I really hope we can get a core feature in Home Assistant where it just works as a variable in the media_player service calls. Just like lights with transition variable, this would be great if media_players supported transition.
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Would it be possible to have the automation stop itself it it detects a volume change that it did not call, this would be great for easily stoping the automation in the morning.
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First of all. Great automation! Thanks for sharing it!
I had an issue were HA crashed (and rebooted) when using it with google cast to fade in over 15 min. I never found the exact error message or issue.
I did however solve it by decreasing the update rate.
I changed:
- delay: '00:00:00.1 to - delay: '00:00:00.5'
and
steps_per_second: 10 to steps_per_second: 2
It now work flawlessly for my use case!
this would be amazing
For those struggling with timing, we got sub-second resolution in automations & scripts in 0.113 but there still seem to be limitations. I’ve been testing on a 2018 Mac Mini (3 GHz 6-Core Intel Core i5)- which should have plenty of horsepower for this- and the fastest I can adjust Spotify’s volume is about every 350 msec. Maybe it’s an internet thing with the Spotify integration phoning home, I don’t know.
That’s still three changes per second though so if your performance is the same as mine and you get the delta right it should be smooth enough.
@fmon For whatever it’s worth, I shared a light-fader script that I had written the other day, and in that script I haven’t had any trouble updating lights as often as every ≈110 ms or so.
Perhaps the latency might be on Spotify’s side?
Seems likely. Thanks Ashley!
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I’ve modified this script into a version that takes an input number helper to store the players current volume to save or restore the volume automatically. Script will only restore volume when turned down to prevent automations from fighting the user for volume changes and will only save volume when above zero.
alias: Media player save/restore w/fade
sequence:
- choose:
- conditions:
- condition: template
value_template: "{{ state_attr( target_player, 'volume_level')|float(0) > 0 }}"
- condition: template
value_template: "{{ mode == 'Save' }}"
sequence:
- service: input_number.set_value
data:
value: "{{ state_attr( target_player, 'volume_level')|float(0)}}"
target:
entity_id: "{{ save_helper }}"
- repeat:
while:
- condition: template
value_template: "{{ repeat.index < total_steps }}"
- condition: template
value_template: >-
{{ (((state_attr(target_player, "volume_level") |float(0)) -
target_volume) | abs) > 0.001 }}
sequence:
- service: media_player.volume_set
data_template:
entity_id: "{{ target_player }}"
volume_level: >
{% set t = repeat.index / total_steps %} {% if curve ==
'logarithmic' %}
{{ (start_volume + (t / (1 + (1 - t))) * start_diff) | float(0) }}
{% elif curve == 'bezier' %}
{{ (start_volume + (t * t * (3 - 2 * t)) * start_diff) | float(0) }}
{% else %}
{{ (start_volume + t * start_diff) | float(0) }}
{% endif %}
- delay: "00:00:00.1"
- service: media_player.volume_set
data_template:
entity_id: "{{ target_player }}"
volume_level: "{{ target_volume }}"
enabled: true
mode: parallel
fields:
target_player:
name: Target media player
description: Target media player of volume fade.
required: true
example: media_player.example_speaker
selector:
entity:
domain: media_player
save_helper:
name: Input Number to save volume
description: Must be range 0 to 1, step size 0.01.
required: true
example: input_number.example_speaker_volume
selector:
entity:
filter:
domain: input_number
duration:
name: Fade duration
description: Length of time in seconds the fade should take.
required: true
example: "2"
selector:
number:
mode: box
min: 0
max: 100000
unit_of_measurement: s
curve:
name: Fade curve algorithm
description: Shape of the fade curve to apply.
required: true
example: logarithmic
selector:
select:
options:
- logarithmic
- bezier
- linear
mode:
name: Fade Direction
description: Save or Restore volume
required: true
example: Save
selector:
select:
options:
- Save
- Restore
variables:
steps_per_second: 10
target_volume: >-
{% if( mode == "Save" ) %}
0
{% elif( mode == "Restore" and ( ( state_attr( target_player,
'volume_level')|float(0)) < 0.01 )) %}
{{ states( save_helper ) }}
{% else %}
{{ state_attr( target_player, 'volume_level')|float(0) }}
{% endif %}
total_steps: "{{ (steps_per_second * duration) | int(0) }}"
start_volume: "{{ state_attr(target_player, 'volume_level') | float(0) }}"
start_diff: "{{ (target_volume - start_volume) | float(0) }}"
icon: mdi:tune-vertical
max: 10
I took the liberty to rewrite the script and base it on the time passed during the fade.
