I'm doing what I think is a typical use of the Motion Lighting app, but after reading the documentation I'm a bit confused. I have a z-wave switch and a z-wave motion detector. Switch is Ext. Kitchen and detector is Ext. Kitchen Motion. I want the motion detection to work between sunset and sunrise. However, if I've turned the light on manually, I don't want the app to turn the light off. I think I've got that taken care of with the Don't turn off if already on selection for when I had turned on the light before motion detection, but not sure if that will work for turning on the light switch after motion detection.
My questions:
First, do I have to set Switches to turn off lights if I would use the Ext. Kitchen switch to turn off the light?
Second, is there a way to disable turning the light off if I turn the Ext. Kitchen switch on during the time period that the light is already on due to motion detection? For example, I may have triggered the light via motion but I want it to stay on after that, so I want to be able to do so by just hitting the switch.
Below is my current attempt—did I do it correctly?
Looking at it, I feel like isn't going to do what you're looking to do. I think it will just not turn off, but that's my gut feeling. You could only test it to be sure and you can do so by removing the time restriction so it will run at any time of the day.
I think the switches to turn on and switches to turn off are supposed to be a different switch than the one you are controlling*. Otherwise, you will get into some weird loop.
I get around this with one of my switches by using the double tap function. I double tap, it sets a virtual switch, then the virtual switch is used in Motion Lighting . So for example, I double tap up on the basement light to disable ML so it won't turn off while I am between shelves where the motion sensor can't see me. Double tap down resumes ML by deactivating that virtual switch.
If I want to keep the lights on in the kitchen, I have a button that I single tap to flip a virtual switch that keeps the lights on. BUT, I have five (yes five)
motion sensors placed over task areas to keep the lights on, so I rarely have to use that button. But, it's there.
I think your base ML is set up mostly correct. I gave a suggestion above one way to disable ML temporarily, provided your switch has double tap. You could do the same thing with a different button, a virtual button on a dashboard, or other ways.
Another way I get around auto off is to not raise the lights to 100%. (most dimmers consider 99% full on and don't have 100%) So I turn the light on to 95%, and turn on the option for override if level changes.
I'm glad I'm not the only one confused by the wording. The Don't turn off if already on option there is one that most people will want to have, as it actually means: " Enabling this option will force any light that was already on before motion began, to not turn off when the motion stops."
So that part works fine (and I've tested it). I'm still unsure about the Switches to turn off lights setting and whether I can use a switch to cancel turning off the light when motion detection expires.
If you use rule machine, you can choose digital or physical, on the light switch. Also, some switches have button features built in to the driver What type of switch do you have?
But ...
I thought they were going to add it to the simple lighting or motion lighting. Wasn't that mentioned?
So my understanding of that is so you could have a light in the kitchen turn off the switch in dining room. Or a virtual switch to do the same thing via dashboard or a different rule.
The documentation on this is fuzzy, and I think it needs some clarifications. This is one thing I wish I understood better so I could add a note or two to the Wiki.
Select any switches you wish to use to manually turn off lights, rather than waiting for motion inactive and delay before off .
There is the option for switch to disable turning off which is what you would want.
You can use a virtual switch and turn it on and the lights will stay on after the motion has stopped.
I do the same, I have 2 motion sensors in the kitchen, I did have 1 and the lights kept turning off. I added the second motion sensor and it works 95% better but might still turn off if someone is sitting in the kitchen and reading. I have now setup a button (Xiaomi button, thanks @markus for the great drivers) on the wall near the table in the kitchen that a double press toggles a virtual switch which "disables/overrides" the motion sensors. It also does an echo announcement to say "You have turned off the motion sensors, don't forget to turn the lights off when you leave the room" Now it works 100%. I have also setup the same button to do a few things on single click and hold so it has worked out great.
I use this and if the lights are off and I turn them ON with the switch I have to then manually turn them OFF again (it explains what's happening in the logs). But if the motion has already turned the lights ON and I want a override, I just turn them OFF then ON again from the switch and this will also trigger the override.
