How to Program a Virtual 3-Way on HomeSeer with Regular Bulbs

Setting up a virtual 3-way on HomeSeer lets you pair two Zooz switches or dimmers to control the same light—without needing a wired connection between the switches. In this setup, the main switch or dimmer is rewired as a single pole, while the remote unit connects to power, neutral, and ground only.

There are three ways to program this configuration: Direct Association (recommended), Central Scene, or Rules (scenes). Direct Association allows the switches to communicate directly outside of the hub—ideal when both are added via the standard Z-Wave mesh network (this will not work for switches that are included using Z-Wave Long Range). Meanwhile, Central Scene relies on hub communication and scene commands, a perfect choice when using Z-Wave Long Range. Rules/scenes are the last option, and only recommended if you're using a hub that does not support Direct Association or Central Scene. This guide walks you through all methods, so you can choose the best fit for your setup.

Please ensure you have followed the correct wiring diagram for the virtual 3-way. There cannot be a wired connection between the smart switches.

1. Direct Association (Recommended)

IMPORTANT NOTES

Direct Association is only available on HomeSeer when using the Z-Wave JS Front End.
Direct Association can only be used when the switches are included to the hub using the standard Z-Wave mesh protocol. Z-Wave Long Range by nature does not allow for device-to-device associations.

Our unique programming design allows our switches to be directly associated while still maintaining the correct status on each switch. Direct Association allows the switches to be linked together and communicate outside of the hub. Your Z-Wave system needs to support this feature and both switches need to be added to your hub with the same level of security via the mesh (no ZWLR).

We recommend that you use the ZEN71 On/Off switch, ZEN72 Dimmer, ZEN75 Heavy Duty Switch, ZEN30 Double Switch, ZEN32 Scene Controller, or ZEN35 Scene Dimmer models with the latest firmware for this scenario and program them according to the instructions below for the best experience. The ZEN77 (as well as the ZEN73, ZEN74, and ZEN76 can be used in the virtual set-up, but we would recommend these units be wired in the main box with the direct connection to the load).

To start, we recommend checking the firmware version on your dimmer/switch. The instructions are simpler if you are using firmware higher than 3.30; if your unit is a hardware VER 3.0, please update your unit to the latest available firmware for your hardware version before programming the association.

Dimmer/Switch Settings/Parameter Instructions

Main dimmer or on/off switch (connected to load): No changes in settings
Remote dimmer or on/off switch (not directly wired to the load): no changes in settings (as long as you are on firmware higher than 3.30).
- If you have an earlier firmware, you will need to set Parameter 7 to value 11 (ONLY if your firmware is earlier than 3.30; this will break the direct association if used on firmware 3.30 or later.

Set the Association

On/Off Switches:

Set the association for Group 2 (Basic Set On/Off) only, adding the device ID's for the other switch in the group. So, if switch A is your main switch and switch B is your remote switch, add switch B to Group 2 on switch A and add switch A to Group 2 on switch B.

IMPORTANT: The remote switch can then only be used from the paddles (you need to hide it in your interface not to trigger it via Z-Wave) while any Z-Wave or wireless control of the light needs to happen from the main switch A. This will ensure both devices stay in sync at all times.

Dimmers:

Set the association for Group 3 (Multilevel Set) only, adding the device ID's for other dimmers in the group. So if dimmer A is your main dimmer and dimmer B is your remote dimmer, add dimmer B to Group 3 on dimmer A and add dimmer A to Group 3 on dimmer B.

IMPORTANT: The remote dimmer can then only be used from the paddles (you need to hide it in the UI not to trigger it via Z-Wave) as any Z-Wave or wireless control of the light needs to happen from the main dimmer A. This will ensure both devices stay in sync at all times.

Z-Wave JS Front End Fields Explanations

Endpoint (Source): This is the "brain" of the device sending the command.
- For a single-switch device, this is always the Root.
- For multi-channel devices (like the ZEN30 Double Switch), you must specify which physical part is talking: Endpoint 1 is the Dimmer, and Endpoint 2 is the Relay for the ZEN30 for example.
Group: This is the "type" of message being sent.
- Lifeline (Group 1): Always reserved for the Controller (your Z-Wave stick) to report status.
- Basic Set (Group 2): Sends a simple "Turn On" or "Turn Off" command.
- Multilevel Set (Group 3): Sends specific brightness percentages (dimming).
Node (Target): The specific device ID you want to receive the command.
Target Endpoint: The specific sub-component on the receiving device that should react. This is only applicable for multichannel devices that have more than one endpoint.

In our below example, we're using the ZEN77 Dimmer as the main dimmer (directly wired to the load) with the ZEN72 Dimmer in the remote box (connected to power line, neutral, and ground only).

In the control panel, ensure the two devices you are associating are included with the exact same level of security, and that both are included via the mesh network. The highlighted sections shows matching security levels and both are included via the mesh (blue Z-Wave icon under protocol).

Click the drop down arrow on the right for the main device (directly connected to the load). In our example, this is the ZEN77.

Click Groups > Add.

This will open the New Association window.

Node Endpoint: Root Endpoint. We are selecting Root since there are no other endpoints for this device. If you were utilizing a device with multiple endpoints, like the ZEN30 Double Switch, you would need to select the correct endpoint (such as Endpoint 1 for the dimmer paddle).
Group: Dimmer Control. This will send the dimming level changes.
Target Node: ZEN72 Dimmer. This is the node you are sending the changes to.
Target Endpoint: No Endpoint. Since the ZEN72 is a single channel device, there is no specific endpoint. This stays as No Endpoint.

Click Add when done.

Do the same on your ZEN72 Dimmer node, now adding the ZEN77 Dimmer.

