How to get total and current time from web videos correctly

[Gonza1]

Hi, I approached this with Extract text with OCR, then dividing that text by the slash, and because I needed it to be in seconds, I did the same but with ":", multiplying the minutes by 60, and then adding that to the seconds after the sign. However, there is an error telling me the total seconds aren't in a numeric value. Is the problem related to conversion, or to the actions already mentioned?
What should be corrected specifically?

[UshaJyothi20]

HI @Gonza1 

Please convert the variable which has the time into numeric value.

since the number is taken as text in default the bot is unable to do mathematical operations with it.

I could not find the variable since the flow is in other language which I am unaware.

Hope this may be the variable  %TiempoTotalEnsegundos%   

Use convert text to number activity and give this variable as input then use that output for further operations.

Hope this helps,

Usha.

[Gonza1]

Thanks for the answer @UshaJyothi20!

It's in spanish and I tried to change language, the option unfortunately isn't there.

I changed all the variables that should be number to it, even those who come from a mathematical operation to be sure, and one of the errors has been solved. However, 2 of them are still there. I think the second can be solved relatively easily. The first one is the one that appears in the loop in the image.

I'm wondering if using OCR to recognize the value is correct, or if it's better to extract it as an UI element, could it be related to that?

By the way, what I'm trying to do is capturing video from links like these (https://dev.epicgames.com/community/learning/courses/pxm/unreal-engine-creating-pbr-materials/5rM/un...) for better playback (video stops as if internet speed wasn't enough even if it is). Maybe there is an easier way.

[UshaJyothi20]

Could you please try with Extract data from web page?

Hope this helps

Usha.

[Gonza1]

Usha, I now tried to simplify by making a new flow for testing purposes, using "Extract data from web page", and the time text doesn't appear as a variable. Apparently the mouse click to start the video (required step before seeing the time) isn't generating the playback, but I don't know why.

In english, this would be: "Initiate Chrome", "Move mouse to 'Span'(UI Element)", "Send click", "Wait 3 seconds", and "Extract data from web page".

[UshaJyothi20]

Please see the result without using send mouse click..... Once again please let me know what you need and where you are getting the problem.

[Gonza1]

Without the mouse click, the variable is still white.

So, what I'm doing with this is going step by step to see why it doesn't get the number variable, and this shows that with these steps, the variable isn't captured, so this could be the problem.

The thing is, how do we get it? If you could try directly from the link (https://dev.epicgames.com/community/learning/courses/pxm/unreal-engine-creating-pbr-materials/5rM/un...) only to know how to extract the time values, it would be extremely helpful.

[WillSG]

Hi @Gonza1  I hope you are doing well.

Sometimes there are blank spaces at the beginning or end of a value, so instead of OR in addition to the Text to Number action, use the Trim action, this action will help you “Clean” the value, especially if it has blank spaces.

Also, I tested the link you shared, and I was able to extract the time with the “Get Details of Element on Web” action.

Then, I use the split and trim actions to get the values and finally I used the set variable to perform the calculation.

Here is the snipped below and check the attached image.

Text.SplitText.SplitWithDelimiter Text: AttributeValue2 CustomDelimiter: $'''/''' IsRegEx: False Result=> TextList

Text.Trim Text: TextList[1] TrimOption: Text.TrimOption.Both TrimmedText=> TrimmedText

Text.SplitText.SplitWithDelimiter Text: TrimmedText CustomDelimiter: $''':''' IsRegEx: False Result=> TextList2

SET MinutesToSeconds TO TextList2[0] * 60

SET TotalSeconds TO TextList2[1] + MinutesToSeconds

Display.ShowMessageDialog.ShowMessage Title: $'''Hola!''' Message: $'''Total de Segundos: %TotalSeconds%''' Icon: Display.Icon.None Buttons: Display.Buttons.OK DefaultButton: Display.DefaultButton.Button1 IsTopMost: True ButtonPressed=> ButtonPressed

Please let me know if it works, happy automation!,

If I have addressed your inquiry successfully, kindly consider marking my response as the preferred solution. If you found my assistance helpful, a 'Thumbs Up' would be greatly appreciated.

Additionally, I offer specialized consultancy and development services leveraging PAD. If you're interested in exploring these services further, feel free to DM me, and we can initiate a discussion.

Kind regards,

Will SG

Managing Director & Automation Lead

RAMS CR (Recruitment & Automation)

LinkedIn Profile

[Gonza1]

Well, this proved to be really useful, thank you very much!

Incredibly, some actions were really similar but weren't working well, like "moving mouse to", and "clicking", gave a different result than "click link on a web page", as "extract data from webpage" wasn't the same as "get details of element on web page".

I will continue with the rest of the flow later to see if it solves the errors, but thanks again!

[WillSG]

Hey @Gonza1  I’m super happy that you like it and learn something new.

If I have addressed your inquiry successfully, kindly consider marking my response as the preferred solution. If you found my assistance helpful, a 'Thumbs Up' would be great appreciate it.

Kind regards,

Will SG

Managing Director & Automation Lead

RAMS CR (Recruitment & Automation)

LinkedIn Profile

[Gonza1]

For now, it works, I only need to test in the entire flow, which I'm going to, later. If I need more help I continue the thread, and if not, I mark it as the solution! Thanks again!

[Gonza1]

Ok, so I tried this and a lot of errors are solved!

However, a new message appears which says: "The text 6x60 (it's the multiplication to get seconds) can't be converted to number (format not recognized or too many characters)", as if it didn't do the multiplication. However, it should, because I already changed the format to number.

