Insteon: multi-way switch

I've been using Indigo for a while with a mixture of Z-wave and Insteon devices. I'm now in the process of replacing ALL my wall switches with Insteon ones.

My question is this. What is the best way to create a multi-way switch? I have 2 Insteon devices, with one connected to a load (light). Should I simply create an Insteon Group, or is there a better way to have both switches control the 1 load? What about for dimmer? Again, 2 Insteon dimmers, 1 dimmable load. How to create 3-way scenario where either dimmer can cause the load to dim and the other dimmer instantly reflects the level of the active one.

Thank you in advance,
J.

It all depends on what you're looking for.

For instant hardware control I have a hallway switch with an insteon link to each other. The devices reflect the brightness levels immediately and don't even need indigo to be running to work.

In other situations I have triggers to update the devices brightness levels on devices where I'm using indigo to turn them on/off/dim them.

I tried the Insteon "group" way and created the 2 links for each device through Indigo. The switches worked perfectly... one turned on, the other shows as on and vice versa. However, if I were then to use either the iOS client or Indigo interface and toggle one of the two switches, the other does not update.

What is the best way if I'm looking to be able to use both Indigo's interface and the hardware switches?

You would need to create a group for each mul;tiway, setting both switches as being controllers and responders to the group. Let your control pages simply manipulate the group (on/off/dim or whatever), not the load. I have done that a LOT, using keypadlincs to let me control some lights (like the outside spotlights) from half a dozen different locations as well as the control page and schedules. Getting the clear button replacements and printing my own labels for each button on the lincs works great.

[jay (support)]

http://wiki.indigodomo.com/doku.php?id= ... s_overview

Though, that page could use updating with Python scripts instead of AppleScripts and updates to use the Match Brightness action...

I've now created an Insteon Group in my 2 switches using Indigo's remote-management capabilites. I have also turned off the "Remote Display" for the secondary switch, so only the one connected to the load is visible in the clients.

As you indicated, when I toggle the switch with the Indigo client, the secondary switch is not auto-updated. Is this where I should be using an Inidgo Trigger? Won't the Trigger be triggered anytime the switches are physically pressed, or does this redundancy not matter?

cheers,
J.

[jay (support)]

Yes, and no (though you're welcome to put a device condition on it so that it won't fire if it's already in the right state).

I created a "toggle" trigger (trying to simplify), where if the switch with the load is toggled, the secondary switch is toggled. This works perfectly in the case of the Indigo client, but not one the switches are physically pressed.

When you physically press either switch, because of the Insteon Groups the other is instantly changed. There is a small delay before Indigo detects the change and triggers. This now has the inverse effect, because the switch will have already registered the toggle, but is now triggered to toggle.

So... do I need to create 2x triggers, one for on and one for off? Or is there a simpler, more elegant way to do this?

[jay (support)]

Use a "has any change" trigger, then use the "match brightness" action (if it's a 3 way dimmer). If not a dimmer, then either 2 triggers or a script for an action that checks the value of the source switch and either turns on or off the target.