Help w/Programming Garage Door to Lights

[KHouse]

I'm racking my brain trying to figure this out, but not coming up with a solution that works on all accounts, so hoping you folks can help.

 

I had old garage door openers with I/O Lincs.  The only programs were:

1.)  If garage doors open after sunset, turn out 2 sets of lights inside the house.

2.)  If garage doors are open more than 30 min, email and text me.  (program "borrowed" from this forum)

 

I have installed new Liftmaster 8500 jack shaft openers, and have them working great with the I/O Lincs.  However, those new openers have a separate light fixture from the opener, that works off of a radio frequency from the openers.  I don't want to clutter the garage ceiling any more than it is...so instead of using the garage opener lights, I would like to use the actual ceiling lights in the garage to turn on when the garage doors open.

 

What I'm trying to accomplish (leaving old programs the same, adding new for below):

3.)  If garage doors open, and the garage lights are OFF, then turn the garage lights ON.  When the garage closes, wait 2 minutes, then turn the lights OFF.

 

*Would like this to only work if the lights were OFF to begin with, and they were turned ON by the garage opening.  If I'm already in the garage working (the lights are ON), I don't want the garage doors opening/closing to affect the lights at all.

 

**There are 2 garage doors, labeled LEFT and RIGHT.

 

 

Running into issues no matter how I program it.  I'm pretty sure I have to use variables, just not sure how to get it going.

 

With the program I have, it waits 2 minutes, turns them OFF.  But if the garage door is still open, it turns them back on, waits 2 minutes, and turns them off....and repeats like this.

 

How do I incorporate the door closing into this, and also how do I incorporate this only happening if 2 conditions are met (lights were OFF, door is opened)?

 

Any help is appreciated!!  I've messed around all morning with this and despite my wife walking by several times and telling me I'll figure it out eventually....it's not happening!

 

 

Here's what I'm left with after stripping away a bunch of lines of things I thought would work.  I 'think' this is the base starting point that I'm working off of.

 

If
        Status  'Garage Lights' is Off
    And Status  'Garage Door - Left-Sensor' is On
     Or Status  'Garage Door - Right-Sensor' is On
 
Then
        Set 'Garage Lights' On
        Wait  2 minutes
        Set 'Garage Lights' Off
 
Else
   - No Actions - (To add one, press 'Action')
 

 

 

 

[paulbates]

I'd switch from 'if status' to 'if control' for the iolincs only. Them being a status of "on" and the light being set off is starting the program over again. Also, put parens around the two 'if controls"

 

If
        Status  'Garage Lights' is Off
    And (

            Control 'Garage Door - Left-Sensor' is On
      Or  control  'Garage Door - Right-Sensor' is On
          )
Then
        Set 'Garage Lights' On
        Wait  2 minutes
        Set 'Garage Lights' Off
 
Else
   - No Actions - (To add one, press 'Action')

 

Paul

[KHouse]

Thanks for the reply Paul.  Going to try this now.

 

Do you mind explaining what "control" does or is versus "status".  My programs, and understanding of all of it is pretty basic, so I'm not sure what the difference is or why you would use one over the other.

 

Thanks again.

[paulbates]

Hi, sure

 

Status is the actual state the device is in.  Control responds to the device actually being turned on or off:

• If the garage lights are on, their status is on
   
• If the garage doors are activated, the control statement responds to that act. That's what I think you intend for your program, after either iolinc senses/activates, turn the lights on for 2 minutes and then back off.

There's an opportunity to enhance this with a scene, let's see if the suggested changes work first though

 

Paul

[KHouse]

Thanks.

 

So the lights turn on as they should...but...they do not turn off after 2 minutes.  They just stay on.

 

Thoughts?

[paulbates]

Ok, I see what happened. When the lights get turned on it makes the program false and it terminates.

 

The way to solve it is to have 2 programs: Once the second program is started, it will run all the way through

 

Program 1

If
        Status  'Garage Lights' is Off
    And (

            Control 'Garage Door - Left-Sensor' is On
      Or  control  'Garage Door - Right-Sensor' is On
          )
Then
      Run program 'program2' (Then) 
Else
   - No Actions - (To add one, press 'Action')

 

 

Program 2

If
      No Conditions

Then
        Set 'Garage Lights' On
        Wait  2 minutes
        Set 'Garage Lights' Off
 
Else
   - No Actions - (To add one, press 'Action')

 

 

[KHouse]

After a week of testing/watching/etc...all seems to be working as intended.

 

Thanks for the help Paul!

 

First time I've used a program to call-up another program.  Thanks for the lesson.

[paulbates]

Great, glad its working. Thanks for reporting back

 

Paul