Hi there,
Trying to get my first automation working from the front end so I can see how the automations.yaml gets formatted.
I have two entities
sensor.4_in_1_sensor_light_11
and
light.hall_26
I want to turn the light on when the lux level goes below a value of 5 and off when the lux level goes above 20. Any assistance would be appreciated. I’ve read over the templating section but you need an engineering degree to wade through that 
I don’t doubt that this can be done with templating, however, templates are not my forte. Something like this I would split into two automations.
Use the numeric state trigger and the above or below option.
At it’s simplest:
trigger:
platform: numeric_state
entity_id: sensor.4_in_1_sensor_light_11
below: 5
action:
service: homeassistant.turn_on
entity_id: light.hall_26
and
trigger:
platform: numeric_state
entity_id: sensor.4_in_1_sensor_light_11
above: 20
action:
service: homeassistant.turn_off
entity_id: light.hall_26
Of course, if your light causes the light level to rise above 20, then you’re likely end up strobing the light on and off at night. I’d advise that you check the light level when the hall light is on, and then set the level to say 5 above that.
Not having too much joy unfortunately. Struggling with the new format for the automations.yaml available from the front end. Can’t get that basic automation to save from the front end (using Chrome) under any circumstances. Pasted the following into automations.yaml and now they show up under the “automations” side bar but clicking on them (to edit) produces a blank page but at least it works! Thank you.
- id: ID1
alias: Hall Light Auto On
trigger:
- platform: numeric_state
entity_id: sensor.4_in_1_sensor_light_11
below: 5
action:
- service: homeassistant.turn_on
entity_id: light.hall_26
- id: ID2
alias: Hall Light Auto Off
trigger:
- platform: numeric_state
entity_id: sensor.4_in_1_sensor_light_11
above: 20
action:
- service: homeassistant.turn_off
entity_id: light.hall_26
Hi @xbmcnut,
I was having issues with an almost identical automation myself, and contacted another forum member (@fanaticDavid) who had a working solution that was similar to what I was looking for. This is how I achieve it, works faultlessly. Credit to David for his help.
Firstly, create a Binary Sensor for each instance;
- platform: threshold
name: "Low LUX"
threshold: 330
type: lower
entity_id: sensor.sn1_ldr
- platform: threshold
name: "High LUX"
threshold: 400
type: upper
entity_id: sensor.sn1_ldr
Then, this is the automation based on Low Light Level;
# LIGHT LEVEL IS LOW - SWITCH ON #
- id: Light Level is Low - Switch On
alias: Light Level is Low - Switch On
trigger:
platform: state
entity_id: binary_sensor.low_lux
to: 'on'
for:
minutes: 2
condition:
condition: and
conditions:
- condition: time
after: "08:00:00"
- condition: sun
before: sunset
before_offset: "00:45:05"
- condition: state
entity_id: group.family
state: 'home'
action:
- service: light.turn_on
# Yeelight RGB Bulb
entity_id: light.steps
data:
brightness: 60
color_temp: 222
transition: 3
- service: light.turn_on
# LIFX RGB Bulb
entity_id: light.lounge
data:
brightness: 110
color_temp: 222
transition: 5
and High Light Level;
# LIGHT LEVEL IS HIGH - SWITCH OFF #
- id: Light Level is High - Switch Off
alias: "Light Level is High - Switch Off"
trigger:
platform: state
entity_id: binary_sensor.high_lux
to: 'on'
for:
minutes: 3
condition:
condition: and
conditions:
- condition: time
after: "08:00:00"
- condition: sun
before: sunset
before_offset: "00:45:05"
- condition: state
entity_id: group.family
state: 'home'
action:
service: light.turn_off
entity_id:
- light.steps
- light.loungeThank you! That’s helpful. Can you edit your automations from the front end?
@xbmcnut, No probIems, happy to share. I was pulling my hair out trying to work it out myself.
