Made a birthday module

cgillinger

After looking at MMM-pages I think the issue is that MMM-Birthday uses special positioning to ensure its celebrations are always visible (it needs to be on top of everything else to work properly). However, this means it doesn’t play nicely with MMM-Pages’ normal way of showing and hiding modules.

First suggestion: Add MMM-Birthday to MMM-Pages’ fixed modules:

config: {
fixed: [“MMM-page-indicator”, “MMM-Birthday”]
}

This should tell MMM-Pages to leave MMM-Birthday alone and let it handle its own visibility, which should resolve the issue while maintaining all the celebration effects.

sdetweil

@cgillinger the other thing you can do is add support for the

suspend(){}
and resume{}

methods in your modulename.js

suspend means being hidden

resume means being shown

plainbroke

@cgillinger
Well I tried your idea about putting MMM-Birthday in the “fixed” area in Pages.
I guess I can try your idea of using it without MMM-Pages, but it would be better if you could fix your module per sdetweil’s suggestion.

plainbroke

@cgillinger
I tried your idea, I renamed my config.js to config.js2
copied the config.js.sample to config.js
added this to the new config.js

/* Config Sample
 *
 * For more information on how you can configure this file
 * see https://docs.magicmirror.builders/configuration/introduction.html
 * and https://docs.magicmirror.builders/modules/configuration.html
 *
 * You can use environment variables using a `config.js.template` file instead of `config.js`
 * which will be converted to `config.js` while starting. For more information
 * see https://docs.magicmirror.builders/configuration/introduction.html#enviromnent-variables
 */
let config = {
        address: "192.168.1.222",       // Address to listen on, can be:
                                                        // - "localhost", "127.0.0.1", "::1" to listen on loopback interface
                                                        // - another specific IPv4/6 to listen on a specific interface
                                                        // - "0.0.0.0", "::" to listen on any interface
                                                        // Default, when address config is left out or empty, is "localhost"
        port: 8080,
        basePath: "/",  // The URL path where MagicMirror² is hosted. If you are using a Reverse proxy
        ipWhitelist: [],        // Set [] to allow all IP addresses

        useHttps: false,                        // Support HTTPS or not, default "false" will use HTTP
        httpsPrivateKey: "",    // HTTPS private key path, only require when useHttps is true
        httpsCertificate: "",   // HTTPS Certificate path, only require when useHttps is true

        language: "en",
        locale: "en-US",   // this variable is provided as a consistent location

        logLevel: ["INFO", "LOG", "WARN", "ERROR"], // Add "DEBUG" for even more logging
        timeFormat: 12,
        units: "imperical",

        modules: [
                {
                        module: "MMM-Birthday",
                        position: "middle_center", // Module will be centered d>
                        config: {
                                birthdays: [
                                        { name: "Test1", date: "1-21" },
                                        { name: "Test2", date: "1-22" },
                                        { name: "Test3", date: "1-23" },
                                        { name: "Test4", date: "1-24" },
                                        { name: "Test5", date: "1-25" }
                                ],
                                fireworkDuration: "infinite", // or specific du>
                                confettiDuration: "infinite"  // or specific du>
                        }
                },
        ],
};

/*************** DO NOT EDIT THE LINE BELOW ***************/
if (typeof module !== "undefined") { module.exports = config; }

Still does not work.
I removed and reinstalled
Still nothing. Maybe it only works on MINT?

sdetweil

@plainbroke you can also use the environment variable to set the config file

export MM_CONFIG_FILE=config/xxxxx.js
npm start
or
npm run server

Both will use that config

export MM_CONFIG_FILE=

To reset it

plainbroke

@sdetweil
I got it to work on another pi4 with only 4 mb ram.
On the exact same setup
Bookworm
MM 2.30
fully updated.
It seems it has to be the only module besides some of the default ones.
Which it covers up completely like the MPlayer does…
Good thing I have an extra pi, I guess. The wifey likes it alot…
I thought it would be cool add-on for my main mirror that is in the living room right above the TV. Gives us something to focus on during commercial’s…
Updated your MMM-Config. LOOKING better every update…

sdetweil

@plainbroke if you use my fork of mmm-pages it has the ability to show different pages for different amounts of time

