not a JS problem. any language would have the same problem…

I stepped through and you were right on two things. When it starts, it defaults with the else case, because it hasn’t fetched the type yet. Once it does fetch the type I was resetting it in the myJob() function causing it to be undefined again.

I appreciate the break down on this. JS is definitely giving me a run for my money on learning it.

make sure the this. pointer is pointing to the same place set vs use

this.weatherInfo = payload

for example

remember your module could get called at getDom() long before the other module sends the notification, so u need to check if it has arrived yet.

I am able to successfully see the payload in notifications. Just working a way to retain it and be able to use in setImage. Thank you!

setImage: function () {
  let rand = Math.floor(Math.random() * 4)+1; //randomn number to pick gif
	var day = new Date();
	var hour = day.getHours();
	var type = this.currentWeatherTemperature;   // < ----

notification

//From data currentweather set weather type
	setCurrentWeatherType: function(type){
	this.currentWeatherType = type;    // < ----
},

notificationReceived: function (notification, payload, sender) {
	  if (notification === 'DOM_OBJECTS_CREATED') {
	    this.job()
	  }
//weather dom
	if(notification === "CURRENTWEATHER_TYPE"){
		this.setCurrentWeatherType(payload.type);
	}
},

this.currentWeatherTemperature is NOT this.currentWeatherType

Anyway, I recommend you this module; https://github.com/BrianHepler/MMM-WeatherBackground
You need to study how MM module works, at least to train how to use.

You don’t need to pull weather info from an external weather API like Darksky. Already there are many modules showing weather info on MM screen and spitting that info out through notification.

For example, default weather module also emit notifications of weather info periodically. All you need to do is catching that notification and consume them in your module.

default weather module would emit CURRENTWEATHER_TYPE notification.
You can catch that notification like this.

notificationReceived: function (notification, payload, sender) {
  if (notification === 'CURRENTWEATHER_TYPE') {
     console.log(payload) // manipulate payload then extract data what you need.
     // do your job
  }
}

Anyway, Study the above module. That has almost all features you are trying. (except the image source)

u can debug the code in the developers window, ctrl-shift-i, select the source tab,
and navigate to your module and select the js file

then the source will appear on the right…

to stop at an instruction

click the line number in the left edge of the source display, it should turn blue

then fresh the page (f5)

and code will stop there, you can examine and change the variables/data and step thru the code (the dot with the curved arrow over it, is step one instruction at a time. )

to resume, hit run (blue arrow) and if the debugger is still up, it will stop there again at the next time
(if u stopped on a weather notification for example)

When i run npm start dev and I have the log return the value of type it does say info undefined… so it seems im not pulling off currentweather correctly with openweather as my api

defaults: {
        height: "600px",   // your display's resolution in pixels. Enter in config.js
        width: "1024px",    // your display's resolution in pixels. Enter in config.js
        updateInterval: 60 * 60 * 100,
    },
//set current weather from moduel
currentWeatherType: "weather, currentweather",
//scripts
getScripts: function(){
	return ["moment.js" , "moment-timezone.js"];
},
   
	
start: function () {
	  this.timer = null
	  this.url = null
	  this.setImage()
},

getDom: function () {
	  console.log(">", this.url)
	  var dom = document.createElement('div')
	  dom.style.backgroundImage = `url(${this.url})`
	  dom.style.height = '100vh' // do in css
	  dom.style.width = '100vw'
	  dom.style.backgroundSize = 'cover'
	  return dom
},
//From data currentweather set weather type
	setCurrentWeatherType: function(type){
	this.currentWeatherType = type;
},

notificationReceived: function (notification, payload, sender) {
	  if (notification === 'DOM_OBJECTS_CREATED') {
	    this.job()
	  }
//weather dom
	if(notification === "CURRENTWEATHER_TYPE"){
		this.setCurrentWeatherType(payload.type);
	}
},


job: function () {
	  clearTimeout(this.timer)
      	  this.updateDom()
     	  this.setImage()
  	  this.timer = setTimeout(() => {
    	  this.job()
  	}, this.config.updateInterval)
},


setImage: function () {
  let rand = Math.floor(Math.random() * 4)+1; //randomn number to pick gif
	var day = new Date();
	var hour = day.getHours();
	var type = this.currentWeatherTemperature;
//if criteria for folders
//	if(hour >= 22 || hour <= 4){
//	folder = "Night";
//	}else
//	if(hour <= 10){
//	folder = "Morning";
//	}else
//	if(hour <= 17){
//	folder = "Afternoon";

	if(type = "rain"){ //testing weather to see if it passes if condition
		folder = "Afternoon";
	}else folder = "Morning";

	this.url = "modules/MMM-MainScreen/images/" + folder +"/" + rand +".gif";
	}

});

Some modules might provide public method functions to interact with other modules.

Some modules might provide WebAPI url endpoints to communicate with world.

Well, even if there exists nothing to use, you can inject or reassign(overwrite) MM module methods for your needs, because MM module is not encapsulated by default.