In smart-home showrooms, a demo always gets the same reaction: press one button, and the living room switches from bright work mode to a soft cinema mode — all lights at once, with brightness, colour temperature, and fade time perfectly tuned. The visitor's first question is almost always: "Can we do that at home too?"
The answer: yes — and it is not as complicated as it sounds. The core principle of DALI scene programming is straightforward: each luminaire stores one or more preset values (brightness, colour temperature), and when a scene is called, all luminaires switch to their respective presets simultaneously. The real challenge is not technical — it is practical: what parameters should apply to which luminaires in which room? Which scene combinations are genuinely useful day to day? This is where most product manuals and technical documents fall silent. This article provides complete scene configurations for three rooms — living room, dining room, and home office — ready to discuss directly with your electrician or integrator.
In this article
Group vs. Scene — two terms that are easily confused
First, let us clarify two concepts that are frequently confused: Group and Scene.
A Group is a static organisational tool — you assign multiple luminaires to one group and control them uniformly. For example, grouping 6 ceiling spots in a living room as "main lighting" means they all dim up or down together. A Group controls: "multiple luminaires doing the same thing simultaneously."
A Scene works fundamentally differently. In a Scene, each luminaire can have an entirely different preset value. The same 6 living room spots: in the "Reading" scene, the spot above the sofa might be at 80% / 4000 K, while the corner spot only needs 30% / 2700 K. When the scene is called, each luminaire jumps to its own preset — some bright, some dim, some cool white, some warm white. One button press, the entire room's atmosphere changes.
| Criterion | Group | Scene |
|---|---|---|
| Control | All luminaires simultaneously identical | Each luminaire individually |
| Parameters | Brightness only | Brightness + Colour Temperature (DT8) |
| Capacity | 16 Groups (0–15) | 16 Scenes (0–15) |
| Purpose | "Which luminaires move together?" | "Where does each one move to?" |
The DALI protocol supports 16 scene numbers (Scene 0–15) and 16 groups (Group 0–15). Each DALI bus holds a maximum of 64 device addresses, and each address can belong to multiple groups. For a typical residential installation, this capacity is more than sufficient.
Living Room: 4 Scene Configurations
The living room is the most frequently used and functionally diverse space. Configuration: 6 × 24V DT8 LED Spots (2200K–6500K Tunable White), 2.7 m ceiling height, approximately 30 m².
Scene 1: Everyday
| Luminaire Group | Brightness | Colour Temp | Fade Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ceiling spots × 4 | 70 % | 3500 K | 3 s |
| Spot above sofa × 1 | 60 % | 3000 K | 3 s |
| Corner ambient spot × 1 | 40 % | 2200 K | 3 s |
Suitable for daily activities — conversation, watching TV, browsing your phone. The overall tone is neutral-warm, bright enough to see details without being harsh. The sofa area is slightly dimmer, with the corner providing supplementary ambient light.
Scene 2: Cinema
| Luminaire Group | Brightness | Colour Temp | Fade Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ceiling spots × 4 | 10 % | 3000 K | 8 s |
| Spot above sofa × 1 | 5 % | 2200 K | 8 s |
| Corner ambient spot × 1 | 15 % | 2200 K | 8 s |
An 8-second fade lets eyes adapt naturally — no abrupt dimming. Ceiling lights drop to minimum brightness, with only a faint warm glow from the corner providing spatial reference — it does not interfere with the screen, but allows you to see your footing if you need to get up.
Scene 3: Party
| Luminaire Group | Brightness | Colour Temp | Fade Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ceiling spots × 4 | 50 % | 3000 K | 2 s |
| Spot above sofa × 1 | 40 % | 2200 K | 2 s |
| Corner ambient spot × 1 | 60 % | 2200 K | 2 s |
Overall warm, moderate brightness, with more "warmth" than everyday mode. The fast 2-second switch is suitable for changing the mood mid-activity.
Scene 4: Night Light
| Luminaire Group | Brightness | Colour Temp | Fade Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ceiling spots × 4 | 0 % | — | 10 s |
| Spot above sofa × 1 | 3 % | 2200 K | 10 s |
| Corner ambient spot × 1 | 5 % | 2200 K | 10 s |
For late-night movement or checking on children. The 2200 K extreme warm tone does not suppress melatonin and will not fully wake you. The slow 10-second fade avoids sudden illumination.
Dining Room: 3 Scene Configurations
The dining room has a simpler function, but lighting significantly affects the dining experience. Configuration: 4 × 24V DT8 LED Spots above the table (2200K–6500K), pendant height approximately 70 cm above the table surface.
Scene 1: Dining
| Luminaire Group | Brightness | Colour Temp | Fade Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Table spots × 4 | 75 % | 3000 K | 3 s |
3000 K is the restaurant industry's standard colour temperature — warm white makes food look more appetising. Brightness is sufficient to see table details without casting harsh shadows.
