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https://github.com/gavinjudd/sonder-nextup-rainmeter

Rainmeter + Sonder card that shows next 4 Google Calendar events (multi-ICS)
https://github.com/gavinjudd/sonder-nextup-rainmeter

calendar customization desktop-customization google-calendar powershell productivity rainmeter startallback translucenttb wallpaper-engine windows windows-11

Last synced: about 1 month ago
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Rainmeter + Sonder card that shows next 4 Google Calendar events (multi-ICS)

Awesome Lists containing this project

README 

          
Here’s a drop-in **README.md** you can paste at repo root.



---



# sonder-nextup-rainmeter



Clean “UP NEXT” calendar card for Rainmeter (Sonder vibe: dark card, cyan accent).

It reads your Google Calendar via private **ICS** links, merges multiple calendars, and shows the next **4** events in a rolling **7-day** window.



![Preview](screenshots/preview.png)



---



## What you get



* **Sonder/Calendar** skin: compact card with clipped lines, thin divider, cyan date/time.

* **PowerShell fetcher**: robust ICS parser (TZID, UTC “Z”, all-day `VALUE=DATE`, folded lines, RRULE, EXDATE, `RECURRENCE-ID` including `RANGE=THISANDFUTURE`).

* **Multi-ICS**: primary calendar fills the list first, then secondary calendars backfill.

* **No secrets in repo**: ICS URLs loaded from `secrets.ini` (ignored by git).



---



## Requirements



* Windows 10/11

* [Rainmeter](https://www.rainmeter.net/)

* (Optional) [Wallpaper Engine], [StartAllBack], [TranslucentTB] – used in screenshots.



---



## Install (Quick Start)



1. **Get the files**



   * Clone this repo or download the latest release zip and extract it.



2. **Copy the skin**



   * Copy the `Sonder` folder to:

     `C:\Users\\Documents\Rainmeter\Skins\`



3. **Add your calendars (secrets)**



   * In `Sonder\@Resources\`, copy:



     ```

     secrets.example.ini → secrets.ini

     ```

   * Paste your private ICS URL(s). Either:



     ```ini

     # One line, comma or semicolon separated:

     ICS_URLS=https://.../private-AAAA/basic.ics, https://.../private-BBBB/basic.ics

     ```



     or



     ```ini

     ICS_URL=https://.../private-AAAA/basic.ics

     ICS_URL2=https://.../private-BBBB/basic.ics

     ```



4. **Fetch once (test run)**

   Open PowerShell and run:



   ```powershell

   powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File ".\Sonder\@Resources\gcal_fetch.ps1"

   ```



   This writes `gcal_events.txt` and a log `gcal_log.txt` in `Sonder\@Resources\`.



5. **Load the skin**



   * In Rainmeter, load `Sonder\Calendar\Calendar.ini`, then **Refresh all**.



You should see up to 4 upcoming events formatted like:



```

Fri 10/24 • 12:30 PM • Cyber Ranges x Gavin Judd bi-weekly updates

```



---



## Auto-refresh options



### A) Task Scheduler (recommended)



Two ways:



* **One-command installer**



  ```powershell

  .\scripts\install_task.ps1  -TaskName "Sonder Calendar Fetch" -IntervalMinutes 10

  ```



  Runs at logon and every 10 minutes (edit the number to taste).



* **Import the XML**



  1. Task Scheduler → *Import Task…*

  2. Pick `tools/Sonder-Calendar-Fetch.xml`.

  3. Edit the **Arguments** and **WorkingDirectory** paths if your repo lives somewhere else.

  4. Ensure **Run with highest privileges** is checked.



### B) Rainmeter RunCommand (alternate)



Add a `RunCommand` measure in your skin to trigger every 10 minutes:



```ini

[MeasureFetch]

Measure=Plugin

Plugin=RunCommand

Program=powershell.exe

Parameter=-NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File "#@#\gcal_fetch.ps1"

State=Hide

UpdateDivider=600

```



> Keep either Task Scheduler **or** RunCommand (don’t run both).



