Motion Lighting Apps

Motion Lighting Apps offer a quick way to automate your lighting to be triggered by motion sensors or modes. The setup for Motion Lighting and Mode Lighting apps are slightly different. Here's how to start:

Installing the Motion Lighting apps

1. From the Hubitat Web Interface select Apps
   
2. Choose Motion Lighting Apps from the list of Hubitat Elevation™ Built-In Apps
   

Creating a Motion Lighting App

1. Open the Motion Lighting Apps in your Hubitat Web Interface
2. Select Create New Motion Lighting App...
   
3. Name your Motion Lighting rule and press Continue
   
4. Select Motion Sensors to choose which motion sensors should trigger your lights. Check all that apply and press Update.
   
5. Select the Lights to turn On when motion is detected
   
6. You will now have several choices of device types you can turn on with your motion sensors, plus the option to set an Off Delay per mode.
   

   Use Delay Per Mode

   By default, your lights will turn off whenever motion stops being detected. To avoid this, you can set a delay after the last motion is detected, and before the lights turn off. Toggle the Use delay per mode switch at the top. Off delay fields will appear for each mode you have selected. Enter the number of minutes you want to delay the lights turning off.

   Set these dimmers per mode

   Select the dimmers you want to active and for which modes. You will also be asked to set the dimmer level.

   Set color temperature per mode for these bulbs

   If you have bulbs with variable color temperatures, select them here. Choose the modes during which they will be active, and what color temperature you want them to display.

   Set color per mode for these bulbs

   If you have color-changing bulbs, select them here. Select the modes during which they will be active and what color you want them to be.

   Push button per mode

   Select a button you would also like Motion Lighting to push when motion is activated. This will trigger whatever action you have set for the button in Button Controller, Rule Machine^® or other apps. Select the modes for which this will be active.

   Turn on a switches per mode

   Select which switches you would like to turn on when motion is activated and select the modes for which the switches will be active.

   Select Scenes per mode

   Select the scenes you would like to turn on when motion is activated. You can select a different scene for each mode.

7. When finished setting up your Motion Lighting app, press the Done button.

Setting Options for Activate, Disable, and Enable Lights-On

You have now created a functional motion lighting child app, with a motion trigger and some lights. If you want to add some additional options, choose Options for Activate, Disable, and Enable Lights-On.

1. You will be presented with a list of options and may select as many as you want, leaving any options you don't want blank.
   

   Buttons to turn on lights

   Select any buttons you'd like to use to manually turn on your specified lights. Enter the button number into the field (enter "1" if the controller only has one button). If you only define a button to turn on the light, turning the light off will be handled solely by motion sensor activity.

   Buttons to toggle on/off

   Select any buttons you'd like to use to manually toggle the lights on and off. Enter the button number into the field (enter "1" if the controller only has one button).

   Buttons to disable on

   Select any buttons you'd like to use to disable this motion lighting child app and prevent the lights from turning on with motion when pressed. This is helpful to prevent lights from turning on in a bedroom, for example. Enter the button number into the field (enter "1" if the controller only has one button).

   Button to enable turning on/off

   If you selected a button to disable the child app, you can re-enable it with a different button. This is different from Buttons to toggle on/off, which simple toggles the light on or off without affecting the motion sensor input. Defining a button here will allow the motion lighting child app to once again respond to your defined motion sensor(s). Enter the button number into the field (enter "1" if the controller only has one button).

   Enable on/off at Time

   If you use a button or switch to manually disable your motion lighting child app, you can use this option to automatically re-enable at sunrise, sunset or a specific. This option does not turn your lights on immediately, it merely re-enables the motion lighting child app at a specified time, so it will once again respond to motion.

   Enable override with dimmer level change (defaults is enabled)

   Disable this option if you don't want to prevent a motion inactive from turning the lights off, and stop additional motion active events from changing the dimmer level if you manually adjust it. Keep this option enabled if you want to be able to manually set lights low or bright, without the motion lighting settings overriding your manual dimmer setting when motion is detected.

   Override for level only (default is automation suspend)

   If this option is enabled, motion active events will not change your manual dimmer level settings, but when no motion is detected, the lights will still turn off when your specified time has elapsed.

   Switch to disable turning on

   Select any switches you'd like to use to disable this child app so lights will not turn on when this switch is on, even if motion is detected.

   Turn on only between two times

   Select a window of time when you would like your motion lighting child app to be active.

   Turn on only if lux is less than this value

   Select a lux sensor and select a value (1-10000). The lights will only turn on if the lux value is below this level.

   Select a fade time for the lights

   Enter a fade time for your dimmers if supported by the device.

   Adjust levels when mode changes

   If the lights are on when the mode changes, they will be set to the new level as defined by Set these dimmers per mode

2. When you are satisfied with your chosen options, select Done.

Options for Additional Sensors, Lights-Off and Off options

Now that you have your options for On selected, let's turn our attention to the Off options. If you want to add some additional options, choose Options for Additional Sensors, Lights-Off and Off options.

1. Again, we are presented with a series of options for controlling when the motion-activated lights will turn off.
   

   Additional Motion Sensors to keep on

   Selecting motion sensors in this section will not trigger the lights to turn on, but if the lights have been triggered by the primary selected sensor, they will stay on as long as this sensor is active. (Example: you can put a sensor in the shower that will not trigger the bathroom lights to turn on, but will ensure they will remain on as long as someone is in the shower).

   Additional Switches to turn off lights

   Select any switches that are not already included in your setup, and you would like these switches to automatically turn off when motion becomes inactive. For example, these might be switches that you always manually turn on, such as a bathroom exhaust fan, but you want it to always turn off when motion stops.

