Recording countdown timer

[Mmmm]

An update...well, actually two..

Version4: A nice little watch icon in the bottom right corner of the screen while the timer is ticking. This Icon appears in all screens no matter what you are doing. When the timer runs out the Icon flashes to remind you to go back into the recording screen where the recording will begin.

Version5: 128 hours? how long is that? Now you can only have 24 hours.. but you also have a day setting so you can have the timer running for 7 days! a whole week! Madness...I think that is long enough
Also settings wrap, so on reaching 59 minutes you just press up to get to 0 instead of going all the way back down again.

While mucking about I plugged in the remote just to see if the info fitted on the screen (will have to look at the Archos too) and guess what? The remote goes bonkers when the timer is running! hmmmm

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[Mmmm]

Ok, the bonkers remote was just because it doesn't like being written to simultaneously so we can have no icon on the remote..no great loss.... I just hope the other targets (ie archos) dont have the same problem or they wont be able to have an icon at all.

Also the remote buttons dont work properly in the timer menu(for both remotes) so I've fixed that in this version.

Go on, give it a go... it hopefully works for all targets (that record), tell me what you think, or if it doesn't work

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[Rincewind]

I don't think the icon is a good idea. If I set a timer I don't want to babysit it to see if something starts flashing. Make it easy: show a splash "recording timer finished!!" or something like that for a few seconds if the player is not in recording screen. So when you are using the player you get the notice and if you leave it alone you leave it in recording screen.

A WPS Tag to show the remaining time could be nice, but I suppose that's overkill.

I'm just curious: have you created an own thread for the timer?

[pabouk]

I had it so that it automatically started the recording screen wherever you are too but calling the recording screen from the timer was a bad idea....it crashed quite often but it worked often too..however, that's not good enough.

Does not the timer run in a different thread than the one that is used for UI? If so the correct solution should be to pass a message to the UI (Main) thread which will invoke the Recording Screen. Unfortunately I do not know much about the Rockbox architecture but the basics should be documented here: http://www.rockbox.org/twiki/bin/view/Main/RockboxArchitecture.

[Mmmm]

I don't think the icon is a good idea. If I set a timer I don't want to babysit it to see if something starts flashing. Make it easy: show a splash "recording timer finished!!" or something like that for a few seconds if the player is not in recording screen. So when you are using the player you get the notice and if you leave it alone you leave it in recording screen.

Why is that preferable to an icon? It does the same thing only the Icon keeps flashing in the corner. A splash would turn off and you might miss it or it could permanently stay on and get in the way.

I'm just curious: have you created an own thread for the timer?

Well, I used the timer thread that the backlight fade uses, That is why the backlight won't fade while the timer is running! When it has finished it gives it back though.

I had it so that it automatically started the recording screen wherever you are too but calling the recording screen from the timer was a bad idea....it crashed quite often but it worked often too..however, that's not good enough.

Does not the timer run in a different thread than the one that is used for UI? If so the correct solution should be to pass a message to the UI (Main) thread which will invoke the Recording Screen. Unfortunately I do not know much about the Rockbox architecture but the basics should be documented here: http://www.rockbox.org/twiki/bin/view/Main/RockboxArchitecture

Yes, that would be good... I don't know how to do that either, though... yet

[k1spanish]

This is a great thing - timed recording is the only reason I still use my iFP for FM-recording. Question: is there already a build available with timer included? Yours, Mmmmm?

[Mmmm]

This is a great thing - timed recording is the only reason I still use my iFP for FM-recording. Question: is there already a build available with timer included? Yours, Mmmmm?

There wasn't but there is now...try this: rockbox_rectimer.zip (for H120/H140) only

[k1spanish]

Wow, quick response! Thanks!! I will test the build and report if there is anything to report.

[k1spanish]

Hi!

Timer works perfect. One question: is the the reported and fixed bug while mp3 recording (Topic: New Codec and FM Recording for iAudio and iRiver) already fixed in your build?

[Mmmm]

Hi!

Timer works perfect. One question: is the the reported and fixed bug while mp3 recording (Topic: New Codec and FM Recording for iAudio and iRiver) already fixed in your build?

Nope, my build was made on the 7th and thefix was on the 9th..but here's a build with it included:rockbox_rectimer.zip (for H120/H140) only

Although I think there is still something  wrong with recording in general..I seem to keep getting crashes (with digital in anyway)...

Anyway, about the countdown timer. There are now 2 things keeping me from committing it.
i) Noone has tested it on the recorder (I'm not sure if the screen can handle the icon as the H1xx remote screen can't) I really need to know if it works or not.
ii) This is not specific to this patch but I'm having problems compiling the Recorder V2...I'm always getting REGION FLASH FULL errors seemingly with any patch I apply... It's driving me mad... I'm not sure if its the fault of my compiler specifically or that the code (meaning the entire rockbox code) is just now too big for this target...and if the latter it needs fixing somehow. But how is well beyond me!

