A visual and display framework for Mycroft running on top of KDE Plasma Technology and built using Kirigami, a lightweight user interface framework for convergent applications empowered by Qt.
In the age of information visualization is eminently essential to grab attention and create a promising communication strategy. Visual content that supports your spoken content can make it easier to present information well and more engaging for your audience and users.
Introduction
Mycroft-GUI is an open source visual and display framework for Mycroft running on top of KDE Plasma Technology and built using Kirigami a lightweight user interface framework for convergent applications which are empowered by Qt.
Getting Started
Mycroft is an open source voice assistant that can be extended and expanded to the limits of your imagination. Mycroft can run anywhere from your desktop to your automobiles or on smart devices that empower your home.
Want Mycroft to do something new? Teach Mycroft a skill, share it, and improve the experience for tens of thousands of people all over the world. This guide aims to provide you with resources to create familiar and consistent visual experiences with your expanding and innovative skills.
VISUAL SKILL DEVELOPMENT API FOUNDATION
Mycroft enabled devices with displays such as the Mark II, KDE Plasmoid provide skill developers the opportunity to create skills that can be empowered by both voice and screen interaction. The display interaction technology is based on the QML user interface markup language that gives you complete freedom to create in-depth innovative interactions without boundaries or provide you with simple templates within the Mycroft GUI framework that allow minimalistic display of text and images based on your skill development specifics and preferences.
This section of the guide is divided into two skill examples that will show you how to create:
In-depth QML based audio and visual interaction skills
Simple template based text and image skills
In-depth QML based audio and visual interaction skills
QML user interface markup language is a declarative language built on top of Qt's existing strengths designed to describe the user interface of a program: both what it looks like, and how it behaves. QML provides modules that consist of sophisticated set of graphical and behavioral building elements. In the example below we will showcase how to create a QML interface for your skill including how it interacts with your voice skill.
Before Getting Started Resources
A collection of resources to familiarize you with QML and Kirigami Framework.
A QML module provides versioned types and JavaScript resources in a type namespace which may be used by clients who import the module. Modules make use of the QML versioning system which allows modules to be independently updated. More in-depth information about QML modules can be found here Qt QML Modules Documentation
In the code snippet example below we will look at importing some of the common modules that provide the components required to get started with our Visual User Interface.
Qt Quick module is the standard library for writing QML applications, the module provides a visual canvas and includes types for creating and animating visual components, receiving user input, creating data models and views and delayed object instantiation. In-depth information about QtQuick can be found at Qt Quick Documentation
QTQuick.Controls Module:
The QtQuick Controls module provides a set of controls that can be used to build complete interfaces in Qt Quick. Some of the controls provided are button controls, container controls, delegate controls, indicator controls, input controls, navigation controls and more, for a complete list of controls and components provided by QtQuick Controls you can refer to QtQuick Controls 2 Guidelines
QtQuick.Layouts Module:
QtQuick Layouts are a set of QML types used to arrange items in a user interface. Some of the layouts provided by QtQuick Layouts are Column Layout, Grid Layout, Row Layout and more, for a complete list of layouts you can refer to QtQuick Layouts Documentation
Kirigami Module:
Kirigami is a set of QtQuick components for mobile and convergent applications. Kirigami is a set of high level components to make the creation of applications that look and feel great on mobile as well as desktop devices and follow the Kirigami Human Interface Guidelines
Mycroft Module:
Mycroft GUI frameworks provides a set of high level components and events system for aiding in the development of Mycroft visual skills. One of the controls provided by Mycroft GUI frameworks are Mycroft-GUI Framework Base Delegates Mycroft-GUI Framework Base Delegates Documentation
QML Lottie Module:
This provides a QML Item to render Adobe® After Effects™ animations exported as JSON with Bodymovin using the Lottie Web library. For list of all properties supported refer Lottie QML
Using Mycroft-GUI Framework Base Delegates
When you design your skill with QML, Mycroft-GUI frameworks provides you with some base delegates you should use when designing your GUI skill. The base delegates provide you with a basic presentation layer for your skill with some property assignments that can help you setup background images, background dim, timeout and grace time properties to give you the control you need for rendering an experience. In your GUI Skill you can use:
Mycroft.Delegate: A basic and simple page based on Kirigami.Page
Simple display Image and Text Example using Mycroft.Delegate
import Mycroft 1.0 as Mycroft
Mycroft.Delegate {
skillBackgroundSource: sessionData.exampleImage
ColumnLayout {
anchors.fill: parent
Image {
id: imageId
Layout.fillWidth: true
Layout.preferredHeight: Kirigami.Units.gridUnit * 2
source: "https://source.unsplash.com/1920x1080/?+autumn"
}
Label {
id: labelId
Layout.fillWidth: true
Layout.preferredHeight: Kirigami.Units.gridUnit * 4
text: "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua."
}
}
}
Mycroft.ScrollableDelegate: A delegate that displays skill visuals in a scroll enabled Kirigami Page.
Simple template based text and image skill displays
Designing a simple skill and only want to display text or images ? Mycroft GUI framework and Mycroft enclosure API provides ready to use QML based template wrappers that can minimalisticly display simple skills data such as text and images. In the example below we will showcase how to create a simple voice skill that displays simple text on your Mycroft enabled device with a display.
Text Example:
...defhandle_hello_world(self,message):... self.gui.show_text("Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmo tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.")
...