---



## Configuration & customization



**Fetcher (PowerShell):** top of `gcal_fetch.ps1`



* `\$MaxItems = 4` – how many lines to show.

* `\$WindowDays = 7` – rolling window length.

* `\$IncludeLocation = \$true | \$false` – append `— Location` to titles.

* Logging is written to `Sonder\@Resources\gcal_log.txt`.



**Skin (Calendar.ini):**



* Accent cyan ≈ `35,201,235` (tweak the color variables at the top).

* Row spacing/width as `#RowHeight#`, `#CardWidth#`.

* Date/time is cyan via `InlinePattern`; titles are white; `ClipString=1`; 12px steps; divider line.

* Hides the card group if line 1 equals `No events in the next 7 days`.



**Priority logic:**



* The **first** ICS in `secrets.ini` is *primary*; it fills up to 4 slots first.

* If slots remain, secondary calendars backfill.

* Final display is always sorted chronologically.



**Optional local filters (for stubborn vendor ghosts):**



```ini

# Hide a single day by summary + date (local)

HIDE_SUMMARY_DAY=Cyber Ranges x Gavin Judd Updates|2025-10-23



# Hide all occurrences from a local date forward

HIDE_SUMMARY_FROM=Gavin / Alfredo Conectado|2024-03-01

```



> These are last-resort, local-only safeguards; do not commit `secrets.ini`.



---



## Repo layout



```

sonder-nextup-rainmeter/

├─ README.md

├─ LICENSE                     # MIT

├─ .gitignore

├─ .gitattributes

├─ CHANGELOG.md

├─ CONTRIBUTING.md

├─ SECURITY.md

├─ .github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/

│  ├─ bug_report.yml

│  └─ feature_request.yml

├─ scripts/

│  ├─ run_fetch.ps1

│  └─ install_task.ps1

├─ tools/

│  └─ Sonder-Calendar-Fetch.xml

├─ tests/

│  └─ sample.ics

├─ screenshots/

│  └─ preview.png

└─ Sonder/

   ├─ Calendar/Calendar.ini

   └─ @Resources/

      ├─ gcal_fetch.ps1

      ├─ secrets.example.ini      # users copy → secrets.ini (not tracked)

      └─ (fonts/, images/ optional)

```



---



## Troubleshooting



* **Empty list:**



  * Open `Sonder\@Resources\gcal_log.txt` and read the last 40 lines.

  * Check `secrets.ini` is in `Sonder\@Resources\` and contains valid ICS URLs (not placeholders).

  * Run the fetch manually again (see Quick Start step 4).

  * If using Task Scheduler, confirm the task history and paths (ExecutionPolicy Bypass, correct **Start in** folder).



* **Times look wrong:**



  * We map `TZID=America/New_York` (and other common IANA zones) to Windows IDs.

  * Ensure your Windows time zone is set correctly.



* **Phantom/old recurring instances:**



  * The parser handles `EXDATE`, `RECURRENCE-ID` (incl. `RANGE=THISANDFUTURE`) and adds tolerant fallbacks.

  * If a stubborn item remains due to vendor caching/format quirks, add a local rule in `secrets.ini` (see **Optional local filters**).



* **Rainmeter shows only 1–2 lines:**



  * The fetcher only writes **up to 4** within the next 7 days. If you actually have <4 upcoming events, that’s expected.

  * Otherwise, open `gcal_log.txt` to see which items were filtered (canceled, outside window, or hidden).



---



## Privacy & security



* **Do not share** your private ICS URLs.

* `secrets.ini`, `gcal_events.txt`, and `gcal_log.txt` are **ignored** by git:



  ```

  Sonder/@Resources/secrets.ini

  Sonder/@Resources/gcal_events.txt

  Sonder/@Resources/gcal_log.txt

  ```

* If you accidentally committed a secret, rotate the ICS URL in Google Calendar immediately.



---



## Contributing



PRs are welcome! Please don’t include secrets or runtime files.

See [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md) and open a bug with the tail of `gcal_log.txt` if parsing goes sideways.



---



## License



[MIT](LICENSE) — attribution appreciated.