Why not include an option to snapshot the initial state of a set of devices of a scene and the option to revert to it?
When would that happen?
You don’t turn scenes off. You only activate them.
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You can actually snapshot the current state in a different scene on the fly using actions. There’s also a HACS integration that probably does what you want: stateful scenes. Here’s the HA topic.
That being said, it’s a shame HA doesn’t have this logic, but scenes have appeared to be not that popular in general and I think most core developers use a different mental model (as evidenced by the fact you can only activate them).
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Here are a couple of cases
1.
I turn on a movie scene (usual stuff: lights off etc), telephone rings , I want to revert to previous state. Call ends back to movie
2. External patio lights on: burglar alarm triggers. Light scene with red lights flashing . Alarm off: back to previous state (might be on or off if night or day)
3. Entering the garage : scene with different color as I approach the wall. Once garage door is closed back to normal
…
All of which can be done with existing functionality in the automations that detect those situations and their end.
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Which begs the question: Why exactly?
I like the way Apple HomeKit does this. If the state of all devices matches how they are setup in a particular scene, the scene is considered active and highlighted as such in the UI. If you tap on a scene that is already active, all devices in the scene are instead turned off. Simple, logical.
Of course Apple had to fudge it up still. While active scenes can be turned off by tapping them in the UI, last I checked Siri refused to do it and it wasn’t possible through a shortcut either. These kinds of inconsistencies are so aggravating.
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it is just the way scenes are currently implemented in HA.
A scene is a list of entity states that is translated into a list of actions to achieve those states when the scene is applied, like a script. And just like a script it runs then exits. So no actual state, other than the last run time.
I’m not saying this is the only or best way to do it but it is what we have now.
Does this fact also nullify: WTH - Why can't we apply a scene to an area?
Let me know if it’s considered inappropriate to link another topic like this.
Try this integration for managing scenes. GitHub - hugobloem/stateful_scenes: Stateful Scenes in Home Assistant (Home Kit scene compatible)
check out blueprints. There is one for movie mode that remembers states