently Alexa can only trigger IFTTT applets. There is no functionality to make Alexa do anything. An Alexa skill would be the only way to get her to respond to an inquiry.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 5 months ago by bgnome.

[bgnome]

Under the “Automation” setting on the OG, you can enable a notification or auto-close after a specified amount of time. I haven’t figured out how to make IFTTT check the status of the door yet.

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