Setup lights for holiday colors

Configuration
,
1

I am trying to setup an automation that will cycle certain lights through colors. Ultimately I would like to automatically pick colors based on the current holiday but for now I would like to at least make a list of colors and then have lights cycle through them.
For example, for Christmas, I would like light1, light2, and light 3 to change between red, green, and gold every 5 minutes, in order. Any guidance on how I get started on this?
Thank you.

1 Like
2

Here’s the basic principle:

alias: example color change
trigger:
  - platform: state
    entity_id: input_boolean.color_changer
    to: 'on'
action:
  - repeat:
      while: "{{ is_state('input_boolean.color_changer', 'on') }}"
      sequence:
        - service: light.turn_on
          target:
            entity_id:
              - light.first
              - light.second
              - light.third
          data:
            color_name: "{{ states('input_select.light_colors') }}"
        - delay:
            minutes: 5
        - service: input_select.select_next
          target:
            entity_id: input_select.light_colors
mode: single

When the input_boolean is turned on it starts a repeat that will loop continuously until the input_boolean is turned off. Each iteration of the repeat turns on three lights and sets their color to the value in the input_select. It waits 5 minutes then sets the input_select to the next color in its list of colors.

3

This helps a lot. Would I just need to create a helper called “light_colors” as the colors I want? If I want each light to be a different color would I add individual light.turn_on services?

4

Here’s a way to do it without an Input Select, set each light to a different color, and cycle each one through the sequence of colors (red, green, gold).

alias: example color change
trigger:
  - platform: state
    entity_id: input_boolean.color_changer
    to: 'on'
action:
  - variables:
      colors:
        - red
        - green
        - gold
  - repeat:
      while: "{{ is_state('input_boolean.color_changer', 'on') }}"
      sequence:
        - service: light.turn_on
          target:
            entity_id: light.first
          data:
            color_name: "{{ colors[(repeat.index - 1) % 3] }}"
        - service: light.turn_on
          target:
            entity_id: light.second
          data:
            color_name: "{{ colors[repeat.index % 3] }}"
        - service: light.turn_on
          target:
            entity_id: light.third
          data:
            color_name: "{{ colors[(repeat.index + 1) % 3] }}"
        - delay:
            minutes: 5
mode: single
5

Thanks a lot. This helps a lot.
I think I will make this one big automation and then use the different sensors available for holidays and set those as conditions for the actions.

6

You’re welcome!

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7

Any progress to report?

8

I have not had the chance to fully implement this yet but it looks like it will work as I need so I will mark this as the solution.

1 Like
9

If I want to have different number of entries in my colors variable, how can I easily change that quantity that is specified in the data: color_name information?

10

Four lights, each set to one of four colors:

alias: example color change
trigger:
  - platform: state
    entity_id: input_boolean.color_changer
    to: 'on'
action:
  - variables:
      colors:
        - red
        - green
        - gold
        - blue
  - repeat:
      while: "{{ is_state('input_boolean.color_changer', 'on') }}"
      sequence:
        - service: light.turn_on
          target:
            entity_id: light.first
          data:
            color_name: "{{ colors[(repeat.index - 1) % 4] }}"
        - service: light.turn_on
          target:
            entity_id: light.second
          data:
            color_name: "{{ colors[repeat.index % 4] }}"
        - service: light.turn_on
          target:
            entity_id: light.third
          data:
            color_name: "{{ colors[(repeat.index + 1) % 4] }}"
        - service: light.turn_on
          target:
            entity_id: light.fourth
          data:
            color_name: "{{ colors[(repeat.index + 2) % 4] }}"
        - delay:
            minutes: 5
mode: single

EDIT

Correction. Failed to correctly increment the index value of the fourth light.

1 Like
11

Any way of doing it dynamically? For example, if I have just two colors is there a way of changing this
color_name: “{{ colors[(repeat.index - 1) % 4] }}” to something like color_name: “{{ colors[(repeat.index - 1) % number of colors in variable] }}” that way I don’t have to manually update the “4” when I decide to change how many colors I have in my variable?

12

Create another variable that computes the number of items in the colors list.

action:
  - variables:
      colors:
         - red
         - green
         - gold
         - blue
      qty: "{{ colors | count }}"

Replace the number 4 in each one of the color_name templates with the new variable.

{{ colors[(repeat.index + 1) % qty] }}
13

Awesome. Thanks for the quick reply.

In your four lights exmaple, will the two lights get the same color since you add “1” to the index? If I wanted to loop through the variable in case I have more lights than number of colors, how could I do that?

14

Good catch! You’re right, I just blindly copy-pasted it and forgot to properly increment the fourth light’s index value. I corrected the example posted above.