using Conky to display an image without a window [SOLVED]

[Logansfury]

Hello everyone,

I would like to run a script to have conky display a .png on the center of my monitor. The .png is a triangular graphic against a transparent background square. I would like conky to display it with no windows visible as if it were opened by an image app.

How would I go about this please?

Thanks for reading,

Logan

[Logansfury]

I tried to get chatgpt3.5 to assist and it gave the following code:

Code: Select all

conky.config = {
    -- Other conky configurations go here
    
    own_window = true,
    own_window_type = 'override',
    own_window_transparent = true,
    own_window_hints = 'undecorated,below,sticky,skip_taskbar,skip_pager',
    double_buffer = true,
}


conky.text = [[
${image /home/logansfury/Pictures/biohazzard.png -p 256,256 -s 500x500}
]]

This was recognized by conky manager 2 as a valid script, and displays the .conf in the widgets selection window, but running it does not display the image on either monitor. I have minimized everything to be sure the image wasnt hiding under a window, it's definitely not being displayed.

[Bleys]

Code: Select all

conky.config = {
    -- Other conky configurations go here
    
	own_window = true,
	own_window_type = desktop,
    	own_window_transparent = false,
	own_window_hints = 'undecorated,sticky,skip_taskbar,skip_pager,below',
	own_window_argb_visual = true,
	own_window_argb_value = 0,
	own_window_colour = '000000', 
    double_buffer = true,
    minimum_width = 500, minimum_height = 500,
    alignment = 'middle_middle',
}


conky.text = [[
${image /home/logansfury/Pictures/biohazzard.png -p 256,256 -s 500x500}
]]

[Logansfury]

Hello Bleys,

Thank you for the reply!

I edited the code slightly to conform to the picture dimensions but got a bad display:

https://imgur.com/a/w20xPw3

Here is the code:

Code: Select all

conky.config = {

    -- Other conky configurations go here
    
	own_window = true,
	own_window_type = desktop,
    	own_window_transparent = false,
	own_window_hints = 'undecorated,sticky,skip_taskbar,skip_pager,below',
	own_window_argb_visual = true,
	own_window_argb_value = 0,
	own_window_colour = '000000', 
    double_buffer = true,
    minimum_width = 600, minimum_height = 525,
    alignment = 'middle_middle',
}


conky.text = [[
${image /home/logansfury/Pictures/biohazzard.png -p 256,256 -s 600x525}
]]

any ideas why I have only a partial display and my blacks are transparent?

[AndyMH]

I would like conky to display it with no windows visible as if it were opened by an image app.

You will be stuck with a border around the image or a washed out image, good luck!
viewtopic.php?p=2216420&hilit=conky#p2216420

[Logansfury]

You will be stuck with a border around the image or a washed out image, good luck!
viewtopic.php?p=2216420&hilit=conky#p2216420

Well that's a bummer. I am having issues with a calendar that uses an .lua that is causing a background I dont want. I see your conky is using a beautiful calendar with no boarders or background. May I have the code please?

[Logansfury]

You will be stuck with a border around the image or a washed out image, good luck!
viewtopic.php?p=2216420&hilit=conky#p2216420

My result was a partial display of the image, completely washed out.

Would you know how to edit the code I have to display the image properly with a boarder?

[Koentje]

Well that's a bummer. I am having issues with a calendar that uses an .lua that is causing a background I dont want. I see your conky is using a beautiful calendar with no boarders or background. May I have the code please?

The problem seems that the same calendar that looks great without border on Mint 20 produces a border on Mint 21. Since your on 21.3 that border is there...

[Koentje]

My result was a partial display of the image, completely washed out.
Would you know how to edit the code I have to display the image properly with a boarder?

What i do when i'm working with transparent windows, set the own_window_colour = '000000', temporary to 200000. This way you get a redish window and now you see the borders of the window you are working with.

