KNX lighting scenes let one press on a wall switch set every light in a room to a stored level. Welcome, Puja and Dinner are three that suit a festival evening, and each is programmed once. This post explains what a scene is, how a KNX system stores and recalls it, and how to think about the three Diwali scenes, whatever your lights and switches are.
What is a lighting scene?
A scene is a saved set of light levels. The ceiling downlights at 20 percent, the wall lights at 60, the cove light off: that is one scene. You press a button and the lights move to those levels together, instead of you walking round the room with four switches.
On a KNX system the scene is not stored in the button. It is stored in the lighting actuators in the distribution board, and the button only sends a scene number. This is why a scene works the same from any keypad, a phone app or a time schedule: they all send the same number.
How does a KNX scene work?
Each scene has a number. A keypad button is set up to send that number to one group address, and the actuators for the room's lights listen to that address. When an actuator receives the number, it moves its output to the level it has stored for that scene.
- One address for the room. A single scene group address can carry all the scenes of a room, with every button and every actuator using it.
- Stored in the actuator. Each actuator holds its own level for each scene number you have set up.
- Changeable later. On many systems a long press on the button can send a store command, which saves the present light levels into that scene. Whether this is enabled is a choice made at programming.
The KNX protocol allows scene numbers 1 to 64. How many scenes a given actuator stores depends on the product, so check the datasheet of the actuator you plan to use, and tell your integrator how many scenes you expect each room to need.
What do Welcome, Puja and Dinner look like?
These are examples to give a programmer a starting point. The levels are yours to set in the room, by eye, and you should expect to adjust them after the first evening.
| Scene | What it is for | Typical approach |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome | Guests arrive and the house should look ready | Entrance, hall and living room at a bright, warm level. Passage lights on, accent lights on |
| Puja | A calm, steady light for prayer | Main lights low, light on the puja area raised, nothing flickering or colour-changing in the room |
| Dinner | Eating and talking | Light over the table higher than the rest of the room, wall lights soft, living area dimmed |
Notice that none of these needs a special product. They need dimmable lamps on a dimming output, and a clear idea of what each area of the room should do.
What does the lighting need to support?
A scene can only set a level that the light is able to produce. Before you choose lamps and fittings, check these points.
- Dimmable lamps on a dimming actuator. A lamp that is not dimmable will flicker or fail on a dimmed output. The lamp, the driver and the actuator all have to be compatible, so ask for this to be confirmed in writing for each circuit.
- Warm white where you want a festival look. Most people choose a warm tone for evening scenes. Warmer light is a matter of the lamp you choose, and tunable white fittings can offer a range. The choice is yours, and there are no colour-temperature figures here because the right value depends on the fitting.
- A circuit for each effect. If the cove light and the downlights share one circuit, they cannot be set apart. Decide the groupings at the electrical drawing stage.
How do you set the scenes up?
- List the areas of each room. Entrance, seating, dining, puja corner, accent lights.
- Write each scene as a short table of area against level, so that the programmer and you agree on the same thing.
- Program and test in the room, in the evening. Light levels look different in daytime. Set them when the room is dark.
- Name the buttons. Put the scene names on the keypad labels, so every family member can use them.
- Ask for the changes you want, afterwards. Treat the first evening as a trial and ask the integrator to adjust.
None of this is festival-specific. The same method gives you Movie, Reading, Morning and Away. A festival is a good reason to set them up because the house is full and the lights get used.
Can a scene be recalled by a schedule or app?
Yes, because the scene is only a number on the bus. A time schedule, a 1Home or other server, or a voice assistant connected to the system can send the same number. Remote and voice features usually need a server and an internet connection for the cloud part, while the wall keypad works on its own.
Questions people ask
How many scenes can a KNX room have?
The protocol supports scene numbers 1 to 64. The number an actuator can store depends on the product, so check its datasheet and tell your integrator how many you need.
Do I need special lamps for scenes?
You need lamps that are dimmable and compatible with the dimming actuator. The scene itself needs nothing special.
Can I change a scene after it is set?
Yes. The levels are stored in the actuators and can be changed by the integrator, and on many systems from a keypad if that was set up.
Planning lighting for a new home or a renovation? Start with our KNX guide for India, or talk to our team.
Sources checked on 7 November 2026
- Ivory Egg, How to program scenes on KNX, for the scene number, group address and store-and-recall method.
- Morion Automation, KNX in India, for how KNX devices are programmed in ETS by a certified integrator.
- KNX Association, What is KNX, for KNX as an open standard.
