Welcome to the future of your Apple Home! With version 7.0, Controller for HomeKit has revolutionized smart home control. Use the LiDAR sensor of your iPhone or iPad to easily create an Apple Home Floor Plan and link it with devices, rooms, scenes, and workflows. In this post, you’ll learn what to look out for and how to achieve the best possible results.
Requirements
Make sure you have a compatible device with a LiDAR sensor:
- iPhone 12 Pro or newer Pro model
- iPad Pro 11″ (from 3rd generation)
- iPad Pro 12.9″ (from 5th generation)
The LiDAR sensor (Light Detection and Ranging) emits light pulses and measures the time it takes for the light to return from surfaces. This creates an accurate depth map of the room, enabling a detailed 3D image of your environment.
If you don’t have your own device with a LiDAR sensor, ask a friend if you can use theirs to scan your home. Controller for HomeKit offers an App Clip, so you don’t even have to download and set up the app. Simply open the App Clip on the device and perform the scan. You can then export the floor plan and import it back on your own device. Learn how this works further down.
Tips for the Scan
There are a few things you can keep in mind during the scan to get the most accurate model of your home.
Proceed Room by Room
Scan each room individually. Once you have fully captured a room, tap “Done” at the top right. Hold your device upright in your hand and move to the next room without covering the camera. There, tap “Start Scan” and capture the room.
Thoroughly Scan Important Objects
Controller for HomeKit recognizes numerous objects that you should scan more closely. This is the only way the app knows if your chair has armrests, your table is round, or your sofa is particularly fluffy 😉. You can see if an object has been recognized by the white frame around it. These objects include:
- Doors
- Windows
- Cabinets
- Shelves
- Chairs
- Tables
- Sofas
- Televisions
- Fireplaces
- Refrigerators
- Ovens
- Stoves
- Dishwashers (best to open them slightly)
- Sinks
- Toilets
- Bathtubs
Scan Multiple Floors
If your home has more than one floor, you can easily scan your stairs and switch floors. Later, you can switch between floors in your Apple Home Floor Plan. If there are any issues during the scan because your home is very large, you can split it into multiple floor plans, such as one floor plan per floor. You can manage and add more floor plans via the arrow next to your house name on the main page.
Garden Sheds and Garages
The floor plan is designed for indoor use. If you also want to scan your detached garden shed or garage, add them as separate floor plans.
Perform scan
To scan your home, tap the new “Floor Plan” tile on the main page of Controller for HomeKit and start the scan.
If you no longer see the tile, tap on your home’s name at the top and then on “Manage Floor Plan”. There you can add another floor plan at any time.
Move your device along the room edges, from top to bottom and left to right. The app will guide you through the process. As soon as the first lines form, you will see the construction of the 3D image at the bottom of the screen. Capture the walls, doors, windows, and furniture. Once the room is fully captured, tap “Done” at the top right and move to the next room without covering the camera. Once there, you can tap “Start Scan” again.
Once you have captured all rooms, tap “Save Floor Plan” at the top left. You will now see the 3D image of your home. Controller for HomeKit will prompt you to place the 3D model within a square. The resulting preview image will be used for the tile on the main page and for widgets. You can create a new preview image at any time by long-pressing the tile on the main page and tapping “Edit Thumbnail”.
Adding Elements
Your floor plan becomes truly valuable when you link your Apple Home devices, rooms, scenes, and workflows. After the scan, you will automatically be in edit mode and can easily add the desired elements. You can also add more elements, rearrange, or delete them later at any time via the “Edit” button in the floor plan.
Room Elements
Place room elements on your Apple Home Floor Plan to quickly and easily open the room overview. This way, you don’t have to add every device to the floor plan, but still have everything just a tap away.
Accessories
Add individual devices or service groups. Controllable devices, such as lights or outlets, can be directly controlled via the icon in the floor plan. For sensors, the current value is displayed in the floor plan.
Service Groups
Among the devices, you will also see service groups. This allows you to combine multiple devices into one element. You can add service groups under the “Service Groups” menu on the main page.
For example, if you create a service group with multiple lights, you can control the entire group with a single element on the floor plan. If one light in the service group is on, the entire group is considered on, and you can turn it off by tapping the icon. Sensors can also be grouped together. If you have a double window with each window equipped with its own contact sensor, you can add these to a service group. If one of the windows is open, the element in the floor plan will be shown as open; if all are closed, the service group will appear as closed.
Scenes
Scenes can be executed directly from the floor plan. If a scene controls the power status, such as turning on lights, you can even toggle the scene, i.e., turn it off again.
Workflows
Workflows can also be executed directly from the floor plan. While scenes are linked to specific devices, workflows work with properties. The example workflow “Turn off all lights” will always turn off all lights, even if you have added more lights to Apple Home in the meantime. With a scene, you would have to manually add the device.
Editing Elements
You can add more elements or rearrange and delete existing ones at any time. Simply open your floor plan and tap “Edit” at the top right. To delete or rearrange a device, tap on the device. A bar will appear at the bottom of the screen, including a delete button. If you just want to move the element, simply tap on the new location.
Export and Import Floor Plans
If you want to make the Apple Home Floor Plan available to other residents of your home or use our App Clip on another device, you can easily export the floor plan. The export option is directly available after the scan in the App Clip. In Controller for HomeKit, you can long-press the tile with the corresponding floor plan on the main page and then select “Share”. You can then send the floor plan via AirDrop, iMessage, or email.
Note: The file also includes all elements you have added to the floor plan, such as rooms, devices, scenes, and workflows. Make sure to fully set up the floor plan before sharing it with another resident. Any elements added after sharing will not be included in the shared file.
You can then open the file on the device where you want to use the floor plan. Before doing this, however, you should select the appropriate home in Controller that you want to link the floor plan with. If you only have one Apple Home, you can open the file directly. Depending on the device, the import process varies slightly:
iPhone and iPad: Open the file and then tap on “Share”. There, select “Controller”. The app will open, and the floor plan will appear on the main page. If you do not see “Controller” in the share menu, go to the far right in the app row, tap “More” and then select “Controller”.
Mac: Right-click on the file, hover over “Open With”, and select Controller for HomeKit.
And now we wish you lots of fun setting up, so you can optimally control your Apple Home. Do you have feedback? Then head this way.
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