Automations

Create intelligent automations using Homix's visual automation designer.

Visual Automation Designer

Homix features a powerful drag-and-drop automation designer that makes creating complex automations intuitive. No coding required!

Designer Features

Visual Flow: See your automation logic at a glance
Drag & Drop: Build automations by connecting components
Real-time Testing: Test automations as you build them
Variable Support: Use dynamic values with template variables

Automation Components

The automation designer includes several categories of components:

Triggers

Triggers start your automations when specific events occur:

📱 Device State Changed

Triggers when a device changes state (light turns on, door opens, etc.)

📡 NATS Event

Listen for events on NATS subjects with wildcard support

⏰ Time & Schedule

Trigger at specific times or on cron schedules

🌅 Sunrise/Sunset

Solar-based triggers that adjust to your location

🔄 Interval

Regular interval triggers (every 5 minutes, hourly, etc.)

💾 State Changed

Triggers when KV store values change

Actions

Actions define what happens when an automation triggers:

🎛️ Control Device

Send commands to devices (turn on lights, adjust temperature)

📤 Publish NATS Event

Publish custom events to NATS subjects

💾 Update State

Update values in the KV store

🎬 Activate Scene

Activate predefined scenes

📢 Send Notification

Send notifications to mobile devices or services

⏸️ Delay

Add delays between actions

Conditions

Conditions control when actions execute:

📱 Device State Is

Check if device is in specific state

⏰ Time Between

Check if current time is within range

📅 Day of Week

Check specific days of the week

🔢 Numeric Compare

Compare numeric values with operators

🌅 Sun Position

Check if sun is up or down

Logic Components

Logic components provide flow control and decision making:

🔀 AND/OR/NOT Gates

Boolean logic operations

🔀 Switch

Route flow based on values

🔢 Counter

Count events and trigger actions

⏱️ Timer

Time-based logic and delays

Building Your First Automation

Let's create a simple automation that turns on lights when you arrive home:

Open the Homix dashboard and navigate to "Automations"
Click "Create New Automation"
Drag a "Device State Changed" trigger to the canvas
Configure it to trigger when your phone's location changes
Add a "Device State Is" condition to check if you're home
Add a "Control Device" action to turn on the lights
Connect the components by dragging from output to input ports
Save and enable the automation

Pro Tip

Start with simple automations and gradually add complexity. Test each component individually before connecting them together.

Advanced Automation Patterns

Presence Detection

Create smart presence-aware automations:

Phone Tracking: Use device tracker integrations

Motion Sensors: Detect movement in rooms

Door Sensors: Track entry and exit

Bluetooth Beacons: Room-level presence detection

Environmental Automations

Respond to environmental changes automatically:

Climate Control

Adjust temperature based on weather, occupancy, and time of day.

Lighting

Automatically adjust brightness and color temperature throughout the day.

Security

Activate security measures when nobody's home or during specific times.

Multi-Stage Automations

Create complex automations with multiple stages:

# Example: Bedtime Routine

1. Trigger: Time is 10:00 PM

2. Condition: Anyone is home

3. Action: Dim living room lights to 30%

4. Delay: 30 minutes

5. Action: Turn off all lights except bedroom

6. Action: Set thermostat to night mode

7. Action: Activate security system

State Management in Automations

Using Variables

Automations support template variables for dynamic behavior:

{{device.state}} - Current device state

{{trigger.time}} - When the automation was triggered

{{user.name}} - User who triggered the automation

{{weather.temperature}} - Current temperature

{{kv.key_name}} - Value from KV store

Persistent State

Store automation state in the KV store for complex logic:

Counters: Track how many times something happened
Timestamps: Remember when events occurred
Flags: Store boolean states for conditions
User Preferences: Store user-specific settings

Testing and Debugging

Automation Testing

Test your automations before deploying:

Manual Testing: Use the "Test" button in the designer
Simulation: Use the device simulator to trigger events
Dry Run: Enable dry-run mode to see what would happen
Logging: Review automation logs for debugging

Common Issues

Automation Not Triggering

Check if automation is enabled
Verify trigger conditions are met
Review NATS subject patterns
Check device connectivity

Actions Not Executing

Verify device states and commands
Check condition logic
Review variable substitutions
Test individual components

Performance Issues

Limit trigger frequency
Use specific NATS subjects
Optimize condition checking
Review automation complexity

Automation Examples

Welcome Home

Turn on lights and adjust climate when arriving home:

Trigger: Device tracker shows "home"
Condition: Sun is down
Actions: Turn on entry lights, set thermostat to 72°F

Energy Saving

Automatically reduce energy consumption when nobody's home:

Trigger: All phones leave home
Actions: Turn off non-essential lights, set thermostat to away mode, turn off entertainment devices

Security Alert

Send notifications for unexpected activity:

Trigger: Motion detected
Conditions: Nobody home AND time between 9 AM - 5 PM
Actions: Send notification, record security footage, turn on lights

Best Practices

Design Guidelines

Start Simple: Begin with basic automations and add complexity gradually
Test Thoroughly: Test all edge cases and failure scenarios
Use Meaningful Names: Name automations clearly for easy maintenance
Document Logic: Add descriptions for complex automation logic
Monitor Performance: Watch for automations that trigger too frequently

Maintenance

Regularly review automation logs
Update automations when adding/removing devices
Archive unused automations
Keep automation count reasonable for performance
Version control automation configurations