Feature Request - Different Dimmer levels for multiple dimmers in a mode change

I would like to see the option to set dimmer levels differently for each dimmer selected in a mode change. I can kind of envision how this would be done, but it would require an API change within ST I think.

Sample flow

  1. Select the dimmers
  2. Click Next in the mode change settings
  3. A dynamic list appears with each previously selected dimmer. You can then choose the dimmer setting for each one
  4. Then click done for the change

Although I love being able to set the dimmer level now, it is truly not a practical solution when you have multiple lights on dimmers in a room. I’m guessing the same would apply to Hue lights. I don’t have any, so I can’t tell.

These are the times that I wish ST had a ruleset development style. IF THEN would make tasks like this a snap.

IF (mode) is [night] THEN set (dimmer 1) [50%] AND (dimmer 2) [60%]
yada

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You can implement this with a SmartApp’s dynamicPage feature.

Rulesets are not the best UI for this kinda system. Humans are not very good at parsing complex conditions (more than just a couple of statements). Throw in a negation and it becomes virtually impossible to comprehend without a truth table. Why do you think IFTTT are so resistant to adding complexity to their rules? They know!

That being said, simple single-level IF-THEN-ELSE rules with time and calendar-based (and mode, of course) constraints would have made a ton more possible.

Resurrecting my old thread to see if anyone has done this yet and I just missed it on the board here. Or, if anyone wants to take a crack at it? I’ve seen some pretty sophisticated SmartApps recently.

@brianlees, this maybe what you’re looking for:

Nice. I’ll load it up and take a look!! Thanks!

Already using it now. Works nicely! And, I happily rename the apps “Scene- xxxxxx”!!! :smile:

Thanks, @geko!

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Here’s how I set up fully automated scenes

anyway we can make this work based on motion events? I’d really love to make this my light trigger app. As it stands now I have so many lights i’d like to control but no at the beginning of the mode change but during it. I’d like to control each individual light level but based on motion and event. Maybe thats asking for too much? lol

I’ve been thinking about it myself. It would be very cool to extend this scene creation method and make it generic. I want to be able to activate scenes by any event, not just motion. And I already have an idea in mind :smile:

This my friend would be epic!

a combination of Turn on Bright and Dim and Dimmer would be amazing
 I was playing with your Dim and Dimmer app and it is awesome!

What I would love to have, is a modified version of Dim and Dimmer that would allow me to set whether or not the light comes on during the mode change, or just changes the dimmer level (like “Turn on Bright”). This would be a really powerful addition. As an alternative a second version that just sets the dimmers without turning them on would be great.
Any one want to try to build this?

I’ve built something that does that. It’s called Mode Lighting (play on Mood Lighting, I guess). Here’s what it does:

Select a “master” dimmer, and optionally multiple other dimmers that are all to be treated as a group. In my use the master is often the first of 2 or 3 dimmers at the entry to a room, and in other cases the only dimmer in a room.

Select 3 dimmer levels for 3 different modes. I use a shorthand for this to make setting this up more streamlined: you enter a 6 digit number such as 903010, which would mean 90% for first mode, 30% and 10% for the other two. Also, to streamline setting it up, the modes are hardwired in the app (and very easily changed in one obvious place to your 3 modes). This streamlining was done because I have something like 20 instances of this app, and it just gets to be a pain to enter every thing over and over when it’s always the same modes.

Optionally, select some other dimmers that are turned off when the master is turned off. This is because I sometimes use the master to turn off several rooms, when the master only turns on a subset.

Optionally, assign a Momentary Button to activate the app. This is useful for having Hello Home phrases or things like Minimotes activate the app.

Optionally, select one or more motion sensors to activate the app, turning on the dimmers to the right level for the current mode. The motion activation can be restricted to be only during certain times, only on certain days of the week, and/or only in certain modes. Use “Turn off when there is no motion” from Lights & Switches to turn things off after some time.

This app does not turn things on at a mode change, but does reset the dimmer levels. For instances of the app (think one room) where there is no motion sensor selected (manual turn on), it will adjust the lights to the appropriate dimmer level at mode change, but not turn them on. To accomplish this, those dimmers have to use the modified device type I created, that adds resetLevel(value) to the Dimmer Switch device type. If one of the dimmers is off, the app tells the modified device type to reset the dimmer level and then immediately turn the light off. If the dimmer is on, the level will be reset when it is next turned off.

In the case of instances of the app where there are motion sensors selected, none of this is needed. However, if such a dimmer is on at mode change, and the new mode would be brighter, it brightens the lights right then.

The source for the app is here:
https://github.com/bravenel/SmartThings/blob/master/ModeLighting

The source for the modified device type is here:
https://github.com/bravenel/SmartThings/blob/master/Dimmer%20Switch%20with%20Off

Enjoy. PM if you have any questions.

Hi

Old thread, I know, but is this code still available anywhere? The GitHub link is dead.

Many thanks!

Check it out here:

There is more to this subject than meets the eye. Let me know if you have needs that are different than what this app does. :grinning:

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No, not really. :smile:

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