Hue Lights discussion

[nsheldon]

I'll test the new version tomorrow. Thanks

Also in the meantime I have another problem (since begining but I have 6.0.0 b7), when I put a ramp rate value for any lamp, HUE of Whites, it works only for 60 seconds or less. If I put more it make the correct dimming during the first 60s (for example from 100% to 50% if I put ramp rate to 120), but then it turns off suddenly.

Thanks !

That's very interesting behavior. Since the Hue Lights plugin sends only 1 command to the Hue hub, then relies on the hub to handle the transition (the plugin doesn't send multiple commands to continuously dim the light over time), it's likely an incompatibility between the Hue hub and the LivingWhites bulbs. It might be something that can be worked around within the plugin, but again, since I have nothing but Hue bulbs to perform tests on, I can't add any fixes for hardware I can't test.

As for the "xy" key error, I've posted another plugin update (0.10.2) which should fix this. That error was related to the LivingWhites bulbs not having any color information and wouldn't have been fixed with any Indigo update, but it's generally a good idea to stay up to date anyway. Give the 0.10.2 version a try and let me know how it works.

[sandconformgorgecloud]

Yeppee !
You rock ! Thanks

Code: Select all

Stopping plugin "Hue Lights" (pid 21178)
  Stopped plugin "Hue Lights"
  Upgrading plugin "Hue Lights" to newer version 0.10.2 (previous version moved to trash)
  Loading plugin "Hue Lights 0.10.2"
  Starting plugin "Hue Lights 0.10.2" (pid 21977)
  Stopped plugin "Hue Lights"
  Upgrading plugin "Hue Lights" to newer version 0.10.2 (previous version moved to trash)
  Loading plugin "Hue Lights 0.10.2"
  Starting plugin "Hue Lights 0.10.2" (pid 21977)
  Started plugin "Hue Lights 0.10.2"
  Hue Lights                      Loaded 8 bulb(s)
  Hue Lights                      "HUE 8 SdB Haut" status request (received: 0)
  Hue Lights                      "HUE 7 SdB Bas" status request (received: 0)
  Hue Lights                      "HUE 6 Entree" status request (received: 0)
  Hue Lights                      "HUE 5 Hall" status request (received: 0)
  Hue Lights                      "HUE 4 Cuisine" status request (received: 0)
  Hue Lights                      "HUE 3 MultiMedia" status request (received: 0)
  Hue Lights                      "HUE 2 Lit" status request (received: 0)
  Hue Lights                      "HUE 1 Salon" status request (received: 0)

[sandconformgorgecloud]

No but about the ramp rate, it's the same problems with by HUE bulbs, not only the whites.
I know it's very strange.

And I have the problems since the first day when I had only these three HUE bulbs.
Also now I updated to beta 10 and I tried again, same thing. I also reset the bridge recently but have the same issue.

After around 55 secs it's stops.
If I put 60 seconds it works for 60 seconds, but when I put 120 I have this problem after 55 seconds.

Strange From the HUE app when I set an alarm with 3 or 9 minutes it works.

[nsheldon]

Yeppee !
You rock ! Thanks

Code: Select all

Stopping plugin "Hue Lights" (pid 21178)
  Stopped plugin "Hue Lights"
  Upgrading plugin "Hue Lights" to newer version 0.10.2 (previous version moved to trash)
  Loading plugin "Hue Lights 0.10.2"
  Starting plugin "Hue Lights 0.10.2" (pid 21977)
  Stopped plugin "Hue Lights"
  Upgrading plugin "Hue Lights" to newer version 0.10.2 (previous version moved to trash)
  Loading plugin "Hue Lights 0.10.2"
  Starting plugin "Hue Lights 0.10.2" (pid 21977)
  Started plugin "Hue Lights 0.10.2"
  Hue Lights                      Loaded 8 bulb(s)
  Hue Lights                      "HUE 8 SdB Haut" status request (received: 0)
  Hue Lights                      "HUE 7 SdB Bas" status request (received: 0)
  Hue Lights                      "HUE 6 Entree" status request (received: 0)
  Hue Lights                      "HUE 5 Hall" status request (received: 0)
  Hue Lights                      "HUE 4 Cuisine" status request (received: 0)
  Hue Lights                      "HUE 3 MultiMedia" status request (received: 0)
  Hue Lights                      "HUE 2 Lit" status request (received: 0)
  Hue Lights                      "HUE 1 Salon" status request (received: 0)

Awesome! Glad that fixed it. Let me know if you see any other errors.

