Event: If a device's value is in the range....

[zwolfpack]

You need to define value range entries (Add New Range Value) in order to populate that pick list. The section above where you defined the Status Graphics.

[JimSpy]

Here's a proposed solution...

Create a virtual device called "gloomy outside" with binary values of ON & OFF or TRUE & FALSE, whichever works best for you...you can even set the icon values for these as a cloud and a sun using the HS delivered icon packs or something you find from google. Then create two events on your luminance device using the triggers "device had it's value set and is less than" and "device had it's value set and is greater than". The two events would toggle the virtual "gloomy outside" device on and off based on the luminance value you decide upon as the boundary between bright enough and not bright enough outside. Hopefully this isn't a battery operated luminance sensor and you can increase your reporting interval. This will let your events react quicker.

Then create a third event that uses the "has been/for at least" trigger on your "gloomy outside" device, which you can set at 5 minutes or however long you want that "gloomy outside" to have to be on before turning the lights on. You should also *AND* this with an "the time is daytime" trigger so that it doesn't even attempt to trigger at night. You can further limit event triggering if you *AND* that with a check that the light you're about to turn on isn't already on.

You'll likely want a fourth event out there to turn those lights off when "gloomy outside" returns to OFF/FALSE.

Depending on how often you have huge changes in lighting due to clouds and eclipses or whatever you want your lights to react to, play with the "Can Not Re-Run For" advanced option on the events to keep the light on/off changes throughout the day from becoming annoying.

Well, that's a reasonable workaround, with the accent on work. I'll try it iff I can't get an answer to how to fill in those fields. Thanks.

[JimSpy]

You need to define value range entries (Add New Range Value) in order to populate that pick list. The section above where you defined the Status Graphics.

Ah, wait. So the field "has been a value in the range" (value), that (value) can be a range, like "0-150"? I was expecting two fields, [minimum value] and [maximum value]. I actually haven't tried to put anything in yet.

But you say, "'Add New Range Value" THAT'S what I'm actually looking for. But where is it?

[enigmatheatre]

Can you not have this:

Event 1

If the sensor changes and becomes < 150
and if
scene is off
then
turn on the scene after a delay of x

If the sensor changes and becomes > 150
then
turn off the scene
Cancel delayed event 1


Greig.

[zwolfpack]

But you say, "'Add New Range Value" THAT'S what I'm actually looking for. But where is it?

As I said, in the section above where you defined the Status Graphics. In the image in your post #13, you can see the button labeled 'Add New Range Value' right near the top.

[JimSpy]

As I said, in the section above where you defined the Status Graphics. In the image in your post #13, you can see the button labeled 'Add New Range Value' right near the top.

Sorry, I'm just getting back to this.

So, I Add a New Range Value to my status graphics list. How is that "range value" brought into the pick list for the event trigger? As you can see, I already have several range values set for the status graphics, but those range values do not currently appear in my pick list. Why would it be different for a new one? Am I misunderstanding?

[rge]

I often use a virtual device like above (I have "Sunshine", "Daytime", "Raining" to name a few physical states).

But in this case I'd use a timer:

- if the value moves into your dark range, resume the timer (you don't want to reset the time, in case the light level is moving within your dark range)
- if the value moves into your light range, stop the timer and set the value to zero; also turn off the lights
- if the timer reaches five minutes, turn on the lights

[Uncle Michael]

At the risk of further adding to the confusion, I do something like this by treating it as a hysteresis issue. That is, it needs to be darker to turn the lights on than to turn the lights back off. I then adjusted (fooled around with) the two values until I got the desired result. In my case I also found that the season was important because the light sensor was more sensitive to changes in light level (compared to my own perception) in the winter than the rest of the year.

[rge]

At the risk of further adding to the confusion, I do something like this by treating it as a hysteresis issue. That is, it needs to be darker to turn the lights on than to turn the lights back off. I then adjusted (fooled around with) the two values until I got the desired result. In my case I also found that the season was important because the light sensor was more sensitive to changes in light level (compared to my own perception) in the winter than the rest of the year.

Yes absolutely, (almost) all my environmental controls have either offset on/off points or actually a specific middle status (e.g. I have "sunny", "intermediate" and "overcast" - events trigger on changes to sunny or overcast but not the middle state, but the middle state doesn't prevent them triggering on other stimuli).

With the light sensor, the one I use is hidden away from the sun under a large car port, so it's quite good at determining a useful brightness. Another identical one that is more exposed (but still shaded) is not as useful, it basically saturates at 100% far too soon.

[zwolfpack]

So, I Add a New Range Value to my status graphics list. How is that "range value" brought into the pick list for the event trigger? As you can see, I already have several range values set for the status graphics, but those range values do not currently appear in my pick list. Why would it be different for a new one? Am I misunderstanding?

You're not hearing what I'm saying so I'll try again. You don't have any range values defined - you only have range graphics defined. The value section is immediately above the graphics section.

The entries from the value section are what appear in the event value selectors. This also allows customization of how the value appears in the device view, i.e. number of decimal places, units, etc.

Here are a couple of examples. In the first, wind speed, I have only one range value, 0 - 359.9999 degrees. But there are 16 range graphics, for different compass points.

In the second, UV Index, each value range corresponds exactly to a matching graphics range. Each value range has a suffix assigned as well; thus the value displayed on the device view right now is "9.5 - Very high".

[JimSpy]

OK, so I'm in the wrong section. I'm in Status Graphics when I should be in Status Text. I never realized that values in one do not have to match up 1 to 1 in the other. Faaascinating.

So, let's say I break my 0-255 range into two ranges, 0-102 and 103-255. (I'll have to play with the actual values later, when it actually gets dark!) Now, these 2 ranges should appear as choices under a drop-down menu in my event, yes? Well, let's see....

[a period of time passes]

Well, that's different. I've been using "has been/for at least". This gives me several options in the drop-down, NONE of which correspond to a range from the Status Text section. HOWEVER, if I use "This Device changes and becomes", and choose "a custom value or value range of", I get two fields to set minimum and maximum, exactly what I want. DOUBLE HOWEVER, I am sacrificing the ability to delay the action for 5 minutes.

So I guess I can't do this.

[cc4005]

Jim, I'm guessing at this point you don't have EasyTrigger, but I believe it does exactly what you're looking for.

[JimSpy]

I've been reading about EasyTrigger in other posts, but have not seen it as a solution to any problems I had....until now. I think I shall now investigate it in depth. Thanks for that.

[JimSpy]

OK, here's my event, using Event Trigger for the first time...



I think this should work......

[JimSpy]

Well, part of it worked - it didn't trigger after sunset.

I guess I'll either have to wait for a cloudy day in Arizona, or put some electrical tape over the sensor face.

Just checked and there's no rain in the forecast for 2 weeks. So I'll try the tape method and let ya know.