OpenHab2 - Alexa (Echo) - Phillip Hue Farbe

[Kleemann]

Hello,

I am currently confronted with a problem which I have not yet found a solution to by searching the forum.
I have installed Openhabe 2 on a RaspberryPi 3 (Debian).
Now I bought the Echo Dot (Alexa) 3 days ago and already managed to connect to my OpenHab2 system via Alexa’s skill.

Now that I have saved my lamps (Phillip Hue - Color) in a *. items file, I can already switch them on/off and dim them.
But if I say so now:
“Echo, set[Lamp] to[Color]”,
I only get the message “[Lamp] does not support this”.

Here’s my configuration:
Color Hue01 “Corridor 1st floor” (gflor, gLights)[“Lighting”] { channel=“hue: 0210: **********: 1: color” }
Color Hue02 “Corridor EG” (gFloor, gLights)[“Lighting”] { channel=“hue: 0210: **********: 2: color” }

Hope someone can help me.
Greetings from Brandenburg
Kleemann

[sihui]

@Kleemann

Color Hue01 “Flur 1. OG” (gFlur,gLights) [“Lighting”] { channel=“hue:0210::1:color" }

Your channel definition is wrong, take a look at the docs:

http://docs.openhab.org/addons/bindings/hue/readme.html#demoitems

Color Light1_Color { channel="hue:0210:1:bulb1:color" }

And please write in English language so everyone in this international forum can benefit.
If you need to write in German language you may use a German language forum:

openHAB - KNX-User-Forum

[Kleemann]

Hi there,

first thanks for you answer. I’ve translated my question to english.
I have to say, that i don’t really understand the difference of your an my definition.
I’ve just masked my hue-bridge-id with star-chars (*) but should i not keep the groups etc. in my defintion and moreover what is the difference of you channel-definition and my?

Sorry for that, may stupid question

best regards

[sihui]

@Kleemann

i don’t really understand the difference

No, now that you’ve changed your original post there is no difference anymore
BTW, it is not my definition, it is the definition from the official docs.

I would recommend to read through the - long - thread here where most if not all of the Alexa problems are solved:

Official Alexa Smart Home Skill for openHAB 2

–Updated 5/31/2018, added new Languages and Regions – I am pleased to announce that the openHAB 2 Alexa Smart Home skill has been certified by Amazon today and is now live. This skill allows you to connect your openHAB setup through the myopenHAB.org cloud service to Amazon Alexa. With this skill you can control items that respond to on/off and numeric commands as well as limited support for thermostats. The skill is supported for the following languages and regions: English (UK) English (…

[Kleemann]

I’ve still not found a working solution yet. Anyone has more ideas.
I think the problem is in generell, that my alexa is not able to change to value of a Color item, because even if i remove the hue-binding from the item it won’t change the color and just return: “[Item] does not support this”

[sihui]

I don’t know if this is still true:

Alexa -> Hue Color Change

No, it is a county problem. Color changing is available in the US only atm.

As a workaround you could install the HUE skill on your Alexa and change the color without intervention of openHAB.
Works without any problems.

[Celaeno1 (Alex)]

I use “Openhab Skill for Alexa” with “openhab Cloud Service” in german. Color changing is working perfect.

For each Hue Color bulb I use 3 items .

Switch … [ " Lighting" ]
Dimmer… [ “Lighting” ]
Color… [ “Lighting” ]

… and putting them together in the same Alexa-Group.

[RiotMode (Philipp)]

@Kleemann

the difference of your an my definition.

i dont have the HUE - but your code looks different to sihui:

your code

 { channel=“hue:0210:bulb:1:color” }

correct Syntax:

{ channel="hue:0210:1:bulb1:color" }

the “:1:” in front of the BULB not afterwards

[Celaeno1 (Alex)]

@Kleemann

@RiotMode and @Sihui are NOT right.

The syntax is:

{ channel="hue:0210:xxxxxxxxxxxxx:1:color" }

see also here:

Philips Hue - Bindings

BUT THIS IS WRONG!

Replace xxxxxxxxxxxx with your BridgeID:

{ channel="hue:0210:xxxxxxxxxxxx:1:color" }

and there should be NO spaces inside, like in your 1st example!!

