World Clock
Display the time in locations around the world - as an analogue clock, a digital clock, or both.

There are 2 versions of the World Clock panel:

Version 1.5 runs on Windows XP and Windows 2000. It uses the Microsoft .NET Framework version 1.1 and DS build 90 or above. It can be download from this Extension Exchange page.

Version 2.0 runs on Windows Vista, Windows XP and Windows 2000. It uses the Microsoft .NET Framework version 2.0 and DS build 116 or above. It is attached below. Note: as of 2nd March 2008 this version now works.

Both versions are functionally the same and Microsoft .NET framework versions 1.1 and 2.0 can run side-by-side on the same computer.

Installation:
- Download the appropriate DSPACKAGE file.
- Open the file (double click it), preferably while Desktop Sidebar is running.

Please post any questions or feedback regarding the panel in this forum thread.

Thank you for using my panel .

If you have a good background image for use with the World Clock panel then please send it to me and I will add it here.

Thank you

Great panel I've replaced all of my DS built-in clock panels with yours It's much better. Good work

I was wondering - do you use GDI or an ITextOutput? Or maybe both?

And just a few sugesstions:

1. An option to show the date will be really great. That's the only thing I really miss in the DS clock panel.

2. What I really want is an outline effect, so if you use GDI it shouldn't be so hard to add. That will make the panel really cool

3. It'll be great if you add a preview or apply option so we'll be able to see the clock while we edit it.

Great panel BTW, I like its icon

Hi KeithI,

this is pretty much what I was looking for
If you could release something similar with analog clocks for the next release would be perfect...

*thumbsup*

Cheers

Thanks yyy

I use GDI for everything. There are no DS controls.

I wanted to get the first version out and then collect suggestions for changes. I will add yours to the top of the list

...and if you can come up with a better icon I will be most grateful

This icon is great - I use it in my panels

I'll be happy if you add these ideas. Finally I have a cool clock on DS

Looks excellent!
I don't think your update checking will work though. You need to add an "updateCheckerNextCheck" property, as in the new Mail Notifier (I'm afraid version 2.0, of which the source code is released, wasn't configured correctly to do update checking). Look at the latest version's dsplugin.

Excellent work

This panel really makes for great possibilities for eye pleasing space saving. Being able to pull the background from somewhere else is really slick. I will definitely use two versions of this panel, one for the local clock that is always up, and one for the World clock that I will add to my stack panel.

I know you will make modifications, but I really like it as it is!

One quick question - What exactly is the default font for the clock? I want to use it, but just bold it sometimes.

Again, great work...

Coult69

Thanks GoMa I've changed the file and put the new version in the ExEx (but I've left it at version 1.0).

Thanks coult69 the default font is LCD BOLD (see here). You can install it on your system and then you should be able to select it in the "Choose Font" dialog.

Thanks cschuche I'll see what I can do with an analog version.

Do you know how to do it? and couldn't you just use an outline font?

I know a site which explains how to do it. See here: http://www.bobpowell.net/texteffects.htm

I've asked the author if I can use his code and he wrote this:



If you know of an outline font I'll be happy to try it, although using an outline font won't allow me to change the inner or outer color of the text.
I hope you can add it - it's really cool

First bug

Some fonts, though they are marked as TrueType (including the two LCD sets at the link you posted), raise this error:

************** Exception Text **************
System.ArgumentException: Only TrueType fonts are supported, and this is not a TrueType font.
at System.Drawing.Font.FromLogFont(Object lf, IntPtr hdc)
at System.Windows.Forms.FontDialog.UpdateFont(LOGFONT lf)
at System.Windows.Forms.FontDialog.RunDialog(IntPtr hWndOwner)
at System.Windows.Forms.CommonDialog.ShowDialog()
at WorldClock.PanelItemDlg.GetFont(Font& f)
at WorldClock.PanelItemDlg.ChooseClockFontButton_Click(Object sender, EventArgs e)
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.OnClick(EventArgs e)
at System.Windows.Forms.Button.OnClick(EventArgs e)
at System.Windows.Forms.Button.OnMouseUp(MouseEventArgs mevent)
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WmMouseUp(Message& m, MouseButtons button, Int32 clicks)
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.ButtonBase.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.Button.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.ControlNativeWindow.OnMessage(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.ControlNativeWindow.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.NativeWindow.Callback(IntPtr hWnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wparam, IntPtr lparam)

Yes - now I also get this bug with a true type font I hope KeithI can fix it.

EDIT:
BTW, I can set the panel to use the font by changing the sidebar105.settings file.

Here's a screenshot of the panel using a background I've made:
Click to view attachment

And here's the background (it works with any skin since the center of the image is semi-transparented):
Click to view attachment

very god work

but i find a bug: the restore do not work

grezz Stephan

I assume you meant good

It works OK for me - can anyone else confirm this as a problem.

Hmmm, this exception is begin thrown by the standard Font dialog. Very strange, I'll look into it.

Great work! It would be nice if you could change the font size. Now I have to make my sidebar much wider than usual to fit all the digits. It would also be nice if you could chose not to see seconds (only hours and minutes).

