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Steampunk clock/calendar part 15 - we draw to a conclusion |
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Thursday, 02 December 2010 |
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It seems the clock is popular, 1,200 people have downloaded it at the
time of writing. Yahoo widgets is a good place to distribute your code.
Good take up. This must have good commercial value in it somewhere.
Just added the screen to the newest version 0.14 and also added a
backing screen so that you can see the text on bright or dark desktops.
At the moment the screen is for displaying clock debug information only
but if you can think of any other use then let me know. My wife
suggested that it be used for zodiacal information, star positions &c
but I think that in not in keeping with the function of the clock. The
lcok is more scientific and practical than that so not quite
appropriate. Astronomical information would be far better but
unfortunately a lot more difficult to code, so that's not happening. I
really like the screen and it inspires me to do more.
I have an idea for using it for steampunk advertising, I'll post an idea
here later, I also have an idea for pulling images in from file
according to the date/time shown. The date/time range information would
be stored in another xml file perhaps and the associated file dropped
into the resources folder. the result would be, as you scroll back and
forth in time appropriate historical/futuristic images would be
displayed on the screen.
I'm just doing some tidying to the user interface, ensuring things are
easier to use and documenting the changes. I changed the hinges to be
more Victorian in style and to have that burnished brass patina. I've
added backing screen & control buttons for the screen items that have
the clunky mechanical feel of the rest of the clock.
Things to do to complete:
1. I need to fix the screen when the digital clock is turned off, parts
of the screen are still lingering.
2. Implement an alarm System for storing up to five alarms
3. Final appropriate sounds for remaining mechanisms, roller blinds up
and down.
4. Auto-turn off for pendulum when it reaches 40% cpu and back-end
configuration too.
5. Graphics - More valves and cables behind the slider.
6. Update the image on yahoo widgets.
8. Change the slider sensitivity.
7. Release MkI! (1.0 live)
This will result in a fully functional clock with some programming
issues to be resolved, however it will be fit for use. After all, I have
learnt how to code javascript with this project and a lot has be re-done
in the light of what I've learnt.
MkII will basically have the programming changes to make it more
efficient user of resources. I will also introduce some enhanced
functionality to display images on the viewer.
MkII (1.1)
1. New code for pendulum, try it and test.
2. Change the way the code operates with the one second timer and
preferences.
3. Use JSlint to test code.
4. Remove unnecessary, unwanted code and test11. MkII. (Steampunk
advertising and historical images).
A question I need to ask my Yahoo widget developer chum, Harry, is
whether javascript for loops can decrement -- as well as increment ++. I
couldn't get mine to work but it should.
The slider caused me a lot of problems, I was unable to get the time
multiplication sorted and in the end decided upon a very simple method
using if..else statements rather than anything more mathematical and
more complicated. In the end my problems were conceptual rather than
actual and I overcame the mental block I had with the code. Sometimes it
is better to go in with a simple implementation rather than a
mathematically correct and complex one that you can't get your head round.
After this tranche of work some questions arise in my mind, am I allowed
to use a widget for promotional purposes? do Yahoo's rules forbid it, I
will find out...
Finally don't underestimate the amount of work a widget like this takes,
it is considerable.
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Click on the image above.
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