See the pageTimeout property

plainbroke

@sdetweil
I am using your mmm-pages. I just haven’t gotten that involved in it yet…
I know sooner or later I will definitely take advantage of the different amounts of viewable content.

cgillinger

@sdetweil said in Made a birthday module:

@cgillinger the other thing you can do is add support for the

suspend(){}
and resume{}

methods in your modulename.js

suspend means being hidden

resume means being shown

Done, but haven’t tried it with MMM-Pages yet, a bit to busy at work to install and try it that way. But its in the repo now.

plainbroke

@cgillinger
Works on the fireworks, but not on the MESSAGE part, It stays on the screen.
The fireworks came and went with the page it was supposed to.

cgillinger

@plainbroke said in Made a birthday module:

@cgillinger
Works on the fireworks, but not on the MESSAGE part, It stays on the screen.
The fireworks came and went with the page it was supposed to.

This annoys the hell out of me, if I get the time, I’ll try to set up a MM with MMM-Pages to test it here.

But to be clear:

The fireworks (and confetti?) works
But the message a) doesn’t show or b) shows, but does not get removed when MMM-Pages initiate page change?

sdetweil

@cgillinger b

cgillinger

@sdetweil said in Made a birthday module:

@cgillinger b

Huh?

sdetweil

@cgillinger you said a or b

I responded he said b

plainbroke

@cgillinger
As Sam said b it stays on the screen always. Just the message though.
Sorry it annoys you so.
Take your time I am not in a hurry, never am.
Just thought I would let you know. I am sure others are watching this to add to their pages too…

xIExodusIx

Unfortunately I have a few problems with your MMM-Birthday module. When I start the MM and there is a birthday, it is immediately displayed in the
middle (middle_center) on all pages without taking the position from config.js into account. The display is not yet dimmed on all pages.
Confetti is displayed in the correct position (lower_third) on the specified page as specified in the config.js, fireworks only sometimes but the
icons are missing!
On the 2nd and all subsequent runs of the pages, the birthday is also displayed in the correct position (lower_third) but without a name (undefined!)
with confetti (always) and fireworks (only sometimes) but still without icons. The display now will be dimmed on all pages.
If I start the MM and there is no birthday, everything is fine, nothing is displayed.
If a birthday is coming up from 00:00, it will be displayed as described above in the correct position (lower_third) with confetti but without a
name (undefiend!), without fireworks and without icons. The display is darkened on all pages so that it is barely legible.

See Pictures!

Hardware:
Raspberry Pi4 4GB RAM RaspiOS: Bookworm
Software:
MM 2.30 with MMM-Pages
MM2.30_Birthday-1_First_Run.jpg MM2.30_Birthday-2_All_other_Runs.jpg MM2.30_Birthday-3.jpg

cgillinger

@xIExodusIx Yes, there is an issue with it working alongside MMM-Pages. It seems that the methods I use to make it display interfere with MMM-Pages. MMM-Birthday doesn’t play well with others and tends to do its own thing, which doesn’t work with MMM-Pages. I’m working on a solution, but I haven’t had much time to spare lately.

sdetweil

@cgillinger

see the

suspend() and resume() functions you can add to be notified when being hidden (suspend) and shown (resume)

plainbroke

@cgillinger
I was going to ask if you had found a work around for pages and MMM-Birthdays. I also tried it with pages and just one other module. MMM-Birthdays takes over even MMM-MPlayer and it is a bully too.
Always wanting to be on top… You idea is awesome, but the deployment needs a little work…
I am trying a few different setups now that I have a “test setup”.
I really want to make MPLayer and Birthdays to play nice on one of my displays. So far no bueno…

sdetweil

@plainbroke they cannot be on same page