DashPiX – Universal Smart Display for Raspberry Pi

DashPiX is a free and open-source smart dashboard designed for the Raspberry Pi. It offers both a full-featured display (display.py) and a simplified basic version (basic.py) for different use cases.

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✨ Features

Full Version (display.py)

• 🕰️ Fullscreen clock with live time updates (12/24h format)
• 🌤️ Weather data from OpenWeatherMap
• 📅 Current date and calendar display
• 🎉 Time-based greeting
• 💬 Custom message support
• 📊 System monitoring (RAM, Storage)
• 🎨 Dark/Light mode support
• ⌨️ Simple exit with Escape key

Basic Version (basic.py)

• 🕰️ Large centered clock display
• 📅 Centered date display
• 👋 Centered greeting
• 🌤️ Single-line weather with location
• 🎨 Clean, minimal interface

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📦 Requirements

• Raspberry Pi with HDMI output
• Python 3
• Pygame, Requests, Pillow, psutil

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🛠️ Installation

1. Install Dependencies:

   sudo apt update && sudo apt install python3-pip
   pip3 install pygame requests pillow psutil

2. Clone the Repository:

   git clone https://github.com/ProgrammerNomad/DashPiX.git
   cd DashPiX

3. Set Up Configuration Files:

   # Copy example files
   copy config.json.example config.json
   copy env.example.py env.py
   
   # Update configuration with new options
   python update_config.py

4. Configure Display Settings: Edit the config.json file:

   {
     "show_time": true,
     "show_date": true,
     "show_greeting": true,
     "show_weather": true,
     "show_location": true,
     "show_system_info": true,
     "clock_style": "24h",
     "background_style": "dark",
     "weather_update_frequency": 600,
     "system_warnings": {
       "ram_warning": 90,
       "storage_warning": 90
     }
   }

5. Run the Display: For full version:

   python3 display.py

   For basic version:

   python3 basic.py

6. Create message.txt (optional):

   • You can create a file named message.txt in the same directory as display.py.
   • Write custom messages that you want to display. For example:

     📢 Community Announcement!
     
     🌟 Join us for the Village Festival this weekend!
     🗓 Date: May 5, 2025
     📍 Location: Village Square
     
     🎉 Free Entry | Food, Music & Fun!
     
     For more details, visit www.villagefestival.com

7. Optional: Run on Boot: To run the display on boot, add the following line to your crontab:

   crontab -e

   Then add this line:

   @reboot python3 /home/pi/DashPiX/display.py

   Note: When running on boot, you can still exit using the Esc key.

Note:

• The .example files serve as templates and should not be modified directly
• Your personal config.json and env.py files will be ignored by git
• Keep the example files up to date with the latest configuration options

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🔄 Updating DashPiX

To update your local DashPiX installation while preserving your settings:

1. Initialize Git (if not already done):

   git init
   git remote add origin https://github.com/ProgrammerNomad/DashPiX.git

2. Backup your configuration files:

   # On Windows
   copy env.py env.backup.py
   copy config.json config.backup.json
   
   # On Raspberry Pi
   cp env.py env.backup.py
   cp config.json config.backup.json

3. Pull the latest changes:

   git pull origin main

4. Restore your configuration:

   # On Windows
   copy env.backup.py env.py
   copy config.backup.json config.json
   
   # On Raspberry Pi
   cp env.backup.py env.py
   cp config.backup.json config.json

5. Check for new configuration options:

   # On Windows
   fc env.example.py env.py
   fc config.json.example config.json
   
   # On Raspberry Pi
   diff env.example.py env.py
   diff config.json.example config.json

   If there are new options, manually add them to your configuration files.

Note:

• Always backup your configuration files before updating
• Check the changelog before updating
• Never commit your personal env.py and config.json files

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📱 Customization

You can toggle or change the display settings at any time by editing the config.json file. Here's a breakdown of the settings:

• show_time: Set to true to display the time.
• show_date: Set to true to display the current date.
• show_greeting: Set to true to display a greeting based on the time of day.
• show_weather: Set to true to display weather information.
• show_location: Set to true to display the current city and weather description.
• show_system_info: Set to true to display system monitoring information (RAM, Storage).
• clock_style: Choose between "12h" or "24h" format.
• weather_update_frequency: Set weather update interval in seconds (default: 600).
• system_warnings: Configure warning thresholds for RAM and storage.
• background_style: Set to light or dark to choose the background style.

Note: OpenWeatherMap API key and city name are now configured in env.py for better security.

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🚀 Coming Soon

• RSS Feed-based news
• Local sensor integration (temperature, humidity)
• Calendar or prayer times
• Enhanced theming support

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🧑‍💻 Contributors

Made with ❤️ by @ProgrammerNomad

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📜 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. You can use, modify, and distribute it freely.

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🔗 Related Projects & Inspiration

• OpenWeatherMap API
• Raspberry Pi digital signage projects

Feel free to fork, contribute, or share your custom DashPiX setups!

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📦 Dependencies Explanation

psutil

• System monitoring and resource management
• RAM usage tracking
• Storage usage monitoring
• CPU temperature reading
• Process and system utilities

Pillow (PIL)

• Image processing and manipulation
• Format conversion for weather icons
• Image resizing and optimization
• Support for various image formats

To install these dependencies:

pip install psutil pillow

Let the world see more, with less. — DashPiX

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