Why do app rules have "actions" to which you could move around?

Cameras
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When creating rules in shortcuts and triggers, we can move actions around… are they meant to be sequential?

Also, why do actions seem redundant to what the rule supposed to be in the first place?

For instance:

  1. If I create a trigger, shouldn’t the camera already be on? Why would I need an action for “Turn on the camera”?

  2. Do I put action “turn on motion detection” before I “turn on the camera”?

  3. Do I put action “turn off the camera” after the action for “upload to cloud”?

Why do I have all these options to move around? It doesn’t assure me that the camera works at all.

Help please, anyone?

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Welcome to the Wyze community @elzhi!

Yes, they should be.

The camera is on by default(when it’s setup).
Turning the camera off will stop all notifications, automations (except for turning back on) and recording of any kind until it’s turned back on. This is not needed unless you need to turn the camera to stop and start the actions listed above. Turning on the camera should always come before any actions for that camera if it was previously off.
Long story short, if you don’t need to control any of the above actions, leave the camera on.

If the camera is already on, you don’t need to have “Turn on the camera”. If the camera is off, you would need it after the camera is turned on.

“Turn off the camera” should always come after any actions, but its not need unless you want to disable the functions listed above.

Edit:
For reference because this was a bit confusing, the “actions listed above” are:
Turning the camera off will stop all notifications, automations (except for turning back on) and recording of any kind until it’s turned back on. This is not needed unless you need to turn the camera to stop and start the actions listed above.

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Thank you!

May I ask for a screenshot of how actions would be listed sequentially in a rule or trigger?

I would much appreciate it.

ezhi

4

What are you trying to accomplish? I or someone can come up with examples of what you are looking for or are trying to do.

Just because there is a “turn camera on/off” rule, doesn’t mean you have to use it. The “on” or “off” rule doesn’t actually power down a camera, it just puts it to sleep perse.

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So, I’ve been thinking about what I was trying to ask.

Whether it’s shortcuts, schedules, or device triggers-- are the action rules basically meant to “reset” a camera rule? … For instance, once the camera records a clip, are the rule actions (turn on, turn off) meant to tell the camera that one round of actions have been done and now it has to reset itself for the next possible camera trigger.

I guess that’s what I’m not clear on.

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A rules condition is met (triggered, scheduled or shortcut pressed) and then the action takes place (turn on ___, turn off ___, etc). I think your thinking the rules set is of a higher level than they are. It’s pretty simple. Rule takes, action happens. There are some modifiers based on times and days, but that just means that a rule can only happen at a certain time, or happen at a start time, then again at the end time.

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