Any problem sending invalid preset # to WLED via MQTT/JSON?

Questions
1

Short version:
Is it in anyway “bad” to tell a WLED instance (via JSON over MQTT) to select a preset # that doesn’t exist?

Longer version:
I’m trying to coordinate the 14 WLED instances to drive lighting around the hours and am using MQTT to command presets. In addition to per-WLED instances, I also want to have coordinated presets for certain events (like “evening”, “guests over”, “house is on fire”, etc) that I will send/command over the MQTT group channel/topic.

To do this, I’m “standardizing” on preset #s for all my WLED instances and using MQTT group addressing so that when an known event/situation is wanted, I send the standard preset # to all WLED installs.

Which all works pretty well. I “reserved” preset #s 200+ for these cases, allowing lower presets to be used for specific per-instance needs.

However, not all WLED instances need or should respond to all the “reserved” presets. So, for example, if a WLED instance doesn’t have anything to “do” when the MQTT/JSON group command to switch to preset 205 (entertaining), I would just not assign any preset #205 on that instance.

This SEEMS to be working OK, but I notice that when I go to the Web UI on such a WLED instance (one that received a command to switch to a non-existent present #), it shows a red popup box saying unknown preset.

I just want to make sure that nothing else bad is happening and that error is “informational only”. Further, that sending a request for a preset that doesn’t existing to a WLED unit will be ignored (that is, won’t change the preset the WELD instance was already running).

Thanks

Gerry

2

Someone else with a more indepth knowledge of the code will need to chime in on the possible effects of referencing a non-existent preset.

One possible way to avoid the “bad preset” message would be to create a “null” preset, whose API is just: “{}”. That lets you create a complete set of the Reseved Presets for all devices, but have some of those presets “do nothing” where appropriate.

3

no, it is not

4

Thats great to hear!

I do like the idea of “null” presets - never thought of that before. I can definitely see some use cases.

For me, there are a fair number of “standard” presets now and setting them all up might be a real pain (and error prone).

My plan was to only implement the “standard” presets that any one/each particular WLED instance did anything for. In effect, setting up only presets needed in those reserved numbers acts like a passive “subscription” to that particular event/preset.

Thanks for both answers - they each help out!

Gerry