Motion lighting

[Pocster]

Hi All,

Very new to HA - but enjoying it!
I’m sure there’s a simple solution to my problem.

Motion sensor - detects motion fine and triggers lights (which are timed )etc.
But if you stay under the sensor moving it will never report ‘non movement’ ( obvious I know) . But that means I can’t reset a timer - because we never have zero movement.
Essentialy when ever there is movement I set a timer. On further movement I want to reset the timer again - but of course this never happens as the state never changes.

Hope that makes sense!.

What’s the best way to deal with this issue?

thanks in advance.

[Pocster]

Think I’ve solved my own problem!

Lights off only when sensor changes state to no motion ( even if timer is idle ).

Seems to work!

[Pocster]

Ok - it doesn’t work. Because the count down timer hasn’t changed to idle i.e. it was idle before!. Hmmmmmm…

[aceindy]

There is no real need to use a timer, use ‘off for x time’:

• Set the automation mode to ‘restart’.
• Set one trigger on motion detected, set id ‘motion’
• Set one trigger on motion cleared, set id ‘no-motion’
• action choose options by trigger id
  1. motion —> turn on light
  2. no-motion for 2 minutes —> turn off light

[Pocster]

Thanks
I get what you are saying - but where’s that in the UI??? ( forgive noob ness! )

[Pocster]

Found it! - will try!

Not sure what you mean by set "id motion " though…

[aceindy]

description: ""
mode: restart
trigger:
  - platform: state
    entity_id:
      - binary_sensor.motionmasterbedroom_occupancy
    from: "on"
    id: Motion
  - platform: state
    entity_id:
      - binary_sensor.motionmasterbedroom_occupancy
    to: "off"
    for:
      hours: 0
      minutes: 3
      seconds: 0
    id: No_Motion
condition: []
action:
  - choose:
      - conditions:
          - condition: trigger
            id:
              - Motion
        sequence:
          - service: light.turn_on
            target:
              entity_id: light.light_hallway_upstairs
            data: {}
      - conditions:
          - condition: trigger
            id:
              - No_Motion
        sequence:
          - service: light.turn_off
            target:
              entity_id: light.light_hallway_upstairs
            data: {}

[Edwin_D]

Or the shorter version using templates:

Motion activated lights automation

This gets asked a lot so here is an example for automating a light to come on with movement and go off after there is no movement for a short time. trigger: - platform: state entity_id: binary_sensor.your_motion_sensor_here # change this to: 'on' - platform: state entity_id: binary_sensor.your_motion_sensor_here # change this to: 'off' for: minutes: 2 # adjust as necessary action: - service: "light.turn_{{ trigger.to_state.state }}" target: entity_id: …

[Pocster]

Erm . You want me to fly before I can walk
Assuming I can do what I need through the UI - baby steps please .

[Pocster]

So not possible in the UI ??

[aceindy]

just open the automation in yaml mode, paste the code there, and change back to ui mode…

There is no other way to exchange automation then what i described here above

[Pocster]

Hi

Ok - will try !
Ultimately I want 2 movement sensors to control 1 light .

[sparkydave (🇦🇺 Dave)]

This is how I do it. One automation does the lot.

YAML

  - id: f4e1bb68-319b-4183-a83b-07ae397420ae
    alias: 'Kitchen downlights auto'
    mode: restart
    trigger:
      - platform: state
        entity_id: binary_sensor.kitchen_ms6_home_security_motion_detection
        from: 'off'
        to: 'on'
      - platform: state
        entity_id: binary_sensor.kitchen_presence_occupancy
        from: 'off'
        to: 'on'
    condition:
      condition: or
      conditions:
      - condition: template
        value_template: "{{ states('sensor.kitchen_ms6_illuminance') | int(0) < states('input_number.kitchen_min_lux') | int(1) }}"
      - condition: state
        entity_id: light.kitchen_light_level
        state: 'on'
    action:
      - service: light.turn_on
        data:
          entity_id: light.kitchen_light_level
          brightness_pct: "{{ state_attr('switch.adaptive_lighting_kitchen', 'brightness_pct') | int(100) }}"
      - wait_template: "{{ is_state('binary_sensor.kitchen_presence', 'off') }}"
        timeout: '01:00:00'
      - delay: '00:00:30'
      - condition: and
        conditions:
          - condition: state
            entity_id: light.kitchen_light_level
            state: 'on'
      - service: light.turn_on
        data:
          entity_id: light.kitchen_light_level
          brightness_pct: "{{ state_attr('switch.adaptive_lighting_kitchen', 'brightness_pct') /2 | int(100) }}"
      - delay: '00:0{{ states.input_number.kitchen_light_auto_off_time.state | int(1) }}:00'
      - service: light.turn_off
        entity_id: light.kitchen_light_level

[Pocster]

Lots for me to learn ! Can’t understand why such a relatively simple automation can’t be setup in the UI though ….

[aceindy]

Unfortunately the UI doesn’t understand template sensors (yet ).

Meaning, you will have this warning:

But you can do with UI, except the template must be done in yaml

[Edwin_D]

It can, the visual editor creates yaml and accepts yaml. But the compact example I posted uses a small template, and templates are by nature too powerfull to do visually, so the visual editor will keep that bit in a text editor.

Also, you can create the automation without templates, fully visually, it leads to a bigger automation. You choose. Any example above without {{ … }} above will most likely yield a fully visually editable automation.

[sparkydave (🇦🇺 Dave)]

What I posed can be done in the UI, I’m just old school and use packages for all my code

[Pocster]

Thinking out loud here - but wouldn’t a virtual switch be better ?

So a motion sensor sets a virtual switch on change of state .
A virtual switch per sensor ( so they’ll always reflect motion or not without a state change )

This not a more robust method ???

[123 (Taras)]

@Pocster

Lots for me to learn !

Or you can use a Blueprint specifically designed to perform the task. You just fill in the Blueprint’s fields and it generates the automation.

Here are two examples (for a light controlled by motion and other things) but there are others in the Blueprints Exchange section.

Sensor Light - Motion Sensor - Door Sensor - Sun Elevation - LUX Value - Scenes - Time - Light Control - Device Tracker - Night Lights

[Open your Home Assistant instance and show the blueprint import dialog with a specific blueprint pre-filled.] GitHub Link Click Here Your lighting experience, your way – take control and customize it to perfection! Like this blueprint? Consider hitting the button below Version: 6.2 Need help? See our FAQ: Click Here The Automation: Trigger: You can choose any binary sensors or schedules to trigger the automation. Really anything w…

Turn on light, switch, scene, script or group based on motion, illuminance, sun (+ more conditions)

Github Gist: Home Assistant BluePrint to turn on light, switch, scene or script based on motion and illuminance · GitHub Importing Click the badge to import this Blueprint: (needs Home Assistant Core 2021.3 or higher) [Open your Home Assistant instance and show the blueprint import dialog with a specific blueprint pre-filled.] Or import this Blueprint by using the Gist URL. Main features Turn on a light, switch, scene or script based on motion detection, and (optionally) low illuminance le…

[Pocster]

I think the solution was simpler than I imagined ( inspired by my virtual switch thought )
Group both sensors together and they act as a binary switch . Easy to read for automation !