I am working on figuring out the mode lighting app. So far I've managed to have my lights adjust per mode as expected and change colour temp and level during mode changes. But one thing I am trying to figure out is a method to suspend that. I currently have the lights set to dim to 1 % if they are turned on while the TV is on, or if the TV is turned on while the lights are on. But if the mode changes say from Day to Evening and the lights are on while the TV is on, the mode lighting app will execute and set them to evening mode. I wish to disable the app while the TV is on to prevent this... and then also have it execute when the TV does turn off (I believe I can accomplish this part by a simple button press automated by the TV powering off)
Now I see with motion lighting that you are able to disable that app by adding a switch in the options to disable on, or off, depending on your usage. Is there any way to do this in the mode lighting portion of the app? If not is there a workaround anyone can think of outside of Rule Machine (I had this working using RM, but it was a lot of if then statements and much more complicated than what this app offers)
You're right about this not being there. To be honest, I'd never thought of Mode Lighting as an active app where this would matter. But, you're right, it is an active app with respect to mode changes. I will look into adding the feature you're describing.
Ok so another clarification here. In the documentation for this app under adjust levels when mode changes, it states to use this option "if your lights are on" and you wish to change the levels when the mode changes. However in my case it changes the levels, whether the lights are on or not and turns them on if they are off Therefore at every mode change the lights turn on. If I do not have this setting checked the app does nothing at all, and levels never change under any circumstances.
What i thought it would do is only change the levels at mode change if the lights were on, and ignore it if they were not.
What I'm really hoping to get to is have only the levels change at every mode change but to not actually turn the lights on, thus when I do turn them on through a manual or automated method that are already at the desired brightness and color. How close can this app get me to that?
I'll look at it. It should not turn them on at a mode change if they aren't already on.
Do you have the switches that turn off the lights selected in Off Options "Switches to turn off lights"? If not, you need to select them there. The app needs to know that you've turned off the lights for it not to think they are on and needing adjustment at mode change.
For context, Livingroom Lights is a group of 3 lamps
It's close, but still has issues. In a group it's acting as desired. But it has effectively linked the lamps together. You can't turn on only one, although you can turn them off individually. At mode change if only one is on the others will all turn on. If all lamps are off and you turn one on, they will all turn on.
Plus the initial concern remains when the TV is on (I'll be looking forward to those app changes, thank you for looking into that)
If you take it out of the on options, cuz i don't actually want the app to turn the lights on automatically, the app will not adjust levels. I'm assuming for the same reason... without it being there the app doesn't know the lights have been turned back on, thus won't adjust. But that's my issue. i want it to adjust while the lights are off.
This way if you turn the lights off in the day, and then turn them back on in the evening, they will turn on with evening settings, either together or individually. that would be the desired outcome for what im trying to do. by having it working correctly in this app it will stop me from needing to add per mode settings in every light on/off automation i create.
For most lights this is not possible. In fact, this is what prompted the creation of this app in the first place. Setting the level of a light turns it on. When you use a light switch to turn on lights, there is basically no way completely around this problem. This is also one thing that motivates toward using motion based lighting, getting away from the use of light switches. Any automation based way of turning on lights can avoid the problem about different levels, including the use of button devices.
ahhh. Ok i see the issue. yes this all makes sense now. my problem is in the hardware requirements of the drivers. Not much to be done with that i can see now. ok so my new solution is to write one child for each lamp separately. So once there's a disable option in place this app will still work for my needs very nicely.