Node Endpoint: Root Endpoint. We are selecting Root since there are no other endpoints for this device. If you were utilizing a device with multiple endpoints, like the ZEN30 Double Switch, you would need to select the correct endpoint (such as Endpoint 1 for the dimmer paddle).
Group: Dimmer Control. This will send the dimming level changes.
Target Node: ZEN77 Dimmer. This is the node you are sending the changes to.
Target Endpoint: No Endpoint. Since the ZEN77 is a single channel device, there is no specific endpoint. This stays as No Endpoint.

Click Add when done.

When you open the ZEN72 groups, you will now see the ZEN77 node association.

When you open the ZEN77 groups, you will now see the ZEN72 node association.

2. Central Scene

This option uses Z-Wave’s built-in command structure. When you tap, double-tap, or hold a switch button, the switch sends a Central Scene notification directly to the hub. The hub interprets these commands and executes the linked automations, such as turning another switch on or dimming a light. Central Scene programming happens at the protocol level—it’s part of the Z-Wave standard—and doesn’t require you to manually build multiple automations for each possible action. However, in a virtual 3-way the switches themselves don’t stay perfectly synchronized because the LED indicators rely on local device states, not hub commands. Central scene uses the status reported by each switch.

This option would be selected if your switches are included to your hub via Z-Wave Long Range.

Important Notes

This type of communication between the devices requires that your hub is active and operational.
The paddle on your switch will now be treated like a button on a remote control that's pressed or held - it will send only this information to the hub and should not be treated as an additional on/off device with its own status.
After you add the switch to the hub, you need to go to the advanced settings to enable scene control on your device (it's disabled by default). If you don't change the setting first, your programming won't work.

When creating a virtual 3-way setup using Central Scene programming, only one of the two switches needs to have Scene Control enabled—the one that isn’t directly connected to the load.

The load switch (in the below example, a ZEN77 wired to the light) already controls the light locally. When you press its paddle, it turns the connected load on or off directly through wiring, so there’s no need for it to send scene commands. This switch will simply receive on/off or dim commands from the hub when the remote switch is used.

The remote switch (in the below example, a ZEN72 that’s powered but not wired to the light) is the one that must have scene control enabled. Because it doesn’t have a load connection, it relies on Central Scene notifications to tell the hub what action should occur. The hub then runs an automation to control the load switch accordingly.

Example setup:

Scene 001 (upper paddle single press) → triggers a hub automation to turn the ZEN72 on
Scene 002 (lower paddle single press) → triggers a hub automation to turn the ZEN72 off

You can also configure dimming from the remote switch by holding and releasing the paddle and using Start Level Change and Stop Level Change commands.

In short:

The remote (no load) switch → Scene Control enabled.
The load-connected switch → Scene Control disabled. You can have this enabled if you prefer to use this for other multi-tap options, it simply isn't required in the below virtual 3-way example.
The hub manages the logic, translating scene events into load actions.

This method allows full virtual 3-way functionality even when Direct Association isn’t available, such as when the switches are included via Z-Wave Long Range.

Programming Steps

1. In the Z-Wave Plus plugin, click the ZEN72 Dimmer (or your remote dimmer/switch).

2. In the popup box, click Central Scene.

3. Click Events. In the next screen, click Create Event Trigger.

3. The first 3 fields are filled out for you, so leave those as they are. Under Changes and becomes, you will make your central scene selection. Remember, 001 is the upper paddle, and 002 refers to the lower paddle. For this scene, we're going to use the single tap on the upper paddle, so we're selecting Scene 001 Key Pressed 1 Time.

4. In the Then section:

Action: Control a Device

Device: ZEN77 (main switch with direct connection to the lights)

Control: On (you can also select a dimming level here.

Click Save when done.

5. Follow the same steps above, except now the Trigger Value in the When section is Scene 002 Key Pressed 1 Time, which means a single press on the lower paddle.

In the Then section, we're now selecting to turn off the ZEN77 (main) dimmer. Click Save when done.

Now, a single press on the upper paddle of the remote dimmer/switch will turn on the main dimmer/switch, and a single press on the lower paddle will turn off the main dimmer/switch.

3. Smart Rules

In most interfaces, this is simply called scenes. This is a higher-level automation feature managed entirely by the hub. Instead of using Central Scene commands, you manually define a set of actions for each event—turn this device on, set that one to 50%, etc. To make two switches behave like a 3-way, you’d typically need four separate scenes: one for turning on from switch A, one for turning off from A, one for turning on from B, and one for turning off from B. While this keeps both switches synchronized, it generates more Z-Wave traffic and adds complexity, since every state change must be processed by the hub and distributed to all devices involved.

Since HomeSeer supports Central Scene, this is the recommended method, and Smart Rules would be used as a last resort, unless you require the switch LED indicators to be synchronized. With Central Scene, the LED indicators will not be in sync because the LED indicators rely on local device states, not hub commands. Smart Rules would keep the LED indicators in sync, but cause more Z-Wave traffic.

If switch A is turned on, then turn switch B on.
If switch A is turned off, then turn switch B off.
If switch B is turned on, then turn switch A on.
If switch B is turned off, then turn switch A off.

Programming Steps

Navigate to Events and add a new event.

1. When the ZEN72 (remote switch) is turned on, then turn on the ZEN77 (main switch).

2. Repeat the process 3 more times for the following events

When the ZEN72 (remote switch) is turned off, turn off the ZEN77 (main switch)
When the ZEN77 (main switch) is turned on, turn on the ZEN72 (remote switch)
When the ZEN77 (main switch) is turned off, turn off the ZEN72 (remote switch)

You'll end up with 4 scenes for the virtual 3-way: