Timers in Helm have two distinct functions. They can be used to display count-down and count-up timers on operator panels, and they can run scripts when the timer reaches a predetermined time. Timers can be used as interval timers for performing regular tasks, and can also be used to display the current PC time. (Wall clock time)
Note that Timers are stopped by default. If you want a timer to be running as soon as the panel starts, you should use the Timer’s Start action in the panel’s OnStartup event.
Commands
| Add (Value to add) | Add a number to the label
Example: TIMER_1:Add( 0 ) |
|---|---|
| AddCurrency (Value to add) | Add a currency value to the label
Example: TIMER_1:AddCurrency( “1” ) |
| MultiplyCurrency (Multiplier) | Multiply a currency amount by a number
Example: TIMER_1:MultiplyCurrency( 1.175 ) |
| Reset () | Reset the timer Example: TIMER_1:Reset( ) |
| Set (Property, Value) | Set property to value
Example: TIMER_1:Set( , ) |
| SetAlignment (Text Alignment) | Sets the text alignment (left, centre or right)for the label
Example: TIMER_1:SetAlignment( ) |
| SetColor (Label Color) | Sets the text color for the label
Example: TIMER_1:SetColor( clBlack ) |
| SetCurrency (Value) | Set the label to a currency value
Example: TIMER_1:SetCurrency( 100 ) |
| SetOpacity (Label Opacity) | Sets the text opacity for the label
Example: TIMER_1:SetOpacity( 0.85 ) |
| SetPointsize (Label Text PointSize) | Sets the text pointsize
Example: TIMER_1:SetPointsize( 20 ) |
| SetStart (Seconds) | Set the start time for a timer
Example: TIMER_1:SetStart( 30 ) |
| SetText (Label Text) | Sets the text for the label
Example: TIMER_1:SetText( “Message” ) |
| Start () | Start the timer Example: TIMER_1:Start( ) |
| Stop () | Stop the timer Example: TIMER_1:Stop( ) |
| Subtract (Value to subtract) | Subtract a number from the label
Example: TIMER_1:Subtract( 0 ) |
| SubtractCurrency (Value to label) | Subtract a currency amount from the label
Example: TIMER_1:SubtractCurrency( “1” ) |
Properties
Timers support many of the common properties for visual controls, and have the following special properties.
| Event Scripts | |
|---|---|
| OnClick | Occurs when you click on the timer. |
| OnTimer | Occurs when the timer reaches the specified trigger time. |
| OnTimerTick | Occurs 25 times a second while the timer is running. Because this happens so frequently, only simple scripts should be inserted here. |
| Miscellaneous | |
| Continuous | False = the timer stops when it reaches the trigger time. True = the timer jumps to the StartSeconds value, and continues counting. |
| CountDown | True = count down from initial setting to zero. False = count up from initial setting |
| CustomFormat | This allows full control of the format of the displayed time. You can insert any combination of field specifiers here. The field specifiers are shown after the list of Properties. |
| FramesPerSec | Controls how fractions of a second are displayed. Typically, use 25 for PAL systems, 30 for NTSC systems. If FramesPerSec = zero, then frames are not displayed. |
| StartSeconds | For count-down timers, this is the number of seconds that the counter starts counting from. Ignored if CountDown is set to False. |
| TriggerTime | For count-Up timers: the time (in seconds) when the OnTimer event occurs. If CountDown is set to True, this value is ignored and the OnTimer event always occurs when the timer reaches zero. |
| WallClock | True = shows current PC time, and does not generate OnTimer events. False = operates as a normal count-up or count-down timer. |
Field specifiers for CustomFormat
| Specifier | Displays |
|---|---|
| c | Displays the date and time using the system’s usual format |
| d | Displays the day as a number without a leading zero (1−31) |
| dd | Displays the day as a number with a leading zero (01−31) |
| ddd | Displays the day as an abbreviation (Sunday−Saturday) |
| dddd | Displays the day as a full name (Sunday−Saturday) |
| ddddd | Displays the date using the system’s short format |
| dddddd | Displays the date using the system’s long format |
| m | Displays the month as a number without a leading zero (1−12). If the m specifier immediately follows an h or hh specifier, the minute rather than the month is displayed. |
| mm | Displays the month as a number with a leading zero (01−12). If the mm specifier immediately follows an h or hh specifier, the minute rather than the month is displayed. |
| mmm | Displays the month as an abbreviation (January-December) |
| mmmm | Displays the month as a full name (January-December) |
| yy | Displays the year as a two-digit number (00-99) |
| yyyy | Displays the year as a four-digit number (0000-9999) |
| h | Displays the hour without a leading zero (0-23) |
| hh | Displays the hour with a leading zero (00-23) |
| Displays the minute without a leading zero (0−59) | |
| nn | Displays the minute with a leading zero (00−59) |
| s | Displays the second without a leading zero (0−59) |
| ss | Displays the second with a leading zero (00−59) |
| t | Displays the time using the system short format |
| tt | >Displays the time using the system long format |
| am/pm | Uses the 12-hour clock for the preceding h or hh specifier, and displays ‘am’ for any hour before noon, ‘pm’ for any hour after noon. The am/pm specifier can use lower, upper, or mixed case, and the result is displayed accordingly. |
| a/p | Uses the 12-hour clock for the preceding h or hh specifier, and displays ‘a’ for any hour before noon, and ‘p’ for any hour after noon. The a/p specifier can use lower, upper, or mixed case, and the result is displayed accordingly. |
| ampm | Uses the 12-hour clock for the preceding h or hh specifier, and displays the systems’ usual am/pm format. |
| / | Displays the system date separator character |
| : | Displays the system time separator character |
| ‘xx’/”xx” | Characters enclosed in single or double quotes are displayed as is, and do not affect formatting. |