IBM Wallpaper with World Clock

Message

STS06 · #1 Post by **STS06** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 3:50 am

Hey all, I was wondering if this was a myth or actually possible:

I was told that you can put clocks on the cool IBM world map wallpaper for major cities around the world (on their respective locations).

I think its a neat idea and if its possible, can anyone please explain how to obtain it? I apprecaite the help, thank you.

#2 Post by **GomJabbar** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 6:15 am

What you are looking for is probably on this site.

http://www.mocom.ru/Wallpapers/ibm.htm

STS06 · #3 Post by **STS06** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 4:11 pm

Hey Gomjabbar thanks for the link. It is indeed what I was looking for. Not sure how to work it or even apply it but I'll play around with it for a while.

Update: After fooling around with the background, I know how to change the times and the location of the markers to where I want them. However, I still don't know how to actually apply the wallpaper to my desktop (there's a JScript Script File) but I'm not sure how to run it. Unfortunately I couldn't find any directions, let alone english ones.

brainpicker · #4 Post by **brainpicker** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 11:12 pm

STS06 wrote:... However, I still don't know how to actually apply the wallpaper to my desktop (there's a JScript Script File) but I'm not sure how to run it. Unfortunately I couldn't find any directions, let alone english ones.

I've been using this one ( http://www.mocom.ru/Wallpapers/Pictures ... lpaper.zip ) from that same website for some time now. It's my favorite not only because of the changeable cities and times, but it also has the moving daylight background which is very cool.

To use it I did the following:
- downloaded the file
- unziped it to a folder in "my documents"
- right clicked on the Desktop and chose "properties"
- clicked on the "desktop" tab, then the "customize desktop" button
- clicked on the "web" tab, then the "new" button
- "browse"d to the folder I unziped the downloaded file
- left clicked on the worldtime.html file and finished the process
- made sure the new active file was checked
- apply'd and OK'ed out
- viola! (well, at least it worked for me)

I too was able to figure out how to play with the city names, number of cities and their positions, and sizes of the clock/city fonts, so now SHADY HILLS is in bright orange on the pretty blue backgroud... you know... just like the orange & blue colors of the latest college basketball and football champions.

STS06 I'd be glad to help you out if you are having any problems after applying my directions. Just e-mail me and I'll respond over the weekend.

- Yak

Manarius · #5 Post by **Manarius** » Fri Jan 19, 2007 12:24 am

I keep getting Active Desktop Errors with that one.

::EDIT:: I don't think it likes widescreen, but I don't feel like taking apart the code right now.

#6 Post by **Kyocera** » Fri Jan 19, 2007 9:06 am

Wow, brainpickers back

, ain't seen you in a while.

#7 Post by **Kyocera** » Fri Jan 19, 2007 9:57 am

I got it to work but it's the wrong language, time is correct though.

brainpicker · #8 Post by **brainpicker** » Fri Jan 19, 2007 5:32 pm

Kyocera wrote:I got it to work but it's the wrong language, time is correct though.

Just edit the html file to rename the cities in english (or whatever). I'd be glad to e-mail you my html file for you to examine. I also had to play with the positions of the cities as SF was about where Portland would be, and NY was in another time zone somewhere up in Canada by my measurements. The authors effort is commendable nontheless. Once you play a bit and know where to make the changes they can be easily done to fit ones needs.

-Yak

adecastr · #9 Post by **adecastr** » Mon Jan 22, 2007 7:31 pm

Hi brainpicker,

Could you send me and e-mail with the right html file for the
IBM Wallpaper with World Clock?
Much apreciated !!!!

Cheers,

Antonio De Castro

Adecastr@gmail.com

STS06 · #10 Post by **STS06** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 7:30 pm

Thanks a bunch for that info brainpicker, very well put. I am using those instruction as I type and I'll update you on how it goes. Thanks again (I've tried before to get this info and failed so thanks for putting it up).

STS06 · #11 Post by **STS06** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 7:40 pm

Awesome it worked! However, it wasn't what I expected and I think what I want may not be possible. The program you linked and I installed created a mini window on the right side of my desktop that let me scroll up/down and across. The window included the map and the cities and respective times.

What I was looking for was a wallpaper that had these locations and active times to put on my desktop backdrop. On the following site,
http://www.mocom.ru/Wallpapers/ibm.htm

if you scroll to the bottom, there are active desktops. This is what I was originally playing around with. The file extracts to a few different map wallpapers of different sizes. I followed your directions to apply it to my desktop but instead of putting it as my wallpaper, it created the same mini window with the map and locations on it. Do you know how to put this as the wallpaper instead of in a mini window?

