DualBandAid

Okay, my ISY Hue Echo Integration for Dummies post is out. Thank you for all your help. Comments appreciated. http://forum.universal-devices.com/topic/19565-isy-and-phillips-hue-integration-step-by-step-for-dummieslike-me/

I’m writing this because there are several scattered posts on how to control your Phillips Hue with your ISY. But they all use terms and make assumptions-of-understanding that the laymen (like me) just don’t have. So I wanted to leave behind a roadmap that anyone, with any level of understanding, can follow. I will update this post as needed if anyone is confused by anything. Please tell me if that’s the case. Also, please note, there are other methods to control the Hue. This method uses what is called a Network Module. It is an additional piece of software that you need to purchase for the ISY. To do so, open your ISY control panel and go to the Help menu and select Purchase Modules. Follow the instructions to purchase the Network Module. BEFORE YOU BEGIN…there are a few bits of information you need to get first before you start tinkering with your ISY. This is the “hard” part, with lots of steps — but is something you only do once. To get started, you need this info: 1) The IP Address of your Hue 2) Your Hue Bridge user name/ID 3) The name/ID of the lights, groups, or scenes in the Hue that you want to control (more on this later) TASK 1 - Get the IP Address of your Hue There are several methods to do this but I chose the one that uses the Hue app. Specifically the iOS Hue app. I imagine the Android app functions similarly (and could someone please confirm in the comments if that is the case?). To get the IP address of your Hue Bridge: a) Open the Hue app (and verify you can control your lights so you know you are connected) b ) Go to settings (gear icon in the upper right hand corner) c) Select “Hue bridges” d) Select your Hue bridge (probably by tapping the little “i” for information) e) Select Network Settings f) Toggle the DHCP button to “off” — at which point you will see the IP address of your Hue - write it down and save it g) Toggle the DHCP back to “on” — to put things back how they were I will later call the IP address you wrote down MY-HUE-IP-ADDRESS. If you see that anywhere, just use the IP address you wrote down. TASK 2 - Get your Hue Bridge user name/ID This requires using what everyone calls the “built-in Debug tool” which meant nothing to me. What exactly is that? Basically, you go to your web-browser and type in a specific URL (aka “web-page”) which then allows you to access your Hue bridge via your web-browser. This “Debug tool” allows you to send commands directly to the Hue — but also will allow you to get information from it. In this case, we are going to use the Debug tool to get the Hue Bridge user name/ID. To do that: a) Open your web-browser b ) Enter this URL into your web-browser... http://MY-HUE-IP-ADDRESS/debug/clip.html (swap out MY-HUE-IP-ADDRESS for the IP address you got in Task 1) c) In the "URL" section of the debugger (NOT the browser), make sure it says /api -- the default will be /api/1234 - and you don't need the /1234 d) In the “Message Body” section, enter this entire statement: {"devicetype":"my_hue_app#iphone peter"} -- brackets and all (and, yes, peter) e) Press the physical button on top of your Hue Bridge (requiring physical interaction is a security feature) f) Press the “post” button on the debugger in your browser g) Copy down the username that appears - save it someplace That is your Hue User name. It is generated randomly by the Hue. I believe you used to be able to create your own name. Those days are over. If you see MY-HUE-USER-NAME anywhere, just replace it with the username you wrote down. TASK 3 - Get the names of your Hue lights, groups, or scenes that you wish to control in the ISY Some background info is helpful here. The Hue app breaks their system into lights, groups, and scenes. “Lights” are the individual lights themselves. “Groups” really should be called “rooms” IMHO — they are a collection of lights in one room. And finally “scenes” which are the various settings for a group lights — i.e rainbow colors, all red, all blue, etc. To get info about your lights, groups, or scenes, you use the Hue “built-in Debug tool” again. You should already have it open from the prior task. I will show you an example on how to get individual light info: a) In the URL field, enter: /api/MY-HUE-USER-NAME/lights b ) Push the GET button c) The Command Response field will populate with a bunch of stuff that looks like this: "1": { "state": { "on": false, "bri": 252, "hue": 47116, "sat": 252, "effect": "none", "xy": [ 0.169, 0.0428 ], "ct": 153, "alert": "select", "colormode": "xy", "reachable": true }, "type": "Extended color light", "name": "Hue