[jaybeee]

Wow! Thanks so much Mmmm. I was just thinking about how I was going to miss recording something this weekend cos I'm gonna be away, but now it looks like I can use your countdown patch; brilliant.

So, the latest patch above (for H120), how do I add that to my current build? I've never done that before you see. I am actually still using your REP build from a few months ago! I was thinking it's about time I changed   So this patch seems as good a time as any to do just that

Oh, and one more thing: the 128hrs limit seems great. I just wonder if it's possible (or indeed worthwhile) to add some functionality that allows you to start recording after a certain time (as the patch allows now) AND THEN to start recording for a second time after another countdown period... and so on? What d'ya think?

[Mmmm]

It's not 128 hours anymore, it's now a week!

You cant add this to your current build.... You will have to make an entirely new one... Download source, patch with whatever patches you use, add this patch and compile. I think I'll put this in the REP today, so that should solve your problem anyway...check the REP thread, I'll post in there when I get it in.

Hmmm, to be able to have more than one countdown you would also have to have a time limit for the recording, so three timers in a row...sounds complicated....
You could have a start and end time and a set radio frequency for each timer...
You'll be asking for Videoplus next!

[jaybeee]

A week is cool for me.

Yep, that would be great to shove it into the REP *thumbs-up*

I guess I didn't think about the extra countdown functionality enough; it was just an idea after all.
However, there is existing functionality for you to record for only a certain time (or filesize). So, if you have a (1) countdown timer initially (your new one), then a (2) "record for a certain time" (already present), the third timer would just need to be reset when the recording finishes. So yes, 3 timers I guess, but two are already there and the third is just a reset of the first one I'd've thought??

I guess it could get messy with how to implement the "should the second timer be from the finished recording or an overall time from the very beginning" (the former seems more sensible to me). So, countdown to start recording in 2hrs and then record for 3hrs, then after that countdown for another 2hrs, then record until no more disk space (for example).

I dunno, maybe a lot of work that no-one would use?? I probably would use it, but maybe not that often. Spose it depends on how much time you have

Videoplus would be great btw, thanks  

[k1spanish]

Hi Mmmm,

I ca't say I really tested the build with timer - but I played around with it and recorded different codecs with different timesplit settings to end the recording automatically. There was no crash at all, but I recorded always only brief files (about 5 min). This weekend I will use your last build with timer to record my weekly FM broadcastings. These will be mp3 files 128 kps and 60 to 90 min each. If there is any problem I'll report.

[Mmmm]

A week is cool for me.

Yep, that would be great to shove it into the REP *thumbs-up*

Ok, it's there....

I guess I didn't think about the extra countdown functionality enough; it was just an idea after all.
However, there is existing functionality for you to record for only a certain time (or filesize). So, if you have a (1) countdown timer initially (your new one), then a (2) "record for a certain time" (already present), the third timer would just need to be reset when the recording finishes. So yes, 3 timers I guess, but two are already there and the third is just a reset of the first one I'd've thought??

I guess it could get messy with how to implement the "should the second timer be from the finished recording or an overall time from the very beginning" (the former seems more sensible to me). So, countdown to start recording in 2hrs and then record for 3hrs, then after that countdown for another 2hrs, then record until no more disk space (for example).

I think the best way would be to be able to set a timer to time in 3 hours time and another in 8 hours time. If timesplit is not set then the second one will be ignored, if the timesplit is set for say 1 hour, then (behind the scenes) when the recording stops, the timer 1 setting changes to timer2 - oldtimer 1 - filesplit time (in this case 8 - 3 -1 = 4 hours) and off it goes and starts recording again in 4 more hours....

Using sizesplit the check would be done when the recording finishes and if oldtimer 1 + recorded time < timer 2 then timer 1 = timer 2 - oldtimer 1 - recorded time. Otherwise timer 2 would be ignored...
Hmmm you know, it might just work!

We would have to reset the filesplit options after they were used once too, or it would split everything in the same way which would be no good...Which would mean that having another stage in the timers wouldnt work (unless you added a filesplit2... noooooooo)

Videoplus would be great btw, thanks  

Ok, give me a couple of years and I'll get on to it :p

Hi Mmmm,

I ca't say I really tested the build with timer - but I played around with it and recorded different codecs with different timesplit settings to end the recording automatically. There was no crash at all, but I recorded always only brief files (about 5 min). This weekend I will use your last build with timer to record my weekly FM broadcastings. These will be mp3 files 128 kps and 60 to 90 min each. If there is any problem I'll report.

It sounds like you're getting confused between the filesplit and the countdown timer.
Filesplit is already in CVS...The countdown timer is so that you can set it to record at some time in the future. The countdown timer shouldnt be affected by the length of the recording, just by the time before the recording.