STS06 · #12 Post by **STS06** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 7:42 pm

Oh also, when I activated the original program/files you sent me, my desktop icons suddenly had small black backgrounds to them instead of being opaque and showing the wallpaper behind them. Is there anyway to fix this?

EDIT: I played around with a bit more. The mini window is all I keep getting, however, I can resize this window and even make it so large that it covers my entire desktop. The only problem with that is that the scroll bars are still present (even though I picked the 1200 X1028 pixel map so that the whole map can be seen w/o the need to scroll). The only other problem is that it does not act like my desktop (obviously) and by that I mean I can't right click to select desktop properties (to do this I have to minimize the world clock wallpaper) and I cannot drag icons on my desktop (again I have to minimize the wallpaper). I may be asking too much but my goal is to get it so that it is integrated with my desktop like a traditional wallpaper.

Oh and thanks again for the help, its much appreciated.

Wiz · #13 Post by **Wiz** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 10:39 pm

If you want this as the background right click the desktop and choose properties, click desktop and then the browse button to select the worldtime.html file. Then it should cover your whole desktop without any scrollbars.

STS06 · #14 Post by **STS06** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 11:34 pm

I did exactly that and instead of covering my background, it opens a small window. I'm positive I selected the correct file. I will try again.

#15 Post by **GomJabbar** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 12:23 am

What if you right-click on the Desktop, choose Properties > Desktop > Customize Desktop... > Web > New... > Browse?

STS06 · #16 Post by **STS06** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 2:07 am

Maybe I'm mistaken but I thought what you just said, Gom, was what Wiz was getting at.

The only process I have attempted is the one originally posted by brain..that is right click, properties, desktop, customize, web, add new, check it, and apply it.

Please correct me if I'm wrong and thanks for your efforts to fix this problem of mine.

EDIT: Ok, sorry, what WIZ said was completely different and it did actually work. Thanks a bunch guys, I appreciate the help!!! I was being stupid, sorry. I've been wanting this for a while so thanks!

ambientscape · #17 Post by **ambientscape** » Sat Jan 27, 2007 1:55 am

Anyone knows how to change the position of the "dot" and time?

Wiz · #18 Post by **Wiz** » Sat Jan 27, 2007 11:09 am

If you edit the worldtime.html file you can change the position on line 69 and 70. You can change the timezone by changing the lines 74 and 75 and change the city names on line 73.
You find them in order so the first value on line 69, 70, 74 and 75 correspond to the first city on line 73. If you type -6 for the timezone it will be GMT-6. If you try to change them and see the result it's pretty easy to figure out.

ambientscape · #19 Post by **ambientscape** » Sat Jan 27, 2007 8:11 pm

Wiz wrote:If you edit the worldtime.html file you can change the position on line 69 and 70. You can change the timezone by changing the lines 74 and 75 and change the city names on line 73.
You find them in order so the first value on line 69, 70, 74 and 75 correspond to the first city on line 73. If you type -6 for the timezone it will be GMT-6. If you try to change them and see the result it's pretty easy to figure out.

Thanks dude!! Anymore tips on changing the time format from 24H to 12H?

Wiz · #20 Post by **Wiz** » Sat Jan 27, 2007 11:22 pm

If you change the code starting on line 241 (line 241 if looking at the original worldtime.html) so the code is like shown below you will get 12H instead of 24H.

var ampm;
Clocks.Hours = GMThours + Clocks.GMToOffset;
if ( Clocks.Hours < 0 ) Clocks.Hours += 24;
Clocks.Hours = Clocks.Hours % 24;
if ( Clocks.Hours >= 12 )
ampm = 'PM';
else
ampm = 'AM';
if ( Clocks.Hours > 12 )
Clocks.Hours = Clocks.Hours-12;
else if ( Clocks[i].Hours == 0 )
Clocks[i].Hours = Clocks[i].Hours+12;
var Clock = document.getElementById ( 'Clock' + i );
Clock.innerHTML = "" + Clocks[i].City + " " + "    " + Clocks[i].Hours + ":" + minutes + " " + ampm + "";

The only existing line that i changed is the last one shown above where i added the varible ampm so AM and PM is shown on the map for each location. Except from that change all the others in red is lines i added to the code. I just did a quick test to see if everything was ok after this change so let me know if something isn't working as supposed to.

ambientscape · #21 Post by **ambientscape** » Sat Jan 27, 2007 11:37 pm

Wiz wrote:If you change the code starting on line 241 (line 241 if looking at the original worldtime.html) so the code is like shown below you will get 12H instead of 24H.