- no more deviation based on how ‘fast’ the script runs - fades take as long as specified by caller.
- duration now uses the duration selector type (
HH:MM:SSformat) - the time between fade steps can be adjusted from
10 - 2000msto accomodate media players that do not like commands in rapid succession - Possibility to abort a fade by emitting a custom event
media_player_fade_volume_abortwith the matchingtarget_playerin the additional data.
The Updated Script
media_player_fade_volume:
alias: Fade the volume of a media player
mode: restart
fields:
target_player:
name: Target media player
description: Target media player of volume fade.
required: true
example: media_player.lounge_sonos
selector:
entity:
domain: media_player
target_volume:
name: Target volume
description: Volume the media play will be at the end of the fade duration.
required: true
default: 0.5
example: "0.5"
selector:
number:
max: 1
min: 0
step: 0.01
mode: slider
duration:
name: Fade duration
description: Length of time the fade should take.
required: true
default:
hours: 00
minutes: 00
seconds: 05
selector:
duration:
curve:
name: Fade curve algorithm
description: Shape of the fade curve to apply.
required: true
default: logarithmic
example: logarithmic
selector:
select:
options:
- logarithmic
- bezier
- linear
fade_step_timeout:
name: "Time between volume steps in milliseconds. [Script Tuning]"
description: >-
Smaller value -> smoother fade steps (but could cause problems with some players interpreting this as bad behaviour).
Bigger value -> less events to media player (which could be needed in case media player is overwhelmed by rapid commands).
500ms (2 fade steps per second) is a good compromise - no audible steps and most players should handle the load fine.
required: true
default: 500
example: "500"
selector:
number:
max: 2000
min: 10
step: 10
mode: slider
unit_of_measurement: ms
variables:
start_volume: "{{ state_attr(target_player, 'volume_level') | float(0) }}"
start_timestamp: "{{ as_timestamp(now()) }}"
fade_volume_diff: "{{ (target_volume - start_volume) | float(0) }}"
fade_duration: "{{ duration.hours * 3600 + duration.minutes * 60 + duration.seconds }}"
fade_duration_cutoff: "{{ fade_duration - 0.2 }}"
sequence:
- alias: "Set the media player volume in incremental steps for the fade duration."
repeat:
sequence:
- alias: "Set next volume step. Value based on time progress of fade, start/end volume and algorithm."
service: media_player.volume_set
data_template:
entity_id: "{{ target_player }}"
volume_level: >-
{%- set relative_fade_pos = (as_timestamp(now()) - start_timestamp) / fade_duration %}
{%- if curve == 'logarithmic' %}
{{ (start_volume + (relative_fade_pos / (1 + (1 - relative_fade_pos))) * fade_volume_diff) | float(0) }}
{%- elif curve == 'bezier' %}
{{ (start_volume + (relative_fade_pos * relative_fade_pos * (3 - 2 * relative_fade_pos)) * fade_volume_diff) | float(0) }}
{%- else %}
{{ (start_volume + relative_fade_pos * fade_volume_diff) | float(0) }}
{%- endif %}
- alias: "Fade can be aborted by sending an event - wait for event before we continue with next fade step."
wait_for_trigger:
- alias: "'media_player_fade_volume_abort' event with matching target_player entity"
platform: event
event_type: "media_player_fade_volume_abort"
event_data:
target_player: "{{ target_player }}"
timeout:
milliseconds: "{{ fade_step_timeout }}"
- alias: "If abort event was received we stop script execution right away. Volume remains at current value."
