How to run a macro at sunset

[dazedandconfused2]

I am looking for a way to run a macro at sunset.

Since none of the scheduler options allow for this I am at a loss to figure out a way to get a macro to run.

Any ideas ????

[Marcus Tettmar]

Depends what you mean I guess. To know exactly when sunset has occurred I guess you'll need some kind of light senser outside. You can probably get something like that and hook it up to a serial/usb port and have a macro watch the signal. Or, if you're happy to go with predicted sunset times there's probably a website which gives those which you could download and parse with HTTPRequest. Wait, let me try that trusty google thang ... yeh, here we go:

http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/a ... html?n=136

That's for London but you can change the location.

Could have Macro Scheduler suck that page down and parse it/store the times somewhere. The controlling macro would loop until the time matches ....

Or, of course, if you are happy to go with an approximation and simply update the schedule every few days, just enter the time in the schedule options (e.g. for London currently it would be around 20:15 and would be accurate enough for the next week or so, and I could then change it next week).

So, kind of depends exactly what you are trying to accomplish. Don't think there's a Windows function that can see out your window and go ping when it sees the sun slip below the horizon. I checked the Microsoft docs but didn't see one

[Me_again]

Don't think there's a Windows function that can see out your window and go ping when it sees the sun slip below the horizon. I checked the Microsoft docs but didn't see one

VBScript can do it though http://www.paulsadowski.com/sadowski/suntimes.htm

[Marcus Tettmar]

Maths can do it of course. See the readme for how it works:
http://cpansearch.perl.org/src/RKHILL/A ... .91/README

[adroege]

I went ahead and coded up an example from one of the web links
given above..... seems to work pretty well

Enjoy|!

Code: Select all

VBStart
'SunTimes.vbs
'=========================================================================
' Other Constants & Defs
Const pi = 3.1415926535897932384626433832795
RADEG=180/pi
DEGRAD=pi/180

'=========================================================================
' Main function
Function SunTimes (strYear, strMonth, strDay, longitude, latitude, TZ, isdst)
Dim d, n, i, w, m, l, e, e1, a, xv, yv, v, xs, ys, xe, ecl, lonsun, ye, ze, ra, dec, h
Dim GMST0, UT_Sun_in_south, LHA, hour_rise, hour_set, min_rise, min_set

'calculate days since 2000 jan 1
  d = ( 367 * (strYear) - int((7 * ((strYear) + (((strMonth) + 9) / 12))) / 4) + int((275 * (strMonth)) / 9) + (strDay) - 730530)

' Orbital elements of the Sun:
  N = 0.0
  i = 0.0
  w = 282.9404 + 4.70935E-5 * d

  a = 1.000000
  e = 0.016709 - 1.151E-9 * d

  M = 356.0470 + 0.9856002585 * d
  M = rev(M)

  ecl = 23.4393 - 3.563E-7 * d
  L = w + M
  if (L <0> 360) then
    L = rev(L)
  end if

' position of the Sun
  E1 = M + e*(180/pi) * sind(M) * ( 1.0 + e * cosd(M) )
  xv = cosd(E1) - e
  yv = sqrt(1.0 - e * e) * sind(E1)

  v = atan2d(yv, xv)
  r = sqrt(xv * xv + yv * yv)
  lonsun = v + w
  if (lonsun <0> 360) then
    lonsun = rev(lonsun)
  end if
  xs = r * cosd(lonsun)
  ys = r * sind(lonsun)
  xe = xs
  ye = ys * cosd(ecl)
  ze = ys * sind(ecl)
  RA = atan2d(ye, xe)
  Dec = atan2d(ze, (sqrt((xe * xe)+(ye * ye))))
  h=-0.833

  GMST0 = L + 180
  if (GMST0 <0> 360) then
    GMST0 = rev(GMST0)
  end if

  UT_Sun_in_south = ( RA - GMST0 - longitude ) / 15.0
  if (UT_Sun_in_south <0> -1 AND LHA < 1) then
    LHA=acosd(LHA)/15
  else
    SunTimes = "No sunrise,No sunset"
    exit function
  end if
  hour_rise=UT_Sun_in_south - LHA
  hour_set=UT_Sun_in_south + LHA
  min_rise=int((hour_rise-int(hour_rise)) * 60)
  min_set=int((hour_set-int(hour_set)) * 60)

  hour_rise=(int(hour_rise) + (TZ + isdst))
  hour_set=(int(hour_set) + (TZ + isdst))
  if (min_rise < 10) then
    min_rise = right("0000" & min_rise, 2)
  end if
  if (min_set < 10) then
    min_set = right("0000" & min_set, 2)
  end if

  SunTimes = hour_rise & ":" & min_rise & "," & hour_set & ":" & min_set
End Function

' Support Functions
Function sind(qqq)
  sind = sin((qqq) * DEGRAD)
End Function

Function cosd(qqq)
 cosd = cos((qqq) * DEGRAD)
End Function

Function tand(qqq)
 tand = tan((qqq) * DEGRAD)
End Function

Function atand(qqq)
 atand = (RADEG * atan(qqq))
End Function

Function asind(qqq)
 asind = (RADEG * asin(qqq))
End Function

Function acosd(qqq)
 acosd = (RADEG * acos(qqq))
End Function

Function atan2d (qqq, qqq1)
 atan2d = (RADEG * atan2(qqq, qqq1))
End Function

Function rev(qqq)
Dim x
 x = (qqq - int(qqq/360.0) * 360.0)
 if (x <= 0) then
  x = x + 360
 end if
 rev = x
End Function

Function atan2(ys,xs)
' from the Draw Arrows tip
' @ http://www.devx.com/upload/free/features/VBPJ/techtips/techtips11.pdf
' by —Jim Deutch, Syracuse, New York

Dim theta
 If xs <> 0 Then
  theta = Atn(ys / xs)
  If xs < 0 Then
   theta = theta + pi
  End If
 Else
  If ys <0> 0 then
  sqrt = Sqr(x)
 else
  sqrt = 0
 end if
end function
VBEnd

//Orlando Florida
Let>longitude=-81.3799972534
Let>latitude=28.5300006866
Let>tzoff=-4

VBEval>Year(Now),Y
VBEval>Month(Now),M
VBEval>Day(Now),D

//VBEval>SunTimes(Year(Now), Month(Now), Day(Now), %longitude%, %latitude%, %tzoff%, 0),result
VBEval>SunTimes("%Y%","%M%","%D%",%longitude%, %latitude%, %tzoff%, 0),result
MessageModal>result

[Bob Hansen]

Don't think there's a Windows function that can see out your window and go ping when it sees the sun slip below the horizon. I checked the Microsoft docs but didn't see one

Did you try SUN or SOLARIS? They sound like naturals.