Schowtime Kual extension, Show current time while reading

[Hanspeter]

Hi,

since my Kual extension to show the titlebar while reading a book (https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...6&postcount=49) is not working anymore in the current Firmware (The clock is not updated). I needed to find a other solution.

I updated an old extension started by twobob (https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...9&postcount=16 ) with some code from NiLuJe (https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...2&postcount=44) and encol (https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...postcount=1541).

The extension will print the current time in the upper right corner with every page turn. I hope it works on all devices to find the right screen size and page turn commands.

Power consumption should be minimal. Only disadvantage is that the time is only updated by a page turn. If you need a long time to read a page the time will be wrong.

Thanks for all you hacking that this is based on.

HaPe

13-Feb 2017:
V1.2
- Changed device detection code, hope it find now Oasis an some others
- Added Version Information to Kual menu

05-Feb 2017:
V1.1
- Removed seconds
- Quit running background script before starting a new one
- Added logging of model number
- Added action to copy system log
- Added possibility to show battery level
- Added selection to show in row 0 or row 1

[encol]

thanks for sharing

[dan3008]

looks intresting, but isnt working on my KT3

I'll have a look over the next few days see if I can sus it out, and let you know

[Hanspeter]

Originally Posted by dan3008

looks intresting, but isnt working on my KT3

I'll have a look over the next few days see if I can sus it out, and let you know

Look into the extension/bin folder. There should be a showtime.log that tells you the settings that where detected. Perhaps there is something wrong. I do not own a KT3 to check.

HaPe

[dan3008]

thanks, I'll take a look.

[Scorpions]

can pw3 work？

[knc1]

Originally Posted by Scorpions

can pw3 work？

Try it, report back on the results.

[PoP]

Originally Posted by Scorpions

can pw3 work？

It does work on PW3.

[gwynevans]

Just installed it to my KV (i.e. copied into extensions/ & started via KUAL) and all seems good - I'm used to the feature of the update only occurring on page-turn, from when I had used my Sony 505!

[anduska]

Thank you for this useful extension!

I tested it on an original Touch and a PW2. It worked on both, but unfortunately the top of the first line of text was obscured on both devices. Is it maybe possible to move the time display more to the top/decrease its font size?

Also, on the Touch there was some interesting behavior:
- the display is constantly visible, even when not in book,
- on page refresh sometimes the seconds keep going for a few seconds,
- sometimes the extension stopped working after exiting a book, had to restart manually.

Lastly, would it be possible to not show seconds?

Thanks again!

[Hanspeter]

Hi Anduska,

can you post the showtime.log from the extension folder and some screenshots showing the problems.
As fare as I know I can't change the font or font size of the command that I use to write on the screen. I can only change the position. As I do not have a Touch the current position is not tested.

- the display is constantly visible, even when not in book
This should not be the case. I would need some more information to fix that.

- on page refresh sometimes the seconds keep going for a few seconds,
Can happen if the statment that I check in /var/log/messages is send more then once for every page turn

- sometimes the extension stopped working after exiting a book, had to restart manually.
Can happen if the device is running into memory problems and the system is starting to free up ram

- Lastly, would it be possible to not show seconds?
Yes, thought about that and also to show the current Battery status.


HaPe

[anduska]

Hi HaPe,

I've attached the log files and pictures for both devices (sorry for the quality). As you can see, on the PW2 only a few pixels to the top would be enough, on the Touch a little bit more.

If you are asking, I vote for no seconds and no battery display

[Hanspeter]

Originally Posted by anduska

Hi HaPe,

I've attached the log files and pictures for both devices (sorry for the quality). As you can see, on the PW2 only a few pixels to the top would be enough, on the Touch a little bit more.

If you are asking, I vote for no seconds and no battery display

Thanks for the quick feedback. I think about making it configurable if you what to see the battery level. Seconds make no scene at all, as they wont be right all the time.

About the problem that you see the time on the main menu of the Kindle Touch. Dose this happen after all actions in the main menu or only on some actions?

I will include a function in the next version to save the /var/log/messages that is used to find the page turns. Hope that we are able to find the wrong once and filter them out

HaPe.

[Hanspeter]

Originally Posted by anduska

Hi HaPe,

I've attached the log files and pictures for both devices (sorry for the quality). As you can see, on the PW2 only a few pixels to the top would be enough, on the Touch a little bit more.

If you are asking, I vote for no seconds and no battery display

Hi,

added a new version to the first post where you can select if the time should be displayed in row 0 or row 1.

Also there is a action to copy the system log, that is used to find the page turns, into the showtime/bin directory. Start the extension on the touch, open a book, scroll some pages, got to the main menu with the wrong display, open kual as select the copy system log action. Then attach the messages.log here.

HaPe

[poczynek]

Just to confirm how to install: just dump extracted files into root folder of Kindle?

EDIT:

All good - worked out to put in Extensions folder and then works. Thanks.