No but about the ramp rate, it's the same problems with by HUE bulbs, not only the whites.
I know it's very strange.

And I have the problems since the first day when I had only these three HUE bulbs.
Also now I updated to beta 10 and I tried again, same thing. I also reset the bridge recently but have the same issue.

After around 55 secs it's stops.
If I put 60 seconds it works for 60 seconds, but when I put 120 I have this problem after 55 seconds.

Strange From the HUE app when I set an alarm with 3 or 9 minutes it works.

Interesting. I haven't encountered this issue with my 3 Hue bulbs. I have Indigo turn on 2 of them in the morning to wake me up with a ramp rate of 300 seconds, but I haven't tested turning them off with a ramp rate of more than a few seconds. I'll test it out and see if I can reproduce and fix that one.

[nsheldon]

After around 55 secs it's stops.
If I put 60 seconds it works for 60 seconds, but when I put 120 I have this problem after 55 seconds.

Just an update. I've confirmed the problem and am working to try and figure out why this is happening so I can fix it.

[nsheldon]

After hours of googling and sending various test commands to the Hue hub in an attempt to track this down, I was unable to find what is causing this issue or how to easily work around it within the Hue Lights plugin. The commands being sent to the Hue hub are correct, based on the published Philips Hue API, but either the bulb or the Hue hub is cutting the fade time short after 55 to 60 seconds. This only happens when turning off the bulb (setting brightness to 0).

Until Philips fixes this bug, updates their API to provide the correct method of requesting a transition time of more than 60 seconds, or I'm able to work around the bug within the Hue Lights plugin, I'd suggest working around the problem by setting the brightness to 1 percent using the desired Ramp Rate, then creating a second action (perhaps in the same Indigo trigger or action group) to turn off the Hue Bulb, delaying the action by the same amount of time as the Ramp Rate. This will fade out the bulb to 1 percent brightness over the entire ramp rate time, then the second action will turn off the bulb completely.

[sandconformgorgecloud]

I'm happy it's not only me, so.
I opened a case with Philips, I thought it was my bridge. But so they made the update maybe one day.
For the moment I use 60s or I make multiple actions and it's ok.
It's true I have the same problem with AppleScript command outside of Indigo and it's only with a final OFF.
I made some tests yesterday before to contact them.

So that's great it's not my bridge Thanks again for your support.

[nsheldon]

Final release version 1.0 of Hue Lights is now available from the main announcement thread (here).

[macshield]

I hope this is the right place to post, if not I apologize. I'm hoping someone can help me out. I am having trouble getting the plugin to recognize my Hue Hub. When I go to pair it I get the following error message in the log:

Hue Lights Debug Request is {"username": "", "devicetype": "Indigo Hue Plugin"}
Hue Lights Debug Got respond [{u'error': {u'type': 7, u 'description': u'invalid value, , for parameter, username', u'address': u'/username'}}
Error #7 from Hue Hub when checking pairing. Description is "invalid value, , for parameter, username"

Is there a step I am missing? I type in ip address of Hub and follow the instructions in the plugin but always get this error. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

[ckeyes888]

Might there be a way to read the current color of a bulb?
The Hue app doesn't seem to display any info on RGB etc.
when you experiment with the colors...kinda hit and miss
if you like a color in the Hue app to recreate it within
the plugin.

Just a thought...