var ampm;
Clocks.Hours = GMThours + Clocks.GMToOffset;
if ( Clocks.Hours < 0 ) Clocks.Hours += 24;
Clocks.Hours = Clocks.Hours % 24;
if ( Clocks.Hours >= 12 )
ampm = 'PM';
else
ampm = 'AM';
if ( Clocks.Hours > 12 )
Clocks.Hours = Clocks.Hours-12;
else if ( Clocks[i].Hours == 0 )
Clocks[i].Hours = Clocks[i].Hours+12;
var Clock = document.getElementById ( 'Clock' + i );
Clock.innerHTML = "" + Clocks[i].City + " " + "    " + Clocks[i].Hours + ":" + minutes + " " + ampm + "";

The only existing line that i changed is the last one shown above where i added the varible ampm so AM and PM is shown on the map for each location. Except from that change all the others in red is lines i added to the code. I just did a quick test to see if everything was ok after this change so let me know if something isn't working as supposed to.

Wahdaaa!! Everything works fine now......!! Will really have a hard time figururing out this programming string if its not you.

Thanks mate

#22 Post by **RealBlackStuff** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 7:21 am

For those of you who don't want to mess with HTML or change backgrounds, here is a small program that I've been using for years.
It shows many clocks in one panel, all changeable by yourself.
It will auto-dis/appear at the top of your screen if you set it so.

Available here (scroll down to Number 11: ClockRack, only 180kb)
http://tokezone.net/zones/download.html

Disclaimer: I got nothing to do with the contents of that website.

mpcook · #23 Post by **mpcook** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 9:05 am

Wiz wrote:If you change the code starting on line 241 (line 241 if looking at the original worldtime.html) so the code is like shown below you will get 12H instead of 24H.

var ampm;
Clocks.Hours = GMThours + Clocks.GMToOffset;
if ( Clocks.Hours < 0 ) Clocks.Hours += 24;
Clocks.Hours = Clocks.Hours % 24;
if ( Clocks.Hours >= 12 )
ampm = 'PM';
else
ampm = 'AM';
if ( Clocks.Hours > 12 )
Clocks.Hours = Clocks.Hours-12;
else if ( Clocks[i].Hours == 0 )
Clocks[i].Hours = Clocks[i].Hours+12;
var Clock = document.getElementById ( 'Clock' + i );
Clock.innerHTML = "" + Clocks[i].City + " " + "    " + Clocks[i].Hours + ":" + minutes + " " + ampm + "";

The only existing line that i changed is the last one shown above where i added the varible ampm so AM and PM is shown on the map for each location. Except from that change all the others in red is lines i added to the code. I just did a quick test to see if everything was ok after this change so let me know if something isn't working as supposed to.

Thanks all for all of the hints - I changed the cities and went to a 12 hour clock. Everything's fine except now that I have a 12 hour clock, the daylight trace (which is very cool) is confused, it appears to be 12 hours off. I have poked at the code but can't find a fix. Anyone have ideas?

Also, if you want to add any of the following cities, here are the locations and offsets (I think the GMT offsets are correct).

var OffsetsX = new Array (229,583,1085,1020);
var OffsetsY = new Array (430,384,486,620);
var City = new Array ('Cincinnati','Zurich','Shanghai','Singapore');
var GMToOffset = new Array (-5,1,7,7);
var GMToOffset2 = new Array (-6,0,7,7);

mpcook · #24 Post by **mpcook** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 9:37 am

mpcook wrote:Thanks all for all of the hints - I changed the cities and went to a 12 hour clock. Everything's fine except now that I have a 12 hour clock, the daylight trace (which is very cool) is confused, it appears to be 12 hours off. I have poked at the code but can't find a fix. Anyone have ideas?

Also, if you want to add any of the following cities, here are the locations and offsets (I think the GMT offsets are correct).

var OffsetsX = new Array (229,583,1085,1020);
var OffsetsY = new Array (430,384,486,620);
var City = new Array ('Cincinnati','Zurich','Shanghai','Singapore');
var GMToOffset = new Array (-5,1,7,7);
var GMToOffset2 = new Array (-6,0,7,7);

I think I have answered my own question. I changed the variable in line 264 (the new line number after changing to 12 hour clock) from "24" to "12":
if ( 0 < indent ) indent -= 12 * HourLength;

ambientscape · #25 Post by **ambientscape** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 9:51 am

ambientscape wrote:
Wiz wrote:If you change the code starting on line 241 (line 241 if looking at the original worldtime.html) so the code is like shown below you will get 12H instead of 24H.

