question

miya avatar image
miya asked

Feature Request - GX Touch Dark Mode

Hi Victron Team

Is there any plan to provide a Dark Mode of this screen in future releases ?

bpp900455070-gx-touch-70-display-on-front.png

Kind regards

Tim

cerbo gxfeature requesttouchscreen
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8 Answers
Matthias Lange - DE avatar image
Matthias Lange - DE answered ·

Nice idea I would like that too.

I forwarded it to the developers.

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miya avatar image miya commented ·
Great - many thanks.
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itsme avatar image
itsme answered ·

For the default Victron Style it's easy if you're able to modify files via FTP.
To make it "quick and dirty", you can do that for the main screen with the following changes. Settings and so on are still default.

>>>>>>>> MAKE BACKUPS FROM YOUR ORIGINAL FILES! <<<<<<<<<

You'll find the files to be modified in the directory: /opt/victronenergy/gui/qml

------------------------------------
overviewHub.qml
------------------------------------

find:

title: qsTr("Overview")

and paste this directly after that line this code:

    // modification for dark background start
        Rectangle
            {
                anchors
                {
                    fill: parent
                }
                //color: root.backgroundColor
                        color: "#000000"
            }
    // modification for dark background end


----------------------------------------------
overviewConnectionEnd.qml
----------------------------------------------

to make the borders from the connections black:

Find this section:

  Circle {
        id: ball
        radius: root.radius
        color: "#4789d0"
        x: -radius
        y: -radius


        border {
            width: 2
            color: "white"
        }
    }

and change for border the line:

color: "white"

to

color: "black"


------------------------------------
Battery.qml
------------------------------------

to remove the white frame around the battery...
find that line:

border {width: 2; color: "white"}

and change it to

border {width: 2; color: "black"}


Thats it! Now it should look like this:

1664522957843.png


If you're using the GUIMods from Kevin Windrem, it's a little bit more work and not that easy, but it could look like this:

1664523134009.png

1664523467791.png

...

Be careful editing Files and make backups before!



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1664523467791.png (17.0 KiB)
6 comments
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Jeremy Albrecht avatar image Jeremy Albrecht commented ·
Have you done some customizing of your flow overview? I'm running the latest GUIMods, but I don't get a starter voltage like you have on your second screenshot.
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itsme avatar image itsme Jeremy Albrecht commented ·

yes, I did a lot of customization. For the starter-battery you need to modify only "some" lines inside the overviewHubEnhanced.qml.

I show you the way I did it (it may vary on your system, depending from where the battery voltage is coming):

FIRST: MAKE BACKUP OF YOUR FILE(S) !!!

first you have to add the following line in the section where the VBus Items were declined (check on what USB port your device is, that sends the voltage. In my case it is on ttyUSB3):

VBusItem { id: starterBatteryVoltage; bind: Utils.path("com.victronenergy.battery.ttyUSB3", "/Dc/1/Voltage") }

I've added it after this line:

VBusItem { id: timeToGo;  bind: Utils.path("com.victronenergy.system","/Dc/Battery/TimeToGo") }


Now you have to draw the battery and fill it with data:

add at the end, before the line:

function showHelp ()

this code (play with the x and y coordinates to place it on the screen, where you need it):

// Show Starterbattery
Rectangle
    {
        id: buttonStarterBattery
        // below 12.5V the battery will change color to orange
        color: starterBatteryVoltage.format(2) < 12.5 ? "#ff9900" : "#4789d0"
        width: 50
        height: 25
        border {width: 1; color: "black"}

           x: 172
           y: 156
 
        visible: true
    }

Rectangle
{
        id: buttonStarterBatteryPole
        color: "#4789d0"
        width: 5
        height: 2

            x: 177
            y: 154

        visible: true
}
Rectangle
{
        id: buttonStarterBatteryPole2
        color: "#4789d0"
        width: 5
        height: 2

            x: 212
            y: 154

        visible: true
}

TileText
    {
        text: "Starter"
        color: "white"
        font.bold: true
          anchors{
           top: parent.top; topMargin:2
           fill: buttonStarterBattery
          }
        wrapMode: Text.WordWrap
        font.pixelSize: 8
        show: true
    }
TileText
    {
        text: starterBatteryVoltage.format(2) + "V"
        color: "white"
          anchors{
            top: parent.top; topMargin: 12
            fill: buttonStarterBattery
          }

      font.pixelSize: 10
      show: true
    }


Save the file and restart the GUI. You can do that from a terminal session with:

svc -t /service/gui


If you have trouble (white screen), open a second terminal and start a debugger:

tail -f  /data/log/gui/current | tai64nlocal


This is the way I did it - maybe it could be easier to "draw" the battery, but it works for me.

1 Like 1 ·
Jeremy Albrecht avatar image Jeremy Albrecht itsme commented ·
Nice, thank you!


I have a DC-DC charger on my trailer being fed by my tow vehicle. The aux input on my SmartShunt is hooked to the input side of my DC-DC and is used via NodeRed to control a relay that disables the charger if the incoming voltage is too low (i.e. truck has been idling and the battery is getting drawn down).

0 Likes 0 ·
gizmos avatar image gizmos commented ·
I've done these mods on an OctoGX with a remote display, but the Hotkeys and the background frame still are very bright. I've poked about a bit with no luck, can someone tell me which files to modify to get these areas black?
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berndm avatar image berndm commented ·

Hi itsme,

i have made your edits to the files and connections and battery frame are black now, but the main background of the hub remains white

1681756872430.png

When i restart the venusos the Background is for a brief moment black and shows the victron mppt picture behind the yellow PV tile, like this:

1681757085156.png

but then the page reloads with a progress bar, the background turns white again and the blue mppt behind the pv loader is gone. I´m on FW 2.93.

