Hue Bulb or group of bulb state and inactivity

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1

I'm currently using a motion lighting rule to turn several lights on with motion and off automatically.

However, how can I automatically turn HUE BULBS off that have been turned on manually (via a hue dimmer switch) when there is no activity in the room.

Meaning, can a motion lighting rule, or rule machine rule detect current state of bulbs (or a group of bulbs), and turn them off if there has been no activity. And if so, how can I do this?

2

If you always expect there to be motion (i.e., you don't want to just turn it off a specified amount of time when they're just turned on for some reason), then I'd just include the Hue bulbs in your motion automation. If you're using Motion Lighting, just include them under the "Additional switches to turn off when turned off" option: Motion and Mode Lighting Apps - Hubitat Documentation. This means Motion Lighting won't turn them on, but will turn them off with the other bulbs when those are turned off (from motion inactivity). Of course, if you want them to turn on too, just include them like normal.

3

Ok, I guess i'm asking more if they aren't turned on by a motion automation rule, will they still turn off after inactivity?

I'm assuming not? And in that case, can a rule machine rule, read when a hue dimmer has been pressed or when hue bulbs are turned on, and can turn them off after a set time of inactivity?

4

If you use this setting:

then yes, they will be turned off even if the automation does not turn them on. You do still need motion (or really not: an "inactive" event to occur, so motion starting and then stopping at some point in the future) for this to happen. But this setting causes the "off" half of the Motion Lighting automation to turn off those bulbs even if they aren't part of your "on" half of the automation.

But yes, you could do this if you wanted, too. However, if you aren't just looking for time-based "off" and always expect there to be motion (as there likely would be if the dimmer/remote you use to turn them on is in the same room as the sensor), the above would work just as well--and is much easier to set up.

5

Awesome, thanks, let me try it and I'll report the results!

6

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