Our guide to integrating Alexa in Home Assistant

Give your home a personality and have some fun too!!!

It's all very well having your home automated but, what if you're not near a control panel or your phone is over there!!! That's when you need voice control...

Being able to tell your home what you want AND have it talk back to you was a dream some years ago. Now you can DIY it yourself - for the cost of a 'Smart' Speaker

This series of tutorials will show you how to get voice control and feedback using more open-source software and plug-ins. There's no complicated setups, no extra sign-ups or subscriptions...

-  (unless you want to subscribe to our YouTube channel - thnx)

First: Getting Alexa and Home Assistant connected

There are many ways to integrate Amazon Alexa in to Home Assistant, this by far the easiest and quickest... 

https://youtu.be/r-pwLvCT0Bg

Next: Controlling your Home Assistant Devices

While all devices are 'discovered' as lights, we show you how much you can do using the power of Node-Red.

https://youtu.be/l1as3tYVy64

Now the fun part: - Advanced TTS (Text to Speech)

Of course there's standard TTS - blocks of text that are the same every time. How about automating random made phrases, given you HUNDREDS of variations.

https://youtu.be/3MdnRfCQcVE

Taking it even further: The power of TTS in Node-Red

Scripts and Home Assistant are fun but if you want more sophisticated speech, Node-Red gives you a re few more features.

https://youtu.be/Ib8RffCYcfo

More than one Alexa ?

In a another room and want to hear what the temperature is or need to have TTS follow you around the house? Let her know where you are!

https://youtu.be/cLv0CGgoTJ0

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Home Automation - Project: Black Box

Problem: Have a visual indication from a couple of sensors always visible

Sure, I have them on a Lovelace panel but, I'd like them to be visible without opening a browser or turning on a tablet/phone etc.

Solution: D1 mini with a couple of RGB LEDs attached! 

In this first integration, the two RGB LED's are mounted in a project box under the IR receiver of my 'Media Centre PC'.

It was powered by a separate 5v USB Phone charger but, as my Media PC only goes to sleep (the IR receiver is USB powered all the time) - let's use that instead.

Here's a brief guide to making your own Home Assistant "Black Box". I've also included the ESPHome yaml at the end.

1. Time to get the Soldering Iron out and package the whole thing on some VERO (Strip-board)

2. Re-Build on VERO-board and test. 

3. Trim VERO board to be as small as possible to fit the inside the case.

4. Using the incoming USB connector, solder the 5V & GND to the back of the cable socket. 

5. Hot Glue some foam and secure the D1 Mini to the host board.

6. Drill out and mount the LEDs in some plastic and hot glue to host board.

7. Test again, put everything back together and put back on the shelf... 

Now that everything is setup, tested and working you can make your own automation(s) for colour, brightness, etc...

My LEDs switch between Red & Green. Left indicates my home alarm status and the right one shows another binary sensor. However, you can have them show any colour for different states, controlled by your own automations. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ESPHome Code:

esphome:

  name: black_box1

  platform: ESP8266

  board: d1_mini

wifi:

  ssid: !secret ssid

  password: !secret wifi_password

# Enable logging

logger:

# Enable Home Assistant API

api:

ota:

light:

  - platform: rgb

    name: "Left LED"

    id: left_led

    red: left_red

    green: left_green

    blue: left_blue

    restore_mode: ALWAYS_OFF

    

  - platform: rgb

    name: "Right LED"

    id: right_led

    red: right_red

    green: right_green

    blue: right_blue

    restore_mode: ALWAYS_OFF

output:

  - platform: esp8266_pwm

    id: left_red

    pin: D1

    inverted: true

  - platform: esp8266_pwm

    id: left_green

    pin: D2

    inverted: true

  - platform: esp8266_pwm

    id: left_blue

    pin: D3

    inverted: true

    

  - platform: esp8266_pwm

    id: right_red

    pin: D5

    inverted: true 

    # frequency: 1hz  # -- *** Use to make 'RED' flash when on ***

  - platform: esp8266_pwm

    id: right_green

    pin: D6

    inverted: true    

  - platform: esp8266_pwm

    id: right_blue

    pin: D7

    inverted: true

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New Tutorial: Lightwave to Motionbuilder and Back again with Multiply Characters

I've been meaning to make an update to my other Tutorial "Lightwave to MotionBuilder and Back again" - for some time but, work got in the way LOL
Since that tut, I've worked out an easier way of getting the job done. Plus how you can use more than one character
 - Great for having two characters interacting... or a whole bunch of them!

Presenting:

Lightwave to MotionBuilder and Back Again. The Squeal - Multiple Characters 

In this new tutorial I show you the steps needed to take more than one character from Lightwave in to MotionBuilder, add some Motion Capture data and bring them both back to Lightwave at the same time!.

CLICK TO OPEN ON YOUTUBE

Please share this and my other Tutorials.... everywhere :)

... and as always - Thanks for reading.

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Work-Work-Work.. and new studio set up

It's that time again... Long over-due, Yes... it's been a while!

2015 has been soooo busy and it doesn't show signs of slowing down any time soon. Partnering with local company has brought in loads of work and we're only set to get bigger together. - Fun times ahead. 
Working on many projects in both motion graphics and full 3D stuff, it's been non-stop and even "days off" are spent working on personal videos - and no, NOT that sort of "personal" either ! LOL

The last few days have been spent setting up multiple studio cameras and video switching gear. As soon as the new lights get here those promised tutorials and studio Vlogs can start. Although, more testing with different microphones is needed, everything is looking good for the first presentation sometime next week!

As always, thanks for reading :)

Please do check out the two 3ATIVE.COM YouTube channels:

The Main channel: CLICK HERE and The 3ATIVE Vlog: CLICK HERE