This time, the error appears when I execute the flow. It lets me execute it.

For better understanding, with "Total", I'm referring to the total duration of the video, not the current time in the playback. Also the expression "ComoNumero" means "AsANumber".

[WillSG]

Hola @Gonza1  Espero que estes muy bien!

Mira me alegra mucho que el código que te compartí te haya funcionado.

Ese código funciona super bien, sin embargo, veo en tu estas tratando de convertir Texto a Numero en la acción # 16, 17 , 19 y 21.

Ahí no tienes un Texto, tienes un número, pero ese número tiene espacios adelante o atrás, por eso te daba error, pero al usar la acción recortar Texto, ahí ya se soluciono el problema.

Lo único que debes hacer es eliminar las acciones antes mencionadas.

Cualquier consulta me avisas!

PS: Yo hablo espan’ol 😉

Please let me know if it works, happy automation!,

If I have addressed your inquiry successfully, kindly consider marking my response as the preferred solution. If you found my assistance helpful, a 'Thumbs Up' would be greatly appreciated.

Additionally, I offer specialized consultancy and development services leveraging PAD. If you're interested in exploring these services further, feel free to DM me, and we can initiate a discussion.

Kind regards,

Will SG

Managing Director & Automation Lead

RAMS CR (Recruitment & Automation)

LinkedIn Profile

[Gonza1]

Jajaja, buen español!
I did this and only 1 error remains!

This is the part that apparently generates the errorThe error itself

How the total seconds time doesn't appear as a number expression? The action is in seconds by default, and the number comes from mathematical operations that don't give error

[WillSG]

Hi @Gonza1  I hope you are doing well.

Are you using another video? If yes, it’s required to check the elements from that video to validate the output that you are getting from the Get Details action.

Now, the first video link was 397 seconds long, however the issue that you are having right now is less than 120 seconds, or at least that what I’m understating from the #39 action.

One way to debug and understand which value the variable has is to use a Display Message action, here below is the snipped code of that action, please copy and paste before action #39 so you will see which value is that variable containing.

Display.ShowMessageDialog.ShowMessage Title: $'''Hola!''' Message: $'''Total de Segundos: %TiempoTotalEnSegundos%''' Icon: Display.Icon.None Buttons: Display.Buttons.OK DefaultButton: Display.DefaultButton.Button1 IsTopMost: True ButtonPressed=> ButtonPressed

Please let me know if it works, happy automation!,

If I have addressed your inquiry successfully, kindly consider marking my response as the preferred solution. If you found my assistance helpful, a 'Thumbs Up' would be greatly appreciated.

Additionally, I offer specialized consultancy and development services leveraging PAD. If you're interested in exploring these services further, feel free to DM me, and we can initiate a discussion.

Kind regards,

Will SG

Managing Director & Automation Lead

RAMS CR (Recruitment & Automation)

LinkedIn Profile

[Gonza1]

Hi @WillSG, the video is the same one, and the action 39 is there because I want to do this in various sites, so it will need to check if its duration is less than 120 seconds in each one of them. That's related to the fact that the video stops after those first 2 minutes, so it needs to wait.

I made a Display message and it shows the minutes and the seconds correctly. However, still doesn't multiply the minutes by 60 for some reason.

[WillSG]

Hi @Gonza1  I hope you are doing well.

I understand that, using the Display Message Action to debug your code will help you, you can put all the required variables into it to validate the results.

Also, please check your calculation method to review why the minutos are not being multiplied by 60.

The calculation should be like this:

%TextList2[0] * 60%

Please let me know if it works, happy automation!,

If I have addressed your inquiry successfully, kindly consider marking my response as the preferred solution. If you found my assistance helpful, a 'Thumbs Up' would be greatly appreciated.

Additionally, I offer specialized consultancy and development services leveraging PAD. If you're interested in exploring these services further, feel free to DM me, and we can initiate a discussion.

Kind regards,

Will SG

Managing Director & Automation Lead

RAMS CR (Recruitment & Automation)

LinkedIn Profile

[Gonza1]

Ok, I think we're in the right direction!

I don't get why they made it so the multiplication should be inside that variable format, but that worked well. Now, I'm in the step where it's trying to add the seconds to the minutes. Should I add them the same way, between the percentage signs?

[WillSG]

Hi @Gonza1  I hope you are doing well.

Yeah, I totally agree with you, back this go really back when PAD belong to Softomotive, so the answer is yes, any mathematical calculation have to be done between the % sign.

So, if you want to add the seconds to the minutes/seconds results, the calculation should be like this:

%Minutes + Seconds%

Please let me know if it works, happy automation!,

If I have addressed your inquiry successfully, kindly consider marking my response as the preferred solution. If you found my assistance helpful, a 'Thumbs Up' would be greatly appreciated.

Additionally, I offer specialized consultancy and development services leveraging PAD. If you're interested in exploring these services further, feel free to DM me, and we can initiate a discussion.

Kind regards,

Will SG

Managing Director & Automation Lead

RAMS CR (Recruitment & Automation)

LinkedIn Profile

[Gonza1]

We're so close! All that part has succeeded, and I will try to solve later a halt happening when recording with the Snipping Tool.

However, I saw that when changing "SegmentosDe2MinutosTotales" to "SegmentosDe2MinutosTotalesComoNúmero" (I think I left that action for debugging), the first variable, which was something like 3,833... changed to 38333, like if it didn't recognize the comma as part of the number.

Also, it's probable that an approximation, or ceil/floor function will be needed, but I will need to solve this "comma error" before that. The rest shouldn't be difficult at all.