Specific Clip Plus issue - Pixel Artefacts on Lock Screen

[KiwiCam]

When the Clip+ is put into Lock Mode (Home & Select) I get artefacts (?) or pixel residue remaining on the screen from the notification that appears "[buttons locked]". This doesn't occur with the Clip V1 or V2. Those pixel artefacts remain even when you come out of the Lock Screen.

It's only occurring on my themes, I believe, and I don't know why. Can anyone please advise how to stop this from occurring?

(I can't replicate this using the Simulator, so I had to take a photograph of the Clip+'s screen.

[JdGordon]

The issue is that the wps isnt being redrawn after the splash happens... not exactly sure if you can fix it.
If you extend the time viewport so it covers the garbage it should work (maybe)

[KiwiCam]

It's not just the one theme. It's all of my themes. Some of them get the artefacts in more than one viewport area. BUt, it is always in the same "[Buttons Locked] area.   

[JdGordon]

of course, tere isnt much you can do except put a viewport in the same area which will redraw over it

[KiwiCam]

So why doesn't it affect the V1 & 2 clips?

[JdGordon]

I find it hard to believe that it doesnt.... are you sure you're running the same config?

[KiwiCam]

Not really. The config.cfg file?

[KiwiCam]

I'd like to throw in a few examples. Hopefully, the solution is something as simple as changing a setting:

I'm using my pULsE theme http://themes.rockbox.org/index.php?themeid=1428&target=sansaclipplus , so you can use that to check the Veiwport Areas.

Clip V2 - Before changing to Lock Screen:


Clip V2 - During Lock Screen:


Clip V2 - After Lock Screen - Note, NO artefacts at all (the overlapping characters are just the camera catching the text scrolling:



Clip PLUS - Before changing to Lock Screen:


Clip PLUS - During Lock Screen (Shows Artefacts):


Clip PLUS - After Lock Screen - Play Mode (Artefacts remaining):


Clip PLUS - After Lock Screen - Hold/Pause Mode - Some artefacts disappear:


Clip PLUS - Hold/Pause Mode - HOLD text changes to Clock - Note artefacts still remain, even though the Clock Viewport overlaps artefacts:

[[Saint]]

I'm glad you posted these images...

What you described as "artefacts" gave me a /totally/ different idea of the problem in my mind.
This isn't what I would describe as being an artefact, that would be the correct term to use if there were items left from the previous screen still left onscreen after changing from one screen/state to another.

But the images you've posted suggest that these aren't actually any part of the previous screen at all...or if they are, they definitely (from what I can see with the example images at least) aren't in the same position as they were in the previous screen/state.

I now, officially, have "absolutely no frickin' idea" what's happening here

The fact that its device specific (or seems to be) is also very curious...I would expect the same issues to be present on both devices were it to be a theme issue but I will admit I haven't actually looked at your code to see if there's something obviously wrong in there (being a themer myself I know the value of a second, fresh set of eyes to look at code). It can be rather easy to miss your own mistakes, sometimes repeatedly, especially if you're not aware that its a mistake

In saying that, I shall have a look over this tonight if I get the time to...there's definitely *something* wrong here...


[Saint]

[KiwiCam]

 

I'm glad you posted these images...

What you described as "artefacts" gave me a /totally/ different idea of the problem in my mind.
This isn't what I would describe as being an artefact, that would be the correct term to use if there were items left from the previous screen still left onscreen after changing from one screen/state to another.

But the images you've posted suggest that these aren't actually any part of the previous screen at all...or if they are, they definitely (from what I can see with the example images at least) aren't in the same position as they were in the previous screen/state.

I now, officially, have "absolutely no frickin' idea" what's happening here

In saying that, I shall have a look over this tonight if I get the time to...there's definitely *something* wrong here...


[Saint]

  I'm glad that I persevered.

I haven't actually looked at your code to see if there's something obviously wrong in there (being a themer myself I know the value of a second, fresh set of eyes to look at code). It can be rather easy to miss your own mistakes, sometimes repeatedly, especially if you're not aware that its a mistake


[Saint]

I'd like that a lot. I completely agree about the fresh set of eyes. That's really why I posted the My Themes thread. I look forward to it.

[sockbox]

The workaround is to create an empty viewport covering the affected area to "wipe" the lockscreen popup.

Here's code from the iCu theme. It's one of the first few lines of code in the wps.

Code: [Select]

# Hold Popup Cleaning Viewports
%V(0,0,-,-,-)

[KiwiCam]

The workaround is to create an empty viewport covering the affected area to "wipe" the lockscreen popup.

Here's code from the iCu theme. It's one of the first few lines of code in the wps.

Code: [Select]

# Hold Popup Cleaning Viewports
%V(0,0,-,-,-)

Thanks. I was actually looking at your theme yesterday, but it was the .fms I was concentrating on. I didn't even look at that part of it.

I've done some quick testing using that line above:

For the Clip+
nOIsE and uNbaLanCeD work perfectly now. No Artefacts. It's just one too many lines for pULsE and breaks it

For the Clip V2
uNbaLanCeD works perfectly but nOIsE and pULsE are both broken. How strange?!? Especially nOIsE.

So, I still think that there's a bug somewhere. The quickest solution though would be that I work at cutting some of the Bling from my themes so they can fit the buffer with that extra viewport setting  :'(

Maybe I can get away with setting a smaller viewport area...


As an aside: Your iCU theme is the greatest. (Gush!) It's a beautiful piece of work. I've looked at your work on other MP3 players and have admired them from afar.

[sockbox]

iCu wasn't my theme but thanks anyways. All of my themes were based on another theme, or rather an extension of past themes.

If you can't afford the extra line for the blank viewport, then extend your viewports, don't shrink them, so that they overlap the lockscreen popup.

