Erik63 Posted January 5, 2015 Posted January 5, 2015 I have created a scene that allows me to dim 2 lights with the same switch but I need this to happen based on the status of another switch, can this be done? Thanks, -Erik
Jimbo.Automates Posted January 5, 2015 Posted January 5, 2015 This can probably be done by putting the first switch in the scene for the second switch and setting the level to on or off. But I think we need a little more description of your requirements.
oberkc Posted January 5, 2015 Posted January 5, 2015 Once a device is a responder in a scene, there is little than can be done programmatically other than to set responder levels (ON and ramp rates). To make a response to a device conditional the the status of another device would likely be done by a program alone. I agree, a few more details would be helpful.
Erik63 Posted January 5, 2015 Author Posted January 5, 2015 Thanks that is something I can try. To be more descriptive I have a light connected to a dimmable wall switch and next to that another light on a lamp module. Since I can only control the lamp module via the computer I was trying to come up with a method to dim the lamp module via the neighboring light switch. The idea was that when another switch in the house was “on” a scene would allow me to control the diming of both the light connected to the switch and the lamp module. When the other house switch was “off” the light switch would just control the light to which it was connected. I got the scene to work but I do not know how to make the scene conditional on the other house switch. Hope this makes sense. Thanks, -Erik
larryllix Posted January 5, 2015 Posted January 5, 2015 Thanks that is something I can try. To be more descriptive I have a light connected to a dimmable wall switch and next to that another light on a lamp module. Since I can only control the lamp module via the computer I was trying to come up with a method to dim the lamp module via the neighboring light switch. The idea was that when another switch in the house was “on” a scene would allow me to control the diming of both the light connected to the switch and the lamp module. When the other house switch was “off” the light switch would just control the light to which it was connected. I got the scene to work but I do not know how to make the scene conditional on the other house switch. Hope this makes sense. Thanks, -Erik It is how you have the devices connected together that is important. There are several definitions and methods to create a scene. Insteon devices can talk directly to each other using a direct connect scene without any HA controller involved. This cuts ISY out of the picture somewhat but can be worked around with more advanced techniques. ISY has it's own scenes where devices are preset to various levels of brightness and/or ramping speed. The scene can then be treated like one Insteon device in the ISY, and when activated will control every device defined by their presets you have set up and can control in ISY.
stusviews Posted January 5, 2015 Posted January 5, 2015 Thanks that is something I can try. To be more descriptive I have a light connected to a dimmable wall switch and next to that another light on a lamp module. Since I can only control the lamp module via the computer I was trying to come up with a method to dim the lamp module via the neighboring light switch. The idea was that when another switch in the house was “on” a scene would allow me to control the diming of both the light connected to the switch and the lamp module. When the other house switch was “off” the light switch would just control the light to which it was connected. As soon as the other switch controls the light to which it is connected, then it's no longer "off." The simplest solution is a KPL. The On/Off pair can control the connected light, one button for the LampLinc and another to control both concurrently. And two buttons for other uses, perhaps to set both to a pre-set On-level.
oberkc Posted January 5, 2015 Posted January 5, 2015 Stusviews is certainly the clean approach. Short of that... The light connected to the switch cannot be disabled by program, scene, or any other method. It will come on when the switch comes on. Fortunately, this is consistent with your wishes. You do NOT want to create a scene (link) between the switch and lamp module. A scene cannot be disabled. The best you can do would be a program. The program (possibly programs) could be something as simple as: if status other switch is not off and control dimmable wall switch is turned on and control dimmable wall switch is not turned off then turn on lamp module else turn off lam module A program like this would simply turn the lamp module ON or OFF based upon commands from the wall switch. If you want dimming control, your progams will be a bit more complicated, but not too much.
Erik63 Posted January 6, 2015 Author Posted January 6, 2015 Thanks everyone. Oberkc, Yah I was going for the dimmable program and that is why I was looking at scenes, how easy is it to change your program to a dimable version? Thanks, -Erik
oberkc Posted January 6, 2015 Posted January 6, 2015 To the program above, you could create additional programs: if status of other switch is on and control wall switch is dim then dim lamp module if status of other swithc is on and control wall switch is brighten then brighten lamp module For me, this is only theoretical. While I am confident it will give you some ability to brighten and dim, I am unsure how smooth this will all work, or what happens if you hold the switch for extended periods. You may have to experiment around some. An alternative would be to add the lamp module as responder to a scene with wall switch as controller. Based on status of the other switch, you could create a program to adjust responder ON levels to your desired level when the other switch status is ON, and to zero when the other switch status is off. The down side to this approach is that when the other switch is OFF, and you toggle the wall switch, the lamp module will go to zero always, even if originally ON. I could see where this might be disruptive in some cases. It is up to you if you can live with this limitation.
stusviews Posted January 6, 2015 Posted January 6, 2015 The wall switch is the "other" switch. Also, the program won't run if the wall switch is not at 100% which it won't be if the device is dimmed.
