Vacuum Fluorescent Display (VFD) Alarm Clock Using LCD Font

[SMcNeill]

Thanks Steve. Does DATE$ add a zero automatically to a month before 10, like 09? This is becoming harder than I thought. but I'll figure it out soon. I'll be busy tonight though. I will have to break up date$ to months, days, and years like I did with the time, and place each one in the right spot.

https://www.qb64.org/wiki/DATE$

Returns the current computer date in the format "mm-dd-yyyy" (e.g., "12-25-2009").

Leading 0’s are included, so you see dates like 06-02-2020.

[bplus]

Now it is like a shadow!

Code: QB64: [Select]

1. DEFLNG A-Z
2. _TITLE "Test Font load and width."
3. SCREEN _NEWIMAGE(400, 200, 32)
4.  
5. f = _LOADFONT("Lcd.ttf", 60, "monospace")
6. _FONT f
7.  
8. COLOR &HFF001530, &HFF000000
9. _PRINTSTRING (10, 10), "88:88:88"
10. _PRINTSTRING (10, 100), "88-88-8888"
11. f = _NEWIMAGE(400, 200, 32)
12. _PUTIMAGE , 0, f
13. COLOR &HFFFF3300, &H00000000
14. DO
15.     _PUTIMAGE , f, 0
16.     _PRINTSTRING (6, 6), TIME$
17.     _PRINTSTRING (6, 96), DATE$
18.     _DISPLAY
19.     _LIMIT 10
20. LOOP UNTIL _KEYDOWN(27)
21.  

[SierraKen]

Awesome, thanks again Steve, that will help me tons.
LOLOL B+, somehow I had a feeling you would jump in, well especially being Friday. :D
I'll work on this more this weekend and see what I can come up with.

[bplus]

@SierraKen

I don't know if you saw my last post on page 2 but the alignment problem is with the font and how it was made, no fixing that but Richard Frost has a great segment code for digits I could dig it up, oh yeah I saw his and made my own.

[SMcNeill]

@SierraKen

I don't know if you saw my last post on page 2 but the alignment problem is with the font and how it was made, no fixing that but Richard Frost has a great segment code for digits I could dig it up, oh yeah I saw his and made my own.

Easy solution: swap to a monospaced font: https://www.1001fonts.com/monospaced+lcd-fonts.html

Digital-7 +3 looks promising.

[bplus]

Yeah -7 +3 should do it, or grow your own:

Code: QB64: [Select]

