Show a "Display Text Large" Bezel But Smaller

You can change the duration - see this discussion thread https://forum.keyboardmaestro.com/t/display-text-large-can-the-duration-of-the-display-be-changed/5296

Oh - just saw the other discussion going on about this.

Are there any updates on this feature request? @peternlewis

I'd like to be able to control the size, position, and color of the display text large too.
Maybe not the same action, but something similar to it that allows us to customize the display.

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You can do this using the Custom HTML Prompt action.

In fact, I'm pretty sure there have been topics/posts about using the HTML Prompt for this very use case. A Forum Search should find these.

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The Custom HTML Prompt in KM does not offer a transparent/semitransparent background, as the Display Text Large action has, and as BetterTouchTool offers. With BTT, people can build some cool stuff like this:
image

If I were to use the Custom HTML Prompt to replace the Display Text Large function, I would probably use the BTT floating HTML because of the translucency background option. But, although I've been using the Custom HTML Prompt in many places, I would still prefer not to use the Custom HTML Prompt action if there are other easier ways.

Lastly, since @peternlewis "Noted" the request. I was just checking in to see if there have been any updates. :grin:

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No, there are no changes on this front.

As noted, the display is typically invoked as an option from a menu, and so it doesn't really have any way to configure it. It would need an entirely new action, or new UI.

And to allow all the customisations would require a lot of code and options, so more likely I would expand the Custom HTML Prompt to allow transparent backgrounds and borderless windows (if any of that turns out to be possible).

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Thanks for your reply. I'm patiently waiting for this feature to be available in the future.

Personally, I see transparency as nothing more than eye candy, and it decreases readability. I see no functional benefit to it. I know there are others that like it, and that is fine.
My 2¢ would be to put other items that provide new capability, new functionality, higher on the KM to-do list.

"expand the Custom HTML Prompt to allow transparent backgrounds and borderless windows (if any of that turns out to be possible"

This will be amazing because Custom HTML Prompt is one of the most powerful actions but often overlook feature.

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First of all I'd like to pay my respects to JMichaelTX. He was very active in this thread and I respect and admire his hard work. He will be missed.

Talking about this macro. I'd like to at least be able to change the size of it, which at the moment is rather obnoxious.

With apple implementing new Focus modes and improving the Do Not Disturb function, I rely less and less on system notifications for messages.

So an upgrade to this feature would be a godsend.

Hi @splitpersonality,

Peter has added "hide title bar" and "transparency" to the Custom HTML Prompt action. If you want to have more customization for "Display Text Large", "Custom HTML Prompt" is for you. You can, for instance, control the size and position of the window, as well as the fonts of the text to be displayed.

Hey @splitpersonality,

Please see Post #10 if you haven't already.

I realize this is complex for the average user, but it's the only solution available.

Perhaps @martin would post a “simple” example...

-Chris

Here it is:

Display Text Large with HTML Prompt.kmmacros (3.9 KB)

The window will show up at the upper-right corner of the screen, where the system notification usually appears.

The window auto closes in 5s.

Almost everything, the window position, size, the text font, etc. may be customized.

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I use this, nice,...
I see the SCREEN area of code but don't know how to center it on the screen.
How do I center the prompt on the screen?
Also, it there a way to dynamically size the prompt based on the text variable that is to be displayed? I entered a sentence and only the first few words were shown...

Hi @troy,

I'm glad you like it.

Try this:
change

<body data-kmwindow="SCREEN(Main,Width)-300,38,300,150">

to

<body data-kmwindow="SCREEN(Front,Right)-SCREEN(Front,Width)/2-300/2,(SCREEN(Front,Height)-150)/2,300,150">

Note:
This is works with multiple monitors. The HTML Prompt window appears on the Front Screen.
300 is the width of the HTML Prompt window, 150 is the height of the HTML Prompt window.
You may change the number to suit your need. Just remember to change the number at both places.

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I don't know how to determine the size of the window needed for a dynamic text. Sorry about that. I myself use the full screen to display dynamic text. This way, I don't need to worry about the text size. :laughing:

I also added AppleScript to hide the menu bar before the HTML Prompt and restore the menu bar after the HTML Prompt window is closed.

Display Text Large with HTML Prompt - Full Screen.kmmacros (5.2 KB)

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If you are asking how to dynamically size text in a Custom HTML form, so that the text always fills the window, regardless of window size, the answer is most certainly yes. I researched this a few months ago myself. I don't think HTML supports it directly, but it does support it indirectly by allowing you to insert Javascript inside the HTML code. Do you really want to go down that rabbit hole? I think there is a thread about this very topic on this website.

The code to do this is readily available on GitHub. I found about a dozen different, free solutions. I got a little frustrated but I actually did get one of them working in KM this year. And then for some reason I gave up.

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LOL,

Thanx @Sleepy , yeah... don't need more rabbit holes... =), appreciate your opinion... certainly...

Thank you, I'll just keep the text short enough to fit in the box... Really that's all I need anyhow...

Cheers

Ok. I find that some languages (like Javascript, Python) are very general-purpose but to get anything useful done you have to download add-ons from who-knows-where. These languages are really designed for people who like to assemble solutions from many sources, so I think that they aren't very useful for me. I like to have a language that provides all the tools people need for most tasks within the language itself. KM is a little better in this regard than some languages. But it will never be able to give everyone what they want, (eg, your example of dynamic text size) so it includes hooks to things like AppleScript, Javascript, HTML, Shell, and so on.

Since I'll probably pass into "the great sandbox in the sky" before Peter does, I'm not too worried about KM's long term direction. But what I'd like to see are more built-in KM actions that deal with HomeKit, Metal (for more output options), Shortcuts, file conversion/manipulation actions, ImageMagick (for more screen analysis) and a bunch of other macOS features that KM users probably use a lot of.

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Thanks for this so much @martin – years later it's still helpful! :clap:

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