Intro Convenience
Vera's Home Automation features add to your comfort and convenience. Vera's scenes make it easy to have "1 touch" scenes that, for example, turn off all the lighting, or set the lighting to a certain mood, like "Entertaining". Scenes can also control thermostats and a variety of devices. A "Watch TV" scene may, for example, dim the lights, close the blinds, turn on the TV and Receiver and set them to the right inputs.
You can control devices and run scenes using a variety of devices. For example, you can leave an iPod touch on the coffee table in the living room so all the scenes and devices in the living room are controlled by 1 touch, and you can use the iPod as a universal remote for your cable box.
Whereas Vera's scenes you need to initiate yourself, Vera's automation is how you can make Vera do things automatically, on her own. There are 2 types of automation: Timers and Events.
Vera's timers allow you to do things automatically at certain times or intervals. For example, turn off all the lights at 8am, or turn on device every 2 hours.
Vera's events are where Vera does things in response to certain events. Events are things like a sensor being tripped or the sun rising. For example, you may have a motion detector in the garage and create an event that every time the sensor is tripped you want the garage light to come on for 5 minutes and then turn off again. Or you may create an event that turns on the porch light at sunset.
What you'll need:
Z-Wave devices
Add Z-Wave modules for the devices you want to control, like lamp modules, light switches and so on. The lamp modules are easy; just plug them into the wall outlet and plug your lamps into them. Light switches are a bit more complicated because you need to replace the old-fashioned light switches in your wall with the new Z-Wave models that not only work with the switch, but which Vera can also control automatically. Mi Casa Verde can arrange a professional installer to replace the light switches for you.
You can also add sensors that you want to trigger events, like motion sensors or door/window sensors.
Remote controls, like mobile phone
Lastly you need a way to conveniently control Vera and choose your scenes. Vera has a built-in web server, so you can use any web browser. It might be more convenient to use your mobile phone. An iPod touch makes a great control for Vera, and you can leave one in the room on a table, or mount one to a wall as a semi-permanent control.
How to do it
1. Follow the steps in the Quick Start Guide to connect Vera and your devices.
2. In Vera's setup page go to the Scenes tab to create scenes. Note that you create scenes in a Room.
3. Go to Vera's automation tab to create timers and events.