Scene 2: Romantic
| Luminaire Group | Brightness | Colour Temp | Fade Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Table spots × 4 | 30 % | 2700 K | 8 s |
For a dinner for two or special occasions. Dropping to 30% with 2700 K warm white creates a soft effect when mixed with candlelight. The 8-second fade makes the transition feel natural.
Scene 3: Cleaning
| Luminaire Group | Brightness | Colour Temp | Fade Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Table spots × 4 | 100 % | 4000 K | 2 s |
When wiping down or tidying the table, you want maximum brightness and cool white light — every detail is visible. At 4000 K, no stain goes unnoticed.
Home Office: 3 Scenes — Where DT8 Colour Temperature Delivers the Most
The home office is the room where DT8 colour temperature control delivers the most visible value. Within a single day, you perform different types of work in the same space — deep focus, video calls, short breaks — each requiring different lighting. Configuration: 4 × 24V DT8 LED Spots (desk area, 2200K–6500K).
Scene 1: Focus
| Luminaire Group | Brightness | Colour Temp | Fade Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Desk spots × 4 | 85 % | 4000 K | 3 s |
Deep work, reading, data analysis. 4000 K cool white promotes alertness and concentration; 85% brightness ensures desk details are clearly visible. Multiple studies confirm that colour temperatures around 4000 K are optimal for office environments[1].
Scene 2: Video Call
| Luminaire Group | Brightness | Colour Temp | Fade Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Desk spots × 4 | 70 % | 3500 K | 2 s |
Video calls require balancing two factors: your face needs to be bright enough (so the other party can see your expressions), but not too "cold" (which looks unnatural). 3500 K is a compromise — brighter than pure warm white, more natural than pure cool white. 70% brightness performs well on most webcams.
Scene 3: Break
| Luminaire Group | Brightness | Colour Temp | Fade Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Desk spots × 4 | 30 % | 2700 K | 8 s |
Short breaks between work — a coffee, checking your phone. Dropping to 30% / 2700 K tells your body: it is time to relax. The slow 8-second fade process itself acts as a relaxation signal.
DT6 vs. DT8 in scene programming: A DT6 controller stores only brightness values — colour temperature remains the same across all scenes (factory-fixed). A DT8 controller stores both brightness and colour temperature simultaneously — the same luminaire group outputs 4000 K cool white in "Focus" mode and 2700 K warm white in "Break" mode. If you want your home office to adapt colour temperature based on different work states, DT8 is the right choice — explore the TILLUME 24V LED Spot series with full-range DT8 Tunable White models. More on DT8 in article D2-03 in this series.
Trigger Methods — More Than Just Pressing a Button
Scenes are programmed — but how do you trigger them? DALI's flexibility extends here too: the same scene command can be triggered through multiple methods:
| Trigger Method | Use Case | Example |
|---|---|---|
| DALI push-button | Fixed wall control | 4-button panel in living room, each button mapped to one scene |
| KNX touch panel | Whole-home integration | "Cinema" scene closes blinds simultaneously |
| Smartphone app | Remote or ad-hoc control | Switch scenes remotely when away from home |
| Timer | Automated schedules | 22:00 → Night Light activates automatically |
| Occupancy sensor | Automatic response | Night movement detected → Night Light 15 min., then off |
In DACH residential buildings, the most common combination is KNX touch panel + DALI scenes — KNX handles whole-home logic and automation, DALI handles precise lighting execution. The two connect via a KNX-DALI Gateway. Details on configuration are covered in article D2-06 of this series.
Programming Scenes: Two Paths in Practice
The tables above give you the scene parameters — but how do you actually write them into the luminaires? In practice, two approaches have proven themselves: Path A via KNX + MDT DALI Gateway (for holistic smart-home projects), and Path B via Lunatone DALI Cockpit (for lighting-only projects without KNX). Below we walk through both paths step by step.
Path A: Via KNX + MDT DALI Gateway (ETS/DCA)[4]
Best for: Buildings with an existing or planned KNX whole-home automation system, where lighting needs to integrate with other trades (blinds, HVAC, security).
Prerequisites: MDT DALI Control 64 Gateway (SCN-DA641.04), DALI bus (DALI DT8 LED Controller + LED Spots), KNX bus + ETS programming software (with MDT .knxprod product database).
A1 — Load MDT Product Database in ETS
Import the MDT SCN-DA641.04 .knxprod file into ETS and register the Gateway in your KNX project. Each channel of the MDT Gateway supports 64 DALI addresses — sufficient to cover all luminaires on a typical floor.
A2 — Configure DALI Channels and Device Addresses
Open the "Inbetriebnahme" (Commissioning) page of the MDT DCA. The interface is divided into three areas: on the left the group configuration tree, in the centre the EVG configuration table, and on the right the list of unidentified devices (appears after online connection).
