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Tidbyt Status Monitor

· 3 min read
Cameron Target
Cameron Target
Author

I'm excited to share a cool integration I put together. Here's the documentation for creating a Tidbyt status monitor using Python and a strange mysterious language called Starlark. Tidbyts are these small, wall-powered displays that can be used to show information on your desk or anywhere else you want to keep track of cool stuff.

🤖Find the REPO here on GitHub🟪

Preview

Overview​

This application connects a Tidbyt display device to the Shotgrid API, allowing you to view real-time data from your Shotgrid instance directly on your Tidbyt device. The app specifically tracks and displays the count of Versions with "cnv" (check new version) status in active projects.

Features​

  • Real-time monitoring of status items in Shotgrid
  • Automatic updates by set interval (default 30s)
  • Classic Tidbyt visualization with Shotgrid icon
  • Log management to prevent excessive logs on logs on logs

Requirements​

  • Tidbyt device
  • Shotgrid account with API access
  • Python 3.11+
  • pixlet CLI tool
  • shotgun_api3 Python module

Setup Instructions​

1. Installation​

  1. Clone this repository:

    git clone https://github.com/BakedStudios/baked-tidbyt-app.git
    cd baked-tidbyt-app

  2. Ensure Python 3.11 is installed at:

    /Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.11/bin/python3

  3. Install required Python modules:

    pip3 install shotgun_api3

  4. Install pixlet CLI tool:

    brew install tidbyt/tidbyt/pixlet

[!NOTE] You will need to authenticate pixlet with your Tidbyt account.

  1. Create the Tidbyt application directory:

    mkdir -p /Applications/Tidbyt

  2. Copy all files to the Tidbyt application directory:

    cp SG_Data.py generated_script.star com.Tidbyt.SG_Data.plist /Applications/Tidbyt/

2. Configuration​

  1. Edit the com.Tidbyt.SG_Data.plist file to configure your environment variables:

    • TIDBYT_SG_API_KEY: Your Shotgrid API key
    • SHOTGUN_URL: Your Shotgrid instance URL
    • TIDBYT_DEVICE_NAME: Your Tidbyt device ID

  2. Start the launchd service:

    launchctl bootstrap gui/$(id -u) /Applications/Tidbyt/com.Tidbyt.SG_Data.plist

  3. Stop the launchd service:

    launchctl bootout gui/$(id -u) /Applications/Tidbyt/com.Tidbyt.SG_Data.plist

How It Works​

  1. The Python script SG_Data.py connects to Shotgrid via the API
  2. It queries for all Versions with "cnv" status in active projects
  3. The count is embedded into a Starlark template file
  4. pixlet renders the Starlark code to a WebP image
  5. The image is pushed to your Tidbyt device
  6. The launchd service repeats this process every 30 seconds

Customization​

Modifying the Query​

To track different items, edit the filters variable in SG_Data.py:

# Example: Find all tasks with status "in_progress"
filters = [['sg_status_list', 'is', "ip"], ['project.Project.sg_status', 'is', 'Active']]
result = sg.find('Task', filters)

Changing the Display​

Modify the Starlark template in SG_Data.py to change the visualization - refer to Tidbyt documentation.

Troubleshooting​

Check the log files for errors:

  • /Applications/Tidbyt/com.Tidbyt.SG_Data.out - Standard output
  • /Applications/Tidbyt/com.Tidbyt.SG_Data.err - Error messages

Common issues:

  • API key incorrect or expired
  • Tidbyt device ID not found
  • Network connectivity problems

License​

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.