DigiQClock: another Digital Clock

hey68you · September 3, 2025, 1:33pm

This is NOT packaged so you can easily change the .qml file to match your personal taste in font/colors.

But anyone is welcome to create a proper configurable / package-able version.

I added a link to the DigiQClock executable to the launch folder ($HOME/config/settings/boot/launch/) and then added these lines to the end of my UserBootScript:

until roster | grep DigiQClock #or maybe DigiQclock (depending on the executable name / signature)??
do
  sleep 1  # Wait for 1 second before checking again
done

hey application/x-vnd.DigiQClock set Feel of Window 0 to 6;
hey application/x-vnd.DigiQClock set Look of Window 0 to 19;
hey application/x-vnd.DigiQClock set Frame of Window 0 to 'BRect(1611.0, 0.0, 
1727.0, 25.0)';

to make it look like part of the deskbar:

Starcrasher · September 4, 2025, 1:11pm

On an up to date nightly x64 (hrev59030, qemu VM), I put the folder extracted from zip in /boot/home/config/non-packaged/apps, installed the dock from BesSly repo to be sure that I had dependencies but, I can’t see time despite the window showing up. I see no errors so I’m wondering what I’ve got wrong…

Begasus · September 4, 2025, 1:41pm

Small comment on the Makefile, you could refer to cmd:qmake6 (instead of using the binary in …/lib) like:

QMAKE = /bin/qmake6

hey68you · September 4, 2025, 2:30pm

You need both the digiqclock.qml file and the font files to be in the same folder as the executable.

if that isn’t the issue, then please try running it from the terminal and let me know if you see any errors printed there?

hey68you · September 4, 2025, 2:31pm

The Makefile was autogenerated using the qmake command ?

Begasus · September 4, 2025, 2:35pm

Seems I skipped that part and called the Makefile from Terminal.

Starcrasher · September 4, 2025, 3:17pm

hey68you · September 4, 2025, 3:47pm

maybe this is has to do with VM display settings (I had some weird issues with my HiQDock in VMWare Fusion on Macbook, although I couldn’t reproduce your issue now)

Also try to open it with qmlscene from the terninal like this in same folder like this:
~/Downloads/digiqclock-0.0.1-1> /boot/system/lib/Qt6/qmlscene digiQclock.qml

Most of all, thanks for your support/testing/patience

Starcrasher · September 4, 2025, 4:31pm

I also tried on real install of a nightly and of the beta with same results.

Begasus · September 5, 2025, 5:41am

Works fine here (R1B5 (checked with Qt 6.7.2 and Qt 6.9.0). PS @hey68you DigiQClock sounds better as the name as you suggested.

Starcrasher · September 5, 2025, 6:00am

Did you build it yourself? I personally used the binary provided in the archive.

Begasus · September 5, 2025, 6:03am

Ran the prebuild binary and the one build with “qmake6 .” works both ways here.

Starcrasher · September 5, 2025, 7:29am

I found it. QML rendering was false in qt6-plugins config file. I think that I tried to toggle that in Qt6Configurator but I probably did it while the app was still running and ended not saved.

michel · September 5, 2025, 7:45am

FWIW I have a workaround for packaging apps that require a writable data file in the same directory as the executable.

On installation, a post-installation script creates the data file in ~/config/settings if it doesn’t exist already.
Instead of the data file, the directory with the executable contains a symlink to the one in ~/config/settings

Works nicely with Java and Python apps that tend to have this problem.

As for DIGIQClock, it really needs a little GUI (or even a TUI) for setting preferences. Opening a text file in an editor just doesn’t do it in 2025.

hey68you · September 8, 2025, 7:05am

I will try to add command line args if I get some time …

hey68you · September 8, 2025, 12:07pm

Done:

github.com/hey68you/digiQclock

README.md

main

- this is not packaged, so you have to unzip to a writeable folder
- you can open and edit the ```digiQclock.qml``` file (mostly for colors or change the font)
- you will need to have installed these Qt libs (should work if you've installed my latest HiQDock package from github (https://github.com/hey68you/hiqdock-distro) or from BeSly 64 repo (http://software.besly.de/repo64):
- ```
    lib:libqt6core >= 6.7.2
    lib:libqt6network >= 6.7.2
    lib:libqt6Qml >= 6.7.2
    lib:libqt6gui >= 6.7.2
    lib:libqt6openGL >= 6.7.2
	lib:libqt6quick >= 6.7.2
	lib:libqt6widgets >= 6.7.2
	lib:libqt6quickwidgets >= 6.7.2
- now supports command line args for config:
```
> ./DigiQClock --help
qml: 
The following CLI parameters may be passed when running from the command line:

--fg           ===> font color: friendly color names or hex string with # notation e.g. '#73D292' or 'green' - qoutes are required when using hex
--bg-start     ===> background start gradient color (same format as --fg parameter)

This file has been truncated. show original

> ./DigiQClock --help
qml: 
The following CLI parameters may be passed when running from the command line:

--fg           ===> font color: friendly color names or hex string with # notation e.g. '#73D292' or 'green' - qoutes are required when using hex
--bg-start     ===> background start gradient color (same format as --fg parameter)
--bg-end       ===> background end gradient color (if you don't want gradient make sure to pass same value that you passed for --bg-start)
--offset-hours ===> e.g. for different time-zones (use minus sign or just plain number for forward e.g. '--offset-hours -3' or '--offset-hours 5')
--win-title    ===> use quotes for titles with spaces e.g. --win-title 'Los Angeles')
--no-italics   ===> only need to add this flag (default is using italic font)
--24hrs        ===> only need to add this flag (default is 12hr AM/PM implied )

Here's a full example:

> ./DigiQClock --fg '#000000' --bg-start lightblue --bg-end lightblue --offset-hours -3 --win-title 'Los Angeles' --no-italics --24hrs

hey68you · September 8, 2025, 12:11pm

hey68you · September 8, 2025, 12:30pm

works a little on MacOS too with qmlscene

damoklas · September 8, 2025, 2:46pm

Nice, can it be a replicant?.. also with transparent background?

hey68you · September 8, 2025, 3:01pm

First - have you seen / tried this?: Help with replicant creation [also: my Big Clock app]

Second - I don’t know of a way to make this this DigiQClock app into a Replicant, since it’s written in Qt/QML but maybe more knowledgeable developers could help here (@3dEyes)??

Also don’t think it’s possible without doing the same trick I do for my HiQDock - but if there’s a demand from the public, maybe I will try to implement it.

…While we’re on the subject of transparency… can anyone explain how Moe can achieve ‘transparency’ around the .png image? (I’m guessing it’s easier than a clock or the HIQDock since the .png is not changing size/position like the HiQDock icons or like the text of a clock ?