A little coding challenge - Word Clock

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1

Here is a little challenge for anyone interested
[edited 11 Apr 2024 to clarify restrictions]

Write a program to display a real-time word clock

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You are restricted to using the 64 character global list letters and you should include a set pixel to color custom block that only has two parameters - 1 to 64 for the pixel value and an RGBA color

This is to emulate a real RGB matrix where all the pixels in an 8x8 grid would actually be connected in order from left to right, top to bottom

as an example
15:26 should display as

   TWENTY
FI V E
   PAST

   THREE

Don't post pictures of your code (just to avoid spoilers for others) but please post links to working (or work in progress) projects

Starter project with letters defined

2

Feel free to ask any questions for clarification :slight_smile:

3

bet

4

Is that a question?

5

why cant i just do

    TWENTY 
SIX
     PAST

     FIFTEEN
6

I personally prefer to use UTC 24 hour time when communicating online

7

If you look at the grid of available letters and the positions that they are in, then you can't achieve that result.

You are restricted in what is achievable - that's what makes this an interesting problem :slight_smile:

8

ohhh ok

9

wait, each letter has to be in an 8x8 grid of pixels?

10

Yes - each letter is in a fixed position within an 8 x 8 grid

HATWENTY
FIFVTEEN
LF*PASTO
NINEIGHT
ONETHREE
TWELEVEN
FOURFIVE
SIXSEVEN

and note the restriction you have on your custom block to place letters on the grid

11

i can't find TWO - can you show how we would display 7:02 and 7:14 and 2:30? is that part of the challenge?
(i've seen this years ago - in an ad for a watch from some fancy, techno catalog like Sharper Image, etc).

12

You have to be a bit imaginative to get TWO - don't just think in one dimension :slight_smile:
You "can't" display 7:02 as such - you have to get to the nearest thing you can display
Same for 7:14
As for 2:30 - think about another way of saying two thirty

13

in theory thats not that complicated

14

It's got a reasonable level of complexity - there's a few things to work out. :slight_smile:

15

yeah. i guess.

16

FYI It's taken me about a week to code one up using MicroBlocks on a physical matrix!

That includes about 10 iterations of a 3D printed case as well :slight_smile:

But, Snap! has more higher level blocks and libraries available, so I don't think it'll take as long as that using Snap! :slight_smile:

17

i need an actual interesting project

18

Can I tell what is that one asterisk (*) for/meant?

19

It's a spare character so I think they just decided to make it a *

I'm using it in my physical project to show the current cheerlights colour

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20

Here's my project for the word clock (uses pen so it wouldn't be laggy):