How to: Activate a Predefined Hue / LIFX Scene from SmartThings / webCoRE

Prerequisites:

  • Have webCoRE installed
  • Own at least one Hue bulb -or-
  • Own at least one LIFX bulb
  • Have at least one Scene defined in your Hue or LIFX Mobile App

Summary:

This is for those of you who would like to be able to set a predefined scene that you previously created in Hue and/or LIFX from within SmartThings via webCoRE Piston.

This eliminates in most cases, the need for you to have to create a “Scene” using the SmartThings App and then having to create a SmartThings Routine to set that scene, allowing you to reuse one set of predefined scenes directly from Hue or LIFX.

Instructions:

Hue:

  1. In IFTTT, connect to the Webhooks service.
  2. Take the url created for your connection (Use a laptop or non phone device - Makes it easier for copying and pasting)
  3. Open webCore Dashboard / Settings / Integrations — Paste the Webhooks url in to the IFTTT Maker Webhooks field.
  4. Create a Piston
  • IF condition (Example = Time between Sunset and Sunrise)
  • THEN = Add An Action (Use Location)
  • Add a Task:
  • Do = “Send an IFTTT Maker event”
  • Value = Test_Value (IE: After_Sunset - This can be anything but don’t use spaces)
  • Save Piston
  1. Create a new Applet in IFTTT:
  • Trigger Service = Webhooks
  • On Event = After_Sunset
  • Action Service = Philips Hue
  • Save Applet
  • Return to the Piston you just created and Test
    (My repeated test results turned bulbs on and set color anywhere from 1 to 3 seconds (max)

LIFX:

  1. You will need to create an account at https://cloud.lifx.com/sign_in
  • This is in addition to your already existing LIFX Mobile app account
  • Goto Settings
  • Generate New Token
  • Copy Token
  1. Open webCore Dashboard / Settings / Integrations — Paste the Token into the LIFX Access Token Field.
  2. Create a Piston
  • IF condition (Example = Time between Sunset and Sunrise)
  • THEN = Add An Action (Use Location)
  • Add a Task:
  • Do = “LIFX - Activate scene”
  • Value = One of your predefined LIFX scenes from dropdown menu
  • Save Piston
  • Press “Test” to run the Piston

NOTES

I will be updating with Screenshots later. I just wanted to get the framework put together to allow others to see it now.

Also will correct any missing or incorrect steps if any.

I will also add troubleshooting steps for when procedures aren’t followed correctly :slight_smile:

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The main reason I did my lifX integration with webCoRE, is to prank my family by Strobing my lifx lights with motion from Smartthings motion sensor.

WAF Factor goes way down, but my humor/laughter factor goes way up

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How do you manage to strobe the lights? The Effects function for Strobe can only be activated while you are holding the button down. As soon as you release it, it stops.

Here’s a piston I use at Halloween. It strobes my outside lights if there’s motion on my front porch

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Ya, the Pulse function is accessible directly in WebCoRE. I didn’t realize you could get it to flash as fast as the Strobe Effect. Have you compared the speed of the Pulse versus manually holding the Strobe button? I will test tonight.

I perfected it to be just like the Lifx app. However, it is still very adjustable. You can speed up or slow it down. You could have a strobe for as long as you want or as little as you want.

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You can also pick the colors that it strobes with or you can have it pick random colors.

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I will play with it tonight. I had implemented a test Piston for it way back when, but I didn’t mess with the timings a whole lot and I had them pulsing as the word implies, but not strobing. Cool deal. That will add to my list of security measures along with the outdoor speaker announcements/warnings when motion is detected on my Nest cameras outside. Thanks for that. I will restore the Piston later this evening.

How fast do these usually activate? I have a few lights in the bedroom at different settings that I’d like to simplify with a Hue scene rather than a complex webCoRE piston. They are currently activated by motion, so I wouldn’t want too much of a delay than I do now.

In my environment, it’s just as quick as having a Routine execute off of Motion and turning on the light, maybe a fraction of a second longer. No noticeable different in my home. Anywhere from 1 to 3 seconds max.