if:
- alias: "Received the 'media_player_fade_volume_abort' event with target_player of current script instance."
condition: template
value_template: "{{ wait.trigger != none }}"
then:
- stop: "Script aborted by 'media_player_fade_volume_abort' event."
until:
- alias: "Time passed in fade is close to desired duration."
condition: template
value_template: "{{ (as_timestamp(now()) - start_timestamp) >= fade_duration_cutoff }}"
- alias: "Ensure media player is set to target volume after fade finished"
service: media_player.volume_set
data_template:
entity_id: "{{ target_player }}"
volume_level: "{{ target_volume }}"
icon: mdi:tune-vertical
Example Event to Abort Ongoing Fade
event_type: media_player_fade_volume_abort
data:
target_player: media_player.lounge_sonos
Media player has to be the same as the script is currently fading the volume on.
Parallelism
Currently the script restarts if started again which aborts the ongoing fade and starts the new one.
It would be cool to be able to run this script in parallel for multiple media players.
Currently I only have one player so no need for this use-case but it was the first thing I thought about when I had this finished 
For this it would be needed to check
- change mode to parallel
- check before script starts fading the volume if script is already running for same media player
- script stops itself if it is already running for the same media player
4 Likes
Amazing, exactly what I was looking for, Game Changer, no more abrupt off/on
Thank you so much
I just want to say thank you for this. I prefer to code in Python using PyScript because my brain, for whatever reason, struggles to code in YAML till this day. So I converted this to a python function and it works flawlessly, link to post.
Many thanks for your reworking of this script to be time based, @foberleitner—it’s working super reliably on my system!
And if it might be helpful for anyone else, I’ve also adjusted your version of the script to support parallel calls, and I thought that I’d share that here:
(To be clear, I didn’t happen implement any of the sensible-if-I-had-the-time-to-implement-them safety checks that you had outlined in your earlier comment, such as “check before script starts fading the volume if script is already running for same media player”—but as long as those who use this script know what they’re doing, perhaps this might be fine?)
fade_the_volume_of_a_media_player:
alias: Fade the volume of a media player
mode: parallel
max: 10
fields:
target_player:
name: Target media player
description: Target media player of volume fade.
required: true
example: media_player.lounge_sonos
selector:
entity:
domain: media_player
target_volume:
name: Target volume
description: Volume the media play will be at the end of the fade duration.
required: true
default: 0.5
example: '0.5'
selector:
number:
max: 1
min: 0
step: 0.01
mode: slider
duration:
name: Fade duration
description: Length of time the fade should take.
required: true
default:
hours: 0
minutes: 0
seconds: 5
selector:
duration:
curve:
name: Fade curve algorithm
description: Shape of the fade curve to apply.
required: true
default: logarithmic
example: logarithmic
selector:
select:
options:
- logarithmic
- bezier
- linear
fade_step_timeout:
name: Time between volume steps in milliseconds. [Script Tuning]
description: 'Smaller value -> smoother fade steps (but could cause problems
with some players interpreting this as bad behaviour). Bigger value -> less
events to media player (which could be needed in case media player is overwhelmed
by rapid commands).
500ms (2 fade steps per second) is a good compromise - no audible steps and
most players should handle the load fine.'
required: true
default: 500
example: '500'
selector:
number:
max: 2000
min: 10
step: 10
mode: slider
unit_of_measurement: ms
variables:
start_volume: '{{ state_attr(target_player, ''volume_level'') | float(0) }}'
start_timestamp: '{{ as_timestamp(now()) }}'
fade_volume_diff: '{{ (target_volume - start_volume) | float(0) }}'
fade_duration: '{{ duration.hours * 3600 + duration.minutes * 60 + duration.seconds
}}'
fade_duration_cutoff: '{{ fade_duration - 0.2 }}'
sequence:
- alias: Set the media player volume in incremental steps for the fade duration.
repeat:
sequence:
- alias: Set next volume step. Value based on time progress of fade, start/end
volume and algorithm.
