STRING Meter size change not matched by background.

[Seahorse]

Currently employing a SolidColor background for STRING meter with the separate skin I'm using for Lyrics launched by my media player. Both are powered by NowPlaying, but rest of theme uses aero blur so I am trying to combine aero blur with the Lyrics meter that changes size on each new track.

The following gives a rounded corner rectangle the size of the string meter when first run

Code: Select all

Blur=1
BlurRegion=2,0,0,#CURRENTCONFIGWIDTH#,#CURRENTCONFIGHEIGHT#,15

Launch Lyrics skin, works fine.

Capture2.PNG

However, ffwd to next song and it retains the old dimensions, so a box that doesn't fit the new song is left on screen. Refreshing the skin either does nothing or changes the background merging old and new string boxes (see screenie) if they are different H & W.

Capture.PNG

Closing the lyrics skin and toggling again (!RainmeterToggleConfig) from the media player gives the right size, the next track starts the problem again.

I don't think it's a DynamicVariables problem (tried it), and as Refreshing the skin doesn't work no point in trying !RainmeterRefresh bang.

TrackChangeAction=!RainmeterToggleConfig "Cobolt\Lyrics" "Lyrics.ini" doesn't do anything when run from the lyrics skin, and effectively would need to be run twice to close & open as it were.

Is this an issue with the STRING meter, aero blur, NowPlaying or am I missing something else from my lyrics config?

Not sure what to try next...

[smurfier]

Try using TrackChangeAction combined with !RainmeterRemoveBlur "region" to remove the blur, then on the same line use !RainmeterAddBlur "region" to add the new blur.

I believe this should "refresh" the blur.
TrackChangeAction=!Execute [!RainmeterRemoveBlur 2,0,0,#CURRENTCONFIGWIDTH#,#CURRENTCONFIGHEIGHT#,15][!RainmeterAddBlur 2,0,0,#CURRENTCONFIGWIDTH#,#CURRENTCONFIGHEIGHT#,15][!RainmeterUpdate]

[Seahorse]

No change in behaviour using:

Code: Select all

TrackChangeAction=!RainmeterRemoveBlur "2,0,0,#CURRENTCONFIGWIDTH#,#CURRENTCONFIGHEIGHT#,15" !RainmeterAddBlur "2,0,0,#CURRENTCONFIGWIDTH#,#CURRENTCONFIGHEIGHT#,15"

[smurfier]

Because that's not how you add bangs together. You have to use !Execute.

TrackChangeAction=!Execute [!RainmeterRemoveBlur "2,0,0,#CURRENTCONFIGWIDTH#,#CURRENTCONFIGHEIGHT#,15"][!RainmeterAddBlur "2,0,0,#CURRENTCONFIGWIDTH#,#CURRENTCONFIGHEIGHT#,15"][!RainmeterUpdate]

[jsmorley]

Because that's not how you add bangs together. You have to use !Execute.

TrackChangeAction=!Execute [!RainmeterRemoveBlur "2,0,0,#CURRENTCONFIGWIDTH#,#CURRENTCONFIGHEIGHT#,15"][!RainmeterAddBlur "2,0,0,#CURRENTCONFIGWIDTH#,#CURRENTCONFIGHEIGHT#,15"][!RainmeterUpdate]

Correct. One really needs to have the manual open in a browser window when trying new things, or you can really waste a lot of time just throwing stuff at the wall to see what sticks.

Near the top of the manual page for !Bangs:

Multiple !Bangs must be in square brackets preceded by !Execute and a space:
LeftMouseUpAction=!Execute [!RainmeterResetStats][!RainmeterRefresh]

[Seahorse]

I'm working as I always do with the skin ini open, the manual in the browser and normally a skin to compare code against if I have something similar or I'm testing something I don't understand. I try for hours or days to figure it out myself, if I'm still failing hard I call in the cavalry in the forums.

However, despite the addition of !Execute, square brackets & [!RainmeterUpdate] the stepped backgrounds remain. Refreshing does nothing, toggling the lyrics on and off via the media player ini gives a perfect blur region until the next song starts...

[smurfier]

Could you zip up your skin so that I can play with it please?

[Seahorse]

Test.rmskin is here.

Launch the Media player (set for Winamp as default) play a song, and click the musical note in the bottom right to toggle the lyrics skin.

[smurfier]

I believe the problem we're having with the blur is because of how it's meant to work. I'm still working on it.

You had OnTrackChange set in the string meter. It needs to go on the main NowPlaying measure.

And...

Formulas and variables can be used, although dynamic variables and measures aren't supported in the [Rainmeter] section. For example: BlurRegion=1,#MyVar1#,#MyVar2#,(10 + 10),(#SCREENAREAHEIGHT# - 30)

So I assume that #CURRENTCONFIGHEIGHT# and #CURRENTCONFIGWIDTH# cannot be used since they are dynamic.

[Seahorse]

Just spotted the "#CURRENTCONFIG#" requirement for TrackChangeAction and either that or moving it to the main measure has crashed Rainmeter which refuses to start without a reboot, so I suppose that's confirmation of sorts...

toggling the lyrics on and off via the media player ini gives a perfect blur region

TrackChangeAction toggle off, toggle on? Will fiddle some more...