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How do I make a Screen Saver with Rainmeter?

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Buchiedu
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Joined: May 15th, 2020, 9:24 pm

How do I make a Screen Saver with Rainmeter?

Post by Buchiedu »

I'm new to rainmeter and I want to make my screensaver a picture (the same as my background) with a functional digital clock in the center. Is this possible? If so could I have a step by step guide?
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CyberTheWorm
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Re: How do I make a Screen Saver with Rainmeter?

Post by CyberTheWorm »

Buchiedu wrote: May 15th, 2020, 9:27 pm I'm new to rainmeter and I want to make my screensaver a picture (the same as my background) with a functional digital clock in the center. Is this possible? If so could I have a step by step guide?
Well rainmeter is not a screensaver but it should be able to display that all the time.

https://docs.rainmeter.net/manual/ go here first, there are some guide on how to create a skin, then if you are having trouble come back for help. We will assist and help you once you get stuck.

Or goto here and download a skin and edit it to suit your needs
https://forum.rainmeter.net/viewforum.php?f=27
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balala
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Re: How do I make a Screen Saver with Rainmeter?

Post by balala »

Buchiedu wrote: May 15th, 2020, 9:27 pm I'm new to rainmeter and I want to make my screensaver a picture (the same as my background) with a functional digital clock in the center. Is this possible?
Besides CyberTheWorm's reply, I'm not entirely sure what you mean by "I want to make my screensaver". I just suppose you'd like to show that skin (the picture and the clock) only if the computer is idle for certain minutes, same as a screen saver does. Am I right?
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deflore08
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Re: How do I make a Screen Saver with Rainmeter?

Post by deflore08 »

Buchiedu wrote: May 15th, 2020, 9:27 pm I'm new to rainmeter and I want to make my screensaver a picture (the same as my background) with a functional digital clock in the center. Is this possible? If so could I have a step by step guide?
I am a bit lazy to write examples or step by step guide, but i can say, you could simulate screensaver with IDLE_TIME instance using SysInfo plugin. When idle_time above a set value you can begin a chain of conditions like run your skin or some measures, set Zpos as you need and more more more interested things.
Last edited by Brian on November 11th, 2020, 5:34 am, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Removed reference to deleted post.
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balala
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Re: How do I make a Screen Saver with Rainmeter?

Post by balala »

deflore08 wrote: November 9th, 2020, 12:45 pm I am a bit lazy to write examples or step by step guide, but i can say, you could simulate screensaver with IDLE_TIME instance using SysInfo plugin. When idle_time above a set value you can begin a chain of conditions like run your skin or some measures, set Zpos as you need and more more more interested things.
Such skins have beena already created, for instance: https://forum.rainmeter.net/viewtopic.php?p=107115#p107115
And yes, your assumption about how such a skin should work, is correct.
Last edited by Brian on November 11th, 2020, 5:34 am, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Removed reference to deleted post.
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deflore08
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Re: How do I make a Screen Saver with Rainmeter?

Post by deflore08 »

balala wrote: November 9th, 2020, 3:32 pm Such skins have beena already created, for instance: https://forum.rainmeter.net/viewtopic.php?p=107115#p107115
And yes, your assumption about how such a skin should work, is correct.
I guess he wants to know next: if windows ran screensaver, have rainmeter opportunity to catch this event and run something when event exist. The answer is "no" for now (as i know the existing RM's functionality) but it could be reached with a short custom plugin written manually. Or powershel script, which would check this windows event in background and then send data to rainmeter.
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balala
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Re: How do I make a Screen Saver with Rainmeter?

Post by balala »

deflore08 wrote: November 9th, 2020, 3:52 pm if windows ran screensaver, have rainmeter opportunity to catch this event and run something when event exist. The answer is "no" for now (as i know the existing RM's functionality) but it could be reached with a short custom plugin written manually. Or powershel script, which would check this windows event in background and then send data to rainmeter.
Well, my guess is that maybe a Process measure could do the job. Didn't test so far, so I just suppose (or hope?) it might, to can avoid the writing of another plugin. Will test it a little bit later.
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deflore08
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Re: How do I make a Screen Saver with Rainmeter?

