openHAB 3, Move from 2.5, Semantic Model, Equipment from Thing with existing items/channels?

[sirpreis (Mario Preis)]

I have been using openHAB for quite a few years now, and am slowly trying to “move over to” / use the new semantic model in OH3. I have a question regarding “Adding equipment from things”.

I have many things with many already existing items (some things were created in the UI, some via config files, some items in those things were created using config files, some in the UI).

When I am in the “Model” configuration, and want to add an equipment from a thing, it looks like the existing channels/items cannot be used. What I did so far was removing/deleting the “old” items and then creating them fresh when adding the equipment. Is that the correct way? Or is there a way that I haven’t found to use the existing linked items/channels?

[rlkoshak (Rich Koshak)]

It’s not necessarily correct nor incorrect. I find it to be the fastest and easiest way to do it though, especially if you have Items in .items files.

The model is created through the Item definition, namely Group membership and tags. If you have Items defined in .items files, that means you need to change the Item’s tags and Group membership yourself manually in the .items file. You can do nothing to these Items through the UI.

[sirpreis (Mario Preis)]

I’m still not sure if I’m doing things “correctly” or better if I have understood correctly.

I do home some items in files, but I also have some new items for things that were set up in the UI, but before I started using the semantic model.

For example, I have an IKEA zigbee lightbulb, with a dimmer item attached to the dimmer channel of the lightbulb thing. Now, when I want to add the lightbulb to my model, I go to the location where that device/equipment group is supposed to be added to, I select “Add equipment from thing” and then I search for the existing thing.

I then select the channels that I want. In that view, as far as I can see it, there doesn’t seem to be a way to select already existing items. When selecting the channel and than pressing “Add to model”, I new item for the same channel is created:

What I thought might be possible to add the thing as an equipment and not select any channels, and afterwards go into the existing item and add it to that new group, but openHAB doesn’t allow me to do that.

So right now it seems like I have to delete the “old” thing from openHAB, even if it was created in OH3 with the new UI, and then create it again in the semantic model UI? Is that correct?

[hmerk (Hans-Jörg Merk)]

@sirpreis

What I thought might be possible to add the thing as an equipment and not select any channels, and afterwards go into the existing item and add it to that new group, but openHAB doesn’t allow me to do that.

Please show us what you try, as it is definitely possible to change the group memberships at any time.

[sirpreis (Mario Preis)]

What I meant was I tried to go to “Add equipment from thing”, and then not select any channels. But that doesn’t seem to be possible. But I just might be misunderstanding the whole concept

[hmerk (Hans-Jörg Merk)]

@sirpreis

But I just might be misunderstanding the whole concept

Not the whole but parts of it. Add equipement from thing is a helper to let you select up to all channels to add to an equipment. If you want to create an equipment without any items, just use "Create equipment.
In items settings, you can change the parent group membership at any time.

I would recommend to watch our youtube video about the semantic concept

openHAB 3 Semantic Model | Location Setup | openHAB Tutorial

[sirpreis (Mario Preis)]

I do think that so far haven’t understood the whole semantic model concept. I just learned that I can just create points outside of an equipment group and then add channels to that point. Which is cool.

I guess I just have to play around with it a lot more.

[sirpreis (Mario Preis)]

So far for every device, like every light bulb, I would create an equipment and then add usually just one on/off switch point… I guess most of those equipments I don’t even need as it adds more layers than I really need. A lot to learn I still have

[kriznik]

do not overengineer it … I’m using files (don’t like click-fest in UI that much) and it looks like this

// kitchen
Group gWS_Kitchen "Wall Switch" <wallswitch> (GF_Kitchen) ["WallSwitch"]
    Switch  Kitchen_WSwitch     "Kitchen Light"     <light> (gStoreChange, gLights, gLightsHome, gGFL, gWS_Kitchen)     ["Control","Light"]   { channel="mqtt:topic:switch_diningroom:kitchen_light" }
    Switch  Kitchen_BarLED      "Bar Lights"        <light> (gStoreChange, gLights, gLightsHome, gGFL, gWS_Kitchen)     ["Control","Light"]   { channel="mqtt:topic:switch_kitchen:bar_light" }
    Dimmer  Kitchen_StripeLED   "Kitchen Desk LED"  <light> (gStoreChange, gWS_Kitchen)                                 ["Control","Light"]   { channel="mqtt:topic:switch_kitchen:ledstripe" }
    Switch  Pantry_WSwitch      "Pantry Light"      <light> (gStoreChange, gLights, gWS_Kitchen)                        ["Control","Light"]   { channel="mqtt:topic:switch_kitchen:pantry_light" }

for example kitchen lights … and not everything needs to be in semantic model. If you will not define [“xxxx”] it will not be there

[sirpreis (Mario Preis)]

One more thing… So far I added my rollershutter open/close channels/items to a rollershutter equipment group. And created one of those equipment groups with just one control channel in each room of my house.

Now when I move that point/item out of the rollershutter group into the room location itself, it looks like that rollershutter item/point is not recognized as such in “Devices” in the UI anymore, and also the room itself isn’t shown in the “Locations” tab in the UI anymore if the rollershutter control point is the only one in the room.

What am I missing? I can’t switch the rollershutter item to “Rollershutter” or “Blinds” instead of “Point”. Not sure what I am missing here.

Pretty confusing

[kriznik]

it’s structured like this
House → gGF → GF_Kitchen → gWS_Kitchen [wallswitches] → stuff in it

Group   gHouse          "House"                 <house>                     ["House"]
Group   gGF             "Downstairs"            <groundfloor>   (gHouse)    ["GroundFloor"]
Group GF_Kitchen        "Kitchen"               <kitchen>       (gGF)       ["Kitchen"]     { synonyms="Kitchen Room"}

Group gWS_Kitchen "Wall Switch" <wallswitch> (GF_Kitchen) ["WallSwitch"]
    Switch  Kitchen_WSwitch     "Kitchen Light"     <light> (gStoreChange, gLights, gLightsHome, gGFL, gWS_Kitchen)     ["Control","Light"]   { channel="mqtt:topic:switch_diningroom:kitchen_light" }
    Switch  Kitchen_BarLED      "Bar Lights"        <light> (gStoreChange, gLights, gLightsHome, gGFL, gWS_Kitchen)     ["Control","Light"]   { channel="mqtt:topic:switch_kitchen:bar_light" }
    Dimmer  Kitchen_StripeLED   "Kitchen Desk LED"  <light> (gStoreChange, gWS_Kitchen)                                 ["Control","Light"]   { channel="mqtt:topic:switch_kitchen:ledstripe" }
    Switch  Pantry_WSwitch      "Pantry Light"      <light> (gStoreChange, gLights, gWS_Kitchen)                        ["Control","Light"]   { channel="mqtt:topic:switch_kitchen:pantry_light" }

if you want to move whole lights to different area, just change master group … eg. GF_Kitchen or whatever you want

[hmerk (Hans-Jörg Merk)]

@sirpreis

Now when I move that point/item out of the rollershutter group into the room location itself, it looks like that rollershutter item/point is not recognized as such in “Devices” in the UI anymore, and also the room itself isn’t shown in the “Locations” tab in the UI anymore if the rollershutter control point is the only one in the room.

To show up under equipment, a point item needs to be part of an equipment group. Just that simple.

[sirpreis (Mario Preis)]

@hmerk

To show up under equipment, a point item needs to be part of an equipment group. Just that simple.

Yea, that makes sense.