Using Paper UI and Basic UI together?

[makani47 (Michael S)]

I’m still relatively new to openHAB. I’m currently working on automating the living room, but I fell like I’m overlooking something. My first plan is to just get everything linked so I can control it with my phone using the Basic UI. So far I have added everything using Paper UI. I’ve added several Zwave devices, Harmony Hub, Hue Lights, etc. I’ve even added my TV itself after I got the harmony hub linked.

Using the Controls of Paper UI I can manually control all devices. However I don’t like the way Paper UI looks with the Controls section. Especially since it seems to reorder the devices each time you load it.

What my overall goal is to create my own layout out interface in Basic UI so I can navigate the devices better on my phone. And then move to HabPanel.

So for Basic UI I will go in and create the items, things, sitemaps, etc. But half the time they don’t work at all. For instance, I can control a Hue light in Paper UI but when I create the things, items, and sitemap file myself, I don’t do something right and it won’t work.

I feel like I’m reinventing the wheel doing this since its already added to Paper UI and works. Is there a way to take the items that are already linked in Paper UI and just add them to Basic UI sitemap? without manually creating the files. It feels like I’m adding everything twice. And sometimes once I do Paper UI will show it twice. For example I now have 2 hue bridges showing up.

I will eventually setup rules and scenes but I just want everything linked and working as well as organized first.

[Dim (Angelos)]

@makani47

Is there a way to take the items that are already linked in Paper UI and just add them to Basic UI sitemap?

There is always: http://<OH2_IP>:8080/basicui/app?sitemap=_default but it’s not very nice
You should create your own sitemap file and arrange the stuff there (yes… manually )

[makani47 (Michael S)]

So only use Paper UI for add bindings and create everything else from Scratch in Basic UI? I guess I should skip adding the “things” in Paper UI as well? All of thees different UI’s are a little confusing. Seems you use a certain UI for one task and another for a different task.

[Dim (Angelos)]

@makani47

So only use Paper UI for add bindings and create everything else from Scratch in Basic UI? I guess I should skip adding the “things” in Paper UI as well?

I use PaperUI mainly for administration and BasicUI for display.
You should continue using PaperUI to add things etc. You cannot do this with BasicUI.

From docs.openhab.org:

(PaperUI) is mainly meant for setup and administration purposes, not for operation, for which you should rather refer to the Basic UI.

[thorsten_gilfert]

@makani47

I feel like I’m reinventing the wheel doing this since its already added to Paper UI and works. Is there a way to take the items that are already linked in Paper UI and just add them to Basic UI sitemap? without manually creating the files. It feels like I’m adding everything twice. And sometimes once I do Paper UI will show it twice. For example I now have 2 hue bridges showing up.

This is exactly what Paper UI is ment for: you can create things and items in it, link the items to the things channels and then copy the items name/id to use it in your own sitemap (or even multiple sitemaps). There is a little icon behind each item name in the Paper UI to copy the name into your clipboard.

You do not need to create separate things and items for each type of UI supported by OpenHAB.

[makani47 (Michael S)]

Now that I’ve pretty much started over from scratch, this is making a lot more sense. I have made more progress in 2 weeks then I have a month or so previously.

[Johannes_Bauerstatte (Johannes Bauerstatter)]

Which would be the best for the Future (OH3)? I started doing all in PaperUi and then create a Sitemap. Now I only Install bindings in PaperUi and all Things, Items,… i create in Textfiles (with Visual Studio Code). I would prefer Textfiles but i am not sure whether is it the best way or not.