Post by deflore08 »

balala wrote: November 9th, 2020, 4:20 pm Well, my guess is that maybe a Process measure could do the job. Didn't test so far, so I just suppose (or hope?) it might, to can avoid the writing of another plugin. Will test it a little bit later.
Huh, yeah, i'm idiot. Should work.

Code: Select all

scrnsave.scr
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balala
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Re: How do I make a Screen Saver with Rainmeter?

Post by balala »

deflore08 wrote: November 9th, 2020, 5:18 pm Huh, yeah, i'm idiot.
No, at all. Not realizing something doesn't mean you are an idiot. Just didn't think to it.
deflore08 wrote: November 9th, 2020, 5:18 pm Should work.

Code: Select all

scrnsave.scr
But unfortunately just tested it, but with no success. The used Process measure returns -1 even when the screen saver is running. When I open the Screen Saver setting window and choose the appropriate screen saver in the list, it returns 1, but when the screen saver is running, it returns -1. So this was not a good idea, doesn't work this way. Will have to figure out why and how can it be done to properly work, but now it simply doesn't.

Code: Select all

[MeasureProcess]
Measure=Plugin
Plugin=Process
ProcessName=Metaballs.scr
IfCondition=(#CURRENTSECTION#>0)
IfTrueAction=[!SetOption MeasureProcess UpdateDivider "-1"]
IfFalseAction=[!SetOption MeasureProcess UpdateDivider "1"]

[MeterProcess]
Meter=String
MeasureName=MeasureProcess
X=0
Y=0
SolidColor=0,0,0,100
StringAlign=Left
FontColor=220,220,220
AntiAlias=1
FontSize=10
StringStyle=Bold
Text=%1
LeftMouseUpAction=[!UpdateMeasure "MeasureProcess"]
Te can see what value is returned when the screen saver is running, such in a case, the skin sets an UpdateDivider=-1 option to the [MeasureProcess] measure, to not get it updated when the screen saver process closes. with a click on the string, you can set back the UpdateDivider to 1.
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Yincognito
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Re: How do I make a Screen Saver with Rainmeter?

Post by Yincognito »

balala wrote: November 9th, 2020, 8:47 pm No, at all. Not realizing something doesn't mean you are an idiot. Just didn't think to it.

But unfortunately just tested it, but with no success. The used Process measure returns -1 even when the screen saver is running. When I open the Screen Saver setting window and choose the appropriate screen saver in the list, it returns 1, but when the screen saver is running, it returns -1. So this was not a good idea, doesn't work this way. Will have to figure out why and how can it be done to properly work, but now it simply doesn't.

Code: Select all

[MeasureProcess]
Measure=Plugin
Plugin=Process
ProcessName=Metaballs.scr
IfCondition=(#CURRENTSECTION#>0)
IfTrueAction=[!SetOption MeasureProcess UpdateDivider "-1"]
IfFalseAction=[!SetOption MeasureProcess UpdateDivider "1"]

[MeterProcess]
Meter=String
MeasureName=MeasureProcess
X=0
Y=0
SolidColor=0,0,0,100
StringAlign=Left
FontColor=220,220,220
AntiAlias=1
FontSize=10
StringStyle=Bold
Text=%1
LeftMouseUpAction=[!UpdateMeasure "MeasureProcess"]
Te can see what value is returned when the screen saver is running, such in a case, the skin sets an UpdateDivider=-1 option to the [MeasureProcess] measure, to not get it updated when the screen saver process closes. with a click on the string, you can set back the UpdateDivider to 1.
As far as I know, the process must be an executable. Are you sure the .SCR file is an executable? You should look for the Windows background process that handles "playing" a screensaver, if any, and work with that.

That being said, I believe a screensaver "simulator" skin would be a better way to achieve the desired behavior.
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