Thanks,

Carl

[nsheldon]

I hope this is the right place to post, if not I apologize. I'm hoping someone can help me out. I am having trouble getting the plugin to recognize my Hue Hub. When I go to pair it I get the following error message in the log:

Hue Lights Debug Request is {"username": "", "devicetype": "Indigo Hue Plugin"}
Hue Lights Debug Got respond [{u'error': {u'type': 7, u 'description': u'invalid value, , for parameter, username', u'address': u'/username'}}
Error #7 from Hue Hub when checking pairing. Description is "invalid value, , for parameter, username"

Is there a step I am missing? I type in ip address of Hub and follow the instructions in the plugin but always get this error. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

It looks like you're not clicking the "Start/Finish" button before going to the Hue hub and pushing the center button on the hub. Clicking the "Start/Finish" button generates a "username". Pushing the center button on the hub pairs the hub with the "username". Clicking the "Start/Finish" button after pushing the hub center button confirms the registration. So, to be more specific:

1. Open the Hue Lights plugin configuration window.
2. Enter the hub IP address.
3. Click the "Start/Finish" button (don't do anything else after clicking that button).
4. Immediately go to the Hue Hub and push the center button.
5. Immediately return to the Indigo client which should still have the Configure Hue Lights window open.
6. Click the "Start/Finish" button. This should complete the pairing.
7. Click the "Save" button.

If you still have trouble, enable debugging, go through that entire process again, and paste in the entire debugging log from the point where you enabled it into your reply (preferably within the [ code ] and [/ code ] tags so it formats properly).

[nsheldon]

Might there be a way to read the current color of a bulb?
The Hue app doesn't seem to display any info on RGB etc.
when you experiment with the colors...kinda hit and miss
if you like a color in the Hue app to recreate it within
the plugin.

Just a thought...

Thanks,

Carl

Hey Carl.

The Hue Lights plugin queries the Hue Hub every 8 seconds to get an updated status for every bulb controlled by Indigo. However, the Hue Hub doesn't keep a running status of each bulb that frequently. In my testing it took up to 60 seconds before the Hue Hub reported back changes already made to a bulb (even though the bulb had obviously already changed to the specified settings). If you're using Indigo 6b9 or newer, you can see all color parameters (as reported by the Hue Hub) for each bulb within the Indigo client by simply selecting a Hue Bulb device in the device list and scrolling the status area. The status area now shows all custom device states for Indigo plugin-supported devices (in addition to the standard on/off and brightness buttons and slider). Additionally (as of Hue Lights version 0.10), you can create a Hue Bulb Attribute Controller device which is a virtual dimmer device that is linked to any one Hue Bulb parameter you like (such as red level, green level, blue level, hue, saturation, etc). The attribute controller is limited to a standard dimmer scale of 0 to 100 percent, but it changes immediately whenever a linked Hue Bulb device parameter is changed from within Indigo.

Hope that helps.

[sandconformgorgecloud]

A little bit off topic but it's good. In Switzerland I had only option to have X10 things. Insteon is starting here but very expansive and to change all my installation needs to repay for the same things.
But X10 is slow, with movement detection when it turn a lamp on, most of the time it miss the received commands...
With HUE I discovered a new world. With HUE bulbs and LivingWhites (that are less expansive, for kitchen for example), you can have a perfect mix with normal X10 receivers and senders, movement detection is working, other electric devices are still on X10 but most of the commands are for lights. And now it's not only ON/OFF it's dimmable, or with colors.

Maybe in USA it's not a so big move but here, it's is. So thanks a lot for your plugin which works great, and thanks Indigo to accept plugins so we can play with all of these.

[jay (support)]

ssciboz - check out Z-Wave, I suspect there's a good variety of Z-Wave devices available for you. And with Indigo 6 you can run Z-Wave and X10 at the same time while you transition.

[nsheldon]

So thanks a lot for your plugin which works great, and thanks Indigo to accept plugins so we can play with all of these.

I'm glad you like the plugin and that it's making your home automation setup easier and more fun.