plant", "modelid": "LCT007", "manufacturername": "Philips", "uniqueid": "00:17:88:01:10:4a:67:b8-0b", "swversion": "5.38.1.14919" }, "2": { "state": { "on": false, "bri": 252, "hue": 47116, "sat": 252, "effect": "none", "xy": [ 0.169, 0.0428 ], "ct": 153, "alert": "select", "colormode": "xy", "reachable": true }, "type": "Extended color light", "name": "Hue corner", "modelid": "LCT007", "manufacturername": "Philips", "uniqueid": "00:17:88:01:10:26:23:6f-0b", "swversion": "5.38.1.14919" }, d) The actually names of the lights are literally the 1, 2, 3, etc at the top of each section. It’s as simple as that. I believe they are ordered in the order you added the lights. Hopefully you can pick out which light is which here by the "type" of light. But it doesn’t matter. You can trial and error the process in the ISY. You really don't even need to do this process to get the light IDs...you can just trial and error it...but you DO need to do this to get the group and scene ID names, if that something you later try to do. TASK 4 - Getting your ISY to talk to your Hue lights This involves something called a Network Resource — which was gibberish to me at first. As far as I can tell, it’s basically some data you enter in the ISY that helps you communicate with a third party device over the “network”. Hence... it's called a Network Resource. You have to create an individual Network Resource for every command you want to send. To turn a group on, you need a Network Resource for that. To turn a group off, you need a separate Network Resource to do that. Yes, it's annoying. To create your first Network Resource: a) Open your ISY b ) Next to “Main” and “Programs” is a tab called “Configuration” — select that. c) Click on the “Network” sub-tab. Then click on the “Network Resources” sub-tab under that. d) Click on “Add” at the bottom of the screen - where you can instantly name your Network Resource. Let’s call it Light 1 ON e) Under the URL column, you might notice it says “select to edit content” — click on that field and a new data box appears f) Enter or change this data… —Change the “GET” box to “PUT” —Put MY-HUE-IP-ADDRESS in the Host box. No http. No //. Just 10.x.x.x (or whatever your Hue's IP address is) —Change Mode to “Raw Text” —In the Path field, put... /api/MY-HUE-USER-NAME/lights/9/state NOTE: in this case, the “9” is my 9th light — change that parameter to the light number you want —In the Body section, put... {"on":true, "bri":255, "sat":255, "hue":255, "transitiontime":5} NOTE: the “bri”(ghtness) and “sat”(uration) numbers of 255 are all adjustable parameters . Between 0 to 255. The “hue” range is 0-65535. That is the specific color of the light. Transition time is how long it takes the light to turn on. You do NOT need to specify all these parameters, just the ones you want. I believe that the parameters you don’t specify will stay whatever they were at before the last time they were set. So if you only specify, say, a brightness change, the color will be the same as it was before. IMPORTANT NOTE: If you look back up to Task 3C, you can actually see these parameters reflected in the debugger window when you asked the Hue Bridge for info. So if you are trying to figure out what numbers to put in for an individual light (color, brightness, etc) to get a desired result, try this: use your iOS Hue app to set your Hue light how you like it, then do Task 3C again to get info from the Hue Bridge. The debugger window will fill up with the numbers you need to recreate a particular light/color combo. g) Press Update — which will copy the data into the “actual” box so you can see it again h) Press Save — which will close the box BUT!!!! You need to press the SECOND SAVE BOX on the next screen i) Press the “Test” button — at which point your Hue light should go to the setting you entered NOTE: I have had the "Test" button NOT turn my Hue light on...but going on to Task 5 still works. If you encounter this, try restarting your computer and trying again. You can also just go on to Task 5 and see what happens. Also, make sure you hit both SAVE buttons. See 4h above. TASK 5 - Invoking this “Network Resource” The final task is how to activate this functionality you created. The way you do that is via an ISY program. I’m not going to go into too much detail about that…unless someone requests it. The short answer is, there is a programmatic “action” called “Networking”. You can then either select “Wake on LAN” or “Resource”. If you select “Resource” a pop-up menu appears of all the Network Resources you created. For example, I have a program running in the background that monitors whether I have turned a particular Insteon-device scene on. If the scene turns on, the ISY will trigger the Network Resource “LIGHT 1 ON”. When