ASAM Details:

States

Display options

User actions

State conditions

Event actions

Tricks and specials

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ASAM has three states: "Default" - "Active" - "Signalled"

• For each state several display options can be specified.
• For each state an user action can be specified, which is executed when the OM3 button is pressed.
• The transitions between these states can be controlled with state conditions.
• When a state condition applies, an event action can be executed.

ASAM can show the following contents on the display of the OM3 button:

1. a static or animated image of format GIF
   • this image can be loaded from a local file or an URL
   • the relative display position can be specified
   • the frame refresh rate of the animation can be specified, but this is limited through the refresh rate of the OM3 display and OMC software (refer to tricks and specials)
2. text information
   • static simple text (single line, horizontal centered or scrolling, bottom of the display)
   • displaying the current time as phrase (multi-line, centered) or digital (single line, horizontal centered or scrolling, bottom of the display)
   • displaying a larger text, which can be read from a local file or an URL (multi-line, scrolling)
   • attributes for displaying text:
     • font, size and style, color
     • text shadow
     • background transparency
     • use the background color of the specified GIF image for the text background

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ASAM can execute the following actions if the OM3 button is pressed ("user action"):

1. do nothing (user action disabled)
2. open/display a file or an URL with the assigned application
   • the same application is used as when double clicked the file in the windows explorer
3. start a process (normal/minimized/maximized/hidden)
   • the internal identification of the successfully started process is used to monitor or terminate the process
4. terminate started process
   • Caution: This action forces the process to terminate, changes on open files could not be saved!
5. show a window or put it into foreground
   • a window is identified by its title or class name (refer to tricks and specials)
   • the action is applied to the first found window which matches the specified description
   • a hidden window will be made visible
   • a visible but covered window will be put into foreground
6. close a window
   • a window is identified by its title or class name (refer to tricks and specials)
   • the action is applied to the first found window which matches the specified description (even if the window is invisible)
   • a window is tried to close by sending the system message "WM_CLOSE" to this window
   • the action fails if the window does not response to this system message
   • Caution: Improper usage of this action could disturb the operating system!
7. capture the current foreground window and its state
   • the identifikation and the state of the current foreground window is determined and saved
   • this action does not effect the state of any window
8. restore the state of the previously captured window
   • restores the state of the window with the stored (captured) identification
   • Note: The system setting ForegroundLockTimeout can hinder a restore
9. send a key to the active window
   • for syntax description refer to tricks and specials
10. play a PC-speaker-sound

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Conditions for executing an event action:

1. always false (condition disabled)
2. action successful
   • last executed action (i.e. open a file or start a process) was successful
3. action failed
   • last executed action (i.e. open a file or start a process) was failed
4. active process was closed
   • the started process was closed (normal) or terminated successfully
5. a window does exist
   • a window is identified by its title or class name (refer to tricks and specials)
   • the condition applies if a window exist, which matches the specified description (even if the window is invisible)
6. a window does not exist
   • a window is identified by its title or class name (refer to tricks and specials)
7. OM3 button was pressed
   • the condition applies if the button was pressed, even if this already triggered an user action
8. a specified timeout is elapsed
   • the condition applies once after entered the state
9. a specified periodic timeout is elapsed
   • the condition applies periodically as long as state is active
10. current time is [HH:MM]
    • the condition applies (once after entered the state) if the actual time is equal to the specified time (format "HH:MM")
11. content changed
    • the condition applies if a content change of displayed image or text is determined during a reload (event action)
12. always true (condition is forced)

A second condition is checked if the first condition does not apply (except "always false").

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Actions to execute if a condition applies ("event action"):

1. do nothing (event action disabled)
2. set state
   • enter the specified state (no action if specified state is already active)
3. notify
   • play a PC-speaker-sound or a specified WAV sound
4. reload
   • reload the displayed content (image or text from local file or an URL, as specified in the display properties)

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tricks and specials:

1. finding a window in the system
   • A window is identified by its title (i.e. "readme.txt - NotePad") or its class name (i.e. "CabinetWClass").
   • Wildcards are allowed in the specification of title or class name (i.e. "* - Notepad").
   • Caution: Distinction of multiple found windows is not possible!
   • An existing window will also be found if it is hidden or of size zero.
   • Identifying windows (invisible windows, determining the class name) can be done with the tool WIMO.
2. Syntax description for sending key codes
   • A key to send is specified through its ASCII character ('a') or through its hexadecimal written scan code.
   • Scan codes of the keys can be found in the file keycodes.txt (delivered together with ASAM plugin).
   • Additional special keys to send (Shift, Control, Alt) are specified through leading keywords (notice correct spelling!).
   • examples:
     • number "9" as scan code: 0x39
     • character ")" as scan code: SHIFT+0x39
     • Alt-F1: ALT+0x70
     • Ctrl-Shift-"A": CTRL+SHIFT+A

3. Setting the frame animation cycle rate
   • The refresh rate can be set in ASAM. This setting is valid for displaying the images and additional contents.
     The refreshing of the OM3 button display content is asynchronous and is done three times a second or even slower. This defines mainly the speed of displaying the content. If OMC could not follow the specified refresh rate, breaks or jerks could occur (i.e. skipped frames).
   • Try to find a sufficient value (default setting is 400ms).
   • An animated image is displayed, according to the specified refresh rate, slower than defined.

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Author: Dirk Schönemann
last update: 30.07.2008

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