[SOLVED] Capture Color Temp or Color and restore

Was trying to figure out if this was possible with RM. Is there a way to capture the current state of an RGBW bulb and then restore it after a certain period of time after changing it to something else?

Could you use the Groups and Scenes app?

I don't see how. What I am trying to do is to take an RGBW bulb which is set to a particular white color temperature, briefly change it to a particular color (for a notification type device) and then switch it back. Unless I keep track of what "scene" i'm supposed to be in at that time, there's no real way for me to set it back the way it was.

How long does it need to stay on? You could use vertical switches to turn it on and then off after a certain time. Like a momentary switch. So when that is triggered it does the light colour you want and then after the set amount of time the other rule kicks in again.

That's if the lights were turned on by a rule. But if i have adjusted them to something custom level, i want them to return to that level. I don't think you can do it through scenes or through RM currently.

No. It doesn't have that feature, but it should. I just have to get to it.

As an exemplar, you can capture the state of a switch, change it, and then restore it after some delay. I just need to extend that to include RGBW attributes.

Using a Scene, you could Capture the Scene with RM. do whatever to the lights, and then Activate the Scene from RM. That would work. You just have to have the right devices in the Scene, and capture it at the right time. You put the Activate on a delayed switch on.

@bravenel, I have tried to do the same and have also tried scenes. It does partially get what I (and I believe @Ryan780) needs. The only issue is that there is no way to revert to the setting before the scenes was activated.

So if I had a custom config...let's say Christmas colors, and then I have the alert turns my lights blue, I have no way to automatically reverts to Christmas colors.

We would need the automation to save the current color config, set the alert colors and revert to the color config.

I get what he's saying. You create a new scene and only configure it with the devices that you're going to want to revert back. Just before you make the change to the lights you activate the capture device for the new scene. Then you do whatever you want with the lights and after you are done, you active the captured scene, bringing your lights back to the state they were in previously. Very slick!! I'm going to give that a try.

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You are not following what I'm saying. Activating the scene is the mechanism to return to prior settings. Each Scene can have a Capture switch that it creates. When that is turned on, it captures the settings of those lights, whatever they are. Then later, when you Activate the Scene, you are restoring it to its prior settings,

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Ahhh...light bulb activated (in my brain). I'll give it a shot myself.

I thought you meant in the scene. LMAO. No light bulb analogies in home automation!! LOL :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

That worked perfectly @bravenel. Thanks!

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Ya, the Scene is a big variable you can stuff device states into for switches, dimmers and bulbs. Capture is the assignment to the variable, activate is the fetching of its contents. Funny, that's actually exactly what the code is doing.

BTW, adding this to RM is super easy, as I will just lift that code and drop it in. So the existing Capture and Restore actions in RM will work for all devices types: switch, dimmer, color temp, RGB and RGBW. Next release.

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In that case, I'll wait this is incorporated in RM as it would be cleaner.

That would make it "cleaner" as you wouldn't have to use the scene devices and set up a different scene for each situation but this works good enough for my uses. Thanks!!

@stephack

Haha, joke is on me. This is already in RM. Try it.

@bravenel I've been meaning to post about similar but in relation to hsm is this possible to achieve if a alarm is triggered and you have hue lights set to go red when alarm is triggered. Can hms then restore lights to previous state when alerts are cancelled or disarming?

That's exactly what I'm using it for. Well, one of them.

Yes, HSM has this feature. It captures the state of any lights used in an alert, and restores them when the alert is cancelled or disarmed.

Oh ok so it's already in rule machine :sunglasses: I will have a look at then lol. Cheers

It's under Actions for Switches. It says select switches, but every one of these devices is a switch, even if it is a dimmer, CT bulb or RGBW bulb.