Automation on Pro 5S and SmartHub VMB4540r3

[virghilts]

I’d like to configure my cameras to record based on motion detection at different times of day, with unique schedules for each camera:

• Camera A should begin Motion-Record-Notify at 3:00 PM and switch to Standby at 6:00 AM the next day.

• Camera B should begin Motion-Record-Notify at 8:30 PM and switch to Standby at 5:00 AM the next day

I’m a bit confused about how to set this up using Modes, since it seems that all cameras are affected uniformly when I use “Arm Home.” I don’t see a way to apply different schedules or behaviors to individual cameras.

Am I approaching this the wrong way? Any advice on how to configure this properly would be greatly appreciated.

[StephenB · Accepted solution]

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@virghilts wrote:

Am I approaching this the wrong way? 

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Yes.  Since the modes affect all cameras (either arming or disarming) you need to identify what combinations of cameras you want armed.  Also, since the modes affect all cameras, you shouldn't think of them as being in "Standby" when they are not armed.

You want

• Cameras A & B disarmed between 5 am and 3 pm
• Cameras A & B armed between 8:30 pm and 5 am.
• Camera A armed and Camera B disarmed between 3 pm and 8:30 pm
• Camera A armed and Camera B disarmed between 5 am and 6 am.

Since you have 3 combinations of cameras, you can accomplish what you want.  First you want to configure the modes, so that

• Arm Away arms both Cameras A & B
• Arm Home only arms Camera A.  Leave out camera B from the device rules
• Standby arms no cameras (no rules in it)

Assuming these are outdoor cameras, the default setup for Arm Away and Standby should already be set up that way.

Then you need to add four schedule automations to change the mode at the trigger times.

• Switch to Arm Home at 5 am (only Camera A armed)
• Switch to Standby at 6 am (no cameras armed)
• Switch to Arm Home at 3 pm (only Camera A armed)
• Switch to Arm Away at 8:30 pm (both cameras armed).