Coming from basic Alexa automation and looking into creating more complex routines. Below is what I currently own, just recently buying the fp2 and hubitat in the last week. Kinda just jumped in without a real plan. Been reading a lot and it appears the integration won't be so seamless. lol For one it appears, I won't be able to use my teckin bulbs. Also looks like the matter integration for fp2 is ~6mos to a year out for it to be any real fun.
Question is should I just switch to home assistant or replace all my bulbs and begin the zigbee route? I realize there's ~$200 upfront investment + learning curve to get HA up and going.
If there's an API that's published, then creating a driver is something someone around here would attempt. However, most WiFi devices still focus on their own App and thus a closed Cloud API. Matter should impact that BUT I don't know how you get 8 bulbs in your home upgraded. I just bought these in October and they might be a solution you ask Santa for.
This all depends on you and your tollerance for learning different systems. Also depends on how fancy you want to get with your automations. You'll find that you can create basic automations in HA without too much trouble, but when you try to go complex, you're going to need to get into YAML code, or you'll need something like NodeRED, which has it's own learning curve.
Many of us prefer to just use HA as a bridge device like @csteele mentioned. I'm quite happy with having HA with Z2M for my Aqara and IKEA zigbee devices (plus some Tuya mmW sensors and some OSRAM garden spots), and I do all my home automations in HE. Home Assistant also handles my FP2 and several other devices that are don't work directly with HE, but I can get their status back into HE with Home Assistant Device Bridge.
FP2 on HomeKit is an option, but if you're not already an iOS/MacOS home, that's not what I'd do personally.
I don't find that to be true. I was able to recreate every automation I had setup in HE using the UI version of Automations in HA. I was also able to replace most of the apps that I used in HE with Blueprints in HA. Not making an argument one way or the other. Just offering a different point of view.
Isn't HomeKit how HA manages the FP2? Was pretty sure it's just HA acting as a home hub for HomeKit.
Understood. My experience. Your automations may not reach the level of device interaction that some of mine do. I needed YAML.
It uses a part of the HomeKit non-commercial license that is allowed without a fee. The integration is called HomeKit Device (formerly named HomeKit controller) on HA. It essentially lets Home Assistant act like it’s a HomeKit controller, but does not allow it to interact with iCloud for remote access and it cannot connect any HomeKit Bluetooth enable devices. There are no iOS or MacOS devices required, and an official Apple HomeKit hub is not required.
My point here was that anything requiring YAML is probably not even feasible in HE's built-in automation apps. And yes, I do have some rather intricate automations in place. Case in point, controlling bathroom exhaust fans with humidity. In HE, that was done with a custom app. In HA, I'm doing it with a Blueprint. So, on the point of
Someone would be leaning more towards learning YAML in HA or learning to write custom apps/drivers in HE (if a solution doesn't already exist in the form of a Blueprint/custom app).
The explanation for HomeKit wasn't needed. I'm aware of how it works. My point was that regardless of what system is used...it's HomeKit that's being leveraged to pull data off the FP2. How that data is pulled into HE is the differentiator between using HA as the home hub vs a licensed Apple device (which, technically, could still be brokered through HA to get it into HE).
I’ll give an example that I have used in two automations before on Hubitat and it was simple. No coding required. Maybe you can show me how to do it on HA without any YAML.
Create an automation in HA where one humidity sensor is the reference, and the other is the current room humidity.
This is useful for a bathroom humidity fan rule, especially in humid environments so the fan doesn’t turn on simple because it’s a humid summer day.
You linked to an example that requires the use of an official Apple HomeKit hub and an iOS device or MacOS device. Didn’t seem to me that you understood and the explanation is useful to anyone else reading this thread that is confused about the differences between the two methods.
