TIP: Custom HTML Prompt to Display Text Large

Tips & Tutorials
#1

Display Text Large with HTML Prompt

Per @ccstone's proposal, I share the macros below to demonstrate how to use action:Custom HTML Prompt [Keyboard Maestro Wiki] to Display Text Large, as some of us would like to have more control over the font of the text to be displayed large.

Requirement:

  • My example requires v10 of Keyboard Maestro, which supports make the window Transparent (v10.0+) and turn off the Window Title Bar (v10.0+).

Window Size and Position:

  • The Body Attribute data-kmwindow=<left, top, width, height> controls the size and position of the HTML Prompt. This field accepts KM Functions. Therefore, the function:SCREEN [Keyboard Maestro Wiki] is very useful here.
    • I will provide three macros below to make the HTML Prompt to show up at
      1. the top-right corner (like a system notification),
      2. the center of the screen (more visible), as well as
      3. as a full screen size window (most visible and more text may be displayed).
    • The HTML Prompt window will show up on the Front Screen if you have multiple monitors.
    • Due to my limited knowledge of HTML/CSS/javascript (all self-taught), I have not found a good way to dynamically calculate the window size based on the text to be displayed. If this could be accomplished, it is not difficult to use javascript to update the window size of the HTML Prompt.

Javascript

  • The javascript takes the KM variable named Text to Display and display the text in the HTML Prompt.
  • I also added a javascript timer to close the HTML Prompt in 5 seconds. You may change the counter down time or remove the timer altogether.
  • You may also press Esc (via javascript EventListener) to close the window.

CSS

The CSS controls the style of the text.

  • The .external, .middle, and .internal classes are used to make the text shown at the center of the window.
  • The #bottom id shows the auto-close timer.
  • Inside the body style, the 0.6 of background: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.6); controls the transparency degree.
  • The text to display is set to 50px, you may adjust according to your need (see the .internal style).
  • There are much more we could adjust.

Macro Files to Download:

Here are the macros:

  1. Display Text Large with HTML Prompt - Top-Right Corner.kmmacros (6.9 KB)
  2. Display Text Large with HTML Prompt - Center Window.kmmacros (7.0 KB)
  3. Display Text Large with HTML Prompt - Full Screen.kmmacros (6.9 KB)

Macro screenshot example:

image

5 Likes
#2

Hey @martin,

Super! Thank you.

-Chris

1 Like
#3

Very nice,,, thank you.
How would I get a KM variable into the 'HTML text'
ie. here..

    <div id="bottom">
        Window closes in <span id="counter">5</span>s.
    </div>

I'd like to be able to pass a variable into the HTML for the duration that the window stays open....
Would the following do it? - guess I'll test in the meantime..

 <div id="bottom">
        Window closes in <span id="counter">GetVariable('DelayTime')</span>s.
    </div>

nah, that doesn't do it.... =)
cheers

#4

Hi @troy,

Glad you like it.
To set a custom auto-close timer, you may add an action:
image

Assuming, you want the window to auto-close in 10 seconds.

In the javascript, in the KMInit function, add the below javascript command:

document.querySelector('#counter').innerText = window.KeyboardMaestro.GetVariable('TimerDuration');

image

Here is a revised macro:

Display Text Large with HTML Prompt - Center Window - Custom Timer.kmmacros (7.3 KB)

Click to see screenshot

image
image1366×2558 335 KB

1 Like