Overview
This project syncs with queue-times.com theme park queue lines to show the LIVE wait time of rides in any given moment!
This handy time display project will let you gauge crowd levels, even if you live thousands of miles away and didn't even have a trip planned!
The 4" round display is powered by the Qualia S3. CircuitPython code accesses queue-times.com API and displays the wait times on the screen, overlaid on top of a custom background image.
An arcade button lets you switch between different parks and show the top five rides with their wait times.
The 3D printed case houses the components, you can even customize the face plate to your preferred theme park!
Parts, Tools & Components
You'll need just a few parts to build this project. If you don't have access to a 3D printer, you can send the files to a service or check with your local hackerspace or library
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CircuitPython
CircuitPython is a derivative of MicroPython designed to simplify experimentation and education on low-cost microcontrollers. It makes it easier than ever to get prototyping by requiring no upfront desktop software downloads. Simply copy and edit files on the CIRCUITPY drive to iterate.
CircuitPython Quickstart
Follow this step-by-step to quickly get CircuitPython running on your board.
This microcontroller requires the latest unstable (development) release of CircuitPython. Click below to visit the downloads page on circuitpython.org for your board. Then, Browse S3 under Absolute Newest.
Click the link above to download the latest CircuitPython UF2 file.
Save it wherever is convenient for you.
Plug your board into your computer, using a known-good data-sync cable, directly, or via an adapter if needed.
Double-click the reset button (highlighted in red above), and you will see the RGB status LED(s) turn green (highlighted in green above). If you see red, try another port, or if you're using an adapter or hub, try without the hub, or different adapter or hub.
For this board, tap reset and wait about a half a second and then tap reset again.
If double-clicking doesn't work the first time, try again. Sometimes it can take a few tries to get the rhythm right!
A lot of people end up using charge-only USB cables and it is very frustrating! Make sure you have a USB cable you know is good for data sync.
You will see a new disk drive appear called TFT_S3BOOT.
Drag the adafruit_circuitpython_etc.uf2 file to TFT_S3BOOT.
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Create Your settings.toml File
CircuitPython works with WiFi-capable boards to enable you to make projects that have network connectivity. This means working with various passwords and API keys. As of CircuitPython 8, there is support for a settings.toml file. This is a file that is stored on your CIRCUITPY drive, that contains all of your secret network information, such as your SSID, SSID password and any API keys for IoT services. It is designed to separate your sensitive information from your code.py file so you are able to share your code without sharing your credentials.
CircuitPython previously used a secrets.py file for this purpose. The settings.toml file is quite similar.
CircuitPython settings.toml File
This section will provide a couple of examples of what your settings.toml file should look like, specifically for CircuitPython WiFi projects in general.
The most minimal settings.toml file must contain your WiFi SSID and password, as that is the minimum required to connect to WiFi. Copy this example, paste it into your settings.toml, and update:
your_wifi_ssidyour_wifi_password
CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID = "your_wifi_ssid" CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD = "your_wifi_password"
Many CircuitPython network-connected projects on the Adafruit Learn System involve using Adafruit IO. For these projects, you must also include your Adafruit IO username and key. Copy the following example, paste it into your settings.toml file, and update:
your_wifi_ssidyour_wifi_passwordyour_aio_usernameyour_aio_key
CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID = "your_wifi_ssid" CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD = "your_wifi_password" ADAFRUIT_AIO_USERNAME = "your_aio_username" ADAFRUIT_AIO_KEY = "your_aio_key"
Some projects use different variable names for the entries in the settings.toml file. For example, a project might use ADAFRUIT_AIO_ID in the place of ADAFRUIT_AIO_USERNAME. If you run into connectivity issues, one of the first things to check is that the names in the settings.toml file match the names in the code.
Here is an example settings.toml file.
# Comments are supported CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID = "guest wifi" CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD = "guessable" CIRCUITPY_WEB_API_PORT = 80 CIRCUITPY_WEB_API_PASSWORD = "passw0rd" test_variable = "this is a test" thumbs_up = "\U0001f44d"
In a settings.toml file, it's important to keep these factors in mind:
- Strings are wrapped in double quotes; ex:
"your-string-here" - Integers are not quoted and may be written in decimal with optional sign (
+1,-1,1000) or hexadecimal (0xabcd).- Floats (decimal numbers), octal (
0o567) and binary (0b11011) are not supported.
