NAME
xodometer
SYNOPSIS
xodo [ -h -d -dwm -dhm -dwp -dhp -psf -bd -bg -fg -fn -fn2 -g -i -mit -o -of -oat -t]
DESCRIPTION
Track the total distance your pointing device and cursor travel. The distance can be displayed in various units.
xodometer displays total distance and "trip" distance since the application started (or since you clicked on a trip reset button).
xodometer requires certain information to ensure accurate distance tracking. Refer to the following sections to learn about calibrating xodometer, and to view a list of tested configurations.
xodometer is typically started from the .xinitrc file. Use the left button for selections. Use the middle button to reset both trip odometers simultaneously.
Every xodometer command line parameter can have an application resource in the xrdb database or .Xdefaults file. A resource follows this convention:
xodo.parameter_name : parameter_value
Therefore to specify xodometer's default font the following resource entry could be specified:
xodo.fontname : Rom8
For further help try xodo -full_help.
Examples:
xodo -bd red -bg wheat1 -fg blue -g -0-0
xodo -fn rom6 -o cursor -dwm 300 -dhm 234
CALIBRATION
xodometer requires the display dimensions in both pixels and millimeters in order to correctly compute distances. Look for this information in the appropriate hardware reference manual for your display. If you cannot find this information it's still easy to determine. For the display dimensions in pixels simply run xodometer, jam the cursor in the bottom-right corner and note the X/Y coordinates displayed at the bottom of the window - add one to get the actual pixel count. For the display dimensions in millimeters just grab a tape measure and measure your screen - if inches multiply by 25.4 and if centimeters multiply by 10. Select "About" and verify that xodometer is calibrated properly by using a ruler to measure the calibration scale. The default values for these dimensions are suitable for an IBM RS/6000 machine with a 6091 19" color monitor. Refer to the next section for values of other tested configurations.
Assuming that the display dimension data is correct the cursor distance can be accurately tracked. The actual distance that your pointing device, typically a mouse, travels is INFERRED by accleration information provided by the X server and pointer scaling information that you must provide. The default scale factor is 3.4, meaning that the cursor travels 3.4 times as far as the pointing device moves. This value is appropriate for an IBM RS/6000 machine with a 6091 19" color monitor. Refer to the next section for values of other tested configurations.
If you cannot find the correct scale factor for your mouse then you must determine it by measuring. It is rather easy to do this: first enter "xset m 1 1" to set the X threshold and acceleration to 1, then enter "xodo -psf 1.0" to set xodometer's pointer scale factor also to 1. Once xodo is running pull-down the Units menu and select "inches". Then, using a ruler, place the pointing device against one edge, click the second button to reset the trip odometers, and then trace a known distance, say, one inch. The distance recorded by the pointer's trip odometer is the proper scaling factor. Repeat the measurement several times for accuracy.
At the bottom of the xodometer window is a status line that displays the current distance Units and the X/Y cordinates of the cursor. In the "About" window the pointer Scale factor, and the X Threshold and Acceleration are displayed.
All the calibration information you supply is either passed on the command line, stored in environment variables, or placed in your .Xdefaults file. The applicable environment variables are:
D_XODO_DWM display_width_millimeters
D_XODO_DHM display_height_millimeters
D_XODO_DWP display_width_pixels
D_XODO_DHP display_height_pixels
D_XODO_PSF pointer_scale_factor
TESTED CONFIGURATIONS
For each machine, Operating System/window manager and display configuration, a sample xodometer command line is given:
- Pentium-100, Linux 1.2.13/fvmw, 15" color
xodo -dwm 286 -dhm 203 -dwp 1024 -dhp 768 -psf 3.0
- IBM RS/6000, AIX 3.2.3/mwm, 16" color
xodo -dwm 300 -dhm 234 -dwp 1280 -dhp 1024 -psf 3.0
- IBM RS/6000, AIX 3.2.3/mwm, 19" color
xodo -dwm 350 -dhm 274 -dwp 1280 -dhp 1024 -psf 3.4
- IBM RS/6000, AIX 3.2.3/mwm, 23" color
xodo -dwm 430 -dhm 340 -dwp 1280 -dhp 1024 -psf 4.0
- Sun SPARC 1+, SunOS 4.1.1/twm, 17" monochrome
xodo -dwm 292 -dhm 232 -dwp 1152 -dhp 900 -psf 2.0
- Sun SPARC 1+, SunOS 4.1.1/twm, 19" color
xodo -dwm 358 -dhm 274 -dwp 1152 -dhp 900 -psf 4.0
OPTIONS
-help, h, usage_help, full_help: Display Command Information
Display information about this command, which includes
a command description with examples, plus a synopsis of
the command line parameters. If you specify -full_help
rather than -help complete parameter help is displayed
if it's available.