To save a few characters, change the code for 12/24h time. The code I used in the past seem to have carried over to subsequent themes, and it was just inefficient code. I changed it in the latest clock_lock2

from this...

Code: [Select]

%?St(time format)<%cH|%cl>:%cM>

to this...

Code: [Select]

%?cf<%cH|%cl>:%cM

Another cheap trick to save on code is to have a long strip of BMPs rather than multiple bmp files. In pULsE, put p1-p5.bmp all on one image strip. Same goes for s1-s5.bmp. That way you'll only have to define the image once.

For code like this

Code: [Select]

%?mp<|%pc|%pc|%pc|%pc>

try

Code: [Select]

%?mp<|%pc>

Sometimes you can get away with defining just two choices. If it's not playing do this, else do this for everything else. Or can be further shortened to

Code: [Select]

%pc

since we don't care if it's stopped. The wps screen doesn't show when media is stopped.
Your line...

Code: [Select]

%al%?mp<|%pc|%pc|%pc|%pc>%ac%?mp<|%ac%pp/%pe|%ac%pp/%pe|%ac%pp/%pe|%ac%pp/%pe>%ar%?mp<|%pr|%pr|%pr|%pr>

can be shortened to this:

Code: [Select]

%al%pc%ac%pp/%pe%ar%pr

Code: [Select]

%?cu<Monday|Tuesday|Wednesday|Thursday|Friday|Saturday|Sunday>

can be shortened to...

Code: [Select]

%ca%?cu<|s|nes|rs||ur|>day

Do the same to display months. Change this:

Code: [Select]

%?cm<January|February|March|April|May|June|July|August|September|October|November|December>

to:

Code: [Select]

%cb%?cm<uary|ruary|ch|il||e|y|ust|tember|ober|ember>

Plenty of tricks out there, you just have to be creative. Look for repetitive stuff and ways to make it more efficient.

[mc2739]

The quickest solution though would be that I work at cutting some of the Bling from my themes so they can fit the buffer with that extra viewport setting  :'(

If you are that close to the buffer limit you will most likely run into various problems.  The current svn code does not appear to handle an out of skin buffer situation very well.  It will stop loading items and not give any warning of a problem.

Also, if you are testing on the simulator, be aware that the skin buffer size may be different.  What works on the simulator may not necessarily work on the device.

[KiwiCam]

The quickest solution though would be that I work at cutting some of the Bling from my themes so they can fit the buffer with that extra viewport setting  :'(

If you are that close to the buffer limit you will most likely run into various problems.  The current svn code does not appear to handle an out of skin buffer situation very well.  It will stop loading items and not give any warning of a problem.

Also, if you are testing on the simulator, be aware that the skin buffer size may be different.  What works on the simulator may not necessarily work on the device.

Heh, heh. Yeah. I've been burbling on about that too  . But, that in a way, for me, is a good thing. The Clip Sim, does have a larger buffer, but it means that I can try more outrageous things and, just to see if they work. Then of course I get all upset because it won't work on the Clip itself
Post Merge: October 22, 2011, 08:01:32 PM

iCu wasn't my theme but thanks anyways. All of my themes were based on another theme, or rather an extension of past themes.

If you can't afford the extra line for the blank viewport, then extend your viewports, don't shrink them, so that they overlap the lockscreen popup.

To save a few characters, change the code for 12/24h time. The code I used in the past seem to have carried over to subsequent themes, and it was just inefficient code. I changed it in the latest clock_lock2

from this...

Code: [Select]

%?St(time format)<%cH|%cl>:%cM>

to this...

Code: [Select]

%?cf<%cH|%cl>:%cM

Another cheap trick to save on code is to have a long strip of BMPs rather than multiple bmp files. In pULsE, put p1-p5.bmp all on one image strip. Same goes for s1-s5.bmp. That way you'll only have to define the image once.

For code like this

Code: [Select]

%?mp<|%pc|%pc|%pc|%pc>

try

Code: [Select]

%?mp<|%pc>

Sometimes you can get away with defining just two choices. If it's not playing do this, else do this for everything else. Or can be further shortened to

Code: [Select]

%pc

since we don't care if it's stopped. The wps screen doesn't show when media is stopped.
Your line...

Code: [Select]

%al%?mp<|%pc|%pc|%pc|%pc>%ac%?mp<|%ac%pp/%pe|%ac%pp/%pe|%ac%pp/%pe|%ac%pp/%pe>%ar%?mp<|%pr|%pr|%pr|%pr>

can be shortened to this:

Code: [Select]

%al%pc%ac%pp/%pe%ar%pr

Code: [Select]

%?cu<Monday|Tuesday|Wednesday|Thursday|Friday|Saturday|Sunday>

can be shortened to...

Code: [Select]

%ca%?cu<|s|nes|rs|f|ur|>day

Do the same to display months. Change this:

Code: [Select]

%?cm<January|February|March|April|May|June|July|August|September|October|November|December>

to:

Code: [Select]

%cb%?cm<uary|ruary|ch|il||e|y|ust|tember|ober|ember|ember>>

Plenty of tricks out there, you just have to be creative. Look for repetitive stuff and ways to make it more efficient.

That is soooooooooooooo good. Thanks. I'll put those in place today. All of those except for the bitmap stuff, I can throw in immediately.  I'll try and experiment with the bitmap stuff. That was how I originally tried to make my Progress & Volume Bar animations, but I couldn't (my coding, no doubt) get it to work that way, but found that the individual bitmap way did work. Excellent. Something to delve into. Thanks once again.

I wonder how many other themes have got nifty little tricks like that?
Post Merge: October 22, 2011, 08:23:05 PMAh. So Sockbox is The Clark Locke! I should have known. You're the person that inspired me to actually have a go at this stuff. I love your themes.