oberkc Posted January 6, 2015 Posted January 6, 2015 The wall switch is the "other" switch. Also, the program won't run if the wall switch is not at 100% which it won't be if the device is dimmed. The switches were referred to as "another" switch (the one on who's status the response by the lamp module would be based) and a "dimmable wall switch" (the device that would trigger a response by the lamp module). I tried to keep similar nomenclature, but my understand was that the "another" switch and "wall" switch were two different devices. The am unsure if the "other" switch is a dimmer. If so, the point about the status being "on", but something other than 100% is correct. I should have consistently used "status of other switch is not off" rather than "status of other device is on", just in case the other switch is a dimmer.
stusviews Posted January 6, 2015 Posted January 6, 2015 To be more descriptive I have a light connected to a dimmable wall switch and next to that another light on a lamp module. Since I can only control the lamp module via the computer I was trying to come up with a method to dim the lamp module via the neighboring light switch. OK, a wall switch dimmer and lamp module. What is the "neighboring light switch?"
Erik63 Posted January 6, 2015 Author Posted January 6, 2015 (edited) Sorry for the ambiguity. There are 2 light switches (one dimmable and one on/off) and 1 lamp module. The dimmable light switch dims a ceiling light over the fireplace. The lamp module connects to a lamp on the fireplace mantel that I would like to have dimmed with the aforementioned dimmable switch. Whether the dimmable switch dims just the fireplace ceiling light or dims both the ceiling light and the mantel light is conditional to the on/off light switch in another room. I hope this clears it up. No worries about this I just thought I might have been missing something obvious. Thanks -Erik Edited January 6, 2015 by Erik63
larryllix Posted January 6, 2015 Posted January 6, 2015 (edited) In my gathering room I have six dimmable sets of lights each with their own SwitchLinc and one LampLinc module. I have set up Scenes that I control from one switch closest to the entrance / exit spot for the room. I make use of the six available commands from the one SwitchLinc. - On = turns on my GathRm.Reading scene and then toggles between that and GathRm.TV scene each additional tap - Fast On = turns on my GathRm.AllOn scene - Brighten = turns on my GathRm.Bright scene - Dim = turns on my GathRm.Movie scene - Off = turns on my GathRm.Off scene - Fast Off = not used - only affects the lights connected directly to the SwitchLinc I found it much easier to have six preset levels for the room mood than to attempt variable dimming crosslinking. Attempting to synchronise the dimming of two devices may be hard and they may not level-sync well using programs. I control most of my lighting needs from one SwitchLinc and an Insteon KeyPad, that duplicates all commands with the same style of taps, but can control individual areas with it's own switch temporarily overriding any scene preset. This should be easier to write the SwitchLinc status checking into each command handling program for your desired logic. The scene levels are easy to modify from the Admin Console for tweaking your mood levels. Do you know how to send each of the six commands from a SwitchLinc dimmer? Here is an example of a scene based on another condition. $cREADING_MODE can be changed to "Status is On" of your other switch in the code. GathRm Mode.TV If ( Control 'Gathering Room / PotLights over Chairs' is switched On Or Control 'Gathering Room / GathRm KeyPad.A' is switched On ) And $GathRm_Mode is $cREADING_MODE Then $GathRm_Mode = $cTV_MODE $GathRm_Mode Init To $GathRm_Mode Set Scene 'Gathering Room / TV Watching' On .... more code Else - No Actions - (To add one, press 'Action') Toggle Reading and TV Watching modes Edited January 6, 2015 by larryllix
Erik63 Posted January 6, 2015 Author Posted January 6, 2015 Thanks Larryllix, I am not sure about sending the six commands via a SwitchLinc but I can figure it out. -Erik
larryllix Posted January 6, 2015 Posted January 6, 2015 (edited) Thanks Larryllix, I am not sure about sending the six commands via a SwitchLinc but I can figure it out. -Erik Double tap on top = Fast On = no ramp Single tap on top = On with local ramping speed Hold top for longer than a tap = Brighten Hold botton for longer than a tap = Dim Single tap on bottom = Off with local ramping speed Double tap on bottom = Fast Off = no ramp Of course the local connected light on the unit being operated goes to the setting without program intervention but... if you set the local ramp to a few seconds (ie. 2.0s ) the program can usually beat it with it's new level and ramp speed and you will never notice the starting ramp from the light switch before the program scene takes over. The Fast On and Fast Off being the exceptions as they defeat any ramping delays. Edited January 6, 2015 by larryllix
stusviews Posted January 6, 2015 Posted January 6, 2015 There seems to be no way a program can use brighten or dim as a trigger, only %'s. But, only dim and bright can be an action, not %. You could create 31 programs for each level change (dim and bright change the level by about 3%). Or you could install a KPL
oberkc Posted January 6, 2015 Posted January 6, 2015 My admin panel gives me the option to choose the following as a program control condition: on, off, fast on, fast off, fade up, fade down, fade stop, bright, dim. Does yours not show these options, or am I missing something?
stusviews Posted January 6, 2015 Posted January 6, 2015 You are correct. I was erroneously looking at status, not control. A solution is to create a program for each action. If Control 'neighboring swithch' is switched On And Control 'wall dimmer' is switched Dim Then Set Scene 'LampLinc' Dim Else - No Actions - (To add one, press 'Action')
Recommended Posts