I have two FPT2 presence sensors. One is in my dining area and covers my Dining and Kitchen areas. The other is in my Living Room and controls five different lights.
I have defined 3 zones in my Dining Area; Kitchen, Dining, and the walkway between them. Presence in the Kitchen or Dining Zones turns on the overhead lights in their respective areas, and also the under cabinet/counter lighting. However, leaving the the Kitchen or Dining Area does not turn off its respective ceiling lights - you must also be gone from the walkway between them for a minute or so. That keeps both lights on when going back & forth between the Kitchen and Dining Room table. These zones also have a different nighttime response. If you head into the kitchen at 3AM, the only light that comes on is the ceiling light over the kitchen sink - and then only very dimly.
I have four detection zones in my living room. They turn on the lights next to their respective pieces of furniture (which includes the piano). The automation is slightly complex for the couch lights since one is also next to the recliner. Thus, that automation has a different response depending on whether someone is only in the recliner, only on the couch, or both. Also, if more than two zones are occupied concurrently, it means we have guests. In that case, the living room ceiling light also turns on and the end table lights do not turn off until all zones have had no occupancy for 10 minutes.
And yes, the measured lumen brightness level determines the operation of out window shade. That’s another of my over 100 automations in Home Assistant!
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@tvlorsfamily Wow, your setup with the FP2 presence sensors is both intricate and impressive! You’re taking full advantage of the zone detection capabilities. It’s fantastic to see how you’ve tailored the automation to fit different scenarios, like adjusting the lighting based on the time of day or the number of occupied zones. The ability to define multiple zones and create such specific conditions really highlights the FP2’s versatility in smart home environments.
In the dining area, the way you’ve managed to keep the lights on when transitioning between the Kitchen and Dining Room by using the walkway zone is a clever solution to prevent unnecessary toggling. It’s also great to see that you’ve customized the lighting for late-night kitchen visits to minimize disruption—and probably save on energy too!
Your living room setup sounds equally sophisticated, especially with the dynamic response based on the occupancy of different seating zones. The guest detection feature is a nice touch, ensuring that the lighting adjusts to accommodate more people without needing manual intervention.
And using the FP2’s illuminance detection to automate your window shade operation is a smart way to integrate additional environmental factors into your automation scheme.
Thank you for sharing your experience and setup! It’s inspiring and surely provides great insights for anyone looking to enhance their own smart home system. Keep up the great work and feel free to share more of your automation adventures!
@tvlorsfamily What a fantastic way to leverage the FP2 Presence Sensors! Your setup really showcases how zone management and automation can be tailored to real-life needs—like keeping lights on when moving between the kitchen and dining area, or adjusting nighttime responses for late-night visits. It’s great to see you using multiple zones (the FP2 supports up to 30, by the way!) to create such nuanced automations, from furniture-specific lighting to guest detection logic . The use of illuminance for window shades also ties in nicely with the sensor’s ability to track brightness levels .
Thanks for sharing these details—they’re super helpful for other users looking to get creative with their setups. If you ever have more tips or tweaks to your automations, feel free to post them here—we’d love to hear how it evolves! 