I see you set your window dimension minimum_width = 600, minimum_height = 525, but you place you picture halve way the window ${image /home/logansfury/Pictures/biohazzard.png -p 256,256 -s 600x525} with 256,256. No wonder you get half the picture! Change these values to 1,1. If it still does not fit, increase the window dimension, or decrease the picture size.

Problem with black is that it is transparent if arg value is 0. Why do you think your window is transparent on 000000 but completely white on FFFFFF. Conky and transparency is a b.i.t.c.h.!

[Logansfury]

Hey hey!

That got me somewhere!

The whole image is now displayed but the yellow is washed out and the black areas are showing transparent

[Logansfury]

Has anyone got time to provide an example of code to display this image in a window? I would like to see what that looks like and if it does prevent the washout and black color-transparency issue.

[Bleys]

The whole image is now displayed but the yellow is washed out and the black areas are showing transparent

If the image is to be displayed without transparency, LUA must be used:
save as pic.lua

Code: Select all

--[[
2024 Bleys


]]

require 'cairo'
require "imlib2"
home_path = os.getenv ('HOME')


function fDrawImage(cr,path,xx,yy,ww,hh,arc)
    cairo_save (cr)
    local img =  cairo_image_surface_create_from_png(path)
    local w_img, h_img = cairo_image_surface_get_width(img), cairo_image_surface_get_height(img)
    cairo_translate (cr, xx, yy)
    if arc then
        cairo_rotate (cr, arc)
    end
    cairo_scale (cr, ww/w_img, hh/h_img)
    cairo_set_source_surface (cr, img, -w_img/2, -h_img/2)
    cairo_paint (cr)
    cairo_surface_destroy (img)
    collectgarbage ()
    cairo_restore (cr)
end

function conky_main()
	if conky_window==nil then return end
	local cs=cairo_xlib_surface_create(conky_window.display,conky_window.drawable,conky_window.visual, conky_window.width,conky_window.height)	
	local cr=cairo_create(cs)		
	local updates=conky_parse('${updates}')
	update_num=tonumber(updates)
  
	if update_num>4 then
        fDrawImage(cr,'/home/logansfury/Pictures/biohazzard.png',0,0,500,500)
	end

   cairo_surface_destroy(cs)
   cairo_destroy(cr)
end

conkyrc

Code: Select all

--[[
Bleys 2024 

]]
conky.config = {
-- — Conky settings

	background = false,
	update_interval = 1,
	total_run_times = 0,
	no_buffers = true,	

-- — Window specifications with Background

	own_window = true,
	own_window_type = desktop,
    own_window_transparent = false,
	own_window_hints = 'undecorated,sticky,skip_taskbar,skip_pager,below',
	own_window_argb_visual = true,
	own_window_argb_value = 0,
	own_window_colour = '000000', 
	
	double_buffer = true,
	minimum_width = 500, minimum_height = 500,
	alignment = 'middle_middle',
	
	gap_x = 20,
	gap_y = 20,


-- Lua Load
	lua_load = './pic.lua',
	lua_draw_hook_post = 'main',		
};
conky.text = [[

]];

[Logansfury]

The whole image is now displayed but the yellow is washed out and the black areas are showing transparent

If the image is to be displayed without transparency, LUA must be used:
save as pic.lua

Code: Select all

--[[
2024 Bleys


]]

require 'cairo'
require "imlib2"
home_path = os.getenv ('HOME')


function fDrawImage(cr,path,xx,yy,ww,hh,arc)
    cairo_save (cr)
    local img =  cairo_image_surface_create_from_png(path)
    local w_img, h_img = cairo_image_surface_get_width(img), cairo_image_surface_get_height(img)
    cairo_translate (cr, xx, yy)
    if arc then
        cairo_rotate (cr, arc)
    end
    cairo_scale (cr, ww/w_img, hh/h_img)
    cairo_set_source_surface (cr, img, -w_img/2, -h_img/2)
    cairo_paint (cr)
    cairo_surface_destroy (img)
    collectgarbage ()
    cairo_restore (cr)
end

