[screensaver] alternatives to the default screensaver

[antipodean]

Here's my contribution (attached)

Thanks BH, now I'll need to go back through the thread and work out how to install it.

 

[Black Hole]

That's only the start of the process. Each image needs four more at various stages of fade, and another few odds and ends besides. I've not got time.

The existing alternative screensavers (for examples) are in /mod/screensaver. Once you have a full set of files (they need to be named correctly so the system can identify them), and assuming you have the screensaver package installed, I think all you need to do is add a new folder (say "festive") alongside the others and then use the WebIF settings for screensaver to select it.

Relevant description here: https://hummy.tv/forum/threads/screensaver-alternatives-to-the-default-screensaver.2413/post-27964

 

[antipodean]

That's only the start of the process. Each image needs four more at various stages of fade, and another few odds and ends besides. I've not got time.

The existing alternative screensavers (for examples) are in /mod/screensaver. Once you have a full set of files (they need to be named correctly so the system can identify them), and assuming you have the screensaver package installed, I think all you need to do is add a new folder (say "festive") alongside the others and then use the WebIF settings for screensaver to select it.

Relevant description here: https://hummy.tv/forum/threads/screensaver-alternatives-to-the-default-screensaver.2413/post-27964

Hmm, investigating the files on my hummy, using the wiki entry pointed to by Ezra Pounds post in #39, I found that it only needs the 10 files, the neon-blue screen saver doesn't worry about the lower intensity ones, the links for these just point to the full intensity ones. That just leaves the blank and colon ones, which could come from any other screen saver that is installed.

So some instruction on making the links is what I need now, along with a simple method of downloading the file that BH has kindly produced.

 

[Black Hole]

No need to bother with links, just duplicate the files.

Install samba or betaftpd and you can use any file manager or FTP client to do the manipulation.

 

[xyz321]

The directory /mod/img contains all the images for the Humax UI (it is a bind mount to /opt/share/images/blue). Those starting with 82* are used by the screen saver. When a new screensaver is activated the 82* files are initailly replaced with the files from the 'Humax Default' screensaver to get everything to a known state. Then an install.sh script is run from whichever screensaver directory is to be activated. The install.sh script is responsible for replacing the Humax Default images with links to the newly activated screensaver files. This install.sh script could be customised in whatever way is required for a particular screensaver. As mentioned the Neon Blue uses single brightness levels so the different brightness levels in the img directory link to the same file in the source directory. The install.sh script performs this function.

If you have a similar structure to Neon Blue then you could copy install.sh to the new directory and change the SRCDIR line as appropriate.

 

[antipodean]

The directory /mod/img contains all the images for the Humax UI (it is a bind mount to /opt/share/images/blue). Those starting with 82* are used by the screen saver. When a new screensaver is activated the 82* files are initailly replaced with the files from the 'Humax Default' screensaver to get everything to a known state. Then an install.sh script is run from whichever screensaver directory is to be activated. The install.sh script is responsible for replacing the Humax Default images with links to the newly activated screensaver files. This install.sh script could be customised in whatever way is required for a particular screensaver. As mentioned the Neon Blue uses single brightness levels so the different brightness levels in the img directory link to the same file in the source directory. The install.sh script performs this function.

If you have a similar structure to Neon Blue then you could copy install.sh to the new directory and change the SRCDIR line as appropriate.

Ah, OK, I might try that tomorrow while recovering from Christmas Lunch. Thanks for the explsnstion, I think that has brought it down to my level of ability.

 

[antipodean]

Ah, OK, I might try that tomorrow while recovering from Christmas Lunch. Thanks for the explsnstion, I think that has brought it down to my level of ability.

Right, I had a play and have the digits displaying on screen - but there are caveats. The white background in the digits in BHs file need to be made transparent or black. I couldn't find a package that would do it easily for me - probably more a case of not being familiar with the graphics packages available to be than anything else - and the digits could be a bit bigger to fill the 'digit area' better so they are more readily viewable on screen.

I ended up putting the files into the 'Maze' screensaver directory, then selecting the 'Maze screensaver in the set up to make it work as I couldn't work out to fire up the install script. Running 'install' while in the relevant directory brought up busybox which told me that it needed some options set, which is why I resorted to substituting the files on the Maze directory.

Anyway learnt a bit about how things work 'under the hood' and didn't crash the Hummy, so all is happy.

 

[xyz321]

@Ezra Pound did the graphics for the original screensavers and I think there were some colour related problems. I don't know what package he used to generate them.

Providing it has execute permission, the install.sh script should be run when the screensaver is selected in the webif. Alternatively you can select which screensaver is active from the command line using the 'screensaver' command.

The Humax application caches the screensaver so it will only read the files the first time the screensaver is displayed. If you change the screensaver then you may have to reboot it, if the screensaver has previously been displayed by the application.

 

[Black Hole]

The white background in the digits in BHs file need to be made transparent or black.

I realised that, but (1) no time, and (B) no idea whether the graphics would stand out against black. It's not an easy thing to do: because of the anti-aliasing in the source material, the edge pixels are a blend between the white background and the colour of the graphic. Somehow that needs to be converted to a blend between the original colour of the graphic and a black background (or transparent), without knowing what the original colour would have been (or alternatively the degree of anti-aliasing), pixel by pixel.

Is it worth the effort entailed?

 

[xyz321]

Bit late now I know but perhaps something like this...

Edit: Attachment deleted since it is now in the repository as screensaver-festive

 

[MymsMan]

Very nice!
Perhaps the colon could be a couple of Christmas baubles or a string of tinsel

It will stay on the box until 12th night