Scenes allow you to control several HomeKit-enabled devices simultaneously with a single command--for example, switch selected devices on or off. To do so, you need switchable devices such as a fan connected via Eve Energy and/or a Hue lamp. Starting Scenes is easy: just tap the Eve app or use a Siri command.
Starting with iOS 9, Apple began providing four predefined scenes as examples: Good Morning, Good Night, I’m Home, and I’m Leaving. These scenes are empty--i.e., no actions are connected to them. You can find them in Eve in Settings > Scenes. You can add actions to scenes or create new scenes with Add Scene. Custom scenes can be deleted later (swipe to the left), but you can’t delete Apple’s predefined scenes.
To create a new scene, tap Add Scene. Next, you can add actions to the new scene by tapping Add Actions. Actions can be based on rooms or types and set for what to do once the scene is activated. Eve will show you which kind of actions are available for your installed HomeKit-enabled devices. For this example, we’ll use the Power type. All devices that can be switched on and off are listed: say we have one fan that is controlled by Eve Energy and three Hue lamps. The first step is to activate all the devices that you want to be controlled by the scene, then set a value: on or off. In our example, “Twilight,” we want to turn off the fan and switch on the two Hue light bulbs and the Hue Lightstrip. Tap Next to see what’s been set so far.
If you’re using Hue lamps in your Eve home, there are additional options. Tap Add Action again and select the Color and Brightness types. Select the two values for the scene you’re working on individually for each Hue lamp. Tap on Next again and set a name for the scene you created: in our case, “Twilight.” Go back to At a Glance, and you’ll find the scene you just created at the top. Tap on the scene name to activate it, or use Siri and say: “Activate Twilight.”
The two videos below show the two Apple-provided scenes Good Morning and I’m Leaving. We just added actions to both of the example scenes.
Why do you recommend another manufacturer products (Hue) over Elgato’s Avea?
Both systems obviously cannot be managed from a single app?
Hi Wolfgang, Eve devices and the app are all about HomeKit. When using Hue Bridge 2, Hue lamps are HomeKit enabled. Elgato Avea is not. If Avea would be HomeKit enabled, it could be managed and used with the app Eve. Hope this helps, best regards, volker
Hi Volker
Thanks for all your comments. Shouldn’t I get a mail indicating that Elgato has answered a question?
Thx Wolfgang
Hi Wolfgang, yes, you should get an email. Thx for the hint, I’ll check with the system 😉
Hi Volker
Just to be sure, I want to understand the chain of “command” for Hue products with the Eve app: while the Hue bridge is connected by cable to the wireless router, the iPhone command travels via Wi-Fi to the router, then to the bridge and then on to the first ZigBee device (e.g. lamp). If the command is for another ZigBee device, it is passed on to the ZigBee device to be controlled. As such, a whole flat or a house can be covered.
While the iPhone is not within that Wi-Fi network, but maybe half way around the world, the command travels over the Internet to my router, and so on.
With the iPhone simultaneously controlling Eve devices, it does so via its own Bluetooth transmitter, when outside the Wi-Fi coverage these roles is taken over by an AppleTV box.
Got it right?
PS: still no mail
Hi Wolfgang,
you got it in terms of the Hue bridge 2.0 and attached lamps. The Hue bridge 2.0 is HomeKit enabled, using an Apple approved module. This means, there is a “chain of commands” between the App Philips Hue, Eve and other HomeKit enabled apps and the devices. The Hue bridge 2 is connected via Ethernet cable with your LAN/WLAN-Router. iOS devices communicate local via Wi-Fi with the Hue bridge (same way the communication works with the old bridge, no HomeKit). The Hue bridge uses ZigBee to communicate with all attached lamps for status and control. When setting up Hue bridge 2 for the first time, you have to enable HomeKit functionality for the Hue Bridge via the App Hue, this is not on by default. Checking and controlling via a HomeKit enabled app like Eve then works. And yes, a whole flat or a house can be covered.
Remote is a different story. Even before introducing Hue bridge 2, you were able to remote access your setup by using the free MyHue service. Their cloud, no HomeKit, no other devices needed.
Different story when you want to use HomeKit instead of MyHue for remote. In general for Eve BLE devices: Remote control uses a Wi-Fi (Hotspot) or cellular Internet connection on your iOS device while on the road. End to end encrypted your HomeKit enabled apps (like Eve, Philips Hue and others) talks to your devices at home (they have to be in reach of your Apple TV 3 or 4) via iCloud. In case of the Eve devices the ATV uses BLE (Chip is on board since Apple TV 3). In case of Hue devices the ATV communicates via Wi-Fi with the Hue bridge 2.0. This is still the case, see the FAQs from Hue
“Can I also control my Hue bridge using Siri voice control when I am away from home?”
http://www2.meethue.com/en-us/support/faq-categories/product/hue-bridge/
Best regards, hope this helps, thx for the hint concerning mail, volker
OK, I think now all is clear to start with a prototype installation. Many thanks.
My starter kit with Hue lamps now working, Tried to use my ATV 3rd generation A1427, but had to do a SW upgrade to 7.2 in order to control from out of WiFi range. Takes some time to switch from control via WiFi to 4G and vice versa.
Hi Wolfgang, you are right, it takes some time. Always make sure to use the latest version of the ATV software. That’s what Apple says and it should be done. Best regards, volker
I created few scenes few years back with older version of Eve on my 9.7″ iPad Pro. Right now I am using latest Eve 3.2 on latest 10.5″ iPad Pro. I followed your instruction to delete the scenes but no red Delete Scene button show up when I tap on the scenes, newly created scenes do not have such problem. What have I missed ? I doubt there is such multi-touch gesture as “right click” on iPhone/iPad.
Is there anyway I can remove all scenes and start all over again ?
Hi Hee Shiong! Open Scenes in the tab bar of Eve, then tap Edit and use the right arrow in the tile. You’ll see an option then to delete the selected scene. Best regards, volker
How do I delete a scene I created?
Hi Dfkinjer! In Eve goto Scenes, tap Edit, right click the scene you are up to delete and tap Delete Scene. Best regards, volker
I have a question about the Eve Light switch.
1. Can I use the light connected to the eve switch as part of sciences? I suppose the answer is yes? (e.g. does my ceiling lamp show up as a device)
2. Can I use the Eve Light switch to turn on and off or switch between specific scene? So I press the Eve Light switch and that activates the “I’m home” scene and turns on whatever devices are connected to that scene.
3. If I can do 2, how does it work? Can I configure the Eve Light switch to alternate between scenes?
Hi Greg! Here are the answers to your questions:
1. Yes, this is the way Eve Light Switch will work for you.
2. You may add a scene that turns on/off a device that is connected to your Light Switch – as it were a regular one.
3. Nope, you may turn on/off an attached device
Hi Volker, I somehow have the same one device showing in both the Good Morning and the I’m Leaving scene. How do I delete them. Edit seems to do nothing.
Hello Moss! They can’t be deleted, are defaul by iOS/HomeKit. Apple started providing them couple years ago. Best regards, volker