Govee Net Lights

[ts1234]

Quick q...
Thinking of getting some of these. Just wondering if there is a way to control the designs of images shown on net lights via Hubitat? Or, is that only possible via the Bluetooth box control...which I assume has no interface possible with Hubitat?

IE - Do the net lights come with a basic set of included images...or do all designs get transmitted to it via the BT control box?

[marktheknife]

Link to product page?

[danabw]

Govee provides a number of included images/animations via their app/cloud/online community that are easily accessed from the Govee app, and once your net ligths are integrated into HE you can also use HE tools like Rule Machine to tell the net lights to display animations.

There is a Govee community integration that is quite powerful/detailed, actively maintained by the developer. Info on that is here:

Govee Integration V2

Going forward I wanted to separate the V1 and V2 versions to help with clarity and documentation. Please use this thread to reference the V2 version going forward This new version of the Govee Integration brings with it a few important things. We now have access to a new Govee API that was released in December of 2023. This api brings along allot of new features and commands to enhance our ability to use our devices. Standardized code to ensure that one change fixes problems across all device…

There is also the recently released HE built-in integration, docs here:

Govee LAN Integration

The community integration is more extensive than the community integration, though the community integration is a little easier at initial set up.

[ts1234]

Thanks! Great answer. From what I can tell then, since I added them (they came last night) to Hubitat as a Matter node via the app, I probably want to remove them and add them back another way.

I am able to do several controls, including changing the color...but everything I've tried in the "set effect" field just logs an error.

I'm assuming that means the net controller on the device doesn't have any "built in default scenes"...? Is there any chance I just don't know the format (like 1, 01, 13000) it's expecting?

[danabw]

Keep them added as a Matter device, and your next step would be to install the Community or HE built-in integration. I'd go w/the Community integration generally as it can do more, but setup is a little more finicky...

Great info in the first two posts of that topic from @mavrrick58 and he has excellent documentation he links to from his first post:

Govee Integration V2 Documentation

Take a look at the community integration topic, review particularly the setup instructions at the beginning and then start working towards what you want to do asking questions in that topic.

[mavrrick58]

So first thing i would say is that light effects are not really standardized in Hubitat. So getting light effects isn't straightforward. I do try to follow the lighteffect capability as much as possible though.

What driver are you using for it as a MATTER device. I suspect it is mine since you mention trying to use the ability to set effects. The Matter SPEC doesn't do light effects as i remember. That command would then lean into the LAN Api method to send the command. It should work if the device supports the method. That said I believe the net lights similar to the curtain lights don't really work well with the LAN API method.

My suggestion would be to use the Govee Integration V2. Get your API Key and install it initially as a cloud device. Then go into the device preference that is created and enable it to use LAN API. Then open up the preferences again and make sure it is set to use the cloud for light effects.

This would make most commands function use the LAN API for speed, but then allow the device to use the cloud to control the scenes. That is probably the best setup.

I have also stopped using the Matter stuff now as i have had to many times were the devices just disconnect randomly and i have had a heck of a time getting them connected again.

[ts1234]

Thank you! Even learning that it can be both a Matter connected device AND work via the API is a major jump for me.

My Govee projector is connected through the V2 App. I'm guessing the "scenes" that I assumed were in the projector's software and shown on its device commands tab...actually are out in / learned from / loaded from the cloud. That one misconception has caused me a lot of confusion. I will admit the multiple connection methods and how they interface is a bit confusing as well...and it seems they each have an advantage....though a Matter only connection is probably the most limiting it seems.

Again...THANKS!

[regener8ed]

@danabw

The community integration is more extensive than the community integration, though the community integration is a little easier at initial set up.

um... wutt?

[danabw]

I stand by what I meant, but not what I typed. Oops...

@danabw

community integration is more extensive than the built-in integration

[mavrrick58]

@ts1234

My Govee projector is connected through the V2 App. I'm guessing the "scenes" that I assumed were in the projector's software and shown on its device commands tab...actually are out in / learned from / loaded from the cloud. That one misconception has caused me a lot of confusion. I will admit the multiple connection methods and how they interface is a bit confusing as well...and it seems they each have an advantage....though a Matter only connection is probably the most limiting it seems.

I totally understand that it can be confusing. The integration has been through a ton of adjustments and enhancements over time much around functionality. I really wish i could make it simpler and easier to use, but there are so many nuances to how some of the devices work best.

All scenes, even the ones used with LAN API are extracted in some way from the cloud. The only difference with LAN API is that once extracted they are stored in local files and activated fully local. The big problem with scenes via LAN API is that it seems on certain devices some scenes use a different command code. That different command code doesn't seem to work through LAN API. That is why the option to seperate the scenes activation path back to the cloud was created.