function conky_main()
	if conky_window==nil then return end
	local cs=cairo_xlib_surface_create(conky_window.display,conky_window.drawable,conky_window.visual, conky_window.width,conky_window.height)	
	local cr=cairo_create(cs)		
	local updates=conky_parse('${updates}')
	update_num=tonumber(updates)
  
	if update_num>4 then
        fDrawImage(cr,'/home/logansfury/Pictures/biohazzard.png',0,0,500,500)
	end

   cairo_surface_destroy(cs)
   cairo_destroy(cr)
end

conkyrc

Code: Select all

--[[
Bleys 2024 

]]
conky.config = {
-- — Conky settings

	background = false,
	update_interval = 1,
	total_run_times = 0,
	no_buffers = true,	

-- — Window specifications with Background

	own_window = true,
	own_window_type = desktop,
    own_window_transparent = false,
	own_window_hints = 'undecorated,sticky,skip_taskbar,skip_pager,below',
	own_window_argb_visual = true,
	own_window_argb_value = 0,
	own_window_colour = '000000', 
	
	double_buffer = true,
	minimum_width = 500, minimum_height = 500,
	alignment = 'middle_middle',
	
	gap_x = 20,
	gap_y = 20,


-- Lua Load
	lua_load = './pic.lua',
	lua_draw_hook_post = 'main',		
};
conky.text = [[

]];

I have copied these scripts into the proper files, only editing the 500x500 dimensions to the 600x525 that is the actual image size. I am getting no display when running the conkyrc from CM2 window

[Bleys]

I have copied these scripts into the proper files, only editing the 500x500 dimensions to the 600x525 that is the actual image size. I am getting no display when running the conkyrc from CM2 window

If you do not start conky in the directory that contains the conkyrc and pic.lua you have to enter the complete path to pic.lua in the conkyrc line 32

[Logansfury]

I edited the lua file path and tried launching, but got no display. I then used Start in Terminal and got this output:

Code: Select all

conky: desktop window (600010) is subwindow of root window (6cb)
conky: window type - normal
conky: drawing to created window (0x6a00002)
conky: drawing to double buffer
conky: llua_load: /home/logansfury/.conky/Biohazzard/pic.lua:34: attempt to index a nil value (global 'conky')
conky: llua_do_call: function conky_main execution failed: attempt to call a nil value
conky: llua_do_call: function conky_main execution failed: attempt to call a nil value

[Bleys]

pic.lua Line 34 is empty. Post your pic.lua

[Logansfury]

current pic.lua

Code: Select all

--[[
Bleys 2024 

]]
conky.config = {
-- — Conky settings

	background = false,
	update_interval = 1,
	total_run_times = 0,
	no_buffers = true,	

-- — Window specifications with Background

	own_window = true,
	own_window_type = desktop,
    own_window_transparent = false,
	own_window_hints = 'undecorated,sticky,skip_taskbar,skip_pager,below',
	own_window_argb_visual = true,
	own_window_argb_value = 0,
	own_window_colour = '000000', 
	
	double_buffer = true,
	minimum_width = 600, minimum_height = 525,
	alignment = 'middle_middle',
	
	gap_x = 20,
	gap_y = 20,


-- Lua Load
	lua_load = './pic.lua',
	lua_draw_hook_post = 'main',		
};
conky.text = [[

]];

[Bleys]

current pic.lua

o_O
This is conkyrc....

[Logansfury]

holy crap.

OK I obviously had some mispastes. Lemme go back and correct that >.<

[Logansfury]

OOOOOOOOOO!!!

Were on our way! I just got brilliant full color, transparent background display of a portion of the .png!!!

Please see here: https://imgur.com/a/CcuNSzW

How would I edit to get complete display? Is working with a smaller picture necessary?