From Futurehome to Homey Pro

[Knut_Peder_Abrahamse]

I have had Futurehome for 2 years, and am now trying out Homey Pro. I have just configured Homey Pro and installed just a few units to test. I have some issues already:

Dimming switches
I am using dimmable light switches from Namron. They were easy to set up in Homey Pro for switching lights on and off, but I cannot figure out dimming. The app has an option “when button is held down”, but the actions I can chose from are on/off or set to a predefined dimming level. The action I would like is that the light level will increase until I release the button (and decrease lightening when holding the off button). This is plug & play in Futurehome, but I cannot find how to set up such a dimming scenario in Homey Pro

Using variables and making complex scripts
In Futurehome I have a scenario: IF the time is between sunset and sunrise AND there is motion, turn on the outdoor lamps on the estate. However IF we have gone to sleep, do not turn on lamps outside the bedroom. Then after 5 minutes, turn them off UNLESS the lamps were turn on manually.

In Futurehome, there is a function to set the status of the house from the mobile app; Home, Away, Vacation, Sleep. So in Futurehome I simply test IF status = SLEEP, THEN do not turn on certain lamps. I use also this status to set off notifications and sirens if there is motion inside the house and no one is home.

Also in Futurehome I set a variable when outdoor lights are turn on due to motion. So the script looks something like this: IF after sunset AND before sunrise AND motion AND status not = SLEEP AND lamp is off, THEN set variable = auto-on + turn lamp on, WAIT 5 minutes, IF lamp is on AND variable = auto-on, THEN turn off lamp + set variable to auto-off.
The purpose here is if someone has turned on the light manually, the lamp should not be turned off automatically.

How can I set up such a scenario in Homey Pro?

Finally, in Futurehome there is a very powerful graphical tool called Thingsplex, where I can script scenarios very easily (using my computer). Does Futurehome have something like this?

Thanks a lot

[Peter_Kawa]

@Knut_Peder_Abrahamse

The app has an option “when button is held down”, but the actions I can chose from are on/off or set to a predefined dimming level.

Yup it’s only possible to use “set relative dim level to x% or -x%”

and repeat that until the “button is released” trigger is fired.

@Knut_Peder_Abrahamse

Also in Futurehome I set a variable when outdoor lights are turn on due to motion. So the script looks something like this: IF after sunset AND before sunrise AND motion AND status not = SLEEP AND lamp is off, THEN set variable = auto-on + turn lamp on, WAIT 5 minutes, IF lamp is on AND variable = auto-on, THEN turn off lamp + set variable to auto-off.
The purpose here is if someone has turned on the light manually, the lamp should not be turned off automatically.

This is a start, combine the 2 flows below and add the “sleep” condition:

@Peter_Kawa

This flow triggers a light when a motion sensor triggers, or a person enters the home location.
With both events, the light turns off after 5 minutes, IF there’s no motion detected in the mean time.

@Peter_Kawa

When you have, say, a garage with (a) motion sensor(s), and (a) (garage)door sensor(s), the light should turn on for 3 minutes after a motion event, or an opened garagedoor;
While there’s movement, lights stay on;
When the button gets pushed, lights should turn on, and stay on until the button is pushed again.

.

@Knut_Peder_Abrahamse

Home, Away, Vacation, Sleep

Homey has built-in Home/Away and Sleep/Awake statusses
To create a Vacation status, you can create a virtual switch or a variable, and add it as condition to certain flows you do or don’t want to run during vacation.

I use virtual switches for several statusses

Translated
Home / Away / Someone is home
Longer from home / Rise / Sleep

[Knut_Peder_Abrahamse]

Pete, thank you so much! This was very helpful. I will now try to learn the flow application. And again, thanks a lot for reaching out and give me the clues I needed

[Peter_Kawa]

My pleasure!

[Knut_Peder_Abrahamse]

One additional question: What is the definition of “after sunset” and “prior to sunrise”?
Let´s say the sunset is 10PM and sunrisae 5AM (which is the case right now in Norway).
I presume that e.g. 11PM is for sure AFTER sunset, but what about 1AM. Is that still after sunset, or since it is a new day, sunset is still in the future?
In Futurehome, I think I the condition
IF after sunset AND before sunrise
would cover the time from 10PM 50 5AM the next morning.
But if a new day is considered differently, I would need to use
IF after sunset OR before sunrise
in order to cover the period from 10PM to 5AM the next morning.

Which of the 2 would be the correct for Homey Pro?

Thanks a lot!

[user3951]

This might not directly answer your question, but I highly recommend using the Sun Events app.
It offers many more flow cards and possibilities compared to the two standard Sunrise and Sunset flow cards in Homey.

The Sunset and Sunrise flow cards in the Sun Events app are accurate down to the minute (at my location), probably yours also😎

Be aware of this:
Sun events for tomorrow are not available. This means the “Between” condition won’t work as expected if you’re trying to create a flow that spans from sunset today to sunrise tomorrow. After midnight, “sunrise today” becomes “sunrise tomorrow,” which causes logical issues. So, the “Between” condition only works properly with sun events that occur on the same day.