Since the last devlog, I worked mainly on improving the customization and overall UI of the Space Dashboard.
I added a Background section to the side menu. Users can now switch back to the NASA Daily image, choose from five selected space wallpapers, or use solid-color backgrounds. The wallpapers also have small previews so users can see them before selecting one.
I also improved the clock customization. Users can now change the clock font using arrow buttons and choose between Digital Ops, Audiowide, Michroma, Bruno Ace, and Oxanium. I added a similar selector for clock colors, with options like White, Cyan, Blue, Purple, Solar, and Black.
I added a Day/Night toggle for the clock too. When it is turned on, the clock automatically changes its color depending on the time of day. When it is turned off, the user can select their own clock color.
I also improved the side menu so the clock font and color selectors open directly underneath their buttons instead of opening separate panels. This makes the menu simpler and keeps the main dashboard clean.
Another addition was the loading screen. When the website starts, it shows “Loading Space…” while the NASA Daily background is being fetched and loaded. Once the image is ready, the loading screen disappears. It also disappears if the NASA request fails so the website doesn’t get stuck.
There were several bugs while building these features. The biggest one was a misplaced } in the clock code, which caused the clock to stay at 00 00 and stopped the hamburger menu from working. I also had issues with the Day/Night toggle not visually turning off, wallpaper paths, and manual clock colors being overwritten by the automatic colors. I debugged these issues and got everything working properly.
Overall, this update focused on making the Space Dashboard more customizable, cleaner, and easier to use.