Step 1 — Plan EVG numbers and names: Double-click the description field in the EVG configuration table to enter a descriptive name (max. 30 characters), e.g. Ceiling Liv 01, Sofa Liv 01. These names automatically sync into ETS communication object descriptions.
Step 2 — Create groups: Create DALI Groups in the left-hand group tree, e.g. Group 0 (living room ceiling spots), Group 1 (sofa area spots). Right-clicking a group in the tree opens a context menu where you can broadcast commands (all on / all off) to the entire group at once.
Step 3 — Address and identify devices: Click "Neuinstallation" (New Installation). The Gateway automatically scans all unaddressed luminaires on the DALI bus and assigns Short Addresses (0–63). The scan takes up to approximately 3 minutes, with progress and device count shown in the bottom-right corner. After the scan, all discovered luminaires appear on the right. Now: select a luminaire → right-click → choose "Ein/Aus" — the luminaire blinks, identifying its physical position. Alternatively, enable "Automatisch Blinken An" to have the luminaire blink automatically on every selection.
Step 4 — Drag & Drop: assign a luminaire to a group: Drag & Drop identified luminaires from the right-hand list into the corresponding row in the centre EVG configuration table. Drag into the desired Group on the left simultaneously — the group number automatically appears in the "Gruppen Nr." field of the EVG table. Once an EVG is assigned to the table, the flag "PLAN" indicates the status. After programming, "OK" appears as confirmation.
A-02a: Nachinstallation popup — options to keep existing EVGs or clear externally assigned short addresses
A-02b: Automatic group assignment — assign luminaires to a specific group directly during Nachinstallation
A-02c-1: Context menu at group level — broadcast control commands (All On/All Off) for the entire group
A-02c-3: EVG context menu — turn luminaire on/off and blink for identification
A-02d: EVG assignment in the configuration table — "PLAN" shows assignment, "OK" confirms successful programming
Important: All steps above are only planning in the DCA interface — nothing has been written to the Gateway yet. You must click "Programmieren" to write the configuration into the devices. The first programming step requires ETS to be connected to the Gateway's physical address via the KNX bus.
24V constant-voltage advantage: With a TILLUME 24V DALI solution, one controller drives a group of luminaires sharing a single DALI address. For 6 living room spots, 2–3 DALI addresses are sufficient instead of 6.
A3 — Configure Scene Parameters in the DCA
Open the "Szenen" (Scenes) module in the MDT DCA:
- Select a scene number (Scene 1–16) and give it a name (max. 20 characters)
- Drag & Drop the desired Groups from the right-hand tree into the scene editor window
- Set scene parameters for each Group:
- Wert (Value): target brightness (0–100%, select via dropdown)
- Farbe (Colour): target colour temperature (Colour Picker opens, supports colour temp / RGB / XY modes)
- Andimmzeit (Fade time): in seconds, based on the full value range — setting 30 s means 0→100% takes 30 s; a 50% change takes only 15 s
- Optional: tick "Wert beibehalten" (keep current brightness) or "Farbe beibehalten" (keep current colour)
A-03: Scenes module in MDT DCA — left: scene selector; right: group tree; centre: scene editor window
A-04: Scene values per group — "Wert" (brightness 0–100%) and "Farbe" (colour temp/RGB) settings
A-05: Colour Picker for colour temperature (Tc mode) — select colour temperature directly and apply to the scene
A-06: Colour Picker for RGB/HSV mode — for DT8-RGB luminaires, pick colour directly via pipette or sliders
A4 — Programme Scenes into DALI Devices
Once all parameter settings are complete, click the "Programmieren" (Programme) button in the upper-right corner of the DCA. ETS sends all scene parameters to the Gateway via KNX bus, which then writes them into each luminaire's local memory via DALI bus.
A-07: "Programmieren" — all settings are written to the Gateway and EVGs; progress is displayed
Tip: Scene planning can be done entirely offline — all scenes can be designed in ETS without any DALI devices connected. Only the "Programme" step requires the Gateway to be online.
A5 — KNX Side: Bind Scene Trigger Objects
In ETS, create a KNX Group Address for each scene (e.g. GA Lighting/Living Room/Scene 1), type DPT 18.001 (8 Bit Scene)[3], and bind it to the MDT Gateway's "Szene Aktivieren/Lernen" communication object:
- Send value 0 = Scene 1, value 1 = Scene 2, … value 15 = Scene 16
- Send value 128 = Programme Scene 1, value 129 = Programme Scene 2, …
Then bind KNX touch panel buttons, timers, or logic modules to these Group Addresses — e.g. the "Cinema" button sends value 1 and simultaneously triggers the close-blinds logic.
