Program Override on scheduled lights

[threerivers]

I have some outdoor landscape lights that go on and off by the c4 scheduler.

Lights go on at sunset and off at 12pm. How can I properly program a override to the off at 12pm on occasion

that we are still outside after 12pm.

[c4Denver]

I do same thing. I just click my lights on through my iPhone if I happen to be out later than previously planned. This works great if we're out on deck after midnight, but, also works if we're "about town" and want them on for security.

 

I also have an if statement programmed to a lower deck outside light switch. If the light is on at midnight, it starts timer at midnight to keep landscape lights on. I can flip light on before I leave if I know I'm not going to be back home prior to midnight and know the timer will start. I can also flip light on if we're out and around backyard or deck and not worry about landscape lights going off.

 

I rarely use the light switch option as my phone is just easier...

[Cyknight]

Err ok.

 

So the actual answer :

What you'd need to do is create a variable type boolean.

 

We'll call it override.

 

Programming on schedule gets changed:

 

WHEN schedule event xyz occurs

IF override is false

--do whatever you're doing now

 

Now, you have a way to override the schedule. How you trigger that override is up to you.

Keypad button, custom button, fake light, double tap on a switch....and so on.

 

My advice is to have a separate schedule set at for example 4am every day to set that override back to false, assuming you want to override to activate only for one night at a time of course.

[C4 User]

Well....

 

I have variables that keep track of Outdoor Schedule State and Indoor Schedule State.  For each room in my house, including my Patio and Yard, I have Lighing Scenes set up for Early Morning, Morning, Day, Early Evening, Late Evening, Night (as it applies to the room) that all activate by schedule.  For each room, I also have user scenes set up as Room 1, Room 2 and Room 3.  In each room I have a button for Scene 1,2,3 and another button for Auto.

 

Whenever a room is occupied (in your case you are sitting out on the patio), I activate one of the user scenses which changes a Room Status variable from Unoccupied to Occupied.  In some instances, like my patio where I may want to sit by the fire place with no lights on, I also have a Patio Occupied button.  If a room is occupied when the schedule status changes, it does not change the lighing or room scene.  Then, when I then leave the room, I push the Auto button and the room actives the current schedule state automatically.

 

Note that I have some outdoor buttons on my patio for controlling lights, fireplace, fountain, etc.  I also use the Patio Occupied button as a program interlock so that the fireplace can not be turned on by the outside button unless the Patio is Occupied.

 

Overnight, I do have a reset schedule that will switch any room that may have been left in Occupied to Unoccupied.

 

Hope this makes sense.  Lot's of programming behind all of this.

[South Africa C4 user]

I follow Cy's route with a Boolean variable and use StartHere! togive me useful feedback on my Touchscreens... As I have loads of options (for lights, irrigation, heatpumps etc.), I found keypad LEDs insufficient for feedback proposes and StartHere limitless!

[RAV]

You can also use if audio is playing as your override

 

WHEN schedule event xyz occurs

IF patio is off

--do whatever you're doing now

 

Lots of options depending on your lifestyle.

[VegardK]

What about schedules done in say a thermostat? They dont come up in Composer as a shedule that can be overidden? How can I have a thermostat shedule overridden?

[brucecampbell]

The Boolean variable option is good and works well.

However, I do mine a little differently.

I use lighting scenes where the lights are on at various percentages (not 100%)

I then check if the scene is Active before running specific code.

For example:

motion sensor detects motion in living area.

code checks to see if scene 'Living_Off' is active

if true (and is dark) then activate scene Living_Motion

When the timer runs out, if scene Living_Motion is active, activate Living_Off

in the mean time, if I alter the state of any light in the living area, Living_Motion is no longer active, so won't turn off when the timer expires.