How to define advanced rule?

[eldaria]

So I'm trying to figure a way to tell the almond to turn on our outside lights when it is dark but not the whole night.

I live far north, so the time that the sun rises and set varies greatly over the year.
For example in June it rises as early as 03:31, and sets at 22:06. And in December it does not rise until 8:44 and sets already at 14:45.

Basically I would like to set a rule that turns on the light at 06:00 but only if the sun has not risen. And turn off the light when the sun rises or at 08:00 whichever comes first.

The last part I can make with two separate rules, one that turns off when the sun rises, and one at 08:00, but i'm unsure how to do the first.

[t.stubbe]

@eldaria, just a noob's penny's worth, but if you do not use the "home" and "away" switch for anything, maybe you can use it to something like this in three rules:

Rule 1 :
IF time is betwwen 03:30 and 05:59 + sunrise THEN mode= home

Rule 2 :
IF time = 06:00 + mode = away THEN turn on lights

Rule 3 :
IF time =00:00 THEN  mode = away

Wish there were a few more software switches like home/away to use in situations like this.

[eldaria]

Hmm that is a pretty clever way of doing it. Did not think of using the home/away like that.
I do not use it right now, although I do plan to use it in the future so hopefully this will be something that could be added in a future software update. ;-)

[d.kiran]

Wish there were a few more software switches like home/away to use in situations like this.

This is something that has been requested for multiple times.

Ability to define a virtual device. This could be as simple as a virtual dimmer that can have turn on/off as well 0-100 values. That would solve a lot of use cases.

I doubt we'll ever get that.

[eldaria]

Hmm, This is basically just adding the possibility of Variables.
Long time ago I was able to modify the parameters of an existing device and fool the Almond to think it was something else.
I wonder if it would be possible by the same means to create a virtual device this way and simply store the state of it in a file on the Almond.

Worth looking into I guess, unless of course Securifi has something coming?

[adx]

I've been wanting the use of variables or virtual switches in the rules. don't think securifi is paying attention to this.

made a post similar to this some time ago. I also made use of the home/away status as a variable.

https://forum.securifi.com/index.php/topic,4304.msg21951.html#msg21951