the scene turns off, another program triggers a second Network Resource to turn the light off. Yes, you need to create an entirely new resource to turn a light off. So to turn my light on, I have something like this in the Body field: {"on":true, "bri":255, "sat":255, "hue":255, "transitiontime":5} To create a second Network Resource to turn the light off, everything is the same expect I have JUST this in the Body field... {"on”:false} You don’t need all those other parameters if you are just turning a light off. ADDENDUM - Controlling Scenes and Groups (not just lights) Groups In addition to individual lights, you can turn whole rooms on all at once (aka groups). If you use this method to control the Hue lights, when you turn the group on, whatever settings it was set to before are what you will get (i.e. colors, saturation, etc). This is how my Echo integration works. I tell Alexa to turn the room on…and it just turns the Hue lights on to whatever they were set at before. It has its uses. Scenes You can also turn Hue scenes on. That will cause the Hue lights in your group/room to go to a preprogrammed level. So you would create an Network Resource for each scene you want to invoke. Unfortunately, you cannot turn scenes OFF via a network resource (at least, I don’t know how how). But there is a simple workaround. You CAN turn whole rooms or individual lights off. In my case, I just create a Network Resource to turn the entire group/room off. How To Do It Go back to 3a above, where you asked the built-in Debug tool to give you info on the individual Hue lights. Except instead of putting this in the URL field… /api/MY-HUE-USER-NAME/lights You swap out “lights” for either “groups” or “scenes” like so (pick one)… /api/MY-HUE-USER-NAME/groups /api/MY-HUE-USER-NAME/scenes Then press GET. As an example, let’s start with groups. That will give you something like this in the debugger’s Message Body: { "1": { "name": "Living room", "lights": [ "2", "4", "3", "6", "1" You don’t record the name Living Room. All the ISY needs is the 1. That is the name of my living room "group". Then go up to Task 4F above to create a Network Resource in the ISY. Everything is the same except the Path and the Body. In the path field, enter: /api/YOUR-HUE-USER-NAME/groups/###/action Swap out your own user name in there. And also, the ### is the number of the group you want to control. Then, in the body, put: {"on": true} That turns the group on. To turn it off, you have to create a totally separate Network Resource but put THIS in the body: {"on": false} Whatever you do, don’t forget to press save! Twice!!!! NOTE: If you use a group number of zero, then ALL the lights will be turned either on or off. Back to Scenes... So you want to turn whole scenes on. You go into the debugger and enter this in the URL box, to get all the scene name to appear: /api/MY-HUE-USER-NAME/scenes Something like this comes up in the Command Response window: { "7fwrKuV56D9cvyA": { "name": "Relax", "lights": [ "1", "2", "3", "4", "6" ], "owner": "70ed172f673e511b294419971348d598", "recycle": false, "locked": false, "appdata": { "version": 1, "data": "NoG1L_r01_d01" }, "picture": "", "lastupdated": "2016-07-31T03:28:36", "version": 2 }, NOTE: the scene name here is NOT Relax. It’s actually 7fwrKuV56D9cvyA. I will call that YOUR-SCENE-NAME in a moment. To control the scene, go up to 4F above to create a Network Resource in the ISY. As before, everything is the same except the Path and the Body. In the path field, enter: /api/YOUR-HUE-USER-NAME/groups/###/action NOTE: This is the same data as if you are controlling a group — which makes sense, because a scene is something WITHIN a group (so you need to tell the Hue which group you are addressing). It is only in the Body section that you specify the scene by typing this: {"on": true, "scene": “YOUR-SCENE-NAME”} IMPORTANT NOTE: Make sure you have the correct scene name corresponding to the correct group. What I mean by that is, every single group has a default scene called Relax. In my case, I have a Relax scene that controls Lights 1 through 6… "7fwrKuV56D9cvyA": { "name": "Relax", "lights": [ "1", "2", "3", "4", "6" …but also a Relax scene using Lights 8-9… "rvqsYVVePr72KXh": { "name": "Relax", "lights": [ "8", "9" The first Relax scene is in Group 1. The second Relax scene is in Group 2. So you have to make sure you have the correct scene in the correct group. That’s basically it. I have done all of this, but I haven’t necessarily gone through my own instruction set and vetted it. If ANYTHING isn’t clear, please post in the comments below and I will update the doc. Thanks, Steve Oh, P.S. Special thanks to larryllix, troychasey, mwester, nridge, jkmonroe, Scottmichaelj, kohai, Brian H and I hope I didn’t leave anyone out!