I made a screenshot of my Thing from PaperUI, here:

[Kleemann]

Hello @Celeano1, thanks for you reply. For sure i’ve not put “xxxxx” in my definition, its just to keep my bridge-id secret.
I als o got no space in the channel-string.

Moreover i’m able to change the color in the openhab but but now with alexa. Thats why i think its a problem of alexa or the interface of alexa and openhab.

I’m also not able to change a Color-item which is not linked to a hue-lampe.

Hope for more suggestions
Best regards

[sihui]

There seems to be a different visual indication if things are configured through flat text files or auto discovered things through PaperUI:

According to the docs, configuration through text files:

Color Light1_Color { channel="hue:0210:1:bulb1:color" } where the single “1” is the bridge id configured through the things file.

Taking a look at the things file for a bulb:

0210 bulb1 [ lightId="1" ]

“Translated” to the items file would mean:

Color Light1_Color { channel="hue:0210:<bridge_id>:bulb1:color" }, the “bulb1” represents the light id=“1”

Taking a look at an auto discovered HUE thing shows:

hue:0210:<bridge_id>:1:color = hue:0210:<bridge_id>:bulb1:color, so we are at the same step as above:

It’s just a matter of configuration …

[Kleemann]

What i’ve did is, that i’ve created a new item:
Color Test1 “Test” [“Lightning”]

And let Alexa search for new devices. Alexa even told me that “Test” was found as a new device.
I’ve i now say:
DE: "Alexa schalte Test auf grün"
EN: “Alexa turn Test green”

I only get
DE: "Test unterstützt das nicht"
EN: “Test does not support that.”

Thats why i now think it is not a problem of hue rather than a problem of the ColorItem or alexa. Any suggestion for that?

[Celaeno1 (Alex)]

See my Post above:

OpenHab2 - Alexa (Echo) - Phillip Hue Farbe

I use “Openhab Skill for Alexa” with “openhab Cloud Service” in german. Color changing is working perfect. For each Hue Color bulb I use 3 items . Switch … [ " Lighting" ] Dimmer… [ “Lighting” ] Color… [ “Lighting” ] … and putting them together in the same Alexa-Group.

[sihui]

@Kleemann

Color Test1 “Test” [“Lightning”]

You are missing the channel configuration … or you need a rule to update the real linked item to your “proxy” item:

rule "Test1 " 
when   
	Item Test1 received command
then
	Test1_Channel.sendCommand(Test1.state.toString)
end

where Test1_Channel is the color item linked to your channel.

But I would not do it that complicated as long as you are trying to make it basically work …

[Kleemann]

I’ve now implemented like Celaeno1 said. But still got the message “[Group] does not support that” if i say “Turn [Group] green”

[Celaeno1 (Alex)]

@Kleemann
Could you please post your 3 items once again?

What happens if you telling:

“Switch [Group] on/off” is it running?
“Dimm [Group] to 50%” is it running?

I swear, it is running with my Amazon Echo (1st generation) and Echo Dot (2nd generation) in german!!!

[Kleemann]

Hello @Celaeno1
for sure.

Switch Test1 “TestA” [ “Lighting” ] { channel=“hue:0210:[MyBridgeID]:1:color” }
Dimmer Test2 “TestB” [ “Lighting” ] { channel=“hue:0210:[MyBridgeID]:1:color” }
Color Test3 “TestC” [ “Lighting” ] { channel=“hue:0210:[MyBridgeID]:1:color” }

And i’ve added these 3 in a group in my alexa app called “Test”

[Celaeno1 (Alex)]

@Kleemann
Switch On/Off and Dimming are running with Alexa?

Color not running?

[Kleemann]

I can turn on off with
"Alexa schalte Test aus" (Eng: “Alexa turn light off”)
or dimm with
"Alexa dimme Test auf 30%" (Eng: “Alexa dimm Test to 30%”)
it’s work like a charm.

But when i say
"Alexa schalte Test aus grün" (Eng “Alexa turn Test green”)
i got the message
"Test unterstützt dies nicht" (Eng “Test does not support that”)

I’ve already update my hue and tried it with a fresh openhab2 installation

[Celaeno1 (Alex)]

@Kleemann

Did you also enable hueemulation? If yes, please uninstall it.