Contains an image that will slowly scroll in order to be shown completely
QML Example
import QtQuick 2.4
import QtQuick.Controls 2.2
import QtQuick.Layouts 1.4
import org.kde.kirigami 2.4 as Kirigami
import Mycroft 1.0 as Mycroft
Mycroft.Delegate {
background: Mycroft.SlidingImage {
source: "foo.jpg"
running: bool //If true the sliding animation is active
speed: 1 //Animation speed in Kirigami.Units.gridUnit / second
}
}
Display Paginated Text
Takes a long text and breaks it down into pages that can be horizontally swiped
QML Example
import QtQuick 2.4
import QtQuick.Controls 2.2
import QtQuick.Layouts 1.4
import org.kde.kirigami 2.4 as Kirigami
import Mycroft 1.0 as Mycroft
Mycroft.Delegate {
Mycroft.PaginatedText {
text: string //The text that should be displayed
currentIndex: 0 //The currently visible page number (starting from 0)
}
}
Display A Vertical ListView With Information Cards
Kirigami CardsListView is a ListView which can have AbstractCard as its delegate: it will automatically assign the proper spacing and margins around the cards adhering to the design guidelines.
Using Proportional Delegate For Simple Display Skills & Auto Layout
ProportionalDelegate is a delegate which has proportional padding and a columnlayout as mainItem. The delegate supports a proportionalGridUnit which is based upon its size and the contents are supposed to be scaled proportionally to the delegate size either directly or using the proportionalGridUnit.
AutoFitLabel is a label that will always scale its text size according to the item size rather than the other way around
Slideshow component lets you insert a slideshow with your custom delegate in any skill display which can be tuned to autoplay and loop and also scrolled or flicked manually by the user.
QML Example
import QtQuick 2.4
import QtQuick.Controls 2.2
import QtQuick.Layouts 1.4
import org.kde.kirigami 2.4 as Kirigami
import Mycroft 1.0 as Mycroft
Mycroft.Delegate {
id: root
Mycroft.SlideShow {
id: simpleSlideShow
model: sessionData.exampleModel // model with slideshow data
anchors.fill: parent
interval: 5000 // time to switch between slides
running: true // can be set to false if one wants to swipe manually
loop: true // can be set to play through continously or just once
delegate: Kirigami.AbstractCard {
width: rootItem.width
height: rootItem.height
contentItem: ColumnLayout {
anchors.fill: parent
Kirigami.Heading {
Layout.fillWidth: true
wrapMode: Text.WordWrap
level: 3
text: modelData.Title
}
Kirigami.Separator {
Layout.fillWidth: true
Layout.preferredHeight: 1
}
Image {
Layout.fillWidth: true
Layout.preferredHeight: rootItem.height / 4
source: modelData.Image
fillMode: Image.PreserveAspectCrop
}
}
}
}
}
Using AudioPlayer Component To Play Audio Files / Audio Streaming
AudioPlayer component is a custom wrapper around Qt Multimedia MediaPlayer, that gives the Skill Authors a basic responsive design audio player they can plug into their skills.
QML Example
import QtQuick 2.4
import QtQuick.Controls 2.2
import QtQuick.Layouts 1.4
import org.kde.kirigami 2.4 as Kirigami
import Mycroft 1.0 as Mycroft
Mycroft.Delegate {
id: root
skillBackgroundSource: sessionData.audioThumbnail
Mycroft.AudioPlayer {
id: examplePlayer
anchors.fill: parent
source: sessionData.audioSource //Set URL of audio file
thumbnail: sessionData.audioThumbnail //Set Thumbnail of audio
title: sessionData.audioTitle //Set Title of audio
nextAction: "author.example-player.next" //Event to drive next button action in skill
previousAction: "author.example-player.previous" //Event to drive previous button action in skill
status: sessionData.status //Current status of playing audio
}
}
Event Handling
Mycroft GUI API provides an Event Handling Protocol between the skill and QML display which allow Skill Authors to forward events in either direction to an event consumer. Skill Authors have the ability to create any amount of custom events. Event names that start with "system." are available to all skills, like previous/next/pick.
Simple Event Trigger Example From QML Display To Skill
Using VideoPlayer Component To Play Video Files / Video Streaming
VideoPlayer component is a custom wrapper around Qt Multimedia MediaPlayer, that gives the Skill Authors a basic responsive design video player they can plug into their skills.
import QtQuick 2.4
import QtQuick.Controls 2.2
import QtQuick.Layouts 1.4
import org.kde.kirigami 2.4 as Kirigami
import Mycroft 1.0 as Mycroft
Mycroft.Delegate {
id: root
skillBackgroundSource: sessionData.videoThumbnail
Mycroft.VidioPlayer {
id: examplePlayer
anchors.fill: parent
source: sessionData.videoSource //Set URL of video file
nextAction: "author.example-player.next" //Event to drive next button action in skill
previousAction: "author.example-player.previous" //Event to drive previous button action in skill
status: sessionData.status //Current status of playing video
}
}
Resting Faces
The resting face API provides skill authors the ability to extend their skills to supply their own customized IDLE screens that will be displayed when there is no activity on the screen.
Simple Idle Screen Example
Python Skill Example
from mycroft.skills.core import resting_screen_handler
...
@resting_screen_handler('NameOfIdleScreen')
def handle_idle(self, message):
self.gui.clear()
self.log.info('Activating foo/bar resting page')
self.gui["exampleText"] = "This Is A Idle Screen"
self.gui.show_page('idle.qml')