   Button to Push when turned off

   Select any buttons you would like to be automatically pushed when motion becomes inactive.

   Minutes to delay before off

   Set the number of minutes following the last motion sensed, for which you would like to delay the off state. It's a good idea to set a delay of at least a minute to prevent lights from turning off while people are still in the room.

   Buttons to turn off lights

   Select the buttons you wish to use to manually turn off lights, rather than waiting for motion inactive and delay before off.

   Switches to turn off lights

   Select any switches you wish to use to manually turn off lights, rather than waiting for motion inactive and delay before off.

   Don't turn off if already on

   Enabling this option will force any light that was already on before motion began, to not turn off when the motion stops.

   Buttons to disable off

   Select a button that will override any off automations and keep your motion lights on, even if motion stops.

   Modes to disable Turning off

   Select the modes during which your lights will not turn off even when motion stops. Your motion lights will still turn on during these modes (unless you disable them in the previous section).

   Switch to disable off

   Select a switch that will override any off automations and keep your motion lights on, even if motion stops.

2. When you are satisfied with your chosen options, select Done.

   Control with Alexa or Google Home using this name

   You can also specify a name you wish to use for control of these lights using Amazon Alexa or Google Home. Select a name that is clear and easy for your voice assistant to understand.

   NOTE: If you are using Motion Lighting to turn lights on and a switch to turn them off, you will need to have the switch itself selected in Options for lights off. If you don't, and you turn your lights off outside of your Motion Lighting child app, then it won't know you did that. It will continue to register them as on, and won't turn them on again from new motion before the timer to turn them off runs out. This includes turning lights off via Amazon Alexa or Google Home. You need to specify the same switch Alexa or Google Assistant is using to turn the light off in the Options for lights off.

3. When you are satisfied with your Motion Lighting app, select Done.

Creating a Mode Lighting App

Mode Lighting apps work similar to Motion Lighting apps, but allow you to set lighting that is triggered by mode changes, rather than motion sensors.

1. Open the Motion Lighting Apps in your Hubitat Web Interface
2. Select Create New Motion Lighting App...
   
3. Name your Mode Lighting app
   
4. Select Lights to turn On to choose lights you want controlled by mode changes.
   
   
   

   Set these dimmers per mode

   Select the dimmers you want activated, and by which modes. You will also be asked to set the dimmer level.

   Set color temperature per mode for these bulbs

   Select the color temperature adjustable bulbs you want triggered, and then choose the modes you want to trigger them. Finally, set the color temperature you want these lights to display for each mode you selected.

   Set color per mode for these bulbs

   Select the RGB or RBGW color bulbs you want triggered, and then the modes you want to trigger them. Finally, set the bulb color and level you want these lights to display for each mode you selected.

   Push button per mode

   Here you can specify a button per mode you want pushed, when a mode change occurs. NOTE: You can specify different buttons per mode, but only within a single button controller.

   Turn on a switches per mode

   Select the switches you want to turn on and the modes you would like it triggered. This will turn on whatever light or appliance is activated by the switch.

   NOTE: If you are using Mode Lighting to turn lights on in modes where you don't want motion to turn on the lights, you will need to have the switch itself selected in Options for lights off, explained below. If you don't, and you turn your lights off outside of your Mode Lighting child app, then it won't know you did that. It will continue to register them as on, and will execute any adjustments per mode you specified, instead of turning them on to the adjustments per mode you are expecting to happen from an off state. This includes turning lights off via Amazon Alexa or Google Home. You need to specify the same switch Alexa or Google Assistant is using to turn the light off in the Options for lights off.

5. When you are satisfied with your chosen options, select Done

Options for lights on

1. If you want the option to turn these lights on outside of mode changes, select Options for lights on. Choose buttons and/or switches you want to use to turn on the lights manually.
2. If your lights are already on at the time of a mode change, but you want their levels to adjust based on your Mode Lighting app, enable the Adjust levels when mode changes option.
   
3. When you are satisfied with your chosen options, select Done.

Options for lights off

1. Choose from the following options for turning lights and switches off, or activating buttons when your mode lighting app turns off the lights. You can also specify buttons and/or switches that can override you mode lighting child app, and immediately turn off lights.

   Additional Switches to Turn Off

   Here you can select switches that you’d like turned off when your mode lighting child app is triggered.

   Buttons to Push when turned off

   Select any buttons you would like activated when the mode lighting child app turns the lights off.

   Buttons to turn off lights

   Select the buttons you would like to use to immediately turn off your lights, overriding your mode lighting settings.

   Switches to turn off lights

   Select the switches you would like to use to immediately turn off your lights, overriding your mode lighting settings.

2. When you are satisfied with your chosen options, select Done

   Control with Alexa or Google Home using this name

   You can also specify a name you wish to use for control of these lights using Amazon Alexa or Google Home. Select a name that is clear and easy for your voice assistant to understand.

   NOTE: If you are using Mode Lighting to turn lights on in modes where you don't want motion to turn on the lights, you will need to have the switch itself selected in Options for lights off. If you don't, and you turn your lights off outside of your Mode Lighting child app, then it won't know you did that. It will continue to register them as on, and will execute any adjustments per mode you specified, instead of turning them on to the adjustments per mode you are expecting to happen from an off state. This includes turning lights off via Amazon Alexa or Google Home. You need to specify the same switch Alexa or Google Assistant is using to turn the light off in the Options for lights off.

3. When you are satisfied with your Mode Lighting app, select Done.