- Floats (decimal numbers), octal (
- Use
\uescapes for weird characters,\xand\oooescapes are not available in .toml files- Example:
\U0001f44dfor 👍 (thumbs up emoji) and\u20acfor € (EUR sign)
- Example:
- Unicode emoji, and non-ASCII characters, stand for themselves as long as you're careful to save in "UTF-8 without BOM" format
When your settings.toml file is ready, you can save it in your text editor with the .toml extension.
In your code.py file, you'll need to import the os library to access the settings.toml file. Your settings are accessed with the os.getenv() function. You'll pass your settings entry to the function to import it into the code.py file.
import os
print(os.getenv("test_variable"))
In the upcoming CircuitPython WiFi examples, you'll see how the settings.toml file is used for connecting to your SSID and accessing your API keys.
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Code the Display
Once you've finished setting up your Qualia S3 with CircuitPython, you can access the code and necessary libraries by downloading the Project Bundle.
To do this, click on the Download Project Bundle button in the window below. It will download to your computer as a zipped folder.
# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2024 Liz Clark for Adafruit Industries
#
# SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
import os
import ssl
import time
import microcontroller
import wifi
import socketpool
import adafruit_requests
import board
import displayio
import keypad
from adafruit_ticks import ticks_ms, ticks_add, ticks_diff
from adafruit_display_text import outlined_label
from adafruit_bitmap_font import bitmap_font
from adafruit_qualia.graphics import Graphics, Displays
urls = [{'name': "Epcot",
'url': "https://queue-times.com/en-US/parks/5/queue_times.json"},
{'name': "Magic Kingdom",
'url': "https://queue-times.com/en-US/parks/6/queue_times.json"},
{'name': "Hollywood Studios",
'url': "https://queue-times.com/en-US/parks/7/queue_times.json"},
{'name': "Animal Kingdom",
'url': "https://queue-times.com/en-US/parks/8/queue_times.json"},
]
bitmap = displayio.OnDiskBitmap("/park-bg.bmp")
key = keypad.Keys((board.A0,), value_when_pressed=False, pull=True)
wifi.radio.connect(os.getenv("CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID"), os.getenv("CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD"))
print(f"Connected to {os.getenv('CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID')}")
context = ssl.create_default_context()
pool = socketpool.SocketPool(wifi.radio)
requests = adafruit_requests.Session(pool, context)
graphics = Graphics(Displays.ROUND40, default_bg=None, auto_refresh=True)
grid = displayio.TileGrid(bitmap, pixel_shader=bitmap.pixel_shader)
group = displayio.Group()
group.append(grid)
font = bitmap_font.load_font("/Roboto-Regular-47.pcf")
ride_text = []
wait_text = []
for i in range(5):
text_ride = outlined_label.OutlinedLabel(font, text=" ",
outline_color=0x000000,
outline_size=3,
padding_left=4,
padding_right=4,
padding_top=4,
padding_bottom=4)
ride_text.append(text_ride)
text_wait = outlined_label.OutlinedLabel(font, text=" ",
outline_color=0x000000,
outline_size=3,
padding_left=4,
padding_right=4,
padding_top=4,
padding_bottom=4)
wait_text.append(text_wait)
group.append(text_ride)
group.append(text_wait)
text_park = outlined_label.OutlinedLabel(font, text=urls[0]['name'],
outline_color = 0x000000,
outline_size=3,
padding_left=4,
padding_right=4,
padding_top=4,
padding_bottom=4)
text_park.x = (graphics.display.width - text_park.width) // 2
text_park.y = graphics.display.height - (text_park.height * 2)
group.append(text_park)
def center(g, b):
# center the image
g.x -= (b.width - graphics.display.width) // 2
g.y -= (b.height - graphics.display.height) // 2
center(grid, bitmap)
graphics.display.root_group = group
def sort_rides(data):
y = 30
x = [135, 55, 15, 25, 45]
all_rides = []
for land in data['lands']:
all_rides.extend(land['rides'])
sorted_rides = sorted(all_rides, key=lambda x: x['wait_time'], reverse=True)
for ride in sorted_rides:
r = sorted_rides.index(ride)
if r > 4:
break
#print(wait_text[r])
ride_text[r].text = f"{ride['name']:.20}"
if len(ride['name']) > 20:
ride_text[r].text = ride_text[r].text + ".."
