AutoLCD Module

The AutoLCD module lets you swap what a screen shows from a Mother command. It works with Automatic LCDs 2 (AutoLCDs) by MMaster, which draws live ship data on LCD panels and cockpit screens.

Defining Views

Views live in the [autolcd] section of the Mother OS programmable block's Custom Data. Each key is a view name and the value is the AutoLCD command text for one screen. We use the | prefix for multi-line values.

Automatic LCDs 2 Full Guide

[autolcd]
PowerView=
| Power {T:*}
| Working {TG:Batteries}

HydrogenTanksView=
| tanks {TG:*} hydrogen
| StopDistance
| StopTime

• Mother copies the text exactly as written. It does not interpret {T:...}, ; separators or // comments.
• Mother's $VARIABLE and {{parameter}} substitution does not apply to [autolcd] views.
• View names are case-insensitive.
• Edits to the section are picked up automatically. You do not need to run boot.

Commands

autolcd/print

Copy a view to a screen. AutoLCD then renders it.

autolcd/print <Block|Group|#tag>[:SurfaceIndex] <View>

If the target matches several blocks, each one is updated.

Example

; Show the power view on a text panel
autolcd/print "Engineering LCD" PowerView;

; Show the hydrogen view on the second cockpit screen
autolcd/print "Pilot Cockpit:1" HydrogenTanksView;

; Update every screen tagged #status
autolcd/print #status PowerView;

Use it from a command or Mother GUI menu to build screens that switch between views:

[commands]
ShowPowerView=autolcd/print "Pilot Cockpit:1" PowerView
ShowHydrogenView=autolcd/print "Pilot Cockpit:1" HydrogenTanksView

autolcd/clear

Remove the AutoLCD commands for one screen so AutoLCD stops drawing on it. Other screens on the same block are not changed.

autolcd/clear <Block|Group|#tag>[:SurfaceIndex]

Example

autolcd/clear "Pilot Cockpit:1";

How It Works

AutoLCD reads its commands from the area of a block's Custom Data below the --- line. Mother only edits that area, so the rest of the block's configuration (such as [general] and [hooks]) is never changed.

[general]
; Mother configuration is untouched

---
@0 autolcd
Power {T:*}
@1 autolcd
tanks {T:*} hydrogen

Each @<index> autolcd header starts the commands for one screen. When you print a view, Mother replaces only that screen's section.

• Custom data in the older AutoLCD layout (no --- line) is converted the first time you print to that block.
• If the Custom Data is not valid, for example it has a broken [section], Mother leaves it unchanged and reports an error.
• Views are written for a single screen. A view that contains an @<n> autolcd header or a --- line is rejected.

Responses

Faster Updates

Stock AutoLCD can take several seconds to react to a Custom Data change, so a printed view may feel slow to appear. Two small edits to the AutoLCD script reduce that to about half a second:

1. Poll Custom Data every 0.5 seconds instead of every 5 seconds.
2. Remove the random start delay on each command.