Feature Request: More than one disable_entity: ... I.e. disable_entities: and a list of entities?

[danielbrunt57]

Been trying to figure out how to deploy Magic Areas for my living room such that:

1. Use my living room motion sensor to turn just the fireplace light on/off only at night - done & working.
2. Use my living room TV to keep the fireplace light from turning off - done & working.
3. Be able to manually turn on either the pole lamp or the living room lamp so I can read, etc. AND disable the automatic light fireplace light from turning on/off when presence is sensed/cleared? I tried turning on presence_hold in an automation but that turns the fireplace light on. I've created the following templated override entity but it would be nice if Magic Areas supported a disable_entities: list.

      living_room_motion_override:
        unique_id: "living-room-motion-override"
        friendly_name: "Living Room Motion Override"
        value_template: "{{ is_state('binary_sensor.south_patio_lux_override', 'on') or is_state('input_boolean.living_room_automatic_lights_disabled', 'on') or is_state('light.pole_lamp', 'on') or is_state('light.living_room_light', 'on') }}"

[jseidl]

Presence hold will simulate a presence sensor, so when you turn it on it will mark the area as Occupied. Disable Entities being a list can be an option but that would require for all entities on the list to have the same disable_state

So far using template sensors as you're doing is the recommended solution

[danielbrunt57]

I'm not sure how many times I alternated between my computer screen trying to figure out a way and laying on the couch trying to rest my brain from trying to figure out a way, which didn't work by the way (resting my brain)!
I understand where specifying a list of entities would require them to all have the same disable_state such as true, on, open, etc. and I can see where being able to specify a different disable_state such as false, off, closed, etc. might be desired in some cases. Tough trying to make everyone happy! Still, being able to specify a list as in my case would make life a tad easier albeit with the known caveat that ALL entities in the list MUST possess the same disable_state. A line must be drawn somewhere!

Thanks!

[danielbrunt57]

I also tried to figure out a use for presence_hold and all I came up with is maybe I'm in the deepest recess of my garage and suddenly I'm in 100% darkness. Then I shout, "Alexa, enable presence hold in garage"...

[jseidl]

Presence hold is mostly a staple for insufficient presence detection. I use it mostly for the dining room, since I don't have reliable presence detection for that area. I have one poorly positioned motion sensor and lights would turn off on us frequently. I used to use for the kitchen until I added more motion sensors and covered all the blind spots. It's also useful if for your reading case, you can just flip presence hold for preventing the lights from being turned off, if wasn't for your special light requirement.

Do you use the fireplace light as an accent or night light? And at night do you mean right after the sun goes down or late at night?

On this latest release I've moved off disabled_entities and renamed to night_entities since I'm taking these states into the area itself rather than just for lights. In the end, for light control, it has the same effect. This enables other features benefit from the night state of an area.

[danielbrunt57]

The fireplace light is simply a motion controlled light from sunset to sunrise that I want disabled from turning on if tv, living room light or pole lamp are on.

[jseidl]

That's a tricky one, since if you use your template sensor as a night_entity (former disable_entity), as soon as you turn on the tv or the lights, it will think it's daytime and turn off all the lights.

I believe you'll have to automate the turning off of the fireplace light with a separate automation. Or removing it entirely from main_lights and automating both turn on and off.

[danielbrunt57]

Understood BUT, the ONLY light included in the area is the fireplace light and the night entity does what Is needed...turn the fireplace light off since it is either daytime, tv on, and/or one of the other 2 lights are on.