1. _TITLE "Plasmatic Digital Clock 3" ' b+ 2020-01-21 modified:
2. ' Digital Plasmatic Clock b+ 2020-01-20 translated and modified from SmallBASIC
3. ' Plasma Magnifico - updated 2015-11-26 for Android
4. ' This program creates a plasma surface, which looks oily or silky.
5.  
6. '=====================================================================================================
7. '
8. '       Use spacebar to change color set, + to increase clock size and - to decrease clock size
9. '
10. '=====================================================================================================
11.  
12. CONST dat = "1110111000001101111100011111100101110111011111101001001111111111011011"
13. TYPE xy
14.     x AS SINGLE
15.     y AS SINGLE
16.     dx AS SINGLE
17.     dy AS SINGLE
18. END TYPE
19. DIM SHARED sq, xmax, ymax
20. sq = 15: xmax = 34 * sq: ymax = 8 * sq
21. SCREEN _NEWIMAGE(xmax, ymax, 32)
22. _SCREENMOVE 60, 40
23. DIM c(360) AS _UNSIGNED LONG, p(6) AS xy, f(6), clr AS _UNSIGNED LONG
24. restart:
25. r = RND: g = RND: b = RND: i = 0
26. FOR n = 1 TO 5
27.     r1 = r: g1 = g: b1 = b
28.     DO: r = RND: LOOP UNTIL ABS(r - r1) > .2
29.     DO: g = RND: LOOP UNTIL ABS(g - g1) > .2
30.     DO: b = RND: LOOP UNTIL ABS(g - g1) > .2
31.     FOR m = 0 TO 17: m1 = 17 - m
32.         f1 = (m * r) / 18: f2 = (m * g) / 18: f3 = (m * b) / 18: c(i) = rgbf(f1, f2, f3): i = i + 1
33.     NEXT
34.     FOR m = 0 TO 17: m1 = 17 - m
35.         f1 = (m + m1 * r) / 18: f2 = (m + m1 * g) / 18: f3 = (m + m1 * b) / 18: c(i) = rgbf(f1, f2, f3): i = i + 1
36.     NEXT
37.     FOR m = 0 TO 17: m1 = 17 - m
38.         f1 = (m1 + m * r) / 18: f2 = (m1 + m * g) / 18: f3 = (m1 + m * b) / 18: c(i) = rgbf(f1, f2, f3): i = i + 1
39.     NEXT
40.     FOR m = 0 TO 17: m1 = 17 - m
41.         f1 = (m1 * r) / 18: f2 = (m1 * g) / 18: f3 = (m1 * b) / 18: c(i) = rgbf(f1, f2, f3): i = i + 1
42.     NEXT
43. NEXT
44.  
45. FOR n = 0 TO 5
46.     p(n).x = RND * xmax: p(n).y = RND * ymax: p(n).dx = RND * 2 - 1: p(n).dy = RND * 2 - 1
47.     f(n) = RND * .1
48. NEXT
49.  
50. WHILE _KEYDOWN(27) = 0
51.     k$ = INKEY$
52.     IF k$ = " " THEN GOTO restart
53.     IF k$ = "+" AND sq < 40 THEN sq = sq + 1: xmax = 34 * sq: ymax = 8 * sq: SCREEN _NEWIMAGE(xmax, ymax, 32): GOTO restart
54.     IF k$ = "-" AND sq > 3 THEN sq = sq - 1: xmax = 34 * sq: ymax = 8 * sq: SCREEN _NEWIMAGE(xmax, ymax, 32): GOTO restart
55.     FOR i = 0 TO 5
56.         p(i).x = p(i).x + p(i).dx
57.         IF p(i).x > xmax OR p(i).x < 0 THEN p(i).dx = -p(i).dx
58.         p(i).y = p(i).y + p(i).dy
59.         IF p(i).y > ymax OR p(i).y < 0 THEN p(i).dy = -p(i).dy
60.     NEXT
61.     FOR y = 0 TO ymax - 1 STEP 2
62.         FOR x = 0 TO xmax - 1 STEP 2
63.             d = 0
64.             FOR n = 0 TO 5
65.                 dx = x - p(n).x: dy = y - p(n).y
66.                 k = SQR(dx * dx + dy * dy)
67.                 d = d + (SIN(k * f(n)) + 1) / 2
68.             NEXT n: d = d * 60
69.             LINE (x, y)-STEP(2, 2), c(d), BF
70.         NEXT
71.     NEXT
72.     FOR n = 1 TO 8 'clock digits over background
73.         IF MID$(TIME$, n, 1) = ":" THEN
74.             FOR i = .5 * sq TO 0 STEP -.25
75.                 clr = _RGBA32(255 - i * (255 / sq), (.5 * sq - i) * 255 / sq, 0, 380 / sq)
76.                 LINE ((n - 1) * 4 * sq + 2 * sq + .5 * sq - i, sq + sq + .5 * sq - i)-STEP(2 * i, 2 * i), clr, BF
77.                 LINE ((n - 1) * 4 * sq + 2 * sq + .5 * sq - i, 5 * sq + .5 * sq - i)-STEP(2 * i, 2 * i), clr, BF
78.             NEXT
79.         ELSE
80.             drawC (n - 1) * 4 * sq + sq + offset, sq + offset, MID$(dat$, VAL(MID$(TIME$, n, 1)) * 7 + 1, 7)
81.         END IF
82.     NEXT
83.     _LIMIT 60
84.     _DISPLAY
85. WEND
86.  
87. FUNCTION rgbf~& (n1, n2, n3)
88.     rgbf~& = _RGB32(n1 * 80, n2 * 80, n3 * 80)
89. END FUNCTION
90.  
91. SUB drawC (x, y, c$)
92.     DIM c AS _UNSIGNED LONG
93.     FOR m = 1 TO 7
94.         IF VAL(MID$(c$, m, 1)) THEN
95.             FOR i = .5 * sq TO 0 STEP -.25
96.                 c = _RGBA32(255 - i * (255 / sq), (.5 * sq - i) * 255 / sq, 0, 380 / sq)
97.                 SELECT CASE m
98.                     CASE 1: LINE (x + .5 * sq - i, y + .5 * sq + i)-(x + .5 * sq + i, y + 2.5 * sq - i), c, BF
99.                     CASE 2: LINE (x + .5 * sq - i, y + 2.5 * sq + i)-(x + .5 * sq + i, y + 5.5 * sq - i), c, BF
100.                     CASE 3: LINE (x + .5 * sq + i, y + .5 * sq + i)-(x + 2.5 * sq - 2 - i, y + .5 * sq - i), c, BF
101.                     CASE 4: LINE (x + .5 * sq + i, y + 2.5 * sq + i)-(x + 2.5 * sq - 2 - i, y + 2.5 * sq - i), c, BF
102.                     CASE 5: LINE (x + .5 * sq + i, y + 5.5 * sq + i)-(x + 2.5 * sq - 2 - i, y + 5.5 * sq - i), c, BF
103.                     CASE 6: LINE (x + 2.5 * sq - i, y + .5 * sq + i)-(x + 2.5 * sq + i, y + 2.5 * sq - i), c, BF
104.                     CASE 7: LINE (x + 2.5 * sq - i, y + 2.5 * sq + i)-(x + 2.5 * sq + i, y + 5.5 * sq - i), c, BF
105.                 END SELECT
106.             NEXT
107.         END IF
108.     NEXT
109. END SUB
110.  
111.  
112.  
113.  