var ampm;
Clocks.Hours = GMThours + Clocks.GMToOffset;
if ( Clocks.Hours < 0 ) Clocks.Hours += 24;
Clocks.Hours = Clocks.Hours % 24;
if ( Clocks.Hours >= 12 )
ampm = 'PM';
else
ampm = 'AM';
if ( Clocks.Hours > 12 )
Clocks.Hours = Clocks.Hours-12;
else if ( Clocks[i].Hours == 0 )
Clocks[i].Hours = Clocks[i].Hours+12;
var Clock = document.getElementById ( 'Clock' + i );
Clock.innerHTML = "" + Clocks[i].City + " " + "    " + Clocks[i].Hours + ":" + minutes + " " + ampm + "";

The only existing line that i changed is the last one shown above where i added the varible ampm so AM and PM is shown on the map for each location. Except from that change all the others in red is lines i added to the code. I just did a quick test to see if everything was ok after this change so let me know if something isn't working as supposed to.

Wahdaaa!! Everything works fine now......!! Will really have a hard time figururing out this programming string if its not you.

Thanks mate

Everything work fine now.....but the daylight shadow seems to be incorrect. Any way to correct this?

Wiz · #26 Post by **Wiz** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 6:17 pm

Search for this line: "var Clocks = new Array;" (should be somewhere around line 76) and add the following line of code on the next line:
var Clocks12H = new Array;

Then search for this one: "Clocks = new Object ();" (should be somewhere around line 82 after the previous change) and add this one on the next line:
Clocks12H = new Object ();

Then change the code (should find this starting somewhere around line 251 after the changes above) so it's like shown below:
if ( Clocks.Hours > 12 )
Clocks12H.Hours = Clocks.Hours-12;
else if ( Clocks.Hours == 0 )
Clocks12H.Hours = 12;
else
Clocks12H.Hours = Clocks.Hours;
var Clock = document.getElementById ( 'Clock' + i );
Clock.innerHTML = "" + Clocks.City + " " + "    " + Clocks12H[i].Hours + ":" + minutes + " " + ampm + "";

The red text is the changed or added parts. After doing this changes everything should be working fine.

ambientscape · #27 Post by **ambientscape** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 7:13 pm

Wiz wrote:Search for this line: "var Clocks = new Array;" (should be somewhere around line 76) and add the following line of code on the next line:
var Clocks12H = new Array;

Then search for this one: "Clocks = new Object ();" (should be somewhere around line 82 after the previous change) and add this one on the next line:
Clocks12H = new Object ();

Then change the code (should find this starting somewhere around line 251 after the changes above) so it's like shown below:
if ( Clocks.Hours > 12 )
Clocks12H.Hours = Clocks.Hours-12;
else if ( Clocks.Hours == 0 )
Clocks12H.Hours = 12;
else
Clocks12H.Hours = Clocks.Hours;
var Clock = document.getElementById ( 'Clock' + i );
Clock.innerHTML = "" + Clocks.City + " " + "    " + Clocks12H[i].Hours + ":" + minutes + " " + ampm + "";

The red text is the changed or added parts. After doing this changes everything should be working fine.

Awesome!!! now it looks so cool on my desktop!! Thanks so much!!

Wiz · #28 Post by **Wiz** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 7:30 pm

No problem. You waste a lot of memory though when using this as a background. If i have the task manager open and change the background to use this i can see that the available memory drop about 40-45mb. I also see that the pagefile usage increase when i select this background. If you run WinXP with 512mb ram then you waste pretty much memory for a nice background.

ambientscape · #29 Post by **ambientscape** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 7:57 pm

Wiz wrote:No problem. You waste a lot of memory though when using this as a background. If i have the task manager open and change the background to use this i can see that the available memory drop about 40-45mb. I also see that the pagefile usage increase when i select this background. If you run WinXP with 512mb ram then you waste pretty much memory for a nice background.

Yeap. I do agree on that......that's the reason this background is only use when I travel. So what's the average available memory on your system?

Wiz · #30 Post by **Wiz** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 8:32 pm

I got 2gb ram and after a reboot i got somewhere between 1.5 and 1.6gb available. I got pretty much software installed that i need at work. Also got some tools that is resident and use Symantec AV Corp Editon version 10 that use pretty much memory.
The avarage available i'm not sure about, but i guess i use somewhere between 700 and 800mb ram when i got the software i use most at work running at the same time. I also use vmware workstation sometimes for testing/lab and then i might use as much as 2gb ram.

btw: I changed the worldtime.html and added some new locations/timezones. One of the locations i added is Kuala Lumpur. Since you are from Malaysia maybe you could tell me if you use daylight saving in Malaysia?