how to change icon when state is on home assistant

New Era

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10-12-2024

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Home Assistant's power lies in its customization. One way to enhance your dashboard is by dynamically changing icons based on the state of your devices. This article will guide you through several methods to achieve this, transforming your Home Assistant experience. We'll cover using templates, the state attribute, and even explore using external resources for more advanced icon control.

Understanding the Basics: States and Icons

Before diving in, let's establish a fundamental understanding. In Home Assistant, every entity (light, sensor, switch, etc.) has a state. This state reflects the current condition – "on," "off," "locked," "unlocked," "home," "away," and so on. We'll leverage this state to trigger icon changes. The icon itself is usually defined within your Lovelace configuration (YAML or UI mode).

Method 1: Using Templates in Lovelace (YAML Mode)

This is a powerful and flexible method, particularly well-suited for YAML configuration. You'll utilize conditional statements within your Lovelace YAML to change the icon based on the entity's state.

Example: A Smart Light

Let's say you have a smart light named light.living_room. You want the icon to be a filled lightbulb when it's on and an empty lightbulb when it's off. Here's how you'd do it in your lovelace.yaml file:

type: custom:button-card
entity: light.living_room
name: Living Room Light
icon: >
  {% if is_state('light.living_room', 'on') %}
    mdi:lightbulb
  {% else %}
    mdi:lightbulb-outline
  {% endif %}

This code snippet uses a Jinja2 template within the icon: property. The is_state function checks the state of light.living_room. If it's "on," it displays mdi:lightbulb; otherwise, it shows mdi:lightbulb-outline. Remember to replace mdi:lightbulb and mdi:lightbulb-outline with the appropriate Material Design Icons (MDI) or other icon sets you are using. You can find a vast library of icons at https://materialdesignicons.com/.

Extending the Template for Multiple States

You can extend this template to handle more states. For instance, if your light supports color temperature, you could add more conditions:

icon: >
  {% if is_state('light.living_room', 'on') %}
    mdi:lightbulb
  {% elif is_state('light.living_room', 'off') %}
    mdi:lightbulb-outline
  {% else %}
    mdi:lightbulb-multiple # For example, if in a color changing state
  {% endif %}

Method 2: Using the state Attribute Directly (UI Mode)

If you prefer the visual Lovelace UI editor, you can still achieve dynamic icons. However, it's less direct than the YAML approach and generally more limited.

1. Add a Button Card or other relevant card: In the Lovelace UI, add a button card for your entity.
2. Set the Icon: Select the icon from the available library. While you can't directly embed conditional logic here, you can use a single icon that reflects a default state. The icon will change automatically when the state of the entity changes if that entity has icons defined for its different states within the Home Assistant database (e.g., a binary sensor will have different icons for "on" and "off").

Method 3: Advanced Techniques – Using External Resources

For complex scenarios, consider using external resources like custom components or scripts. This method provides the most flexibility but requires more technical knowledge.

• Custom Components: Explore the Home Assistant community for custom components that offer dynamic icon functionalities. These often provide more advanced features and customization options.
• Automations/Scripts: You can create automations that trigger icon changes based on events or state changes. This offers fine-grained control but adds complexity to your configuration.

Troubleshooting Tips

• Verify Entity IDs: Double-check that your entity IDs are accurate in your YAML or UI configuration.
• Check Icon Names: Ensure you're using the correct icon names from your chosen icon set.
• Restart Home Assistant: After making changes, restart Home Assistant to apply the updates.
• Developer Tools: Use Home Assistant's developer tools to inspect the states of your entities and debug any issues.

By implementing these methods, you can significantly enhance your Home Assistant dashboard's visual appeal and information density. Remember to choose the method that best suits your technical skills and project complexity. Experiment and customize to create a truly personalized smart home experience!