Glowing Dots Screensaver

[balala]

A while ago I read about the SysInfo plugin and its IDLE_TIME option and I got the idea to create a skin similar with a "screensaver". I always was a fan of a good screensaver. So, here's the result of this work.
In the development of this skin I was helped by Chevinster. Thanks!
After loading of the skin you can access a settings panel moving the mouse in the upper left corner of the screen.
Comments are welcomed.

[drakulaboy]

when i try to run the skin

[balala]

It seems that in your case [MeasureRandDot1Color], [MeasureRandDot1Color], ..., [MeasureRandDot12Color] returns always 0. The first eight should return a random value between 1 and 8 and the other four between 1 and 4. The image of the dots are Dot1.png, Dot2.png, ..., Dot8.png (the moving dots) and Dot1P.png, ..., Dot4P.png (the fixed dots). Like these measures would be disabled.
I have no idea what could cause this. Please upload the code of the skin to can check, but I assume you didn't modify it. Have anybody else gave it a try? If so, how it works?

[jsmorley]

The screensaver works as expected, but I do get a bunch of the same error in the log. I think it is caused by the very first update of the meters taking place when some measure values are still "0". I suspect that after the first update, all is well.

[drakulaboy]

i did not change anything, only installed and trying to run it, sometimes i get that control in left up corner

[eclectic-tech]

It seems that in your case [MeasureRandDot1Color], [MeasureRandDot1Color], ..., [MeasureRandDot12Color] returns always 0. The first eight should return a random value between 1 and 8 and the other four between 1 and 4. The image of the dots are Dot1.png, Dot2.png, ..., Dot8.png (the moving dots) and Dot1P.png, ..., Dot4P.png (the fixed dots). Like these measures would be disabled.
I have no idea what could cause this. Please upload the code of the skin to can check, but I assume you didn't modify it. Have anybody else gave it a try? If so, how it works?

The 'settings.inc' file is not in the skin folder anywhere...
I get the same log messages as drakulaboy...

[drakulaboy]

was about to say that settings.inc is not in skin dir. Have copyed Dot1 and Dot1P , renamed to Dot0 and Dot0P, now in Log is only Unable to read settings.inc

[balala]

The screensaver works as expected, but I do get a bunch of the same error in the log. I think it is caused by the very first update of the meters taking place when some measure values are still "0". I suspect that after the first update, all is well.

Yes jsmorley, indeed that's the explonation. I never checked it before, but now I see that I get the same errors, but only when the skin is loaded. Never later. So, my question is that if when the skin is loaded, this measure:

Code: Select all

[MeasureRandDot1Color]
Measure=Calc
Formula=Random
LowBound=1
HighBound=8
UpdateRandom=1
UniqueRandom=1

returns 0 for the first time. That's how it looks like. After an update period, the returned values become as are expected (between 1 and 8 - on first eight measures and 1 and 4 - on last four) and didn't get any more errors.

The 'settings.inc' file is not in the skin folder anywhere...
I get the same log messages as drakulaboy...

This indeed is my fault. Initily I wanted to use a Settings.inc file to store the value of some variables. Later I resigned it, but forgot to delete the @Include=settings.inc line from there. Sorry, but this don't give any trouble at all.
So, the question is how could be avoided the initial situation, when those measures should return a greater value then 0, but they don't.
Or the simplest solution would be to include a Dot0.png and a Dot0P.png to avoid that errors?

[drakulaboy]

still don't see anything on desktop, no lines, dots, wallpaper after deleting settings.inc line
is that suppose to change quick? MeasureSetWallpaper

[balala]

still don't see anything on desktop, no lines, dots, wallpaper after deleting settings.inc line
is that suppose to change quick? MeasureSetWallpaper

The skin has set the Update=100, so it is updated 10 times per second. To see anything you have to wait without any interaction with your computer (without keypress or mouse movement) at least #Wait# seconds. To verify the settings, move your mouse in the upper left corner of the screen and you'll see a settings panel. There you'll have a numerical value. That's the number of seconds you have to wait befor the dots become visible (it should work as a screensaver: if you don't work with the computer after a while the screensaver srtarts. Until then, you see nothing). Also, you can set this time on that settings panel.