Lighting Suggestion

[DocKen]

Lighting Suggestion:

I find myself in Events creating different combinations of colors, brightness, waveforms etc. Some that I reuse for various events.

A way to group those into a "Theme" or groups within UltraLighting3 and then simply run the theme to set all the information for the bulb(s). Maybe an option on whether the theme should send a Power Off before, and Power On after?

Within the group you could already pick the bulbs, or maybe just have the settings there without a bulb(s) assigned. When you use the group you would then pick the theme/settings to assign.

What I've started doing now is setting up an event to run manually with whatever options I need within the event (color, brightness, waveform, etc.) for specific bulb(s). I then make a triggered event that will do the following steps:

Send Power Off to "Kitchen Light"
Run "Fading Blue Red Event (Kitchen)"
Send Power On to "Kitchen Light"

Group Option if it was available
Send Power Off to "Kitchen Light"
Run "Fading Blue Red Event" to "Kitchen Light"
Run "Fading Blue Red Event" to "Living Room Light"
Send Power On to "Kitchen Light"
Send Power On to "Living Room Light"

I handle the Power On/Off in my calling event, but they could be handled within the manual event.

Thanks! Great Job!
- Ken

[Ultrajones]

Hi Ken,

This is definitely on my list of things to do. I am still struggling with the best way to code it.

Regards,
Ultrajones

[Jobee]

What I've started doing now is setting up an event to run manually with whatever options I need within the event (color, brightness, waveform, etc.) for specific bulb(s). I then make a triggered event that will do the following steps:

Send Power Off to "Kitchen Light"
Run "Fading Blue Red Event (Kitchen)"
Send Power On to "Kitchen Light"

- Ken

This is what I had done. I have a ton of manual events that set color or temp for each of the bulbs, then I call them based on what I am doing.

Now I write scripts that will do it, where you pass the bulb and the function to run and it does the rest.

Themes are a good idea, but I am trying to wrap my head around how you would setup a theme for your example where you just wanted to fade a bulb or bulbs in a room from one color to the next.

UltraJones: (Pitching ideas hoping to spark something)

Maybe a CrossFade Sub where you pass it the bulb(s), starting RBGW, ending RBGW as a 12 digit code each and then a level like 0 to 100, if the bulbs are dimmable.

I could see an options page or device that has the bulb and then you add all the items you want it to do, with an add and delete button giving each new entry a unique identifier. Based on the bulb already tracked, you know if it is color or white, dim or on/off. This would then allow uses to setup sub settings for each bulb if it has multiple functions.

I have 2 Color 1000 (among others). They happen to be in the same room so they can be linked in the device list of HS3 so one does what the other does. I just always call to the one and the linked slave follows suit.

On the options page, I would select the Color 1000 and then sub setting would get a name, an action (CrossFade) and start RBG and end RBG. Another option could be SetColor where it is just one RBG. And so on. You could also have check boxes for FadeSeconds or other items.

The LIFX app is basic but it does use the RBG color wheel to let you set and has some basic scenes you can apply. I don't use it because I am not a proponent of using the cloud for home automation. I keep everything in my 4 walls and block IPs and ports.

Not sure if you are using it, but looks like they have an API. Maybe that will come in handy.

Connect with our developer community at

https://community.lifx.com

This is also the place to check out the LIFX HTTP API.

Sounds like a cool addition to the plugin but I hear you, and do not envy your dilemma on coding it. So many different ways to do.

Happy to help in any way I can. I too love the plug in. I even have one where all bulbs flash Red if the alarm is tripped. Cool to see this red flashing home from the street.

Michael