Scenes out of sync - controlling lights w/ Hue app

[rchorowitz]

I have created several simple scenes that contain a (non-load) Insteon key as a controller and a hue light as the responder.

Things work as expected, however if the hue light is controlled via the Hue app, the buttons on the keypad do not respond and the keypads are not synchronized.  

Is it possible for the keys to respond when controlled by Hue?

 

Thanks,

Rob 

 

 

[Guy Lavoie]

You're using the Hue plugin, right? You would need to create a program that watches the status of the Hue light, and update the keypadlinc button's backlight. That's done by creating a scene with just the button as a responder, and have the program turn the scene on and off as needed.

The Hue plugin does track the status of the light, even when it's controlled by the Hue app. There might be a slight delay but it does work.

[rchorowitz]

Hey Guy,

 

Thanks for the response.

I am on eisy 5.9.1 using the UDI Polyglot v2 Philips Hue Poly....

So I would need to create both a program and scene for every Hue light controlled by a key?

Thanks

 

[Guy Lavoie]

Yes, one scene for each keypadlinc button that you want to update, and one program for each Hue light that you want to track. Programs would look something like this:

aaa hue - [ID 009F][Parent 0001]

If
        'Hue / Hue-Lazyboy' Status > 50.0000%
 
Then
        Set 'Scn KPL button' On
 
Else
        Set 'Scn KPL button' Off
 

 You could also add more logic to the program, such as Or statements if one button controls a group of lights for example.

[rchorowitz]

Always one step forward and two steps back with automation lol

I have more than 60 bulbs.  Was hoping for an easier solution after creating all of the scenes. 

Thanks,

Guy

[Guy Lavoie]

1 hour ago, rchorowitz said:

Always one step forward and two steps back with automation lol

I have more than 60 bulbs.  Was hoping for an easier solution after creating all of the scenes. 

Thanks,

Guy

Hah, that's the dark side of a highly customized setup, using a mix of technologies (like Insteon and Hue). You end up with lots of scenes and programs! But it allows you to do things that wouldn't otherwise be possible. I do that kind of thing a bit at a time, testing everything as I go.

[rchorowitz]

I sometimes miss the days of the "house code" A-H  dial ... choices were simple! lol

[Guy Lavoie]

10 minutes ago, rchorowitz said:

I sometimes miss the days of the "house code" A-H  dial ... choices were simple! lol

I had X10 for 25 years. Worked pretty well for such an simple technology. It was groundbreaking at the time. But I certainly don't miss the slow response (especially when doing multiple address commands, like A/1, A/2, A/3, A/ON) and the almost total lack of status tracking. How quickly we forget!

[Geddy]

5 hours ago, rchorowitz said:

Was hoping for an easier solution after creating all of the scenes. 

Easier solution is not to control the devices directly (i.e. don't use the hue app!). Use the scenes with UD Mobile to keep Insteon devices in "sync".

When devices are controlled outside of the UD/Insteon system there's very little that can be done to control devices. This has always been an issue so nothing new with plugins. Many years ago (and to this day) the issue of keypads and controlling with Alexa was the big thing (I recall a very long thread about keypads, ceiling fans, and scenes - that UD had to update the wiki based on the thread).

Now it's any device that a plugin might be able to control. If you adjust it outside of the IoX control only the status of a device might be sent to IoX, but there's nothing telling the IoX what to do with that status. Thus, a program is necessary to give you the visual result you're asking for when something is changed.

The point of plugins is to incorporate the 3rd party device into IoX. By using the 3rd party app to operate the light you're ignoring the benefit of the plugin of being able to control that device via UD Mobile or IoX setting(s).