You can create input_text entities and set the value of the current condition of light in it and then restore it. It would require templating, thats all
Thank You - needed to do a bunch of learning and setups before I got to understand and use this advice.
this is now working (Thank You )
# capturing state before trigger
- alias: "Main Hall motion on"
trigger:
# this sets the trigger for the automation
- platform: state
entity_id: binary_sensor.front_hall_motion
from: "off"
to: "on"
# only do this at night
condition:
# one or the other.
condition: or
conditions:
# 30 minutes after sunset
- condition: sun
after: sunset
after_offset: "+00:30:00"
# 30 min after sunrise
- condition: sun
before: sunrise
before_offset: "+00:30:00"
# what to do when the trigger occurs
# first is to create a scene on the fly, to reserve the current conditions
action:
- service: scene.create
data:
scene_id: before
snapshot_entities:
- light.switchlinc_dimmer_3d_14_e0
# Now that the contition of the light is reserved, execute the automation
- service: light.turn_on
data:
entity_id: light.switchlinc_dimmer_3d_14_e0
- delay: 60
# now return the light to previous state
- service: scene.turn_on
data:
entity_id: scene.before
Now I am needing to reuse this for difference motion sensor and different lights. I probably will wimp out and copy and paste, but think there is probably a way to create a variables in JSON and call the same automation…
for now, it works, I walk in front of the ring camera, and the light turns on, and then it returns to the state it was before! <edit: added the condition of dark>