I haven’t tried to edit through the front end. I do all my edits through Notepad++ and Samba share in Windows.
I’m making another video in my Hass.io series and wanted to show noobs how to create a simple automation (turn a light on when it’s dark) but can’t get the front end to work at all. I use NP++ too but wanted to see how much easier it was from the front end as I’ve struggled with yaml formatting (and the ever changing formatting requirements) for the last year. I took me four goes to get HA to start with one simple automation file even though I’d checked the file with four different online yaml checkers! 
I have had similar issues, being new to HASS, it has changed about twice already in a few months, hard to learn the right way when things change regularly!
I should have mentioned also that I’m using Bens (@bruhautomation) DIY Multisensor in conjuction with this automation. I have made 3 of them now for around my house, bloody great bit of kit for very little money.
That is on my to do list too!
could we set the threshold with an input_number.high_lux/low_lux. Thus enabling easier experimentation?
- platform: threshold
name: "Low LUX"
threshold: {{states.input_number.low_lux.state}}
type: lower
entity_id: sensor.mean_indoor_lux
a yes, thanks!
but what about the template?
- platform: threshold
name: "Low LUX"
lower: {{states.input_number.low_lux.state}}
entity_id: sensor.mean_indoor_lux
- platform: threshold
name: "High LUX"
upper: {{states.input_number.high_lux.state}}
entity_id: sensor.mean_indoor_lux
gives this unfortunately:
CHECK CONFIG
Testing configuration at /config
ERROR:homeassistant.util.yaml:invalid key: "OrderedDict([('states.input_number.low_lux.state', None)])"
in "/config/binary_sensors/threshold_binary_sensors.yaml", line 160, column 0
Failed config
General Errors:
- invalid key: "OrderedDict([('states.input_number.low_lux.state', None)])"
in "/config/binary_sensors/threshold_binary_sensors.yaml", line 160, column 0
would we still need something like this to be able to use the slider:
- alias: 'Temperature warning'
trigger:
platform: state
entity_id: sensor.living_room_temperature
condition:
condition: template
value_template: '{{ (states("sensor.living_room_temperature") | float) < (states("input_slider.warning_temperature") | float) }}'
action:
- service: notify.notify
data_template:
message: 'Temperature: {{ states.sensor.living_room_temperature.state }} {{ states.sensor.living_room_temperature.attributes.unit_of_measurement }}'
The documentation for the component would show if it supported templates, and I see nothing to show that it supports it.
You’d need to use a standard template binary sensor, something like the following:
binary_sensor:
- platform: template
sensors:
low_lux:
friendly_name: "Low LUX"
value_template: >-
{{ states('sensor.mean_indoor_lux')|int < 5 }}
- platform: template
sensors:
high_lux:
friendly_name: "HighLUX"
value_template: >-
{{ states('sensor.mean_indoor_lux')|int > 5000 }}
You can work in the use of the slider there
had the same idea, tested a bit and made this little package, maybe useful for others too, adjust to your own situation (automations don’t use the template sensor yet, might be even easier to do so):
##########################################################################################
# Package to use for automating based on Lux levels
# MtHvdB 20180413
##########################################################################################
homeassistant:
customize:
input_boolean.lux_low_active:
templates:
icon: >
if (state === 'on') return 'mdi:bell'; else return 'mdi:bell-off';
rgb_color: "if (state === 'on') return [251, 210, 41]; else return [54, 95, 140];"
input_boolean.lux_high_active:
templates:
icon: >
if (state === 'on') return 'mdi:bell'; else return 'mdi:bell-off';
rgb_color: "if (state === 'on') return [251, 210, 41]; else return [54, 95, 140];"