A6 — Test and Fine-Tune
The MDT DCA provides two test functions: right-clicking any row in the scene editor sends that group's brightness/colour command in real time for live preview. After full programming, the "Test" button becomes available, activating and executing the complete scene.
A-08: "Test" — after programming, this button activates the complete scene for on-site verification
Path B: Via Lunatone DALI Cockpit (Pure DALI System)[5]
Best for: Lighting-only projects without whole-home KNX integration. Scenes are triggered directly via DALI push-button panels — no KNX Gateway required.
Prerequisites: PC (Windows 7/10), USB-DALI Interface (e.g. Lunatone DALI USB), DALI bus (DALI DT8 LED Controller + LED Spots), DALI Cockpit software (free from Lunatone, registration required).
B1 — Connect to the DALI Bus
Connect the USB-DALI Interface to PC and DALI bus. Open DALI Cockpit, select the interface via the "Datei" (File) menu and connect. After a successful connection, the toolbar displays the DALI bus status.
B2 — Address Devices
Via "DALI Bus → DALI Adressierung", assign Short Addresses. Two modes:
- Random Address assignment: the software automatically assigns free Short Addresses
- Manual addressing: use "Physical Selection" to target individual devices and assign addresses one by one
B3 — Create Device Groups
Via "DALI Bus → Gruppenmanagement", create DALI Groups. Drag & Drop luminaires from the device list into the appropriate group, e.g. Group 0 (living room ceiling spots) → drag in 4 ceiling spots. Note: group changes must be made in online mode.
B4 — Configure Scenes Per Device
Select a luminaire in the device list → open detail page → switch to the "Szenen" tab:
- Select scene number (Scene 0–15)
- Set brightness (slider 0–100%)
- For DT8 devices: colour parameters (RGB / colour temperature / XY depending on device type)
- Activate/deactivate scenes (deactivated scenes are set to MASK — the device ignores them when the scene is called)
- Click "Speichern" to write the configuration to the luminaire
B5 — Scene Configurator for Multiple Devices Simultaneously
When the same scene needs to be configured for multiple luminaires at once, the Szenen-Konfigurator is more efficient:
- Open via "DALI Bus → Szenen Konfiguration…"
- Select address range: Broadcast (all devices), Gruppe (all in a specific group), Einzeladresse (single device)
- Select scene number (0–15) and scene type (brightness / DT8 colour scene)
- Adjust parameters — live preview shown on the right
- "Store Scene" for one scene, "Store All" for all 16 scenes at once
- Save configuration as .xml and reuse in other projects
B6 — Bind DALI Push-Button Panels
Assign physical push-buttons to scene numbers in DALI Cockpit. Once configured, pressing the wall button triggers the scene directly — no KNX device required.
B7 — Test and Fine-Tune
In the "Steuerung" section of the device detail page, you can send On / Min / Off direct commands for single-luminaire testing. Via "DALI Bus → DALI Befehle", you can send any DALI command (including Scene Recall) to a specified address for verification.
The Two Paths Compared
| Criteria | Path A: KNX + MDT Gateway | Path B: Lunatone DALI Cockpit |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Whole-home KNX (lighting + blinds + HVAC + security) | Lighting-only, no KNX integration planned |
| Software | ETS + MDT DCA | Lunatone DALI Cockpit (free) |
| Scene storage location | DALI luminaire local memory (written via Gateway) | DALI luminaire local memory |
| Cross-system integration | ✅ Yes (scene can control blinds, HVAC simultaneously) | ❌ No |
| Timer / logic | ✅ ETS logic modules | ❌ DALI push-button trigger only |
| Cost | Higher (KNX + Gateway + ETS licence) | Lower (USB interface + free software) |
| Recommended for | New build, detached house/villa, whole-home automation | Retrofit, single-room lighting |
Regardless of which path you choose, scene parameters are always stored in each luminaire's local memory. This means that even after a power failure and restart of the Gateway or controller, scene data is not lost. For more on combining KNX and DALI, see article D2-06 in this series.
Frequently Asked Questions
[1] NIH – Blue Light and Sleep — Effect of colour temperature on alertness and circadian rhythm
[3] KNX Association – Datapoint Types (DPT 18.001)
[4] MDT Technical Handbook DALI Control 64 Gateway (PDF)
[5] Lunatone – DALI Cockpit
DALI-2 Series — Articles
D2-01: DALI-2 Lighting Control – What You Can Actually Achieve
D2-02: DALI DT6: From 1% to 100% – The Perfect Dimming Experience
D2-03: DALI DT8 Tunable White – Replicate Natural Daylight
D2-04: Programming DALI Light Scenes – Perfect Atmosphere at the Press of a Button (this article)
D2-06: Combining DALI and KNX – Professional Lighting Control
With the right controllers and thoughtful scene planning, lighting control transforms from a technical detail into everyday comfort.
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