WorkBreak Timer Task Logger Screen Capture Apps Toggle

[TotalBalance]

After a long hiatus from AHK and help from this forum's members, I've updated what was a popular productivity script before AHK forked into two websites (e.g autohotkey.com and ahkscript.org) for AHK 1.1+ e.g ahkscript.org. I hope some of you find this script both educational, useful and more important, my coding days have waned over the years so I'm hoping others might pick up the gantlet and fork this script to make it more useful for today's purposes. I've updated it to work with productivity cloud applications e.g. Evernote, Asana, Wunderlist, etc. e.g sending task by email to your favorite cloud productivity app.

The original effort was posted on autohotkey.com years ago http://www.autohotkey.com/board/topic/2 ... ure-v-300/. The updated version link below has been saved on Google Drive & Dropbox for download and review. Enjoy

Background:
Ever since I started using a modified version of the (10+2)*5 methodology to stay focused and get stuff done (i.e Pomodoro technique https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomodoro_Technique) I've been much more productive with my daily work results. 80% of my work these days is in front of a PC, so I wanted a script to facilitate the use of this methodology while recording my daily activities for future review and/or billing purposes to clients.

A while back I was reading a LifeHacker post by Gina Trapani about a free windows work/break timer (Instant Boss) that supports Merlin Mann's (10+2)*5 procrastination hack. It's a nice application but didn't do everything I needed.

Thanks to a number of favorable AHK articles by another LifeHacker editor, Adam Pash (check out his Texter AHK script), and obviously without concern for personal brain damage, I decided to try my hand at writing some AHK scripts to do what Instant Boss does and more.

Request:
If you've got a free moment, please let me know what you think of this script as a productivity tool (e.g does it help you Get Things Done). FYI, if it weren't for David Allen, and his landmark book "Getting Things Done" (GTD), I doubt this script ever would have happened.

Script Credits:
Credit for this script goes to many people on the AHK forum. Both those who wrote the scripts I hacked and those who answered my requests for help when stuck.

In particular, a huge thank you to Tic.
Tic re-wrote the code for everything I was trying to accomplish. I may have hatched the idea, but Tic deserves all programming credit. If weakness/bugs in the coding exists, it' probably integration hacks I did to his code!

Objective(s):
* Code a work-break timer, based on the (10+2)*5 procrastination hack, to help people "Get IT Done".
* Tray Icon to display visual and text progress status
* Provide visual and textual ways for users to review how they spend time during the day.

What the script does (high level):
* Launch a work/break timer (48+12)*3 (48 min. work, 12 min break repeated 3 times). If you'd prefer the original (10+2)*5 approach or something else, you can easily modify it in the "Settings"
* Record new task info:

1) Save to a delimited file for review as a text file or in your favorite spreadsheet pdm.

2) Optionally email task info to your favorite cloud based project/task mgmt webapp. (Default Evernote).

* Screen Capture:

1) Optionally Capture what you're doing every x seconds (full screen or active window). Overlay task info (title, tags, comments) onto saved images. Use Irfanview to do a slide show of your day.

* Work/Break sound notification option
* Via GUI, allow users to easily set preferences for all script features to meet their needs.
* Tray Icon Display

1) Visual progress display of elapsed time

2) Mouse over text display of work break cycle & progress

Scripts status and download:
The script works as originally intended. Rather than guess what users might like in future versions, please try it out and let me know!
Take a look at the code and thanks in advance for any coding help and/or enhancement suggestions.

ToDo
* Integrate AHK only sideshow functions to replace IrfanView.
* Add Browse function to GUI to allow users to select their own sound file.
* Send tasks via email to your favorite cloud productivity app e.g. Asana, Wunderlist, etc.
* Other stuff recommended by testers and users.

P.S. As always, if anyone has the urge to help out, with any of the above, or just share how they've improved the code, by all means do!

Download:
Work-Break Timer, Task Logger & Screen Capture
Note: When Upgrading:
1) rename/delete "work break.ini"
2) rename all *.txt files.
3) Launch wb_timer.ahk/exe and re-configure.
4) After re-configuration, copy and paste old *.txt content into new *.txt files as appropriate.

v. 5.00
Google Drive file - https://goo.gl/hsmaJd
Dropbox Folder - https://goo.gl/j6sDsb
Note: The google drive file sometimes identifies the zipped file as a virus. I've renamed the *.zip to *.zi_ as an attempted workaround. If you have issues with the Google Drive link, try the Dropbox folder link which includes all individual files including the zipped file.
* This version also includes my Key Apps script Key Apps v2.0. (Key Apps.ahk/KeyApps.exe)
* v. 5.00 may not work with the newest versions of AutoHotkey. It does work with the ANSI-32 bit version. If any of you could help identify and fix the "legacy" code so this script will work with the newest versions of AHK, I'd be grateful
A big thanks to Wolf_II http://goo.gl/pb5cMi for all his help with the GUI and rest of code.

It's still a work in progress yet meets immediate needs. It gives user the option to add up to 7 Programs, Cloud Apps or Files, each with it own hotkey. While there are plenty of scripts out there to open programs and files via a pop-up, this script has one additional feature.

Once you launch one of your favorites, the hotkey also toggle the app state as either visible or minimized.
The menu tray shows each corresponding script for easy inclusion. Work Break timer also provides an option in Settings to automatically launch Key Apps.
Additionally, there are some "utility" functions (e.g Close All Active Apps without closing script or Close & Exit w/reboot option, Stay on Top for Window in focus, Show/Minimize any app, even those not on your list)
v. 4.10 Alpha
* Replaced ToDoList integration with Email to Cloud-based task manager. Default is to sent task to Asana yet via settings user can choose their preferred web app as long as it's designed to have tasks added by email.

