I am new to all this and have tried for a week to figure this out, on the interface, and looking at the documentation but can’t seem to find a way to connect the dots.
I am trying something simple. I created a scene for when I go on vacation. I just wanted to turn on a light at sundown, and then off a few hours later
I created a new scene, then created two schedules one to turn on the light at sundown, the other to turn it off 3 hrs after sundown
what I can not figure out is a few things.
I click run on the scene and is just sits there still showing the run button. is there some way to let you know of that scene is active?
how do I tie back from the schedule to tell the light to go on? no options under schedule for what to set on or off
how do I tie back from the 2nd schedule to tell the light to go off?
There are two apps to that are designed to manage this type of behaviour:
[ul][li]Deus Ex Machina - The Vacation Plugin
Vacation Ghost[/li]
[li][/li][/ul]
If you go to Dashboard > Overview, you will find there is both Triggers and Upcoming Schedules; however, it does not display what is currently active as such.
I have attached a brief description of setting up a scene and as you start to explore options, there are some real useful apps out there to use to manage activation of scenes, including Combination Switches, Virtual Switches, Program Logic Timer Switch, Program Logic Event Generator.
lombano, the misunderstanding seems to be rooted in your concept of a “scene”. You want one scene to control both of these actions because they’re somehow “related”. Don’t.
Scenes are instant actions. They run, they finish, and they are gone. (Consequently, there is no such concept as a “current” scene.)
If you want lights on at one time, and off at a different time, that’s two scenes.
For the “on” scene, set one schedule (the on-time-of-day), then go to the first tab (“Devices”) and press the “on” button for the devices you want to go on.
I think the answer that futzle gave that a scene can only be set to do one set of actions, that is why I could get the light to turn on (using a scene and schedule) but not figure a way to turn it off in the same scene.
I will look into the app suggested by Brientim, that sounds like what I was hoping for the ability to do.
when I leave for vacation I was hoping the system could lock doors, turn off lights, lower the a/c then each night after sundown turn on a light for some number of hours to make it look like someone is home.
You can do it within one scene. In the attachment it will show you how to achieve this but I am an advocate for using multiple scenes due to that is easier to manage.
This subject is covered several times on forum in the past but the apps mentioned make the setting the scene to simulate occupancy redundant. Good luck.
I did look over the word document, and I did download the vacation plugin (deus ex machina). I tested the plugin last night but the light came on and off a few times (and not at the time I put in the plugin). Still trying to get it to work. ???
I kinda had it working before with a scene to turn on the light with a schedule of sundown every day, then used a delay of a few hours to turn the light off (only down side was the light was turn on when I ran the scene). but it worked it came on at sundown and then turned off a few hours later (according to delay).
are you suggesting that I use two scenes one to turn light on and then another to turn it off?
is there any advantage to one scene with delay vs a second scenes to turn off the light?
with two scenes I would have to run both when I go on vacation. but that would allow me to lock doors and set thermistat upon leaving.
I actually do not use either of these as I haven’t been on a vacation for a long time!
I forgot to say the Vacation plugin does not manage times crossing midnight (e.g. 2300 - 0100), it is manageable by installing multiple copies of the plugins and setting them upto midnight and post-midnight activities.
Vacation Ghost is newer and I haven’t used it but it was designed by @chixxi who is a very active member of the forum.
** Just tired VacationGhost and it is a very useable designed and easy to setup and operate.
** It would definetly meet your requirements.
** See http://forum.micasaverde.com/index.php/topic,12952.0.html
Delays work fine; however, any power interruptions can cause delays not to operate correctly.
Yes, I am suggesting splitting your scenes for on and off.
The major advantage in your scenario is to simulate occupancy.
Thus, you can set different light to go on and off either individually, as a group or you can still utilise delays to look walking pattern through your house.
** Updates
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