data_template:
entity_id: '{{ target_player }}'
volume_level: "{%- set relative_fade_pos = (as_timestamp(now()) - start_timestamp)
/ fade_duration %} {%- if curve == 'logarithmic' %}\n {{ (start_volume
+ (relative_fade_pos / (1 + (1 - relative_fade_pos))) * fade_volume_diff)
| float(0) }}\n{%- elif curve == 'bezier' %}\n {{ (start_volume + (relative_fade_pos
* relative_fade_pos * (3 - 2 * relative_fade_pos)) * fade_volume_diff)
| float(0) }}\n{%- else %}\n {{ (start_volume + relative_fade_pos * fade_volume_diff)
| float(0) }}\n{%- endif %}"
action: media_player.volume_set
- alias: Fade can be aborted by sending an event - wait for event before we
continue with next fade step.
wait_for_trigger:
- alias: '''media_player_fade_volume_abort'' event with matching target_player
entity'
platform: event
event_type: media_player_fade_volume_abort
event_data:
target_player: '{{ target_player }}'
timeout:
milliseconds: '{{ fade_step_timeout }}'
- alias: If abort event was received we stop script execution right away. Volume
remains at current value.
if:
- alias: Received the 'media_player_fade_volume_abort' event with target_player
of current script instance.
condition: template
value_template: '{{ wait.trigger != none }}'
then:
- stop: Script aborted by 'media_player_fade_volume_abort' event.
until:
- alias: Time passed in fade is close to desired duration.
condition: template
value_template: '{{ (as_timestamp(now()) - start_timestamp) >= fade_duration_cutoff
}}'
- alias: Ensure media player is set to target volume after fade finished
data_template:
entity_id: '{{ target_player }}'
volume_level: '{{ target_volume }}'
action: media_player.volume_set
icon: mdi:tune-vertical
Is anyone triggering this through NodeRed? I would love some insight on how you’re making it work. Been looking for something like this for a while!
But I have been struggling to figure out how to trigger it through NodeRed.
I have iterated on the script once more. Instead of setting the new volume at fixed intervals, it now calculates the required interval to change the volume in 0.005 volume steps. As an example, if the volume is supposed to be faded from 0.8 to 0.4 over the course of 10 minutes, then the script would change the volume every 10 * 60 / (0.8 - 0.4) * 0.005 = 7.5 seconds, although at most every 0.5 seconds.
This seems more sensible to me, especially for longer durations.
I have also implemented a check that not more than one script can run on the same media player.
As a new feature, setting the argument pause_and_restore to true will pause playback after fade and restore original volume. This is especially useful after fading to 0 (or close to).
script:
media_player_fade_volume:
mode: parallel
max: 10
alias: Fade the volume of a media player
fields:
target_player:
name: Target media player
description: Target media player of volume fade.
required: true
example: media_player.lounge_sonos
selector:
entity:
filter:
domain: media_player
target_volume:
name: Target volume
description: Volume the media play will be at the end of the fade duration.
required: true
default: 0.5
example: "0.5"
selector:
number:
max: 1
min: 0
step: 0.01
mode: slider
duration:
name: Fade duration
description: Length of time the fade should take.
required: true
default:
hours: 00
minutes: 00
seconds: 05
selector:
duration:
curve:
name: Fade curve algorithm
description: Shape of the fade curve to apply.
required: true
default: logarithmic
example: logarithmic
selector:
select:
options:
- logarithmic
- bezier
- linear
pause_and_restore:
name: Pause & Restore
description: Pause playback after fade and restore original volume?
default: false
selector:
boolean:
variables:
start_volume: "{{ state_attr(target_player, 'volume_level') | float(0) }}"
fade_volume_diff: "{{ (target_volume - start_volume) | float(0) }}"
fade_duration: "{{ duration.hours * 3600 + duration.minutes * 60 + duration.seconds }}"
fade_step_timeout: "{{ max(fade_duration / (max(fade_volume_diff | abs, 0.0001) * 200), 0.005 ) | float(0) }}"
start_timestamp: "{{ as_timestamp(now()) }}"
sequence:
- alias: "Cancel existing fade scripts for this media player"
event: "media_player_fade_volume_abort"
event_data:
target_player: "{{ target_player }}"
- alias: "Abort if duration is 0."
if:
- condition: template
value_template: "{{ fade_duration == 0 }}"
then:
- stop: "Can't fade, duration supplied is 0."
error: true
- alias: "No volume to change."
if:
- condition: template
value_template: "{{ fade_volume_diff == 0 }}"
then:
- stop: "Nothing to fade, target volume == start volume."
