JUST THE TIP - Home Assistant Node-Red: Streamline Switch and Light Flows

[@ha_tinkerer1191]

Just want to thank you belatedly for this video. Just shared it to answer someone’s question about this in the NR discord channel.

[@3ATIVE]

Oh that's great, @ha_tinkerer1191! Glad the video helped and thanks for sharing it to assist others in the NR discord channel. Appreciate your support! 🙌

[@thierry3610]

I've slowly been streamlining my flows as well with function nodes and subflows, however you took it a step further. Excellent tips!

[@3ATIVE]

Good to hear, nothing worse (IMHO) than a messy 'Flow' 😉 Thank you for the kind feedback, I hope you were able to include what I've shown here in your process. 👍

[@d_sellers1]

Great video. I had tried using NR & Alexa in the past using the basic on/off code (I forget where I found the function), but was discouraged because I couldn't figure out how to get brightness and RGB to work and started having a lot of nodes. It works great with your function and using the Topic clears up the number of nodes used. Two things that I'd like to mention: 1. The Topic can be used to control multiple entities. For example, in the Call Service Node, changing the Entity Id from "light.{{payload}}" to "{{payload}}" will allow you to use the Topic of "light.living_room_1, light.living_room_2". (I imagine you could use a Topic with a group.entity_id too but I haven't tried it.) 2. I was also able to control an input_boolean in the same fashion. I used the topic of "input_boolean.motion_detectors_active" which I use in other automations. Since the Call Service node is on the homeassistant domain, it just seems to work. Now, I can tell Alexa to "turn on/off the motion detectors". As I am slowly moving towards more locally controlled devices, getting them incorporated to be controlled with Alexa was a roadblock. Now, I know what I have to do to get past it.

[@3ATIVE]

Thanks Derek, I'm so happy happy to hear it's help out. 😎 Good points on the topic usage, I will have a play with that too. 👍

[@MrPSummerfield]

Great tip, just implemented the first simplification to control my central heating, thank you.

[@3ATIVE]

YAY!!! Excellent 👍 Good to hear.

[@borolo222]

Man, you nailed it. Thank you.

[@3ATIVE]

Thanks man. 👍I hope you find it useful.

[@theaustindude]

Great tip! I may have missed it, but where is the rgb color and brightness coming from?

[@3ATIVE]

Those are sent (along with On/Off) from the Alexa Node, as part of its Payload.

[@alcidesmarcano]

Awesome brother!!! as always a brilliant master class... Thanks

[@3ATIVE]

My pleasure! Ah there it is... my favourite feedback "Master Class' - it never gets old. Big thanks. 😎

[@NunoSoares22]

Nice!!!! Congrats! Keep them coming :)

[@3ATIVE]

Thank you Nuno, I have loads of ideas stacked up! - 'Stay Tuned!' 😜

[@Rickr522]

That is great!!! Thanks for the instruction and your time.

[@3ATIVE]

You are most welcome... thank you for the feedback. 👍

[@gkchimzz28]

Thanks

[@RichSimpson]

Excellent, just moved my flows to this same way of working. For switches do you just not need the function?

[@3ATIVE]

*Good to hear it* 👍 For basic things, like switches and some lights that only have On/Off - you don't need a 'Function Node'.

[@zht9]

This is something next-level to me. For my curiousity, does this improve the performance of Node-red?

[@3ATIVE]

Hard to say, I haven't done any comparisons or bench-marks. I guess it must do - as there is a lot fewer connections and nodes

[@zht9]

@@3ATIVE Cooool. Looks like it's time to refresh my setup.

[@drreality1]

That’s great take on streamlining thank you. I struggle with setting brightness transition smoothly, by pressing up or down button. I finally settled on 10 steps. have you figured out a better way?

[@3ATIVE]

Thanks. I have a few Flows where I did something like this, it makes everything easier to fault-find and build upon.

