Anyone have a solution for the following use case:
Motion sensor in a room can trigger actions based on various predefined modes, routines or scenes. That’s all good. But if I’m in a room and have manually adjusted the lighting then I leave and the lights go out, when I return and trigger the motion I want the lighting to return as I’d manually adjusted it.
Do you have a similar scenario? How have you solved it?
So are you wanting the existing “predefined modes, routines or scenes” to be updated to the manually set value(s)? Or are you wanting a simple, one-touch method to create a Routine/Scene that can recreate the manually set lighting values?
Brand and model of the lighting devices? It does make a difference, because some offer advanced features.
Also, two basic questions:
what country are you in?
do you have a smartthings/Aeotec hub, and if so, which model?
OK to reply to both;
I’m looking for something simple. Not trying to create scenes or routines to be used repeatedly, just trying to prevent motion from setting the lights to some scene after I’ve manually set them to something I prefer just at that moment in time.
Based in the UK
Mostly Hue lights and SmartThings v2 hub.
Let me know if I’m not explaining the scenario properly.
Are your hue lights connected to a hue hub, or directly to a Smartthings/Aeotec hub? There are some additional features available if you are using the Hue hub.
If you are using a Routine to turn the light on when motion is detected (directly or via a Scene), I would add a pre-condition of “If light is off”. That way, once the light is already turned on, motion won’t trigger the Routine again.
Additionally, you would want that routine to only turn the light on based on motion, with a separate scene to set the dim level etc that’s triggered by another input.
Yes connected through the hub and I’ve just started using the TAustin’s edge bridge which brings most of the Hue features over to ST
ah yes good idea
Why is that? I’m not sure I understand the benefit of doing it with two separate routines
Routine 1, if light is off, turn on in response to motion: puts the light back on at the same brightness as previous.
Routine 2, set your different dim scene based on time of day or some other setting.
If you manually change the dim level it’ll stay as you’ve set it when the light turns back on, unless something else triggers routine 2.
Genius. Thanks.
To throw an extra complication in; how would you get things to turn off after a period of inactivity. Would that be yet another routine? They’ll quickly add up!
“If no motion for x time”. But be careful with that one since too short a time interval will result in turning off the lights earlier than you may want.
yes, especially if comatose on the sofa watching TV!
An mmWave sensor can solve that problem. 
Best mmWave Sensor to Use with ST? (human presence sensor/occupancy sensor)
Depending on your device capabilities, the dim level may or may not return to the previous setting. My GE motion dimmers have the concept of a default dim level which is the level that is set when the switch is turned on (via motion or button push) regardless of the level when the light is turned off. Also, my Leviton Wi-Fi switches have the option to return to previous level or to a specific level when turned on.