Image Strips

The Image Strip layer will let you load “strip” style images to create clock complications such as the date wheel, the day of the week, or the time of day.  Strip-style images will allow Clockology to automatically slice up the image and display the correct slice as needed depending on the type of image strip chosen. Clock designers can import one image and then set specific options to re-use it across multiple designs for more customization.

Import Options

The options for horizontal or vertical will designate if the image strip frames are side-by-side horizontally, or from top-to-bottom vertically.

Types of Image Strips

Animated

  • Aspect ratio is 8:1 or 16:1
  • Can be 8 or 16 frames (8 frames will be 4fps, 16 frames will be 8fps)
  • Example resolution 800 x 100 or 1600 x 100
  • Does not support transparency
  • Strip should be added to the very bottom of the layer list
  • Background of area outside of strip will appear black – use shape layers above to mask out any unwanted black areas

Animation Image Strip Creation Tips

Animation image strips must be 8 or 16 frames.  You can convert gifs to animation image strips with the following methods:

ChatGPT Prompt: “Can you take this gif and make it a sprite sheet with side-by-side images. The resulting jpg image should be only 8 frames and exactly 8 frames long”
https://ezgif.com/gif-to-sprite – import any gif and convert it to a sprite sheet use horizontal or vertical – clip gif to 8 or 16 frames

Sunrise / Sunset

  • Can also be used to swap between a day or night background
  • Should have exactly 2 images in the strip
  • Example resolution is 200 x 100
  • Changes according to sunrise/sunset time.
  • Can be used to highlight the time of day, or just change it

Battery

  • Aspect ratio is 11:1
  • Example resolution is 1100 x 100
  • Image should have 11 equal squares to represent 11 different battery levels
  • Save as PNG to allow for transparency

Weather

 

  • Aspect ratio is 7:1
  • Sections should be in this order: Sun, Partly Cloudy, Cloudy, Rain, Storm, Snow & Wind
  • Example resolution is 700 x 100
  • Image should have 7 equal squares to represent 7 different weather conditions
  • Save as PNG to allow for transparency

Moon Phase 

  • Aspect ratio is 8:1
  • Example resolution is 1600 x 200
  • Image should have 8 equal square sections to represent the 8 phases of the moon.
  • Save as a PNG to allow for transparency

Month of Year

  • Should have exactly 12 images in the strip to represent each month of the year
  • Can be used to highlight the month of the year or to change it

Day of the Week

  • Should have exactly 7 images in the strip
  • Can be used to highlight the day of the week or to change the day

7 vertical images with one section highlighted in each frame, the app will show the full week with one day highlighted: 7 horizontal images with no highlight, the app will show one day of the week:

Day of the Month

  • Should have exactly 31 images in the strip
  • Can be used to highlight the day of the month or to change it

31 horizontal (side-by-side images) Clockology will show one day of the month:

AM / PM

  • Can also be used to swap between a day or night background
  • AM = 0 – 11:59, PM = 12:00 – 23:59
  • Should have exactly 2 images in the strip
  • Can be used to highlight the time of day, or just change it

Hour of the Day (12 or 24)

  • Aspect ratio is 12:1 or 24:1
  • Example resolution is 1200 x 100 or 2400 x 100
  • Image should have 12 or 24 equal square sections to represent the hours of the day