- alias: "Set the media player volume in incremental steps for the fade duration."
repeat:
sequence:
- alias: "Set next volume step. Value based on time progress of fade, start/end volume and algorithm."
service: media_player.volume_set
data_template:
entity_id: "{{ target_player }}"
volume_level: >-
{%- set relative_fade_pos = (as_timestamp(now()) - start_timestamp) / fade_duration %}
{%- if curve == 'logarithmic' %}
{{ (start_volume + (relative_fade_pos / (1 + (1 - relative_fade_pos))) * fade_volume_diff) | float(0) }}
{%- elif curve == 'bezier' %}
{{ (start_volume + (relative_fade_pos * relative_fade_pos * (3 - 2 * relative_fade_pos)) * fade_volume_diff) | float(0) }}
{%- else %}
{{ (start_volume + relative_fade_pos * fade_volume_diff) | float(0) }}
{%- endif %}
- alias: "Fade can be aborted by sending an event - wait for event before we continue with next fade step."
wait_for_trigger:
- alias: "'media_player_fade_volume_abort' event with matching target_player entity"
platform: event
event_type: "media_player_fade_volume_abort"
event_data:
target_player: "{{ target_player }}"
timeout:
seconds: "{{ fade_step_timeout }}"
- alias: "If abort event was received we stop script execution right away. Volume remains at current value."
if:
- alias: "Received the 'media_player_fade_volume_abort' event with target_player of current script instance."
condition: template
value_template: "{{ wait.trigger != none }}"
then:
- stop: "Script aborted by 'media_player_fade_volume_abort' event."
until:
- alias: "Time passed in fade is close to desired duration."
condition: template
value_template: "{{ (as_timestamp(now()) - start_timestamp) >= fade_duration - 0.2 }}"
- if:
- condition: template
value_template: "{{ pause_and_restore }}"
then:
- alias: "Pause player"
service: media_player.media_pause
target:
entity_id: "{{ target_player }}"
- alias: "Ensure media player is set to target volume after fade finished"
service: media_player.volume_set
data_template:
entity_id: "{{ target_player }}"
volume_level: "{{ start_volume if pause_and_restore else target_volume }}"
icon: mdi:tune-vertical
That is pretty simple.
Head over to Settings → Automations & Scenes → Scripts
Create a new Script and edit in yaml
Paste the script here
Trigger the script with Nodered like so:
Sometimes it gets stuck executing the script… that leaves me with some workaround media player stop commands. But I think it’s an issue with the sonos players being unresponsive at times.
Thank you!
I did get it working and it’s awesome, but I suspect my device is getting banned from using it too much, haha!
Hi,
I would like to try the revised code put up on 15 August but cannot get it to start on my docker installation.
I have added the text to the end of my script file and it will not start. I have also removed the word script: and removed 2 spaces on each line in an attempt to reformat.
I do not seem to have enough experience with yaml files, can someone please repost a version that I could use?
Thanks
Hi,
Has anyone succeeded in making the script work with Echo Dot ?
I tried the original one, the revisited versions of @foberleitner, @handcoding and @Caligo but no success.
I tried to change the steps from 100 to 2000 ms.
Sometimes it works and fades, but most of the time, it just set the volume directly to the goal or does nothing.
1 Like
@Suelis I’ve been using this script with a Sonos speaker that has Alexa built in (and it works fine), but I haven’t tried this script with an Amazon Echo.
I hope that you find an answer that helps you, though!
1 Like
Does anyone have a companion script that will change all media players based on a time of day by calling this script? I’m still somewhat new and haven’t found a parameter-based volume adjusting script, and want to use this. Probably doing bad keyword searches.