ride_text[r].x = x[r]
ride_text[r].y = y + 70
wait_text[r].text = f"{ride['wait_time']} Minutes"
wait_text[r].x = 400
wait_text[r].y = ride_text[r].y + wait_text[r].height + 20
y += wait_text[r].height * 2 + 30
clock_timer = 5 * 60 * 1000
clock_clock = ticks_ms()
park_index = 0
update = True
while True:
try:
event = key.events.get()
if event:
if event.pressed:
print("updating display")
park_index = (park_index + 1) % len(urls)
text_park.text=urls[park_index]['name']
text_park.x = (graphics.display.width - text_park.width) // 2
text_park.y = graphics.display.height - (text_park.height * 2)
update = True
if ticks_diff(ticks_ms(), clock_clock) >= clock_timer or update:
response = requests.get(urls[park_index]['url'])
# packs the response into a JSON
response_data = response.json()
sort_rides(response_data)
update = False
clock_clock = ticks_add(clock_clock, clock_timer)
except Exception as error: # pylint: disable=broad-except
print(f"error! {error} resetting..")
time.sleep(5)
microcontroller.reset()
Upload the Code and Libraries to the Qualia S3
After downloading the Project Bundle, plug your Qualia S3 into the computer's USB port with a known good USB data+power cable. You should see a new flash drive appear in the computer's File Explorer or Finder (depending on your operating system) called CIRCUITPY. Unzip the folder and copy the following items to the Qualia S3's CIRCUITPY drive.
- lib folder
- code.py
- park-bg.bmp
- Roboto-Regular-47.pcf
Your Qualia S3 CIRCUITPY drive should look like this after copying the lib folder, park-bg.bmp file, Roboto-Regular-47.pcf file and the code.py file.
Add Your settings.toml File
As of CircuitPython 8.0.0, there is support for Environment Variables. Environment variables are stored in a settings.toml file. Similar to secrets.py, the settings.toml file separates your sensitive information from your main code.py file. Add your settings.toml file as described in the Create Your settings.toml File page earlier in this guide. You'll need to include your CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID and CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD.
CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID = "your-ssid-here" CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD = "your-ssid-password-here"
How the CircuitPython Code Works
At the top of the code is a dictionary with the name of the park and its Queue Times API JSON feed. The text in the name entry will be shown on the display. You can update this dictionary with the names of the parks that you want to track. The code will dynamically adjust to a different number of feeds.
urls = [{'name': "Epcot", 'url': "https://queue-times.com/en-US/parks/5/queue_times.json"},
{'name': "Magic Kingdom", 'url': "https://queue-times.com/en-US/parks/6/queue_times.json"},
{'name': "Hollywood Studios", 'url': "https://queue-times.com/en-US/parks/7/queue_times.json"},
{'name': "Animal Kingdom", 'url': "https://queue-times.com/en-US/parks/8/queue_times.json"},
]
Bitmap, Keypad and WiFi
The background image is loaded in as an OnDiskBitmap and the button that changes the park view is instantiated as a Keypad object on pin A0. A WiFi connection is established using your SSID and password entries from settings.toml.
bitmap = displayio.OnDiskBitmap("/park-bg.bmp")
key = keypad.Keys((board.A0,), value_when_pressed=False, pull=True)
wifi.radio.connect(os.getenv("CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID"), os.getenv("CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD"))
print(f"Connected to {os.getenv('CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID')}")
context = ssl.create_default_context()
pool = socketpool.SocketPool(wifi.radio)
requests = adafruit_requests.Session(pool, context)
Graphics
Ten different labels are used to display the ride name and ride wait time. These are created with a for loop and are added to the display Group. The ride text elements are added to the ride_text list and the wait time text elements are added to the wait_text list.
One text label is created for the park name that is stored in the urls dictionary. This label is located at the bottom of the display.
graphics = Graphics(Displays.ROUND40, default_bg=None, auto_refresh=True)
grid = displayio.TileGrid(bitmap, pixel_shader=bitmap.pixel_shader)
group = displayio.Group()
group.append(grid)
font = bitmap_font.load_font("/Roboto-Regular-47.pcf")
ride_text = []
wait_text = []
for i in range(5):
text_ride = outlined_label.OutlinedLabel(font, text=" ",
outline_color=0x000000,
outline_size=3,
padding_left=4,
padding_right=4,
padding_top=4,
padding_bottom=4)
ride_text.append(text_ride)
text_wait = outlined_label.OutlinedLabel(font, text=" ",
outline_color=0x000000,
outline_size=3,
padding_left=4,
padding_right=4,
padding_top=4,
padding_bottom=4)
wait_text.append(text_wait)
group.append(text_ride)
group.append(text_wait)
text_park = outlined_label.OutlinedLabel(font, text=urls[0]['name'],
outline_color = 0x000000,
outline_size=3,
padding_left=4,
padding_right=4,
padding_top=4,
padding_bottom=4)
text_park.x = (graphics.display.width - text_park.width) // 2
text_park.y = graphics.display.height - (text_park.height * 2)
group.append(text_park)
Sorting
A function is used in the loop that sorts the returned list of rides by their wait time. The five rides with the longest wait times are shown on the display by updating the text elements in ride_text and wait_text.
