ActionTimer

[Brian]

This plugin has been updated, check the first post for the latest:
http://rainmeter.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=112669#p112669


With the latest Rainmeter beta released today, it is important to update this plugin as soon as possible. There was a problem in some cases where the 'FinishAction' from some plugins were not firing (or doing strange things). This problem was caused by a change to the Rainmeter API that I made to get ActionTimer working. Since we fixed the part on the Rainmeter end, I had to come up with something to make ActionTimer work again....so this is it.

Anyway...

So, I finally got a little time to add a feature to this plugin. It is the 'Repeat' command that makes it really simple to define an action and wait sequence a number of times.

Usage: ActionList1= ... | Repeat SomeAction, WaitTime, NumberOfRepeats | ....
Where WaitTime is the number of milliseconds you want to wait in between each action, and NumberOfRepeats is 'how many' times you want to repeat that command.

Basically, it shortens the code significantly when doing a repetitive action/wait sequence.

Enjoy!

-Brian

[cfixd]

So, I finally got a little time to add a feature to this plugin. It is the 'Repeat' command that makes it really simple to define an action and wait sequence a number of times.

Glad to see it.I really need this feature, now I can write skins with the plugin in a easier way.

By the way, is it possible to "rename" the ActionListN ?
e.g.
ActionList1Name=ShowTip
then "Execute 1" equals to "Execute ShowTip"
I think it's useful to make the meaning of command clear between skins, just something like API.
Of course it doesn't matters a lot, just an idea.

I really love the 'Repeat' command, hoping it won't cause problems in Rainmeter.

[Brian]

By the way, is it possible to "rename" the ActionListN ?
e.g.
ActionList1Name=ShowTip
then "Execute 1" equals to "Execute ShowTip"

Without changes to the plugin API, this unfortunately cannot be done. There needs to be a way for the plugin to ask Rainmeter what the value of an option is. So basically, the plugin needs to have at least 1 hardcoded option. From there, you can use that hardcoded option to define the other options to read, which is what I did for this plugin.

-Brian

[ikarus1969]

Just a short feedback: i've played around with ActionTimer to make a transition in my weather-skin when temperature changes:

Temperature-transition_with_ActionTimer.gif

or a skin where i show the time in words:

time-in-words-transition_with_ActionTimer.gif

I hope this Plugin will find its way someday into the Rainmeter-package as a built-in measure.

[drakulaboy]

@ikarus1969 can you post a little examle please

[jsmorley]

Updated the .rmskin in the First Post to use the new "Repeat" functionality.

[drakulaboy]

nice, this is what i need now

[ikarus1969]

@ikarus1969 can you post a little examle please

Sure:

AT Test weather.gif

Test ActionTimer_1.0.rmskin

Code: Select all

[Rainmeter]
Update=1000
AccurateText=1
OnWakeAction=[!Refresh]

[Metadata]
Author=ikarus1969
Name=WeatherExample
Description=Example for the use of the ActionTimer plugin.|It is used when the temperature or the weather description changes
Instructions=No instructions so far
Version=1
License=Public Domain

[Variables]
V_DESC=get weather...
V_DESC_ALPHA=255
V_DESC_FE_ALPHA=192
UAT_DESC=[!UpdateMeasure "Measure_AT_Description"][!UpdateMeter "Meter_Description_Current"][!Redraw]

; V_TEMP=…
V_TEMP=
V_TEMP_ALPHA=255
UAT_TEMP=[!UpdateMeasure "Measure_AT_Temperature"][!UpdateMeter "Meter_Temp_Current"][!Redraw]

@IncludeJSMorleyWDC="WeatherDotComRegExp.inc"

; --------
; Measures
; --------
[Measure_AT_Description]
Measure=PLUGIN
Plugin=ActionTimer
ActionList1=Repeat HideDM, 20, 51 | Wait 10 | RefreshVarDM | Wait 10 | Repeat ShowDM, 20, 51
HideDM=[!SetVariable "V_DESC_ALPHA" "(#V_DESC_ALPHA# - 5)"]#UAT_DESC#
RefreshVarDM=[!SetVariable "V_DESC" "[Measure_Current_Text]"]
ShowDM=[!SetVariable "V_DESC_ALPHA" "(#V_DESC_ALPHA# + 5)"]#UAT_DESC#
DynamicVariables=1
UpdateDivider=-1
IgnoreWarnings=1

[Measure_AT_Temperature]
Measure=PLUGIN
Plugin=ActionTimer
ActionList1=Repeat HideTM, 20, 51 | Wait 10 | RefreshVarTM | Wait 10 | Repeat ShowTM, 20, 51
HideTM=[!SetVariable "V_TEMP_ALPHA" "(#V_TEMP_ALPHA# - 5)"]#UAT_TEMP#
RefreshVarTM=[!SetVariable "V_TEMP" "[Measure_Current_Temperature]"][!SetOption "Meter_Temp_Current" "Postfix" "°[Measure_Units_Temperature]"]
ShowTM=[!SetVariable "V_TEMP_ALPHA" "(#V_TEMP_ALPHA# + 5)"]#UAT_TEMP#
DynamicVariables=1
UpdateDivider=-1
IgnoreWarnings=1


