Custom LED animations - cannot import baseArray

[woodface]

Hi,

I'm having fun getting to grips with the library and have it integrated with Home Assistant with some success. I'm trying to create a custom WS281x animation and following the steps. I've put a file customled.py containing one function into the default /etc/mqttany/led-anim directory. This requires importing the baseArray from the array/base package when starting, but this package has been imported using a relative import in anim.py and I'm not sure how to correctly import the same baseArray (contained in module located /opt/mqttany/mqttany/modules/led/array/base.py into the custom animation file located at /etc/mqttany/led-anim/customled.py.

As it is I tried copying the array directory into /etc/mqttany/led-anim/customled.py and importing using the same from .array.base import baseArray but I get the following error:

pi@raspberrypi:/etc/mqttany/led-anim $ sudo python3 /opt/mqttany/mqttany/mqttany.py
2021-05-05 22:15:07,970 [INFO ] [core                    ] MQTTany 0.14.3 starting
2021-05-05 22:15:08,440 [INFO ] [core.gpio               ] Detected board: RASPBERRY_PI_ZERO_W
2021-05-05 22:15:10,018 [INFO ] [core                    ] Module 'mqtt' started successfully
2021-05-05 22:15:10,056 [INFO ] [core                    ] Module 'led' started successfully
2021-05-05 22:15:10,116 [INFO ] [core                    ] Module 'gpio' started successfully
2021-05-05 22:15:10,155 [ERROR] [led.anim                ] An error occured while importing animation file 'customled.py'
2021-05-05 22:15:10,213 [ERROR] [led.anim                ]

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/opt/mqttany/mqttany/modules/led/anim.py", line 99, in load_animations
    spec.loader.exec_module(module)  # type: ignore
  File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap_external>", line 728, in exec_module
  File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 219, in _call_with_frames_removed
  File "/etc/mqttany/led-anim/customled.py", line 2, in <module>
    from .array.base import baseArray
ImportError: attempted relative import with no known parent package

2021-05-05 22:15:10,218 [INFO ] [gpio.digital            ] Setting up 'zerobutton' on GPIO18 as INPUT
2021-05-05 22:15:10,236 [ERROR] [led.anim                ] Animation file 'customled.py' was not loaded

This is the customled.py file I'm trying to import:

from .array.base import baseArray
#from .common import CONF_KEY_ANIM_DIR, CONFIG, Color, log

def anim_test(array: baseArray, cancel: threading.Event, **kwargs: t.Any) -> None:
    """
    Custom animations
    """
    
    # save initial brightness
    init_brightness = array.brightness

    # Set all same colour for now
    j = 0
    while not cancel.is_set():
        for i in range(array.count):
            array.setPixelColorRGB(i, 100, 110, 120)
        array.show()
        time.sleep(0.01)
        j += 1

    array.anims["off"](array, cancel)
    array.brightness = init_brightness

Could you please give a little guidance on the format of the import needed in this custom animation file?

Thanks for any help.

[CrazyIvan359]

Seems you've stumbled on some misleading documentation!

You don't need to import baseArray at all for custom animations. I put it there in the docs for clarity and because I copied that function signature from one of the built in animations. If you change array: baseArray, to just array, it will work.

If you want the type hints you'll have to setup your IDE to have the install path of MQTTany available and import it like this:

import typing as t
if t.TYPE_CHECKING:
    from modules.led.array.base import baseArray

And use it like this:

def anim_test(
    array, # type: baseArray
    cancel, # type: threading.Event
    **kwargs, # type: t.Any
):
    # type: (...): -> None

[woodface]

Many thanks for that, it took until the weekend to try it out. The custom animation file imported without error as soon as I made that change alright, but the naming convention appears wrong. My custom animation function is named anim_randomize() in effects.py. When I call it via MQTT I get an error:

2021-05-09 13:46:44,894 [WARN ] [led ] [led.rpi.gazebocanopy ] Received animation command for unknown animation: effect.randomize

Now, when I use verbose logging it appears the animation is imported as *.randomize, not effect.randomize, the module.name function is returning the *, rather than 'effects' in the effects.py file:

2021-05-09 13:46:33,976 [DEBUG] [led     ] [led.anim                ] Checking for animation files in '/etc/mqttany/led-anim'
2021-05-09 13:46:34,001 [TRACE] [led     ] [led.anim                ] Skipping file '/etc/mqttany/led-anim/__init__.py'
2021-05-09 13:46:34,018 [TRACE] [led     ] [led.anim                ] Attempting to import animation file '/etc/mqttany/led-anim/effect.py'
2021-05-09 13:46:34,042 [TRACE] [led     ] [led.anim                ] Animation file '*' imported successfully
2021-05-09 13:46:34,087 [TRACE] [led     ] [led.anim                ] Animation '*.randomize' added
2021-05-09 13:46:34,096 [DEBUG] [led     ] [led.anim                ] Loaded 1 animations from '/etc/mqttany/led-anim/effect.py'
2021-05-09 13:46:34,110 [TRACE] [led     ] [led.anim                ] Skipping file '/etc/mqttany/led-anim/__pycache__'
2021-05-09 13:46:34,122 [DEBUG] [led     ] [led.anim                ] Checking for animation files in '/etc/mqttany/led-anim/'
2021-05-09 13:46:34,145 [TRACE] [led     ] [led.anim                ] Skipping file '/etc/mqttany/led-anim/__init__.py'
2021-05-09 13:46:34,161 [TRACE] [led     ] [led.anim                ] Attempting to import animation file '/etc/mqttany/led-anim/effect.py'
2021-05-09 13:46:34,180 [TRACE] [led     ] [led.anim                ] Animation file '*' imported successfully
2021-05-09 13:46:34,187 [TRACE] [led     ] [led.anim                ] Animation '*.randomize' added
2021-05-09 13:46:34,197 [DEBUG] [led     ] [led.anim                ] Loaded 1 animations from '/etc/mqttany/led-anim/effect.py'
2021-05-09 13:46:34,224 [TRACE] [led     ] [led.anim                ] Skipping file '/etc/mqttany/led-anim/__pycache__'```

Any pointers as to what I've done wrong? Thanks.

[CrazyIvan359]

You've done nothing wrong, what you have done is find a bug! Could you open an issue for this? As you have correctly surmised, module.name is not returning the name we expect. It will be an easy fix though, we already have the filename.

Until I get it fixed you can either call the animations as *.randomize or make the change yourself to get the module name from the filename passed in.

[woodface]

No problem, was a quick change and I'll raise as an issue. Thanks for your prompt feedback, much appreciated.

[CrazyIvan359]

@woodface sorry it took me so long to get this fixed, hopefully you made out ok with your anims in the mean time.

[CrazyIvan359]

Module naming fixed in #122
Docs updated in #129