Text - Countdown !to date!%fmt

[cdjazman]

@keithsw1111

I like to have a " xx SLEEPS UNTIL XMAS" running throughout December just because.....

2 options to run this are as follows;

Text step via xScheduler - which works very well apart from the issue of my matrix this year. My matrix this year is made up of 10 x 10 panels. 10 wide x 2 high. The only way to define a matrix in xScheduler is horizontal or vertical lines. So as such this does not work.

Adding text in fseq and saving the file. This actually works really well - apart from one small issue. The saved fseq does not verify the date when opened. For example day 1 shows correct number of sleeps to go. Day 2 shows the same number of days. I think the reason is that it is a saved fseq and therefore plays what is saved.

I am pretty sure I understand why that is happening. (on both xScheduler and FPP)

The question I have is...... Is there anyway to change this so that the !to dat!%fmt looks at the system date to confirm and display the correct days (sleeps).

 

[Skymaster]

I think the reason is that it is a saved fseq and therefore plays what is saved.

The FSEQ has zero knowledge of any of the effects, models, layout etc.

Simplistically, it just lists every channel, and it's value at a point in time (40 of these channel/value maps per second, for example)
The rendering function in xLights works out the channel values based on the effects, models and framerate.

xSchedule can work its magic as it knows about the models and can generate the required channel data on the fly to modify the countdown.

The only way to make this work with FSEQ files is to render a different file for every combination; and then use the scheduler to pick the appropriate file.
Alternatively, you can play around with some of the overlay functions within xSchedule / FPP, to do the dynamic stuff.