I am trying to find out how to setup default dimmer levels. During the day when someone hits a switch manually or via Alexa I want the switches to come on at 100%. In the evenings after sunset I want groups of dimmers to come on only around 60%. Anyone know how to set those default levels?
Thanks!
One way is to setup Scenes for each set of brightness.
The Scene app will "capture" the state of a group of lights to want to enable.
So you create a Scene for each set of brightness combinations. Here my Scene is named "Accent_Lights".
Then via a virtual switch turn on that scene when you want that brightness condition.
Thanks John. Will that work if my wife just walks up to the switch for the living room lights and turns it on? Or only through a triggered rule?
I guess your use case is not clear in my mind.
When you manually toggle a switch do you want one light to come on at 100% or a group of lights?
No problem I am happy to qualify. Back when I was using Insteon, I could setup a default dim level. Basically at 6pm I would change the dimmer rate of the each switch to go no higher than 60% no matter what. At 10am I would change it back to 100%. I want to do the same with all my GE Zigbee switches. When I or my family turn on any switch "manually" after sunset I want the switch to onlt come on to 60%. With full daylight it they should all "manually" come on to 100%. Basically, at night we dont want the lights as bright as during the day. Hope that makes sense.
hmmm.... I misunderstood. I don't think Scenes will help you.
The only way I can think of is to set the maximum level in each device. Once at 6:00PM and again at 10:00AM.
It would required each dimmer to have the capability of controlling the maximum dim value.
Very easy.... 1 rule machine rule is all you need.
Trigger: Lights Turning ON
Action: Set level to 100%
Then, every time the light turns on it will turn on to 100%. But that also means that you cannot set the level to anything else without first having the light turn on to 100%.
I believe what youāre asking for depends on the model of switch/dimmer and probably the driver written for it as well (i.e. the device firmware has to support it, and the driver has to expose the relevant parameters that can be changed in the hub GUI).
Iām guessing the firmware on your Insteon switches supported changing the max dim level through the network? Iām not sure if your GE zigbee switches can do the same, I think thatās what you need to confirm.
For example, I have Lutron caseta dimmers, I also prefer to have most lights come on to about 60% at night. But due to hardware limitations in the dimmer itself, it will always ramp up to 100% when I physically tap the āonā button on the dimmer. Then I have some rule machine rules that are triggered by dimmer levels >60% if the hub is in evening or night mode which ramp the light back down to 60%.
Unfortunately that means the lights dim up to 100% when someone turns on the switch, then a second later ramp down to 60%.
Have I understood your situation correctly?
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