Macro which queries the clock

[marcuslee]

Hi All,

Anyone know of a way to create a macro, when that when triggered, checks the time (and does something based on it)?

In this case, I want to connect it to an outside light level sensor, such that when it goes dark in the evening, if it's within a particular time range, to turn on some driveway lights.

Cheers,

Marcus

[chris_j_hunter]

we'd use General Logic for this, with a TimeWindow gate in the logic …

Tools … General Logic … … Add … Time Window … Add … AND …

[marcuslee]

we'd use General Logic for this, with a TimeWindow gate in the logic …

Tools … General Logic … … Add … Time Window … Add … AND …

Ohh interesting (not come across this Time Window GL before). Thanks Chris!

[Karam]

There is an existing behaviour for the light object (At lighting up time and dark to turn on, lighting off time to turn off). Or would this not cover the full requirement?

[mcockerell]

I use that mode of operation for the lamppost in the driveway, but this only gives one operating period (this is every evening for us).
I then have a virtual light object set to switch only on light level that is enabled and disabled by events - these are set for appropriate times on weekday mornings.
The virtual light object is connected to the follow state input of the lamppost light object, so triggers it on for dark mornings - thanks to Karam for explaining how to do this.
The advantage of this approach is that I have also been able to set a separate event which turns the lamppost on earlier on the morning that my wife has a very early start.

Hope this helps.

[marcuslee]

I use that mode of operation for the lamppost in the driveway, but this only gives one operating period (this is every evening for us).
I then have a virtual light object set to switch only on light level that is enabled and disabled by events - these are set for appropriate times on weekday mornings.
The virtual light object is connected to the follow state input of the lamppost light object, so triggers it on for dark mornings - thanks to Karam for explaining how to do this.
The advantage of this approach is that I have also been able to set a separate event which turns the lamppost on earlier on the morning that my wife has a very early start.

Hope this helps.

Hmm thanks for replies, will look into it / see if I can get this to work.

[marcuslee]

I use that mode of operation for the lamppost in the driveway, but this only gives one operating period (this is every evening for us).
I then have a virtual light object set to switch only on light level that is enabled and disabled by events - these are set for appropriate times on weekday mornings.
The virtual light object is connected to the follow state input of the lamppost light object, so triggers it on for dark mornings - thanks to Karam for explaining how to do this.
The advantage of this approach is that I have also been able to set a separate event which turns the lamppost on earlier on the morning that my wife has a very early start.

Hope this helps.

Hmm I think this might be the best bet for what I'm trying to achieve (weekdays only, if it goes dark between 6 - 6:45pm, to turn on driveway light). However I can't seem to see a virtual light object to add?

Thanks in advance,

Marcus

[chris_j_hunter]

virtual just means an object that's not been enabled - so, for a light, add a module of any type that has a relay, and add a Light in the usual way - the module has no physical reality, so don't enable it, and its virtual …

[Karam]

You may find the legacy relay object is useful for creating such virtual objects

[marcuslee]

You may find the legacy relay object is useful for creating such virtual objects

Thanks for everyone's assistance.

I'm looking into this, and I'm not sure if I can find a way to get this to work.

Specifically:
- I have an event scheduled that at 6:30pm every week day it checks if it's dark, if so, turn light on
- I have an event scheduled at 7:30pm every week day it turns light off

However I want to cover the possibility that in between 6:30 and 7:30pm, on week days, if it goes from bright to dark outside, it turns on the light.

Not sure how I can do this last bit?