# using customizing or device_class (in sensor definition below)
# binary_sensor.low_lux_input:
# templates:
# icon: >
# if (state === 'on') return 'mdi:bell'; else return 'mdi:bell-off';
# rgb_color: "if (state === 'on') return [251, 210, 41]; else return [54, 95, 140];"
# binary_sensor.high_lux_input:
# templates:
# icon: >
# if (state === 'on') return 'mdi:bell'; else return 'mdi:bell-off';
# rgb_color: "if (state === 'on') return [251, 210, 41]; else return [54, 95, 140];"
input_number:
high_lux:
name: High Lux
icon: mdi:gauge
initial: 100
min: 1
max: 400
step: 5
low_lux:
name: Low Lux
icon: mdi:gauge
initial: 40
min: 0
max: 200
step: 5
input_boolean:
lux_low_active:
name: Lux low active
lux_high_active:
name: Lux high active
group:
lux_coordinates:
name: Lux coordinates
entities:
- input_number.high_lux
- input_number.low_lux
- binary_sensor.high_lux
- binary_sensor.low_lux
- binary_sensor.high_lux_input
- binary_sensor.low_lux_input
- sensor.mean_indoor_lux #philips hue sensors_lux in Hue group
- input_boolean.lux_low_active
- input_boolean.lux_high_active
automation:
- alias: 'Low Lux warning'
id: '2511601480001'
trigger:
platform: state
entity_id: sensor.mean_indoor_lux
condition:
condition: template
value_template: '{{ (states("sensor.mean_indoor_lux") | float) < (states("input_number.low_lux") | float) }}'
action:
- service: notify.notify
data_template:
message: 'Lux: {{ sensor.mean_indoor_lux.state }} {{ states.sensor.mean_indoor_lux.attributes.unit_of_measurement }}'
- alias: 'High Lux warning'
id: '2511601480002'
trigger:
platform: state
entity_id: sensor.mean_indoor_lux
condition:
condition: template
value_template: '{{ (states("sensor.mean_indoor_lux") | float) > (states("input_number.high_lux") | float) }}'
action:
- service: notify.notify
data_template:
message: 'Lux: {{ sensor.mean_indoor_lux.state }} {{ states.sensor.mean_indoor_lux.attributes.unit_of_measurement }}'
- alias: 'Low Lux activate'
id: '2511601480003'
initial_state: on
trigger:
platform: state
entity_id: input_boolean.lux_low_active
condition: []
action:
- service: automation.turn_on
data:
entity_id: automation.low_lux_warning
- alias: 'High Lux activate'
id: '2511601480004'
initial_state: on
trigger:
platform: state
entity_id: input_boolean.lux_high_active
condition: []
action:
- service: automation.turn_on
data:
entity_id: automation.high_lux_warning
binary_sensor:
##########################################################################################
# Homemade template threshold to use in automations and set with input_number in Frontend
##########################################################################################
- platform: template
sensors:
low_lux_input:
friendly_name: "Low lux input"
device_class: light
value_template: >
{% if (states("sensor.mean_indoor_lux") | float) < (states("input_number.low_lux") | float) %}
True
{% else %}
False
{% endif %}
high_lux_input:
friendly_name: "High lux input"
device_class: light
value_template: >
{% if (states("sensor.mean_indoor_lux") | float) > (states("input_number.high_lux") | float) %}
True
{% else %}
False
{% endif %}
##########################################################################################
# Threshold uses fixed threshold, replaced by template sensor based on input_number
##########################################################################################
- platform: threshold
name: "Low LUX"
lower: 50
entity_id: sensor.mean_indoor_lux
- platform: threshold
name: "High LUX"
upper: 200
entity_id: sensor.mean_indoor_lux
Hi , I tried the solution as above , but it seems I have trouble.
My Automation -
My Sensor -
binary_sensor:
Also is there a way i can have 2 conditions , mean Light < 450 LUX and if there is a motion.
Thanks,
Manoj
Thanks,
Also if possible , please let me know what is missing in the above automation as it does not work for me.
You need to format it correctly (see the big blue box at the top) before we can tell what your automation looks like. Then you need to tell us what does not work for me means.