LIFX (LAN)
Adds support for controlling LIFX devices using your local network.
App Store: LIFX (LAN)
Frequently Asked Questions & Troubleshooting
Change Log & Known Issues
Want to give some feedback? Go here.
Want to apply for the closed beta of the Custom Effects Editor? Go here.
Experimental Custom Effects Editor
At the moment I cannot include it in the app directly. So you need to use it online.
Don’t worry. All communication is encrypted through https.
Custom Effects Editor
So why closed beta? Yeah, basically it is not fully tested and might change a lot still. Like in breaking changes. So currently created custom effects might maybe not be supported for all eternity at this point.
If you are interrested in this feature you can apply for a key to use it. This will however entail that I might contact you from time to time about it. Every time I do fundamental changes, I will invalidate the access key for safty reasons.
Supported Languages
English
German
Supported Devices
All LIFX Devices (theoretically, I don’t own all models)
Permissions
From v0.8.0 on this app requires the homey:manager:api permission to access the Zones info of Homey for additional zone specific actions cards.
Available Flowcard Actions
- All default light parameters with optional transition duration
- Set infrared max (can also be set from the Homey app as additional dim value)
- Set Multizone Advanced and Simple (for LIFX BEAM, LIFX Z, … - see details below)
- Set random led colors (for LIFX BEAM, LIFX Z, …)
- Show Progress (for LIFX BEAM, LIFX Z, …)
- Play effects per device (see details below)
- Special card which takes an RGB Hex Code for setting the color (useful if you have such codes in tags)
- Switch Relay On/Off
- Start Cleaning Cycle (Supports the duration property for custom cycle length)
- Abort Cleaning Cycle
Scene Flowcard Actions
Requires you to set your LIFX cloud access token in the app settings.
- Set scene stored in LIFX cloud
- Set color of lights in a scene
- Set brightness of lights in a scene
- Turn lights of a scene on
- Turn lights of a scene off
Zone Flowcard Actions (v0.8.0+)
Requires homey:manager:api permission for access to the zones data.
The zone cards respect hierarchy. When selecting a zone the action is applied to all child zones as well.
- Zone On/Off with duration
- Set Zone Color
- Set a random color in a zone
- Set a random color in a zone (advanced)
- Set Zone Color by RGB Hex Code
- Set Zone Dim Level
- Set Zone Relative Dim Level
- Set Zone Temperature
- Play Effect in Zone: Glow
- Play Effect in Zone: Saw
- Play Effect in Zone: Pulse
Available Flowcard Triggers
- All default light triggers
- Device gone offline/online event (generic and per device)
- Relay # turned On/Off
- Cleaning status changed (Technical) (text constants representing the status as token payload)
Constants:- COMPLETED
Cleaning cycle has finished. - ACTIVE
Cleaning in progress. - STOPPED_BY_RESET
Cleaning was interrupted due to device reset. - STOPPED_BY_HOMEKIT
Cleaning was interrupted by Homekit. - STOPPED_BY_LAN
Cleaning was interrupted by LAN API. - STOPPED_BY_CLOUD
Cleaning was interrupted by Cloud API. - NO_STATUS
No status information available, yet. - UNKOWN_STATUS
An unknown status was reported.
- COMPLETED
- Cleaning status changed (Human Readable) (localized human readable status as token payload)
- Cleaning progress update (fired every time the progress percentage changes)
Provides percentage (as 0-100) as well as overall duration and remaning time in seconds as number token payload.
Available Flowcard Conditions
- Light is On|Off
- Relay # is On/Off
- Cleaning Mode is On/Off
Set Multizone Action Card
The Set Multizone action card is enabled to set every single zone. To get this job done we need to use a Zone Code.
The Zone Code
The Zone Code consists of a light description, containing the color, saturation, brightness and kelvin, or a RGB hex code.
You can address as many zones as you like by adding more such data sets separated by ‘;’.
Syntax
Variant A: hue[0-360],saturation[0-100],brightness[0-100],kelvin[2500-9000];…
Variant B: #ff0000;#00ff00;…
Note:
- Both syntax variants can be mixed.
- Do not add a trailing ‘;’ to the end of the code.
Examples
Of course these examples could be better but this is just to demonstrate how it works afterall
- 0, 50, 50, 2500;50, 50, 50, 2500;150, 50, 50, 2500;200, 50, 50, 2500;250, 50, 50, 2500
- #fff;#ff0;#f00;#f0f;#00f;#0ff
- 0, 50, 50, 2500;50, 50, 50, 2500;#f423a0;#0a34d2
Zone Start Index
This is a zero based index, which defines where to start setting the LEDs based on the Zone Code.
For example, you can split up your zone settings into multiple cards and set the zones in groups of 10 LEDs.
Setting a zone which does not exist will have no effect. By definition there cannot be more than 256 zones.
Apply Settings
If you split up your zone settings into multiple cards it might make sense to only apply the settings after sending your last zone configuration to the device. This way all zones will update simultaniously.
Not Working?
Then you have a syntax error in your configuration string. Check and try again.
Effects
Effects are supported for devices with color support only.
