Overlay Clock

Zach Garet

2021-12-07

Great for using a second screen on a mac without the taskbar menu.

Peter C

2020-02-12

For me this is the perfect on screen clock for web browsers. 

As I have a small visual disability, trying to make out the small clock at the bottom right in the Windows Taskbar easily just isn't possible for me unless I delve into Windows disability settings -- and then end up with an ugly looking screen. One of the reasons I use this extension is that it doesn't become part of the clutter in the Extensions toolbar either, it floats on top of the web page, and you can put it quite literally anywhere on a page.

Here are some tips using my 1920px * 1080px display as an example.

1. First thing to know is that it doesn't work on blank pages -- the new tab -- or in the Chrome Store, apparently because it inserts itself into websites' HTML. So the best way to experiment is on a relatively plain page, such as the Google Search page, where there is no clutter. Because it becomes part of the HTML, it doesn't show up instantly when you load a web page: it appears last, because it loads after all the innumerable bits of s**t web pages consist of. It doesn't work in Reader view. 

2. The default setting, accessible when you click on the Overlay Clock extension button, puts the clock near the top right of a web page, a perfectly good choice. The clock position is calculated from the top and right margins of the browser page. For someone who has always squinted at the bottom right of the screen at the Windows Taskbar for the time, that's not ideal, so I changed "Margin from top" to 800px. The margin is calculated including the clock's background, so if you choose not to have a background -- I find one distracting -- you can set "Margin from right side" to a negative value: -5px sets the time flush to the right margin for me.

3. After making changes remember to click Save and then reload the page.

4. Because Overlay Clock calculates the position of the clock from the top right margin -- top left would have been easier for those who don't like to calculate relative pixel positions -- to set the clock flush to the left on my 1920 x 1080 display I had to set "Margin from top" to 1660px.

5. Because of my visual disability I have a 27" 1920 x 1080 screen and sit just 3 or so feet from it. Even then my browsers' zoom is set to 150% as default. (I've used Zoom for Google Chrome for years and find it indispensable.) When you zoom in or out of a web page you also change the relative position of Overlay Clock from the top right of the viewport: at 150% it vanishes off the screen, so I had to set "Margin from top" to 535px

6. You can change the typeface of Overlay Clock to any you have on your system. Because I find it easier read, I changed to Verdana, and increased the size to 20px. Make sure to use the entire name of the typeface you choose: 'Comic Sans' will revert to the default 'monospace' unless you use the complete official name 'Comic Sans MS'. One of the 'Bahnschrift' versions on Windows might please Schweizerische Bundesbahnen fans. 

7. Unfortunately there is no On/Off switch, but if you click on the time, Overlay Clock it will hide itself for about 10 seconds so that you can access any hidden web page elements. To turn off Overlay Clock while you are watching a video, for example, simply set "Background Opacity" to 0 -- and not lower or upper case 'o', as I did one time... 

Finally, remember that all pixel settings are relative to the top right of the browser window! If your browser window isn't maximized, everything will be off. 

I didn't write this extension. This is a quick guide I wrote for an extremely computer challenged friend which I thought I'd paste here.

Bree Vwhyman

2019-11-26

This is a beautiful extension.......Thankyou very much for a common sense Clock for the Desktop.

Some people may need to Set things up. IT requires users to Reload web pages, from earlier and
since they just installed the CLOCK......the clock then appears.

It is very clever how you can CLICK the clock and it dissapears for a while.........allowing access to
webpage controls undernaethe....

Many thanks indeed for a Clear Clever Clock.............i feel it is a Failing of Desktop operating systems that don't ***clearly*** continually show time..............Your clock solves that. Thanks a Lot

Vin