KNX lighting scenes let one press on a wall switch set every light in a room to a stored level. Welcome, Puja and Dinner are three that suit a festival evening, and each is programmed once. This post explains what a scene is, how a KNX system stores and recalls it, and how to think about the three Diwali scenes, whatever your lights and switches are.
What is a lighting scene?
A scene is a saved set of light levels. The ceiling downlights at 20 percent, the wall lights at 60, the cove light off: that is one scene. You press a button and the lights move to those levels together, instead of you walking round the room with four switches.
On a KNX system the scene is not stored in the button. It is stored in the lighting actuators in the distribution board, and the button only sends a scene number. This is why a scene works the same from any keypad, a phone app or a time schedule: they all send the same number.
How does a KNX scene work?
Each scene has a number. A keypad button is set up to send that number to one group address, and the actuators for the room's lights listen to that address. When an actuator receives the number, it moves its output to the level it has stored for that scene.
- One address for the room. A single scene group address can carry all the scenes of a room, with every button and every actuator using it.
- Stored in the actuator. Each actuator holds its own level for each scene number you have set up.
- Changeable later. On many systems a long press on the button can send a store command, which saves the present light levels into that scene. Whether this is enabled is a choice made at programming.
The KNX protocol allows scene numbers 1 to 64. How many scenes a given actuator stores depends on the product, so check the datasheet of the actuator you plan to use, and tell your integrator how many scenes you expect each room to need.
What do Welcome, Puja and Dinner look like?
These are examples to give a programmer a starting point. The levels are yours to set in the room, by eye, and you should expect to adjust them after the first evening.
| Scene | What it is for | Typical approach |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome | Guests arrive and the house should look ready | Entrance, hall and living room at a bright, warm level. Passage lights on, accent lights on |
| Puja | A calm, steady light for prayer | Main lights low, light on the puja area raised, nothing flickering or colour-changing in the room |
| Dinner | Eating and talking | Light over the table higher than the rest of the room, wall lights soft, living area dimmed |
Notice that none of these needs a special product. They need dimmable lamps on a dimming output, and a clear idea of what each area of the room should do.
What does the lighting need to support?
A scene can only set a level that the light is able to produce. Before you choose lamps and fittings, check these points.
- Dimmable lamps on a dimming actuator. A lamp that is not dimmable will flicker or fail on a dimmed output. The lamp, the driver and the actuator all have to be compatible, so ask for this to be confirmed in writing for each circuit.
- Warm white where you want a festival look. Most people choose a warm tone for evening scenes. Warmer light is a matter of the lamp you choose, and tunable white fittings can offer a range. The choice is yours, and there are no colour-temperature figures here because the right value depends on the fitting.
- A circuit for each effect. If the cove light and the downlights share one circuit, they cannot be set apart. Decide the groupings at the electrical drawing stage.
How do you set the scenes up?
- List the areas of each room. Entrance, seating, dining, puja corner, accent lights.
- Write each scene as a short table of area against level, so that the programmer and you agree on the same thing.
- Program and test in the room, in the evening. Light levels look different in daytime. Set them when the room is dark.
- Name the buttons. Put the scene names on the keypad labels, so every family member can use them.
- Ask for the changes you want, afterwards. Treat the first evening as a trial and ask the integrator to adjust.
None of this is festival-specific. The same method gives you Movie, Reading, Morning and Away. A festival is a good reason to set them up because the house is full and the lights get used.
Can a scene be recalled by a schedule or app?
Yes, because the scene is only a number on the bus. A time schedule, a 1Home or other server, or a voice assistant connected to the system can send the same number. Remote and voice features usually need a server and an internet connection for the cloud part, while the wall keypad works on its own.
Questions people ask
How many scenes can a KNX room have?
The protocol supports scene numbers 1 to 64. The number an actuator can store depends on the product, so check its datasheet and tell your integrator how many you need.
Do I need special lamps for scenes?
You need lamps that are dimmable and compatible with the dimming actuator. The scene itself needs nothing special.
Can I change a scene after it is set?
Yes. The levels are stored in the actuators and can be changed by the integrator, and on many systems from a keypad if that was set up.
Planning lighting for a new home or a renovation? Start with our KNX guide for India, or talk to our team.
Sources checked on 7 November 2026
- Ivory Egg, How to program scenes on KNX, for the scene number, group address and store-and-recall method.
- Morion Automation, KNX in India, for how KNX devices are programmed in ETS by a certified integrator.
- KNX Association, What is KNX, for KNX as an open standard.