; -----------------------------
; weather-data from weather.com
; -----------------------------
[Measure_Weather_wdc]
Measure=PLUGIN
Plugin=WebParser.dll
UpdateRate=300
Url="http://xml.weather.com/weather/local/USVA0527?cc=*&unit=F&dayf=6"
RegExp=(?siU)^(.*)$

; -- units
[Measure_UnitsOfMeasure]
Measure=Plugin
Plugin=WebParser.dll
URL=[Measure_Weather_wdc]
RegExp=#wdc_UnitsOfMeasure#
DynamicVariables=1

[Measure_Units_Temperature]
Measure=Plugin
Plugin=WebParser
URL=[Measure_UnitsOfMeasure]
StringIndex=3
DynamicVariables=1

; -- location
[Measure_Location]
Measure=Plugin
Plugin=WebParser.dll
URL=[Measure_Weather_wdc]
RegExp=#wdc_Location#
DynamicVariables=1

[Measure_Location_DNam]
Measure=Plugin
Plugin=WebParser
URL=[Measure_Location]
StringIndex=2
DynamicVariables=1
OnChangeAction=[!SetOption "Meter_Location_Name" "Text" "%1"]
; -- end of location


; -- current conditions
[Measure_CurrentConditions]
Measure=Plugin
Plugin=WebParser.dll
URL=[Measure_Weather_wdc]
RegExp=#wdc_CurrentConditions#
DynamicVariables=1

[Measure_Current_Temperature]
Measure=Plugin
Plugin=WebParser
URL=[Measure_CurrentConditions]
StringIndex=3
DynamicVariables=1
OnChangeAction=[!CommandMeasure "Measure_AT_Temperature" "Execute 1"]

[Measure_Current_Text]
Measure=Plugin
Plugin=WebParser
URL=[Measure_CurrentConditions]
StringIndex=5
DynamicVariables=1
RegExpSubstitute=1
Substitute=#Subst.WDesc#","#Subst.WDescPost#","(.)$":"\1 bei "
OnChangeAction=[!CommandMeasure "Measure_AT_Description" "Execute 1"]
; -- end of current conditions


; Meters
; -------------------------------
[Meter_BG]
Meter=IMAGE
X=#WORKAREAX#
Y=#WORKAREAY#
W=(40 + MAX([Meter_Location_Name:W], ([Meter_Description_Current:W] + 40 + [Meter_Temp_Current:W])))
H=(40 + [Meter_Location_Name:H] + 10 + [Meter_Description_Current:H])
SolidColor=E9E9CFFF
DynamicVariables=1


; --------------
; Weather meters
; --------------
[Meter_Location_Name]
Meter=STRING
MeasureName=Measure_Location_DNam
Text="get location..."
X=20r
Y=20r
InlineSetting=Face | Arial
InlinePattern=.*
InlineSetting2=Size | 32
InlinePattern2=.*
InlineSetting3=Color | 004080FF
InlinePattern3=.*
AntiAlias=1
DynamicVariables=1

[Meter_Description_Current]
Meter=STRING
Text="#V_DESC#"
X=([Meter_BG:X] + 20)
Y=([Meter_Location_Name:Y] + [Meter_Location_Name:H] + 10)
InlineSetting=Size | 24
InlinePattern=.*
InlineSetting2=Color | 0,128,0,#V_DESC_ALPHA#
InlinePattern2=.*
AntiAlias=1
DynamicVariables=1

[Meter_Temp_Current]
Meter=STRING
Text="#V_TEMP#"
X=40R
Y=0r
InlineSetting=Size | 24
InlinePattern=.*
InlineSetting2=Color | 80,0,0,#V_TEMP_ALPHA#
InlinePattern2=.*
InlineSetting3=Size | 24
InlinePattern3=°.
AntiAlias=1
DynamicVariables=1

[Active Colors]

It would be more convenient if instead of having each Execute and Stop actions separated we could define preferable range of actions like [!CommandMeasure MyMeasure1 "Execute 1-9"] or [!CommandMeasure MyMeasure2 "Stop 12-25"].

[Brian]

It would be more convenient if instead of having each Execute and Stop actions separated we could define preferable range of actions like [!CommandMeasure MyMeasure1 "Execute 1-9"] or [!CommandMeasure MyMeasure2 "Stop 12-25"].

I had originally thought adding this option to the plugin, however, I came to the conclusion that it was not a good fit mainly because I want to discourage users/authors from 'over-using' the plugin for animation. The problem is, this plugin can really tie up Rainmeter and slow it down to a crawl when doing too much at the same time - especially with any redrawing of any skin. This is also why I do not (and will not) support any sort of endless loop capability in this plugin (at least until Rainmeter itself can handle it).

So basically what I am saying is, the plugin isn't really meant to handle so many different threads at the same time all telling Rainmeter to do something outside of its normal function. Rainmeter just wasn't designed that way. It is meant to do things sequentially. While some systems will be just fine with the extra overhead of what this plugin can cause - some systems will not do well under the same conditions.

-Brian