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[lordratner]

Simple idea, the integration will read the vestaboard (already done to generate the SVG image) and return a variable with the bit-encoded message. It could be like the array that is posted to the local API, or it could be one long string of {1-71} characters. Point being, that message could then be fed back into the integration to send to the board. (The array could also be manipulated by another script or automation if you wanted to change only one line of the board without affecting the other lines.) All the integration needs to do is return the board message in a variable, and use that same variable to send back to the board.

Use case: You want to post a temporary message, then return to the previous layout. The automation would read the board and save the message, post the new message, delay for a set time, then resend the original message to the board.

This makes the Vastaboard more of a notification engine where the notifications don't linger until the next intentional posting. But the integration itself is still kept simple with reading and posting messages only.

Thoughts?

[natekspencer]

I actually have a branch where I started working on something like this with the idea of a "toast" notification. It would only take as much space as needed, and be relatively short lived. My thought with the toast notification was that you could also update the board with a new full message, but if there was a current toast notification, it would update only the relevant portion behind the toast notification and then after the toast expired, update to remove the notification and display the other full message.

[lordratner]

I think if you keep it simplified to only being able to provide the currently displayed message, and then post a message in that same format, then you can keep the integration simplified to sending and receiving, while using a separate script, automation, or application to make changes.

The idea came from the status bar option in the script I shared elsewhere. I would like to be able to update the status bar (especially if it includes a clock) without having to repost the entire message. Getting the bit array would allow me to change only the 6th array within the array, thus only affecting the status bar on the bottom.

[lordratner]

Conversely, the integration could be adapted so you can specify a single line to write to, it grabs the current message, swaps out the new line, and sends it back. I dunno, either would get the job done. But for sure being able to retrieve the current message in a variable that can be fed back into the board enables all sorts of "temporary" messaging.