BTW, I was able to get a scene to turn off. Well, a room. Instead of turning the scene off like this... {"on": false, "scene": "e5BGKboEWftmRtg"} ...you just do this... {"on": false} ...and it turns the entire group (aka room) off. Same effect.

My iPhone Hue app looks different than yours. Which one are you using?

Good tip on the IP address. Mine never seem to change much. But good tip. Yes, it is a post I am making. I will add that link. Thank you.

Good question. At the end of the day, it was buying a new piece of hardware -- getting this Polygot, figuring out how to install it, then figuring out how to integrate it. Which all may be moot when 5.0 comes out. Not that what I've done here was much easier, true... But I could do it with my existing set-up. Actually, I got it working and - and once I knew the steps, it really was easy. It was figuring out the steps that was the problem. To give back I am going to be posting a step-by-step guide for dummies (like me) to follow in my footsteps. Like, real basic stuff that even someone's grandma could follow, with definitions. Like "network resource" -- people kept saying that, but I didn't know what it was; where it was; what it did; etc. As for the RPi thing, now that I have a better handle on what is what...yes, having each bulb appear as if it were a native Insteon device would be great. Is that what you are saying it does? If so, would you be interested in posting a step-by-step guide for it? Down and dirty but as specific as you can? I can do a full buffed out version later. To give you an example, this is a piece of a rough draft for my "Network Resource Method" guide.

Also, I don't seem to be able to create a scene in my Hue app with all the lights at zero. 1% is as low as it goes. I know I can create a "scene" in the ISY controlling individual lights. Is that what you are saying?

Thank you. I got this part (and makes sense): But this line confuses me: Why would a create a group -- and then why would the "false" work on the group? Or are you saying "If you want to send the "on","false" command, that only works with groups...so your initial lighting arrangement must be created as a group and it can then be turned off as a group using the "false" flag?

I can get the on to work pretty well...with this: {"on": true, "scene": "e5BGKboEWftmRtg"} I tried this for the off...and nothing happens: {"on": false, "scene": "e5BGKboEWftmRtg"}

So how does the variable substitution work? You set the various variables values in a program then invoke the one network resource in that program?

Thanks for the advice. But I wasn't quite sure what the caution was around "program"... Maybe I was a little vague in how I meant it. Does this help? I create the Network Resource here... 1) You go to Configuration-->Networking-->Network Resources 2) Click Add 3) Enter all the stuff you need to enter to "reach" your Hue bulb (I'll figure that out with the existing stuff) Then, to access the Hue... 4) Once you've done that, you create an ISY program, just like any other ISY program we all make 5) In that program, you select "Action" and then select "Networking" (and change "Wake on LAN" to "Resource") 6) I'm guessing at that point, the Network Resources I created in Step 1 will appear... 7) More stuff...which I will then figure out. Does that clarify it (and seem correct)?

Thank you.

Stu, as it turns out -- while I am still getting this failure message...in the window BEHIND it...things are working fine. I just never bothered to check. So this is, as Michel has suggested, just a web browser issue. Bottom line, it's working...but I still get the error. I can live with that.

Thank you. Very helpful. I probably should just dig in and start playing with it and see what questions I have then. But I do one other that will help me focus. So if I could do a rough guideline of the absolute monkey-typist basics... 1) You go to Configuration-->Networking-->Network Resources 2) Click Add 3) Enter all the stuff you need to enter to "reach" your Hue bulb (I'll figure that out with the existing stuff) 4) Once you've done that, you create a program 5) In that program, you select "Action" and then select "Networking" (and change "Wake on LAN" to "Resource") 6) I'm guessing at that point, the Network Resources I created in Step 1 will appear... 7) More stuff...which I will then figure out. But is that about the basics? Troy, I posted my question above at the same time you did. But thank you. That is helpful, also.

Larry 1) is the "no" a no to the question whether or not you can trigger a hue scene as part of an ISY scene? 2) if the answer to that question is, in fact, no - how does one control hue devices then, once this network resource "connection" is made? 3) Via a program?

Thank you for the response. I did actually read the thread from the beginning and especially got a kick out of jkmonroe's post... And then the response he got, which led him to post: I don't know many five year olds who know what a node server is (or an rPi - for that matter). But from what I can tell, the majority of this thread was about how people can get 'better' hue integration. I'm trying to figure out how to get ANY Hue integration. In other words, where do I start? What is required for even basic integration? 1) So I know how that I do need a Hue bridge 2) Is a rPi a necessary component as well? Are there alternatives or is that it? 3) Is the "Polyglot node server" (wherever or whatever that is exactly) also a necessary component? Are there alternatives or is that it? 4) I already have the ISY network module...but what that be required for someone who didn't already have it? 5) I noticed there is a Zigbee purchasable module. Hue is Zigbee. There is no cross-over there? Do I need to buy that?

