I am just at the beginning with OpenHAB2 (openhabian). It is running on a PI3. I have set up a few bindings via Paper UI (Samsung TV, Homematic CCU2 [one window sensor, one wall thermostat, one thermostat], Denon AV, Kodi, AVM, Weather, Astro)
Via Notepad++ I have set up a sitemap with five entries. (Keller, EG, 1. OG., DG, Garten) and I have set up an item file with rooms per each level. I can see this via web browser and also in the app on iPhone and Android Tab.
How do I add the things/itemns now. Do I have to add them via adding them in the itemsn file via Notepad** od the Designer. Or can I add them in any way via the PaperUI?
Thanks and regards.
You have to differentiate between Things, Items and Sitemap:
Things:
When the appropriate binding is installed (and it’s a 2.x binding), most of them auto-discover the things. Have a look at each binding documentation how to do this. This works usually with PaperUI. In rare cases you have to manually create things in a things file. Each thing could have one or multiple channels.
Items:
Here the items are linked to a channel. This can be done through PaperUI or manually using the items file(s). You can edit them with Notepad+, but preferable witht the Designer, as the Designer knows most of the OH syntax.
Sitemap:
This has to be done manually, as there is not automated solution atm. Here the items are placed to get a nice layout. A level based layout as you have already decided to use is a good approach. Again, you can edit your sitemap with Notepad+, but the Designer is the preferred solution.
Thanks!
Do I have to create thing-files for every “thing” or should I grope them? Any suggestions?
And the same for items?
I would suggest not to manually create thing files. At least not if it’s not necessary. Let them be auto-discovered by PaperUI. Then the things will be stored in a database and not in a thing file.
If you have to make a thing file (because the binding is an old 1.x binding or does not support auto-discovery), you can have one thing file for all things. Manual thing files and the thing-database can co-exist.
Regarding items: You can have one item file for all items. Some of the users here do separate them based on levels or based on functionality. If you have hundreds of items, this could be useful. In smaller environments one file should be fine.
Thanks. Than I will consider structuring the item file in a scalable way.
What have I got to do, to integrate the items / things into the sitemap?
For the beginning I want to add:
for the Denon AV receiver
- a volume slider
- buttons to selct the input (VCR/BD/…)
- a buton to switch on/off
for Homematic: - display current temperature of the wall mounted thermostat
- show window sensor status whether window is open/closed.
When this is working, I thing I have a much better undetrstanding and a good starting point for integrating all the other toys …
And next level will be migrating the Z-Wave equipment from the Fibaro HC2 to OpenHab.
The first thing you have to do: Read the manual!
Seriously, you can’t expect to get a full-featured explanation here.
Under
you’ll find all kind of informations. Tutorial, User manuals, demo setup etc.
For a beginner, the demo setup is quite helpful as you can have a look how this whole thing/item/sitemap-world is working. When you have understand the mechanisms, you can start creating your own sitemap and integrating your stuff (Denon, Homematic etc.).
Thanks for your feedback. I am not expecting to get all the work done by others. I am allready reading a lot. Unfortunately for OpenHAB2 there is not much documentation available. I did find some usefull content on blogs like onesmarthome which were really helpful.
I think I am just one step away form having the first items really integrated, from which I than can move on. I chosed just some examples I want to start with (displaying a value form an item like the temperature and and integrating an actor like switch on/off a receiver).
Maybe I will set up a demo environment on my PC in addition to the Pi3.
I’ll second @jaydee73’s suggestion. Get the demo and play with it.
And to add to his description:
A Thing represents a device or an API.
A Channel represents a control point or single piece of information that a Thing supports/provides.
An Item is linked to one or more Channels and provides a uniform way of interacting with everything in your automation system.
EVERYTHING else works with Items: sitemaps, rules, and persistence all strictly operate on Items and have no knowledge of nor access of Channels (with one exception that you can now have a Rule triggered by a special type of Channel event without an associated Item).
On your sitemap, following the format documented here you put your Items on the sitemap.
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