def sort_rides(data):
y = 30
x = [135, 55, 15, 25, 45]
all_rides = []
for land in data['lands']:
all_rides.extend(land['rides'])
sorted_rides = sorted(all_rides, key=lambda x: x['wait_time'], reverse=True)
for ride in sorted_rides:
r = sorted_rides.index(ride)
if r > 4:
break
#print(wait_text[r])
ride_text[r].text = f"{ride['name']:.20}"
if len(ride['name']) > 20:
ride_text[r].text = ride_text[r].text + ".."
ride_text[r].x = x[r]
ride_text[r].y = y + 70
wait_text[r].text = f"{ride['wait_time']} Minutes"
wait_text[r].x = 400
wait_text[r].y = ride_text[r].y + wait_text[r].height + 20
y += wait_text[r].height * 2 + 30
Times and States
A ticks timer, set for five minutes, is used to keep time in the loop. park_index tracks which park is selected from the urls dictionary and the update state tracks whether the JSON feed should be polled.
clock_timer = 5 * 60 * 1000 clock_clock = ticks_ms() park_index = 0 update = True
The Loop
In the loop, if the button is pressed then the park_index increases by one, resulting in the park text updating on the display and update being set to True. If update is True or if the ticks timer runs out, the JSON feed for the selected park is fetched. The sort_rides() function sorts the JSON feed by ride wait time and updates the text elements for the top five rides and their wait times.
while True:
try:
event = key.events.get()
if event:
if event.pressed:
print("updating display")
park_index = (park_index + 1) % len(urls)
text_park.text=urls[park_index]['name']
text_park.x = (graphics.display.width - text_park.width) // 2
text_park.y = graphics.display.height - (text_park.height * 2)
update = True
if ticks_diff(ticks_ms(), clock_clock) >= clock_timer or update:
response = requests.get(urls[park_index]['url'])
# packs the response into a JSON
response_data = response.json()
sort_rides(response_data)
update = False
clock_clock = ticks_add(clock_clock, clock_timer)
except Exception as error:
print(f"error! {error} resetting..")
time.sleep(5)
microcontroller.reset()
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3D Printing
3D Printed Parts
STL files for 3D printing will need to be oriented for print using either FDM or SLS machines.
Parts were tested using PLA filament.
Original design source files may be downloaded using the links below
Slice with Settings for PLA material
The parts were sliced using CURA using the slice settings below.
- PLA filament 200c extruder
- 0.25 layer height
- 20% gyroid infill
- 60mm/s print speed
- 60°C heated bed
Face plates
You can customize the front face plates for the case to match for preferred theme part. The design includes mouse ears and a shark!
The face plates press fit onto the front of the case over the display.
Multicolor face plate
The shark face plate is designed to be stacked and glued for single extruder printers.
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Circuit Diagram
The diagram below provides a general visual reference for wiring of the components once you get to the Assembly page. This diagram was created using the software package Fritzing.
Adafruit Library for Fritzing
Adafruit uses the Adafruit's Fritzing parts library to create circuit diagrams for projects. You can download the library or just grab individual parts. Get the library and parts from GitHub - Adafruit Fritzing Parts.
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Assemble
Place screen
The 4" round display is placed inside the case. Gently press fit the display into the inner walls.
Snap fit frame
Place the frame on top of the display. Three nubs around the inside of the case hold the frame in place. Gently bend the frame to fit over the nubs to snap fit to the case.
Attach ribbon cable
Open the display latch on the Qualia board. Place the Qualia board over the stand-offs. Use M2.5x5mm screws to mount the board.
USB right angle
Plug in a USB C right angle adapter to easily connect a USB cable.
Arcade buttons
Press fit arcade buttons into to the case. Connect the quick connects to the terminals on the arcade buttons.
USB Cable
Plug in the USB cable to the Qualia board.
Snap fit lid
The USB cable fits into the cutout on the lid part. Align the lid to the snap fit nubs on the case and press fit to the case.
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