So if I was starting from scratch, with just an ISY...and wanted to start adding Hue bulbs to my system... 1) What's the first step? 2) Do I need the Hue hub or can I control directly from the ISY? Thanks P.S. I have two homes running fairly robust ISY systems...and am relatively computer literate (I made an iPhone app, for example)...but really this is not my field at all. Like, I know *what* a Pi is. But that's about it. Everything I do, I have to bootstrap myself up from scratch.

I have already successfully set up ISY Portal and connected it to an Amazon Echo in one home. Now I am trying to do the same thing with an Amazon Dot and ISY Portal in a second home. However, the ISY Portal keeps telling me: I have followed Michel's instructions and closed all browser windows. I have even restart. Nothing helps. 1) I go to the web Alexa interface and add the "ISY Optimized for Smart Home V2" 2) I enable it and give it my Amazon account credentials 3) I go to the ISY Portal to the "My Profile" section 4) I link my Amazon account - by giving the SAME AMAZON ACCOUNT CREDENTIALS 5) It indicates "Amazon account linked to:" my Amazon account. Yes I still get that warning. I have tried switching closing browsers, switching browsers. I delete all linkage on the ISY Portal and disable the Alexa Smart Home Skill. Then I add them all again and try again. Still getting the warning. What am I missing?

Scifietronica, I started with the Hub and switched to the ISY, and was looking into using both. For me, it's because I misunderstood something. I thought I was going to have to say "Alexa, tell Izy to" (whatever I wanted to do). And I didn't want to do that. As I learned the native Home Automation ISY skills allows me to not have to invoke "Izy". You may already know this. As for this... If I understand this correctly...you can still dim your scenes with just an ISY and no Insteon Hub. In a way. I have scenes that I have created in the ISY...and THOSE are not dimmable by voice command, true. But, in my case, for the few scenes (or groupings) of lights I want to be able to shot something out dim-level wise, I just created a "mirror group" in the Alexa iOS app. So I have a scene for three lights in my ISY. And I have a group for those same three lights in the Alexa app. If I invoke the ISY scene, it will also go to the pre-assigned scene dim level. But I can also invoke that group and say "Alexa, turn Main Lights to 40%" (or whatever). They just have to be different names. Not sure if that helps you. But thought I'd share.

Gotcha. Would that require two separate ISY Portal accounts as well? Or can the two separate ISY's be managed from the same ISY Portal Account?

LeeG, this worked for me when I had a KPL and a switch. Meaning, whether I toggled the switch or the KPL, the light on the KPL was properly lit (or not lit, as the case may be). However, I tried this with a KPL and an On/Off module - adding both as controllers. However, when I toggle the On/Off Module directly, the light doesn't change on the KPL. Am I doing something wrong? Or that's just the way the cookie crumbles?

That did the trick. Thank you!

I have a related question. I have a 6-button KeypadLinc that also controls an ON/OFF switch. Both are controllers in a "master" scene, thus no matter which button I hit, the KeypadLinc button is properly lit or not lit. As you described above. HOWEVER -- I have a few programs that will also trigger that on/off switched light (under various conditions). However, for example, if the light is switched off by the ISY, the corresponding light on the KeyPadLinc does not go off. How do I get the KeyPadLinc to "recognize" when the ISY has programatiicly turned off the light switch.

My wife and I have two places. Let's say Place A an Place B. I have an ISY in both Places A & B. I purchased the ISY Portal in Place A and used it to connect to an Amazon Echo there, as well as connect remotely to the Place A ISY via MobiLinc. I would now like to be able to remotely connect to the ISY in Place B (as well as have an Amazon Echo there). So can I just my existing ISY Portal purchase (that I currently use in Place A) in Place B also? Or must I buy a ISY Portal for each place independently - as well as renew both every time they expire? Thank you

Did anyone get any data on this? I currently have one portal subscription/purchase on one ISY and want to add a second. Do I purchase the ISY portal in that second ISY? Do I have one portal account for both? What's the cheapest way to do this? Or does it not matter?