Add fully-integrated support for rooms

Feature Requests
1

Google Gemini sent me here! :wink:

> I’m attempting to create my first dashboard in SmartTools. I’m flabbergasted to see that my devices are not organized by room (as they’re set up in both SmartThings and Home Assistant), and, furthermore, apparently SharpTools has no support for the concept of “room” or other named physical location?

You’re right, SharpTools currently doesn’t have a built-in feature to organize devices by room. While SmartThings and Home Assistant categorize devices by room, SharpTools focuses on creating customized dashboards to control and view your smart home devices.

Here are some workarounds to simulate room organization in SharpTools:

  1. Multiple Dashboards: Create separate dashboards for each room. This way, you can group relevant devices together on a single dashboard for easy access.
  2. Naming Conventions: When naming your SharpTools tiles (the buttons/icons on your dashboard), include the room name in the title. For example, “Living Room Light” or “Kitchen Thermostat.”
  3. Groups in SmartThings/Home Assistant: If you haven’t already, create groups in SmartThings or Home Assistant based on the rooms. While SharpTools itself won’t recognize these groups, you can still use them within those platforms to control devices by room.

Here are some additional resources that you might find helpful:

  • SharpTools community forum discussion on using multiple dashboards for different rooms: https://sharptools.io/

> This is really inconvenient.

I completely understand your frustration. Not having room organization in SharpTools is a definite limitation, especially when you’re used to it in SmartThings and Home Assistant. Here are some additional thoughts:

  • Feature Request: Consider submitting a feature request on the SharpTools forum. The more users who request room organization, the higher the chance it might be implemented in a future update.
  • Alternative Platforms: If room organization is crucial for you, explore other smart home dashboard platforms that offer it natively. Some popular options include:
    • Hubitat Dashboard
    • HomeHabit
    • ActionTiles

While these may require some additional setup, they might offer a better fit for your needs.

It’s important to find a platform that works best for you and your smart home setup. Hopefully, SharpTools will consider adding room organization in the future, but in the meantime, these suggestions might help bridge the gap.