Any idea, why its not working?


EDIT: I found the reason why i didnt work for me.

Depending on configuration there are different qml files loaded. Since my configuration is ESS (Grid Parallel) the file to be edited is OverviewGridParallel.qml and not overviewHub.qml like in the example. Now it works :-)

1681832272250.png

Thank You

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itsme avatar image itsme berndm commented ·
Yes. It depends on the type of overview you are using. But you find it by yourself!

Thanks for your feedback.

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Guy Stewart (Victron Community Manager) avatar image
Guy Stewart (Victron Community Manager) answered ·

Nothing to announce yet, but it is a very popular feature request :)

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drpaedu avatar image drpaedu commented ·
Hi Guy. Still nothing to announce? The bright display drives me crazy during night sailing and I know I am not the only one as all boaters with Victron Gerbo devices tell the same thing. Thanks for all the great developments you do.
0 Likes 0 ·
Guy Stewart (Victron Community Manager) avatar image Guy Stewart (Victron Community Manager) ♦♦ drpaedu commented ·
Hi @Drpaedu


I am not part of the code pushes, but from what I do know I think it is safe to say that efforts are focused on a new UI that will be native dark/light, and not on adapting the existing UI to make it easier to modify.


Work is ongoing - there was a brief preview recently, we have an upcoming event very shortly at Intersolar 2023. If there is anything more ready to show, it will be presented then (and available after the event).
1 Like 1 ·
mr-manuel avatar image mr-manuel Guy Stewart (Victron Community Manager) ♦♦ commented ·
Have you maybe a link to the "brief preview" or was it only internal?


Sounds great, then I do not proceed anymore with my work and release it as it is.


0 Likes 0 ·
mr-manuel avatar image mr-manuel commented ·

@Guy Stewart (Victron Community Manager) @Matthias Lange - DE @mvader (Victron Energy)

I'm making a dark mode that is applied with GuiMods, but I see that in many QML files no colors are given for the font. This results in many file changes and high maintenance for the addin.

Would it be possible to collaborate with you guys to maybe even implement my darkmode directly in Venus OS?

If you don't want that others add code to Venus OS, would it at least be possible to not define colors, like the text color, in many places but take them from the MbStyle.qml?

In the case that it's possible to contribute by sending you the changed QML files it would be great!

Here some impressions:

1684157602392.png

1684157617322.png1684158080827.png

1684157634786.png

1684157674542.png

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mvader (Victron Energy) avatar image mvader (Victron Energy) ♦♦ mr-manuel commented ·
hey @mr-manuel , that looks quite cool! we're working on a next generation gui - which features a dark mode already.


perhaps you can send me an email?

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mr-manuel avatar image
mr-manuel answered ·

Since there is not much happening here, I'm working on GuiMods to add a setting, where you can turn on/off dark mode. Once finished it will also be available for the Victron Stock overview.

Here a little preview:

1683985111741.png


1683985111741.png (60.0 KiB)
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daza avatar image
daza answered ·

Thank you Sir! Are you just able to change the white for black I like how the other colours pop, just the white background is glaring. how would this be implemented and any chance of Victron implementing it as a factory toggle option in settings @Guy Stewart (Victron Community Manager)

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mr-manuel avatar image mr-manuel commented ·

I will not use black for many reasons, but I can use a darker gray. You can change to light/dark mode by toggling the switch.

1684007750671.png


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1684007750671.png (42.7 KiB)
mr-manuel avatar image
mr-manuel answered ·

For anyone interested I just released the dark mode. It will be included in the next GuiMods version. If you want to test it right now, look here: https://github.com/kwindrem/GuiMods/pull/152#issuecomment-1549748553

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l81ker avatar image
l81ker answered ·

I really like this new dark mode! Thanks!! Noted that it works also on remote console.

1685705039635.png


HOW TO:

1685705108241.png


1685705039635.png (61.7 KiB)
1685705108241.png (32.9 KiB)
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mr-manuel avatar image mr-manuel commented ·

This button is not accessible with the physical buttons. You have to go to Settings > Display & language > Dark Mode to change it.

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dansonamission avatar image dansonamission mr-manuel commented ·
How do you remove this 'change to' button on the bottom bar? Its there on every page, not sure why as its not something you would toggle all the time.
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mr-manuel avatar image mr-manuel dansonamission commented ·
You will not toggle it every time, but you will have it accessable directly from every menu. This way it's also the easiest for the user to access this setting.
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dansonamission avatar image dansonamission mr-manuel commented ·
But why? What reason do you need quick access to it? The dark theme is great but we don’t use it because of the annoying change to light mode always along the bottom.
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mr-manuel avatar image mr-manuel dansonamission commented ·

When you are in a boat or in a van you have to switch it twice a day, therefore there is this button.

What do you mean exaclly with "because of the annoying change to light mode always along the bottom."?


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shaandrrew avatar image
shaandrrew answered ·

Would someone be kind enough to tell me how to add an extra screen to the overview screen. I would like to add some sockets for my van so I can easily see if I have left them on. I have tried various things. To get them to appear on the touch screen without much success. I started with copying overviewgenerator.qml renaming it. Just trying to get another overview screen to appear. I haave read some advice editing on PageMain.qml. I could just do with some pointers. Any help greatly receieved.

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Related Resources

Cerbo GX product page

GX family product range

Cerbo GX & GX Touch datasheet

Cerbo GX Manual

Venus root access document

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