[TotalBalance]

I've updated the script to optionally allow new Task to be emailed to your favorite cloud task manager.It's defaulted to my favorite, Asana. However, as long as your favorite app allows you to email new tasks, requiring only the cloud app email address and your google email and password (required to send the email to your cloud app)you should be good to go.
Note: If your email server is other than google, just change the ahk code accordingly.
I'd love to get your feedback and ways to improve the script

[pablozpd]

I found your program a few years ago and I think is a good program to accomplish the methodology of GTD... but in my case I have to say that I use your code to make an app to take screenshots every minute, the REASON was to learn AHK, after this the USE was to log the activities of the users in my job, discovering that some were doing other things instead of working, I know, weird, right???. Well, suddenly, everyone has improved their productivity, surprisingly!!!

[TotalBalance]

Thanks for the feedback pablozpd. Glad to hear the program helped you learn AHK. Writing it, with the help of many far more gifted then I at coding, helped me learn AHK as well
Using the screen capture function to improve productivity of your users is something I do myself, though for myself only, as it helps me visually track my days efforts
I'd be interested in learning how you modified the code to handle multiple users and where/how you store results by user. Did you share your code on the forum?

[TotalBalance]

v. 5.00
https://goo.gl/WU1KWR
This version also includes my Key Apps script Key Apps v2.0. (Key Apps.ahk/KeyApps.exe)
A big thanks to Wolf_II for all his help with the GUI and rest of code.

[Starbuck]

Hey Lars - I was using WBT back when you started it. I'm really happy that you're back in the saddle here. A lot has happened in the world of ToDoList and it's quite easy to toggle the timer using a command-line rather than poking into the UI. If you'd like to re-add that as an option I'll be happy to work with you, and get you back up to speed with what's happening with TDL.

Best regards.

[KevinP]

Hi,

Thanks for posting this. I was interested in trying it, but the download link appears to be dead?

Kind Regards

Kevin

[TotalBalance]

Hi Kevin, thanks for letting me know.
I've refreshed the link. Try it again and let me know if you've still got issues.
https://goo.gl/hsmaJd
Cheers,
Lars

[brutus_skywalker]

yo I dunno if I'm over reachin,but Google drive links kinda don't work on any of ma browsers includin chrome for what ever reason, so a dropbox link or directions to ur github page are much appreciated.

tx dude.

[TotalBalance]

Hey brutus_skywalker, thanks for the comment.
I've updated the links to include a Dropbox folder link that contains all the individual files including the zipped.
For the Google Drive link, I've renamed the zip file to *.zi_ as a workaround to Google thinking the zip file is a virus.
Google Drive file - https://goo.gl/hsmaJd
Dropbox Folder - https://goo.gl/j6sDsb

[brutus_skywalker]

thanks so very much,not only do I hope to procrastinate less now,but u just gave me some new functions to toy around with,that is of course for when it commands me to take a break.lol.

TX DUDE.

[Asmodeus]

according to virustotal.com the executables contain malware, probably false positives, maybe you should only include the source files in the archives?

when running I get the load error: background.png message, what to do? i use AHK 1.1.24.05

[TotalBalance]

Hi Asmodeus,
Thanks for reporting. Depending on your virus tool, as with many other AHK scripts, false positives do happen. As for the error msg. this script was written many years ago under a previous version and before AHK split to two efforts. As the source code has always been included, if anyone wants to update the script to work with newer versions of AHK, I've previously suggested they go for it and by all means improve it and offer it to the AHK scripting community.
Regrettably, I no longer have the time or means to update so it's pretty much what it is. Regrets this is probably not what you wanted to hear yet it's all I got.

[kennydenvers]

Hi somebody,
this is my first post - so forgive me if I am not approaching this in the right way. I "installed" this WorkBreak Timer and am trying to get it to work for me. I am especially interested in the screen capture feature - it works but it only captures one of my two monitors. Unfortunately I am so new to AHK that going into the script did not help me very much. I searched for "screencap" and also searched through some other AHK pages but did not get very far. Would it be possible that somebody could point me into a direction of how to make the script either capture both monitors in one picture or produce two files at the same time for each of the monitors?
Don't if if anyone will read this as this seems to be an old thread - but I'll find out ... Thanks very much for any help. K

[Avastgard]

Has anybody used or adapted this script lately? I am running into the same problem Asmodeus has reported here:

when running I get the load error: background.png message, what to do? i use AHK 1.1.24.05

Maybe there is an updated version of this somewhere?

[gregster]

Has anybody used or adapted this script lately? I am running into the same problem Asmodeus has reported here:

when running I get the load error: background.png message, what to do? i use AHK 1.1.24.05

Maybe there is an updated version of this somewhere?

Never used it, but the Dropbox link above contains a folder called images, with a file (among others) called Background.png, which might help (or perhaps not).
are you sure that you downloaded all necessary components? Afaics, the script will look for a number of png files (line 23).
If it's a version problem, you could surely run this specific script with an older AHK version than your "normal" (installed) version. But which version you might need, I don't know...

[Avastgard]

Yeah, I found the folder and even tried saving the image on the same folder as the script, but that didn't work. Thanks for the help, anyway.