[@adidas5901]

Sir plz plz node red esp8266 led pwm brightness make a video

[@adidas5901]

Multi led pwm brightness nodred mqtt esp8266

[@3ATIVE]

Sorry, I'm having trouble understanding what you mean.... ESP8266 need to be programmed, or 'Flashed' first, in order to control LEDs via PWM. Once done, sending 'Brightness' from Node-Red is easy.

[@3ATIVE]

@@adidas5901 I don't use MQTT - I don't see the point or have the need for it. 😉

[@kennethfribert6074]

Good tips, just too bad that all my normal light control is handled in ControllerX :-D Only the more special functions are in node-red for me :-)

[@3ATIVE]

It's not only for lights and switches, I hope at least some of what I've shown could be useful for you down the line. ✔

[@kennethfribert6074]

@@3ATIVE Hi, sorry, the comment wasn't meant for saying it wasn't usefull, I'm trying to look at my flows to see if I can use the method, just not for lights for me. I've used another method for my fire alarm, as I want voice notifications, I've used a change node, with a ton of 'search' statements, so it will seach for the nodename, and then send the name I want for that room.

[@3ATIVE]

@@kennethfribert6074 Oh no worries, I wasn't offended by your comment. Soz, if my reply read that way. 😊

[@kennethfribert6074]

@@3ATIVE It didn't :-)

[@flixmyswitch]

stream lined - nice

[@3ATIVE]

Cheers fella. 🍺

[@stever8114]

Thank you for this. A question. I have a couple of lamps that turn on at the same time and they are currently listed on the entity id line separated by a comma in a call service node. Is there a way for a msg.payload to handle something like this?

[@3ATIVE]

I'm not sure what you want to do, it sounds like you already have this setup the way you want.

[@stever8114]

@@3ATIVE Sorry poor explanation on my part. Current setup has entity id of "light.wife.lamp,light.me.lamp". To streamline, topic of "wife.lamp,me.lamp" of course fails. Is my only recourse to break these entity ids back out into individual flows, or is there maybe a way to send two topics from the time node they originate from?

[@3ATIVE]

@@stever8114 Ah ok, I get ya now. 👍 Hmmm, well.... I'd really have to see your Flow in order work out how you are triggering these and how to best optimise it. Contact me on Facebook so we can go through it. facebook.com/3ative

[@BigBird2202]

So much help thank you

[@3ATIVE]

You are welcome. I hope you were able to use what I've shown. ✔

[@timknowlden]

Hi Tutorial is very helpful and I have now streamlined a few flows however I have an office light that when motion is detected I outside of sunset to sunrise it turns on at 100% for 2 minutes using trigger node and then off. if the time is also before 11am or after 8pm it only turns on to 50%, is there a way to use those variable in the function node to reduce them further?

[@3ATIVE]

No one here called 'Tutorial' LMAO Thanks for the feedback, I'm glad to hear my little video was useful for you. 👍 As for your office light flow... I'm not able to offer help via KZbin comments. There's simply no way to see what you have or to offer advise on your flow.

[@dfgass]

What is that link node coming from?

[@3ATIVE]

'Link In' and 'Link Out' Node pairs create 'Virtual' connections between Nodes. I use them to wire between Flows. The ones I show here connect back to the 'Amazon Echo Hub', on another Flow - I showed their use in another video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/f5Obg5mceL6WnNE

[@clintAdventures]

What is the alexa node your using? I've tried a few and none will work (connect to my echos)

[@3ATIVE]

Without knowing how you've set up your system, just giving you the node name may not work. I have a whole playlist devoted to Home Assistant and Alexa and everything you need / every question have about my set up is shown there: kzbin.info/aero/PLWRTMby105biP9gE08iGLab1FP6n7_mka

[@remcoverhagen192]

is this possible with google home ??

[@3ATIVE]

The main point is reducing Nodes, I only use Alexa but, If you can get Google in Node-Red the same way... I can't see why not. ✔

[@6BlackWings]

What?

[@3ATIVE]

Why?

[@dougle03]

Stop saying friggin 'alexa'.... Echo would work just fine.. ;)

[@3ATIVE]

Soz about that, I noticed I missed some - After I uploaded. My Bad! 😜