For LIFX scenes, I added the token to webcore but I am not getting any values in the dropdown . I am able to get the pulse part working but not scenes.
Getting following message in the logs:
║Sorry, there seems to be no available LIFX scenes, please ensure the LIFX integration is working.
Any thoughts on how to troubleshoot?

When you open your LIFX App do you have Scenes already defined?

Ohh okay. Found it. Will play with it later today to see if I can get it to work. Thanks.

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Perfect. There also might be a delay when creating your Scene in LIFX to it showing in the drop-down list in WebCoRE. If you create a new scene in LIFX, logout of webCoRE and then login to see if it’s there. I created a scene the other day but it wasn’t reflective in WebCoRE. Not sure if it’s a cloud thing within LIFX or some other timing before it refreshes.

@WB70 What do you use the “scene” for? Using webcore, you can control each bulb individually and change color, brightness, etc. So I don’t really see any advantage of creating a scene and then using the webcore to turn it on.

Is it possible to trigger the pre-defined “effects” in the Lifx app using webcore?

There are people who have predefined their Scenes within the Hue and LIFX apps for a specific use case. For example, my Front Yard (6 LIFX Minis). I have one Scene that sets all the colors to a specific white color and brightness for normal usage that come on after sunset daily. I also have a Scene defined that sets all these bulbs to Red when an intrusion occurs in SmartThings. At Christmas time, I have a Scene that sets the bulbs all to Green and Red and Flickers from the Scene.

Effects (with exception to Strobe) are saved within your Scene that you create in LIFX app. So when you call a scene from WebCoRE, if your Scene includes a specific Effect, yes that is going to take affect when the Scene is set.

So if you are setting the brightness, colors and everything individually that’s your choice, but it is so much easier to leverage existing Scenes in the app that are so easy to create (plus people using the Scenes now added in ST don’t need to go that route with Hue or LIFX)

How do you create a Scene with Effects in LIFX.

  1. Create a Group that contains specific set of bulbs
  2. Turn on all the individual bulbs to the color you want
  3. Then select/edit the Group with those bulbs
  4. Select Effects (Flicker as example)
  5. Create New Scene, select the bulbs in that Group and save the Scene
  6. Create a Piston that calls that Scene.
  7. Now you have a Scene with the Flicker Effect going.

No need to control each bulb individually in WebCoRE unless you have 1 bulb, then maybe.

Additionally - If you wanted to use the Strobe Effect, you could set the appropriate Scene and then add another Task to your Piston that performs LIFX Pulse (discussed in a post above) that essentially is the equivalent of the Strobe Effect in LIFX.

Scenes: Understood. I just have 3 Lifx bulbs and all 3 are in same light fixture so was curious to know the difference between the predefined scene and individual commands.

Effects: I did try the earlier piston for strobe and it works great. I will try the flicker and spooky effect using scenes and see if it works. Thanks.

It just adds a major layer of convenience for people who like to create Scenes/Effects (get exact color and brightness without trying over and over within a Piston until you get it right) from the native apps and be able to reuse them and with WebCoRE being able to just call the exact Scene already defined, you don’t have to define all the specifics for colors and brightness for each of the bulbs in the Piston. There may be Pistons you need for a single bulb where using a Scene is overkill maybe for turning on / light from Motion. Different things work for different people.

Plus for people using the new Scenes function in ST, you don’t have to resort to that limited functionality. Because to use the ST Scenes, you have to create a Routine to set that Scene and if using WebCoRE, then you have to execute that Routine which is a lot of overhead to do that and only have a very limited selection of what you can do with STs Scenes.

Hope that helps. Have fun. :slight_smile:

I would also like to add that one of the benefits of activating LIFX scenes through Webcore is that you have the ability to set the duration for which the scene is activated—fade in or out the scene.

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Point noted. Thanks for throwing that in. :slight_smile:

When I get some time, I plan on adding screenshots to the How to to make setup even easier, and I will also setup Benefits / Troubleshooting / Why use? sections that includes your post and additional information from posts above.