444b / jaccuse

A simple python script to count the [interval] since [thing happened]

jaccuse

A simple python script to countdown the number since a thing happened
It makes use of the sense_hat python library for controlling the LEDs

Fun fact: You dont need a physical pi to develop this!
You can run the main.py script in Trinket.io to emulate a raspberry pi with a sense hat :)
If you do emulate, just skip to copying the main.py code into the emulator IDE and hitting run. Otherwise,

Physical Setup:

1. Clone the Repo into home directory (or wherever, im not your mom so do whatever you want)

cd $HOME
git clone https://github.com/444B/jaccuse.git

2. apt update and install sense-hat

sudo apt update && sudo apt install sense-hat -y

• note, you can make a pip venv for this but it was giving me numpy warnings (???) despite the fact that I wasnt using numpy or pillow so I opted to skip the venv

3. run file

python3 ~/jaccuse/main.py

4. (Optional) - add the python script to start up on physical pi startup

open /etc/rc.local

sudo nano /etc/rc.local

add the following in, right before the bottom line that says "return 0"

python3 $HOME/jaccuse/main.py &

Documentation

1. Orientation.

You should see a "?" displayed. Use the Sense pi button (or arrow keys if emulated on trinket) to face the question make the right way
Press the button in (or Enter if emulated) to select this orientation.

2. Duration Selection

Next, the script needs to know how long you want to set the incremental timer
The options are: Seconds, Minutes, Hours and Days.
Cycle left and right to get the setting you want and then press the physical button IN (if emulated: press enter)
The counter will now begin from zero and count up. Note that after 10, things get spooky so keep that in mind.

3. ???

4. PROFIT

How to contribute

• Check out the Project Board for issues and things to fix / add

jaccuse's Issues

Fix how double digits are handled

Currently, single digits are shown via sense.show_letter(), which can handle single letters
We can not use this when we use numbers >= 10, so we have a workaround of using sense.show_message()
we need to fix this since sense.show_message() scrolls the value past and this is problematic for any time greater than a second

Direction idea

jaccuse/main.py

Line 42 in 7e10ab5

if event.direction == "up": # Up button

You can make this just a few lines like:

if event.action == "pressed":
    # Check which direction
    if event.direction == "middle":
        flipped = False # exits the loop
   sense.set_rotation(direction_dict[event.direction])
   sense.show_letter(arrow)    

You could also do:
if event.direction in ["up", "down", "left", "right"]:

Add a red led flash when the button is pushed

Let the user know the reset will occur
maybe even with a countdown?

A way to count in all time periods

An issue is that you have to pick the time periods
A request for a new feature is to start the timer and it automatically changes the time period
if 60s, period = minute
if 60m, period = hour
if 24h, period = day

Have the python script begin at startup

Required:
Allow the script to launch on startup so that just powering on the pi is sufficient to begin the program

Function Decorations

jaccuse/main.py

Line 97 in 7e10ab5

def change(canvas, paint):

You can give functions decorations like:
def change(canvas:list, paint:list) -> None:
Then when you hover your mouse over change it'll show you the inputs/output types and the -> is the return type

Optimize the LED painting function

Need to upgrade and optimize the following functions

• change()
• update_display()

[BREAK] - counter can not go past zero

the program breaks when the counter goes past 99
Need to find a way to handle that. maybe error handling?

Add a hold down button feature to power end/restart script

Add a button that restarts the timer

• this is a critical feature and should be top priority

Duration Dictionary Idea

jaccuse/main.py

Line 196 in 7e10ab5

if duration == "sec":

Instead of this block:

if duration == "sec":
    update_display(counter, duration)
    sleep(1)
    counter += 1
elif duration == "min":
    update_display(counter, duration)
    sleep(60)
    counter += 1
elif duration == "hour":
    update_display(counter, duration)
    sleep(3600)
    counter += 1
elif duration == "day":
    update_display(counter, duration)
    sleep(86400)
    counter += 1
else:
    print("error")
    break

You can have a dictionary like:
duration_dict = {"sec":1, "minute":60, "hour":3600, "day":86400}
And then replace the block with:

if duration:
    update_display(counter, duration)
    sleep(duration_dict[duration])
    counter += 1
else:
    print("error")
    break

Replace if logic with a dictionary

Instead of using if statements, we can use a dictionary
psuedocode: directionDict ={"up" : 0, "down": 180, etc}
we can set it with sense.set_rotation(directionDict[event.direction])