You can change the font size using the Panel Properties dialog box.

i thought this at first to.

you have to uncheck use default font size

and very nice panel well done

You can change font, font size and whether to show seconds by right-clicking on the panel and choosing "Panel Properties". The select the item you want to change and press Edit.

I think there's a bug: it's written "Show" instead of "Show seconds".

I think some of the labels have been clipped. I will fix this in the first bug-fix release.

Awesome just what I was looking out for !!!!!! I was about to post a request for a world clock panel last week and today thought will just check the panel page and lo behold there it is !!! Gr8 work !!

Thank you. I'm glad you like it .

Great work KeithI Install it without any problem. I noticed a small display glitch tho. Using default font, when number 7 is displayed, part of it was cut off.

One question: What is the margin that you've use for stretching? It's much better if users are able to configure the stretch margin since different image need different margin to stretch well.

If you have extra time.. can you add skinning support to this panel? Inside the panel's folder there's a skin folder where user put the skins. Skins are consist of two file: one, the config file (ini/xml) which will store the stretch margin, font type, font color and such. Another file is the skin itself. Both file will have the same name. What do you think?

Or he can use a normal *.dsskin and read the information from it.

Thanks Antu .

I think that is a "feature" of the LCD font that is used as the default.

I don't use a margin. The image is just stretched to the size of the panel. You can put a margin in the image in order to make it look like a margin in the panel.

I'll look into better support for skinners.

Version 1.1 released. Check first post.

You are using C# right? Because if you are, it isn't too much work to find a way to include the .NET calendar into the panel. As an alternative to the standard clock panel.

Yes, he uses C#.
BTW, after installing the panel I get a message that there's a new version (v. 1.1) - but that's the one I've installed It also says that I use v. 1.0 and in the Help tab it says v. 1.1

Can I cancel the auto-update option? It now pops up whenever I load DS

I'm using GoMa's update-checking code in DSPanelUtils (which is based on my original). I will look into why it doesn't seem to work correctly.

Small error on my part. Download again from the ExEx and it should be OK.

Ok, I'll try it again. But is there a way to upgrade the panel without the need to disable it first? It's annoying to set all of my instances every time there's an upgrade
Anyway, thanks for the new build

EDIT:
I still have this upgrading message problem...

Can you try it again. I'm not sure the ExEx updated correctly first time. I don't get the problem. If it still fails check the .dsplugin file in the WorldClock panel folder. Make sure it says version 1.1.

There isn't a better way to upgrade I'm afraid - so that's why there is a backup/restore option.

Works fine now Thanks.

Hi KeithI,

I installed 1.1 and
(01) have a second world clock in the sidebar
(02) would like to get all my setting into the new world clock panel...
Can I do this with the backup/restore function?

Nice implementation of the update popup! Really good and useful function

Cheers

Why not? The restore option works with any instance of the panel.

Yes. yyy is correct.

BTW, the screenshot of the panel in the ExEx links to the dspackage file

Whoops...now fixed.

I re-installed the sidebar and it appears that after re-installing world clock 1.1 it says, that ver. 1.1 is out already and I am using 1.0...hm.

It seems that 1.0 has been installed instead if 1.1. they are in the same directory, just the filenames are different...any clues?

Cheers

Try downloading again, I think it's fixed now.

KiethI, I didn't see this in the thread, but maybe its just me. If you turn on the show date feature, no matter where yo uset it, it appears over (or under) the time on the clock. Also, perhaps there should be a preview of what the panel will look like in the options dialog when you change the font and display properties.

I put it on the top left and it's fine. Maybe you need to diable auto fit and resize the panel.

Yeah, that might be it. Thanks yyy. Still think there should be a preview though.

I added the Apply button so that you could instantly see what effect your changes have. I think that this is better than a preview because you can see what things will look like regardless of which dialog you are looking at.

Touche! Good point. Totally didn't even think about that. Great panel, Kieth. Keep up the great work.

Keith excellent panel. I upgraded to V1.1 without a hitch. I have two comments to make:

1. Can you use yor own date/time formatting instead of using the one set in Regional Options? The reason is that one would want the short date here to be "ddd, d/mm/yy" whereas in Outlook and Excel one would like it to be 'dd-mmm-yy". All these apps pick up the format from regional settings and this causes issues.

(BTW, the clock panel in DS already uses its own formatting options.)


2. Please explain how can I display the zones in a column format. Rows works great, but when I want to display in columns it puts all text in a single spot. I have played around with placing text in Top Left, Middle Left, Bottom Left etc., but no joy.

Thanks and again a great piece of work.

1. You can't. This is a good idea, though.

2. Right click the panel and disable the auto fit option. Now put your mose pointer over the bottom of the panel. Click and drag it down so the panel will get resized. Now you'll be able to see many rows

BTW, question/suggestion or anything concerning panels which have they're own threads should be posted in these threads. No need to create new ones

Thanks yyy.
1. I was actually requesting if this feature can be added.

2. I have kep this panel undocked and in that state I am unable to see the option specified aove.

Thanks again and I take note of youir suggestions regarding using proper threads.