- Glow: Sine & Triangle (First number is the repetitions, second number duration of one impulse)
- Saw: Saw & Half-Sine
- Pulse
Firmware Effects for Multizone Devices (LIFX BEAM, LIFX Z, Z2, …)
- Move Transition (infinite) & Stop
The move transition actually moves the zones along the line. It does not shift the values from zone to zone. This means you can change the pattern easily whilst it just keeps moving.
Firmware Effects for Chain Devices (LIFX Tile, Candle, …)
This requires you to set your LIFX cloud access token in the app settings.
- Flames Effect (infinite)
- Color Morph Effect (infinite)
(Experimental) LIFX (LAN) Build In Custom Effects (v1.0+)
The app now provides build in effects for Homey Zones, which can be controlled by flowcards.
In general the app makes a difference between one shot effects and looped effects.
NOTE: As this is an experimental feature, it might be changed or removed at any time. Also any feedback about it is highly appreciated, don’t hestitate.
Action Cards
- Play a predefined effect in zone
- Stop a predefined effect in zone
- Play a user defined effect
- Stop a user defined effect
- Stop all running effect scripts
Condition Cards
- Predefined effect is active in zone
- User defined effect is active
Implemented Effects
Alert: Police | Looped | Animates a red to blue effect with a white flashing at the end of every cycle. |
Creepy Candle | Looped | Creates a continuous flicker and burnout effect, similiar to the LIFX apps effect. |
Icy Lights | Looped | Changes lights to random blue and icy colors continuously. |
Random Pastel Colors | Looped | Changes lights to random pastel colors continuously. |
Strobe | One Shot | Stobes all lights for a brief amount of time. |
Twinkle | Looped | Lights randomly flicker up bright white. |
Xmas Lights | Looped | Randomly changes lights to red, green, yellow or blue continuously. |
Please Mind: All build-in effects are matter to be updated or removed at any time whilst this feature is in experimental state.
Power Consumption Data for Homey Energy
This app preconfigures the power consumption data for energy usage approximation.
Note: If you set the values manually, this app will not update them anymore, even after the data was added to the app. If the data is missing for one of your lights, please contact me.
Device Settings
The device settings are just showing details about the device. There is nothing to configure there.
Power consumption values are provided by the app automatically. If you have a light which is missing those values please contact me and include the Product Name and Version shown in the Devices Overview of the App Settings menu.
Example: LIFX Tile 1-55-768
Note: If you set the energy settings manually the app will not update them automatically.
App Settings
- Polling Interval (for device status requests - change this only if really needed)
- Developer Token (required for LIFX Cloud Access)
- Default light transition duration
- List of all devices
- LIFX communication error rate. This is for testing purposes. You should be fine if the counts are not extremely high. High counts whilst no flows are running would indicate a network problem for example. If you have concerns contact me.
- Logic Behavior: This controls how the app handles on/off and dim level relationships (v0.10+)
Dim Logic Behaviors
-
Athom (default): If dimmed to 0% and the light is on it will be turned off. If the light is off and dimmed up from 0% it is turned on.
If the device’s dim level is 0% when turned on it automatically dims to 1%. -
LIFX: Mimics the behavior of the original LIFX apps. You cannot dim below 1%.
If the device’s dim level is 0% when turned on it automatically dims to 1%. - Original: No restrictions or relationships are applied. Logic behaves like LIFX (LAN) v0.9.4 and earlier.
Kelvin Behaviors
- LIFX (default): Same behavior as in original LIFX apps. (Uses 3500 kelvin in color mode)
- Adobe Photoshop: Use the same kelvin setting as the Adobe Photoshop color picker. (Uses 6504 kelvin in color mode)
- Advanced: Use the kelvin value set, before switching into color mode.
Background: The kelvin value only makes a difference, in color mode, if the saturation is below 100%. If you are uncertain which setting to use, just leave it on default.
Limitations
- Firmware effects for LIFX Tile can only be controlled through cloud access.
- LIFX Tiles cannot be controlled individually.
- Power consumption for LIFX Tile, BEAM and Strips are not implemented. This is not possible because calculating the proper values would cause too much network traffic and CPU load on Homey.
- No fixed listed IPs for lights supported. Discovery broadcast packages must be allowed to find the devices.
- LIFX Switch devices only show their own power consumption. The consumption of the devices attached to the relays will be available later once it is supported. When this is ready also consumption change events and flow tokens will be added.
- The new LIFX Clean HEV mode cannot be controlled, yet, but will be added as the api for it becomes available.
Unlikely, but just in case should you need to report an app crash
In case the app crashes, please submit a diagnostics report for the app before restarting the app.
NOTE: Please add your email contact in the crash report if you want me to get back to you about it. At the moment, crash reports are submitted anonymously by Homey.
On a another note
The never released memory feature is now available as a separate app, called ‘Zone Memory’.
Zone Memory works brand independent: Forum Page
My Special Thanks To
Remco M (aka caseda)
Robert Kelb
petterHomey
Bas van den Bosch
Emile Nijssen (aka WeeJeWel)
Ramón Baas
Matt Redding (LIFX Hardware Engineer)
and all you users, who helped me squishing bugs, bringing in ideas and making the creation of this app worth while