Variables in automation code

Configuration
1

Hi all,

I have automation in place that works brilliantly, I have a pi with a button attached in the kitchen and when pressed it sends an MQTT message and triggers the lights on and off via scenes. I love it.

Anyway I’d like to take it up a notch by having it select a random scene each time the ON condition is met or I might also like to cycle through a number of schemes each time the button goes on. I’m racking my brains with {} type things but can’t see how to get variables into the automation, i tried a few things like { scene1, scene2, scene3 | random } but all i got were errors (that was pseudo code by the way, i did try various syntax). Can anyone help me out here?

Thanks

automation.yaml

- alias: 'button pressed on'
  trigger:
    platform: mqtt
    topic: dayroom/button_on
  action:
    - service: scene.turn_on
      entity_id: scene.evening_lights
    - service: notify.notify
      data:
        message: "Lights on"
        title: "Button press"

- alias: 'button pressed off'
  trigger:
    platform: mqtt
    topic: dayroom/button_off
  action:
    - service: scene.turn_on
      entity_id: scene.lights_out
    - service: notify.notify
      data:
        message: "Lights off"
        title: "Button press"
2

Not sure but this may help with syntax:

1 Like
3

Thanks that might well help me.

This brace expansion {{ etc , can it be used in other places… like in a scene for example to set random RGB values for hue lights?

4

I’ve never tried it myself and couldn’t find anything in a quick search but I would bet you that someone in the forums has. You may want to do a deep er search and see if you can locate anything. If I find anything relevant I will post it here.

5

i’m thinking that this sort of flexibility is often required but can’t find too many relevant examples.

6

Me either. It might be worth bringing it up in a Gitter chat. A lot of higher level devs hang out there.