Introduction

Devicebook for Contractors is a professional tool for designing and installing custom smart homes.

Your customers will be able to control their entire smart home using the Devicebook App for iOS or Android.

The Devicebook for Contractors web app allows you to choose the smart home solutions you want to offer to clients, create unique smart home designs for each of your customers, and generate a custom Home Controller for each client's home.

Common Terms

The following terms are used throughout the Devicebook for Contractors app, and in this Knowledge Base.

A Devicebook smart home solution is a package of smart home features which can be added to a smart home, such as Lighting, Heating & Cooling, or Security. You can see the full list of Devicebook Smart Home Solutions at www.devicebook.com.

Various smart home devices are installed throughout each Devicebook Smart Home in order to enable smart home features. For example, motion sensors installed in a room can detect when it's occupied, and a smart dimmer switch in the room allows Devicebook to turn on the lights automatically.

Devicebook supports a growing number of devices from a variety of smart home brands. All available devices are listed in the Devicebook Showroom in Devicebook for Contractors.

A design is a blueprint of the exact features and devices for a particular smart home. You create smart home designs in Devicebook for Contractors, and when you're ready, Devicebook will generate a custom Home Controller based on the design. 

A Home Controller is a personalized smart home app that's also the brain of a Devicebook Smart Home. There is always one Home Controller per Devicebook Smart Home. Home Controllers have a custom easy-to-use interface accessible via the Devicebook App for iOS or Android.

You can learn more about the features of a Home Controller here.

Next: Get Started with Devicebook for Contractors

Before You Start

Make sure that your smart home contracting business is already set up in Devicebook for Contractors by following the steps in the previous article: Get Started with Devicebook for Contractors.

Introduction

A job to install a new smart home for a client involves the following steps.

1. Design: Collect requirements from your client & create a design for their new smart home.

2. Generate the Home Controller

3. Install & Set Up smart home devices

4. Transfer Home Controller to Client

Get Your Smart Home

If you don't yet have a Devicebook Smart Home, or you don't yet have the Devicebook App, read the expandable section below.

Know Your Smart Home

Home Status

The Home Status Widget lets you see and control the current occupancy status of your home.

You can also notify your hand-picked responders that you need emergency assistance for any reason with the emergency SOS Button. 

Learn about emergency responders here: About Responders

Changing Home Status

When you change your home status, Routines (smart home automations) may be triggered.

Smart Home Solutions

This section shows you all of the smart home solutions installed in your home. Tap on any of the buttons to control, monitor, and configure that solution.

Learn about all of the Smart Home Solutions here.

Routines

Routines are custom automations for your Devicebook Smart Home. This link lets you view all routines, and set up new ones. Learn more about Routines here.

Alexa

This shows your Alexa link status. Use the Link Account button to link your Smart Home to Alexa.

House Check

House Check is your tool for monitoring the health of your Smart Home and setting up devices.

Notifications

This button takes you to the notification settings page, which lets you manage all notifications you get from your smart home.

Share Your Smart Home with your Household

Your Smart Home is controlled only by the account that was used to sign up for Devicebook. Share the credentials for that account with other members of your household.

Next: Personalize your Devicebook Smart Home

Introduction

Amcrest Video Doorbell is a device that will be set up to communicate via the Devicebook Hub's secure Wi-Fi LAN. However, Devicebook cannot automatically configure the device to communicate with your Hub's Wi-Fi LAN. Instead, you should follow the instructions below to use the Manufacturer's app to set up the device.

Installing the Amcrest Video Doorbell

1. Follow the manufacturer's instructions to install and wire the device.

2. Be sure to install the accompanying chime kit following the manufacturer's instructions. We'll walk you through setting it up below.

3. Make sure the transformer powering the Amcrest Video Doorbell and chime is 16V 30VAC.

4. Ensure the chime kit is installed before powering on the circuit.

Disable The Devicebook Hub's Firewall

The Devicebook Hub has a firewall that prevents Wi-Fi or Ethernet devices from communicating with the internet, for security purposes. You will need to turn off the firewall during the setup of the Amcrest Video Doorbell.

1. In the Devicebook App, disable the Hub's firewall. (House Check > Hub > Firewall Status > Turn Off.

1. In the Devicebook App, navigate to House Check.

2. Tap on the > arrow on the Hub's tile.

3. Find "Firewall Status" and tap "Turn Off".

Gather Wi-Fi credentials

1. In the Devicebook App, in the hub's detail page, note down the Wi-Fi SSID and Password listed. 

Set up the device using the Amcrest Smart Home App

Connect the Device to the Hub's Wi-Fi network

1. Get the Amcrest Smart Home App for iOS or Android

2. Create an account or sign in to the Amcrest Smart Home App.

3. Follow the instructions to set up a device in the Amcrest Smart Home App.

4. When the Amcrest Smart Home App asks you to set a device password, note down the password somewhere. You will need it soon.

5. Follow the instructions to connect the device to the Devicebook Hub's Wi-Fi LAN. Use the Hub's Wi-FI SSID and password you noted down above.

6. Once the device has successfully connected to the Devicebook Hub's Wi-Fi network, press NEXT in the Amcrest Smart Home App.

Make sure the device has the latest firmware from Amcrest

(continuing from 6 above...)

7. At the bottom of the page, press "Start Live View" in the Amcrest App

8. Tap the Gear icon in the Amcrest App

9. Tap "Firmware Update." 

10. If the firmware version is not up to date, follow the instructions in the app to update the firmware on the Amcrest Doorbell.

Set up the Amcrest Chime Kit

11. Make sure you've installed the Amcrest Chime Kit according to the manufacturer's instructions that came packaged.

12. In the Amcrest App, in the Gear icon menu for this device, tap "Amcrest Chimes".

13. "Tap Amcrest AD1 Chime"

14. Select "Mechanical Chime" and then save.

Link the Device to Devicebook using the Devicebook App

15. Switch back to the Devicebook App.

13. In the Devicebook App, navigate to House Check, and find the Amcrest Video Doorbell.

14. Tap "Set Up" for the Amcrest Video Doorbell.

15. Devicebook will ask you to enter a password. Enter the password you chose for this device in the Amcrest App in step 4, and press NEXT.

16. Follow the remaining instructions in the Devicebook App to complete device setup.