Hi everyone.
I need a little help with a rule to disable 4 or 5 motion sensors when I do not want them to trigger my lights.
Any assistance is much appreciated.
Thank you.
I use simple automation a lot. There is an option for a switch to disable the rule.
I guess it depends on what type of rule you use.
Thanks. I will check it out. If it works, I will end up with four simple rules using the same button to disable them.
I will try it when I get back home.
Thank you for the idea. I knew what I wanted it to do, I just didn't know which app was best to use.
You can write a rule in Rule Machine to pause them all at the same time when you press the button. Also, you can do it in button controller as well.
WOW! Thanks. I had not thought of either of those. I just got home so I will write back as soon as I get it to work.
Thanks again for the feedback.
Ok, so far, no happiness yet.
I started with the basic button controller. I can select which button and scene (aka held) but I can't find anything under actions (turn off) but no motion sensors show up, and no apps show up to turn off.
Same result from:
Basic button controller.
Basic rules
Button controllers
Rule machine
and Simple automation rules
I actually realised that it won't allow me to turn off motion sensors with a button.
Then I tried to turn off the apps that use the motion sensors from a button and that would not show up either when trying all the button controllers and rule machines, same result as above.
They were all good suggestions, but I can't achieve the needed results.
Any other ideas?
Thanks again everyone.
Ok everyone. I have used your advice and then I realised the app I needed (and was already using) the
Motion and Mode Lighting Apps
And that app had a place for defining which buttons can disable the app and which button to re-enable the app.
I didn't understand because of the way they were worded, but I understand much better now. I edited each app for this and now it is working really well.
Thanks to everyone for the ideas that ultimately got me to what I needed.
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I don't think you can turn off a motion sensor as if it were a switch or something. When specific conditions occur you can turn off or pause rules that are triggered by motion. Under what circumstances do you want the motions sensors to not trigger the lights? How are you controlling the lights now? RM? Simple Automation?
I was using the app
Motion and mode lighting
I didn't quite understand the wording in the settings up of the lighting apps so I missed it. It is all working now, and your right, I could not turn off or disable the motion sensors but I could turn off the app, so to speak. Lol
It is still confusing though because every motion sensor settings allow you to disable the motion sensor, but I could not find a way to change that setting automatically with a button or another app, but all is good now.
I wouldn't suggest changing your setup at the moment, given you just got it working how you want it, but you may want to consider transitioning your lighting setup from Motion and Mode Lighting to Room Lighting, the newer version. at some point in the future. While you can continue to use any existing instance of Motion and Mode Lighting, it will not receive any significant development, given it has now been replaced. You can import an instance of Motion and Mode Lighting into Room Lighting, so the transition should be relatively smooth.
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I use rule machine and turn on/off a virtual switch based on physical switch presses. in this way I turn off the motion rules to leave the light on when I am in the room. u can do something similar just out the switch as a required condition to rule machine rules.
Oh my. That's just my luck. Lol. Yes, it is now working but I will look into the room lighting app and see if I can replicate my results in it.
Thank you so much for the heads up.
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I essentially do the same, just with Button Controller
Well, it is used for a unique circumstance. In fact, I wanted to do it to keep the lights off. I know, it is a little odd but thankfully I was able to use it.
It is used during the day to keep the lights from coming on when motion is active.
I haven't figured out how to use virtual devices or variables yet. I am just glad I was able to get ideas from here.
I have done something like that with an old Samsung / Aeotec button I have magnetised to the head of my bed. Sometimes I might be laying down during the day and not want the motion lighting to detect movement and blind me with the lights. When I press the button once it toggles a virtual switch (through an instance of the Button Controller App) which is used in my Room Lighting setup for the bedroom to enable/disable the motion sensors from activating the lights. Also, when I press the button I briefly turn the RGB lights on each side of the bed red or green to signify whether motion lighting has been turned off or on.
As a bonus, I also have some physical switches to manually control the lights, mostly Philips Hue Tap Dials and some old-school Hue Switches. Whenever I manually adjust the lights I also adjust the same virtual switch for the room to disable both lighting activation and turning off. Once I manually turn the lights off, then motion lighting will resume (plus when I transition to certain modes like Night).
That's it exactly. I do use the motion sensors to alert me if any doors/windows are open and a third reality color changing bulb but that does work similarly to your setup. The colored light will flash blue twice and then shut it off.
Thanks for the background. I figured someone on here had a similar setup somewhere. Lol. I was hoping anyway because I was drawing a blank when I was trying to achieve this setup.
I am learning more and more with each rule and device.
Oh, and yes, I have learned from before to not install many devices on the same day. Lol. I now install it, make sure I find a good driver for it. Then I make my routines to use it. No new devices today, just modified apps.
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Slow and steady, a good approach
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Hey Simon. I tried the app room lighting as you suggested. I was very hopefully it would work. Why does it do this?
Now they work whenever it wants and that is not when the motion sensor activates, but since it is acting up, I reactivated my button rules so I can at least use the buttons to control them
Thanks, I hope it is something simple.
Paul
You could create a virtual switch called "Ignore Motion Sensors"
Then use the VSwitch in a required expression portion in the trigger section of the various rules you want to pause. Set it up such that is Ignore Motion Sensors is "On" then the trigger never happens. Then you can turn on off the VSwitch as you see fit or you could write rules to control it.
I might try that route soon. I had to go back to the motion lighting app since the room lighting app failed miserably.
Good news is I still had this app (motion lighting) loaded and everything was paused so I only had to pause everything on the room lighting app and resume the ones you n the other app.
I still can't get the other app to work correctly but I will keep trying later next week.
The misses wanted the lights to work. Lol.
