macOS Help me figure out why this doesn't work?

[macfaninpdx]

I am trying to create a Dashboard Widget that displays a Quartz Composition. The composition will load an image using the Image Downloader patch to display an image on the screen. I understand that I will need to enable the "Allow External File Access" key in order for the widget to be able to access the local filesystem. But I can't, for the life of me get it to work.

Will someone please try the following (it should take about 5 minutes):

• Launch Dashcocde and create a New Project using the Dashboard Widget -> Quartz Composer template.
• Click on the default composition in the canvas and click the Edit Composition button in the Attributes section of the Inspector window. (This will open the default composition in Quartz Composer)
• Select everything in the Quartz Composer window by dragging a box around it and hit delete.
• Create the simple quartz composition shown in the attached screenshot by doing the following:
  
  [*]Double-click the Directory Scanner patch from the Patch Creator window. The default Directory Location is "/Library/Desktop Pictures/Abstract" which is fine.
  [*]Double-click the Structure Index Member patch from the Patch Creator window. The default Index is 0, which is fine.
  [*]Double-click the Structure Key Member from the Patch Creator window. Set the Key to "url".
  [*]Double-click the Image Downloader patch from the Patch Creator window.
  [*]Double-click the Sprite patch from the Patch Creator window.
  [*]Connect them as shown.
  ​
• Save and close the Quartz Composer composition.
• Back in Dashcode, click the Widget Attributes button in the left pane of the window. Check the Allow External File Access checkbox.

Now run the widget. When I try this, no images are displayed. I can't seem to figure out if it is a bug in Dashcode, a bug in Quartz Composer, if I am doing something wrong, or it is simply not possible?

I would appreciate any help or advice. Thanks.

 

[robbieduncan]

You only seem to have connected two of your patches in Quartz Composer. So there is no image downloaded as no path is being supplied to the image downloader.

 

[macfaninpdx]

You only seem to have connected two of your patches in Quartz Composer. So there is no image downloaded as no path is being supplied to the image downloader.

It may be difficult to tell from the screenshot, but they are all hooked up. The lines are just gray (except for the selected patch, which is yellow).

I should add the composition works fine in the Quartz Composer app. In other words I see the image displayed in Quartz Composer, but not in Dashcode. Also, if I make changes to the composition such as adding a gradient background, I wlil see these changes in Dashcode - so I know the changes are being saved. It's just that I can't see an Image Download patch in Dashcode.

 

[mcmikemn]

I followed your instructions and the result was a widget that was merely a white square - no image. I don't know if it's a bug or you (and I) have done something wrong - I know almost nothing about Dashcode or Quartz Composer. I just followed your instructions without really knowing what I was doing, but I think I followed them exactly.