EventGhost

Hi,

I just wanted to share a configuration I set up today to be able to control my Philiphs Hue lights using EventGhost. I've been searching around, looking for how to do this using python, UDP or TCP/IP but I never quite got it.

In the end, I downloaded WinHue which has an application that runs in the command window so setting it up with EventGhost was dead easy! I'm using the Broadcaster plugin to listen for UDP commands sent from Openremote which was also really easy to set up, as I just added my commands to Openremote and sent them to EventGhost. I added them to macros using drag and drop.

I'm also using a Tellstick Duo with wireless light switches for some spotlights I have and that was also easy to set-up using the Tellstick Duo plugin. My next step is to use my USB-UIRT to control all the lights from my Harmony remote.

Just wanted to say thanks for a really good software!

Happy new year!

Nice, wish you and all users the same

Best regards, Walter

Hi. Any chance you can elaborate on your set up?

I just got my bulbs but I also just realized that I'm not sure how I'm going to control them without using my phones. I rather be able to control them through my Harmony One

Hi,
I've been thinking of making a plugin that will communicate directly with the Hue lights.
I'd be curious how many people have Hue and would be interested in a plugin like this.

If implemented it would find your hue hub automatically, connect to it like your app, then control the lights and colors similar to the app.

I'm not exactly sure when i'll get to it but the more people are interested in it the sooner i'll work on it.

Currently i'm just using python script actions to send commands directly to my Hue lights but it makes it a little hard to adjust or add commands.

I don't have hue. But if there was a plugin for it I'd throw myself into my car and buy a pack of hues.

techoguy wrote:Hi,
I've been thinking of making a plugin that will communicate directly with the Hue lights.
I'd be curious how many people have Hue and would be interested in a plugin like this.

If implemented it would find your hue hub automatically, connect to it like your app, then control the lights and colors similar to the app.

I'm not exactly sure when i'll get to it but the more people are interested in it the sooner i'll work on it.

Currently i'm just using python script actions to send commands directly to my Hue lights but it makes it a little hard to adjust or add commands.

I have Philips Hue bulbs and would LOVE it if you made a plugin!

Hi

I m using Eventghost long time and i'm a happy Hue user also.

i figured out how to make it work using a simple python script and the python plugin in eventghost.

I would love to have an Eventghost plugin about the hue lights.

My code is just using Hue API and python library
I guess that making a plugin could be easy, but i'm not an advaced user,
just a noob python player.

Regards

Hi
There isnt a plugin for this, but there is a python library that is really easy to use and can be added to eventghost
you just need phue.py from here
https://github.com/studioimaginaire/phue

and dump it in here

\EventGhost\lib26\site-packages

then follow the instructions on the download site. Works fine for me

With that library it would be really easy to create a plugin for Philips Hue stuff. I do like the technology used, ZigBee is a great two-way mesh network means you can get a control feedback of current state of devices.

There are still some question marks before I would get convinced to migrate

- It's a pity that from what I have found, Philips does not have generic plugs to control already existing lamps and other power consumers.
- Since they claim they are using ZigBee I wonder if the controller also can handle ZigBee devices from other vendors. Such a mix I think is necessary to fulfill requirements for an automated home
- unknown to me is the price level, if in the range of Z-Wave or higher then this is also a blocker in many cases

I think a lot of companies now use zigbee for their protocol but usually it is locked down to their own private network, which is the case with hue which also locks out otherdevices, maybe at some point a hack will come. I cant see philips ever releasing plugs to turn the things on and off as effectively you do that at the bulb now rather than the socket.

In the UK a hue lux bulb (the none colour version) is about £25 which is comparable with a z-wave dimmer. The colour bulbs are about £50 and do something that you cant do with z-wave. So its all dependant on what you're after.

I use a 433mhz socket to switch the lights on in my lounge (a mix of hue and normal) and then after a few seconds dim the hue to a good level. When the off button is pressed the hue dims and then the 433mhz sockets get turned off. Also I have it configured so when XBMC plays it dims the light (soon to be dependant of time of day and the playlist that's playing).

@Phil
A bit OT but anyway interesting to know, at least I am curious..How do you like the light that is produced from the Hue lamps?
Comparable with traditional bulbs, nothing has been really approved by my family. The previous low energy ones where cold, the LED's doesn't really give the same warm white as the old bulbs. I have tried a number of different brands but so far, they have not yet the necessary WAF level if you know what I mean . They have been either too cold or had some kind of green in the light. So, are the Hue's worth the investment at the moment, are they giving a comparable white warm light?

The hue lux (the none-colour)ones you wouldnt know the difference between it and a 'standard' lightbulb, correct WAF level is easily met! 9w, warm light and available on the network, comes on full brightness if the main switch is turned on as a normal lightbulb would so no danger of technology getting in the way of the light coming on.
I believe the colour ones aren't good at showing some bolder colours specifically because they wanted to be able to get the warmer whites correct.

I've made a plugin for the Philips Hue using the libary linked to earlier in the thread.

Philips Hue plugin:
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