-display, d: string = DISPLAY, ""
The X display name; default is the DISPLAY variable.
-display_width_millimeters, dwm: integer = D_XODO_DWM, 350
The width in millimeters of the X display. The default
is 350 mm (an IBM 6091 19" color monitor).
-display_height_millimeters, dhm: integer = D_XODO_DHM, 274
The height in millimeters of the X display. The default
is 274 mm (an IBM 6091 19" color monitor).
-display_width_pixels, dwp: integer = D_XODO_DWP, 1280
The width of the X display in pixels. The default
is 1280 pixels (an IBM 6091 19" color monitor).
-display_height_pixels, dhp: integer = D_XODO_DHP, 1024
The height of the X display in pixels. The default
is 1024 pixels (an IBM 6091 19" color monitor).
-pointer_scale_factor, psf: real = D_XODO_PSF, 3.4
The scale factor to convert pointer movement to cursor
movement. A scale factor of 2.0 means that for every D
units of distance the pointing device moves, the cursor
moves 2 * D units. The default is 3.4, suitable for an
IBM 6091 19" color monitor.
-border, bd: name = Black
xodometer's border color.
-background, bg: name = White
xodometer's background color.
-foreground, fg: name = Black
xodometer's foreground color.
-fontname, fn: string = "9x15"
xodometer's odometer font. An extremely small font
is "rom6" while a rather large font is "helvr30".
-fontname2, fn2: string = "6x10"
xodometer's button font. In general you should NOT
change this font since the action buttons do not
change size. Another suitable font is "Rom8", but
that is not available on all X servers.
-geometry, g: string = "<width>x<height>{+-}<xoffset>{+-}<yoffset>"
Specifies the X geometry in the standard notation.
The width and height are not normally specified since
xodometer calculates them based on the fontname. If
an "offset" value is positive it is measured from the
top or left edge of the display, and if negative it is
measured from the bottom or right edge of the screen.
So, to start xodometer in the bottom-right corner a
geometry string of "-0-0" would be specified.
-iconic, i: switch
If specified xodometer starts up already iconified.
-microsecond_interval_time, mit: integer = 100000
The number of microseconds between odometer updates. The
default value of 100,000 means that the pointer position
is sampled 10 times per second, which seems to provide
accurate distance measurements without consuming
excessive amounts of your machine's resources.
-odometer, o: key cursor, pointer, both, keyend = both
A keyword that specifies whether to display both
odometers, or just one of them, and if just one,
which one.
-odometer_file, of: file = $HOME/.xodo
The path name of the file to record total mouse distance
(in millimeters) and other application information. This
file is read during xodometer startup to initialize the
distance totals and establish the distance units. When
you "Quit" xodometer the updated distance/unit data is
written to this file.
-odometer_autosave_time, oat: integer = 2
Specifies the time interval in minutes between odometer
file updates. This is just for good luck, as xodometer
updates the odometer file when these event are received:
- control/c
- window close
- window manager exit
-title, t: string = "xodo"
The xodometer window title line.
AUTHOR
Stephen O. Lidie
SEE ALSO
tkodo modo