EDIT: update just darkened the background

I know you probably don't want to do this but it's cool!

[SierraKen]

I tried that font that Steve found but it would only show the top half of the fonts for some reason. I even tried it on a test program which only loaded the font and some words. So I looked online and found another website of LCD-type fonts and after trying a few of them, I found the perfect one. :)) I am 100% finished now I believe. I'll update the zip file on the first post and post it on this one. It has a 3 at the end of the zip filename. It includes the new font. I also lined up the date better so it's more in the middle. Please check it out, I'm really happy about this one. :) I'll put a picture of it below too. Thanks for your help everyone, tell me what you think of this one. I added thank-you's to the code on top.

Edit: Zip file removed, please keep scrolling down to the next one.

[SierraKen]

What I did was just use the MONOSPACE font and that meant I could delete all the unnecessary spaces, etc. In fact, I didn't have to take apart the DATE$ after all (well besides the alarm of course)! And the only reason I had to take apart the TIME$ was to convert it to a 12 hour clock and alarm. :)) I also made the alarm sound a little bit better. Lots to learn in this project. I hope many people can do the same. :)

[bplus]

Hi @SierraKen

Looks like you found a font that works for your purposes, I just tried code and you need to _TRIM$(STR$(h))

Code: QB64: [Select]

1. IF h > 12 THEN h = h - 12: hour$ = STR$(h)    

because I am trying code at 11+PM and the time on top line is one space over to right.

[SierraKen]

B+, you might be seeing that the "1" is in the middle of the 8 instead of on either side, and that is how it's supposed to be. Here is a picture of what I see when I set the hour$ = "11". Tell me if I'm wrong and I will try to fix it. Sorry for not mentioning the difference in where the "1"'s are located. The fonts just put them directly in the center. And to me that is fine. In fact I remember clocks from back then that were like this.

[SierraKen]

Oh gee, now I see what you meant B+, sorry again. :(
I'll try to do what you said and use that command to try and fix it. Thank you.

[SierraKen]

Here is the Hour fix using _TRIM$. It seems to work now fine. It's still under "beta" and will be tested more soon.
But here is (hopefully) the last version. Thanks again B+.

Edit: Deleted zip again, I put the code on the wrong line. LOLOL Today is like "impossible day" for programming for me, but I worked through it all. I'll post the newest update on the next post.

[SierraKen]

Here, hopefully, is the very last update. It's still under beta, so I will keep testing it tomorrow, etc. But it should work fine now, hopefully.

Edit: Zip file deleted, please go to the next forum page for the fixed version. I apologize for all these versions.

[bplus]

Confirmed the Digit 7 font was only printing the top half of numbers, the site at Steve's link also had a font called Crashed Score and was exactly the shadow and digit effect you want but:
1. The shadow was same brightness level and color as the printed digit which makes me think why bother?
2. You'd have to skip colons because they were awful! but  you could paint the clock face with colons or 2 dots (filled circle)  but that does NOT fix problem 1.

Meanwhile I started on a digit font that you can control height and color mod from the plasma clock demo, maybe you could use that instead of font or I could use for something later or someone maybe Richard Frost might like. I figured finally where the numbers 7 and 3 applied, 7 segments 3 or which are horizontal. Drawing font instead of printing allows changing colors in the image allowing the effect of being lit up or neon effect among other things

[SierraKen]

LOL I almost freaked out again. I ran it first thing this morning and it did the same thing as last night before it was fixed. So I opened it with QB64 and tried it and it worked fine LOL. My Windows Shortcut was looking at an older .exe because last night QB64 made a <name> (2).exe on accident LOL. So everything works right on lining up with both AM and PM numbers, etc. I believe. Thanks again for your help B+. As for your new fonts you are making, I might try them out, they sound interesting. Oh also, I don't think it matters what kind of font you use (as long as they work) to change the color brightness on them since I did that on a few different fonts using the COLOR command. To make a darker shade of green, I just had to divide each of the RGB colors by 4 (or so) and it just made a darker green. Of course I could have also just used the color slider (why am I always doing things the hard way? LOL) But yeah, if you could draw the font straight to the program, you could use neon. I actually thought of that a few days ago but remembered that it wouldn't work with a regular font file.