Morning Commute — Setup Guide

Estimated setup time: 15–20 minutes
Difficulty: Moderate (requires Google Maps API key)
Tier: Pro — requires SMF Works Pro subscription ($19.99/mo)

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What You'll Need

Requirement	Details	Cost
SMF Works Pro subscription	smfworks.com/subscribe	$19.99/mo
Python 3.8+	Built into macOS 12+, available on Linux	Free
OpenClaw	Installed and authenticated	Free
Google Maps API key	Free $200/mo credit from Google	Free for personal use
smfworks-skills repository	Cloned via git	Included

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Step 1 — Subscribe to SMF Works Pro

Visit smfworks.com/subscribe.

Verify authentication:

openclaw auth status

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Step 2 — Get a Google Maps API Key

1. Go to console.cloud.google.com
2. Create a new project (e.g., "Morning Commute")
3. Go to APIs & Services → Library
4. Search "Directions API" → Enable it
5. Go to APIs & Services → Credentials
6. Click "Create Credentials" → "API Key"
7. Copy the key — it looks like: YOUR_GMAPS_API_KEY_HERE
8. (Recommended) Restrict the key to the Directions API only

Cost: Google gives $200/month free credit. A daily commute check costs ~$0.005 — well within free tier.

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Step 3 — Get the Repository

git clone https://github.com/smfworks/smfworks-skills ~/smfworks-skills

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Step 4 — Configure the Skill

cd ~/smfworks-skills/skills/morning-commute
python3 main.py --configure

Prompts:

Google Maps API Key: [paste key]
Home address: 123 Main St, New York, NY 10001
Work address: 456 Business Ave, New York, NY 10002
Departure time [08:00]: 08:00
Travel mode (driving/transit/walking/bicycling) [driving]: driving

✅ Configuration saved!

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Step 5 — Verify

python3 main.py

Expected: A formatted commute briefing with travel time and traffic conditions.

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Configuration File

Location: ~/.config/smf/skills/morning-commute/config.json

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Troubleshooting

Error: SMF Works Pro subscription required — Subscribe at smfworks.com/subscribe.

REQUEST_DENIED — Enable the Directions API in Google Cloud Console for your project.

ZERO_RESULTS — Use full street addresses with city and ZIP code.

API key not valid — Check the key is correctly copied with no extra spaces.

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Configuration File Details

Your configuration is saved at:

~/.config/smf/skills/morning-commute/config.json

Sample configuration:

{
  "google_maps_api_key": "YOUR_GMAPS_API_KEY_HERE",
  "home_address": "123 Main St, New York, NY 10001",
  "work_address": "456 Business Ave, New York, NY 10002",
  "departure_time": "08:00",
  "travel_mode": "driving"
}

Edit directly or re-run --configure to update.

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Google Maps API Setup in Detail

Step 1 — Create a Google Cloud Project:

1. Go to console.cloud.google.com
2. Click the project selector at the top → "New Project"
3. Name: Morning Commute → Click "Create"
4. Wait for project creation (30 seconds)

Step 2 — Enable the Directions API:

1. In the left sidebar: APIs & Services → Library
2. Search: Directions API
3. Click the result → Click "Enable"
4. Wait for the API to enable

Step 3 — Create an API Key:

1. APIs & Services → Credentials
2. Click "+ Create Credentials" → "API Key"
3. Your new key is displayed — copy it
4. Click "Edit API key" to add restrictions (recommended)

Step 4 — Restrict Your API Key (Recommended):

Restricting your key prevents unauthorized use if it's ever exposed:

1. In the API key settings page:
2. Under "Application restrictions" → Select "IP addresses"
3. Add your machine's public IP (find it at whatismyip.com)
4. Under "API restrictions" → "Restrict key" → Select "Directions API"
5. Save

Step 5 — Verify the API Key Works:

Test directly:

curl "https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/directions/json?origin=New+York&destination=Brooklyn&key=YOUR_KEY_HERE" | python3 -m json.tool | head -5

Expected: A JSON response with route data (not an error).

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Understanding Google Maps Costs

The Directions API costs $0.005 per request (as of 2024). Google provides $200 free credit per month.

Your estimated monthly cost:

1 check/day × 30 days × $0.005 = $0.15/month
2 checks/day × 30 days × $0.005 = $0.30/month

Both are well within the $200 free tier. You won't be charged unless you significantly exceed this.

Monitor your usage:

• Go to Google Cloud Console → Billing → Overview
• Verify charges remain at $0 (within free credit)

Set up billing alerts:

• Billing → Budgets & alerts → Create Budget
• Set alert threshold at $5 to catch any unexpected usage

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Travel Mode Options

Configure via --configure or edit the config file:

Mode	When to use	What it shows
driving	You commute by car	Traffic-aware route, current conditions
transit	You use public transit	Bus/train schedules, walking segments
walking	Short commute on foot	Walking route, estimated time
bicycling	You bike	Bike-friendly routes

Tip: Set to driving even if you sometimes take transit — driving mode shows the best traffic picture. Transit mode requires transit data to be available for your area.

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Address Format Tips

For best results, use complete addresses:

Good:

123 Main Street, New York, NY 10001, USA
456 Business Ave Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60601

Less reliable:

123 Main St
My Office
Work

Google Maps is flexible, but complete addresses with ZIP codes are most reliable. Test your addresses at maps.google.com first to confirm they resolve correctly.

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Departure Time Format

Set as 24-hour format: HH:MM

Time	Format
7:00 AM	07:00
8:30 AM	08:30
9:00 AM	09:00
5:30 PM	17:30

The skill queries Google Maps for traffic conditions at your configured departure time.

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Verifying Your Setup Works Correctly

After running --configure, test that everything is working:

Step 1 — Run the skill:

python3 main.py

Step 2 — Check the output includes traffic data:

A working output looks like:

🚗 Morning Commute Briefing — Wednesday, March 15, 2024
Departure: 8:00 AM

📍 Route: 123 Main St → 456 Business Ave
   Distance: 12.3 miles

🚗 Driving
   Typical time: 28 min
   Current time: 32 min
   Estimated arrival: 8:32 AM

Step 3 — Verify traffic data is live:

If "Typical time" and "Current time" are the same, traffic data may not be working. This can happen if:

• You're running it outside business hours (less traffic data available)
• The Directions API isn't fully enabled yet (wait 5 minutes after enabling)

Step 4 — Test edge cases:

Run during different times to see how traffic varies:

# Normal time
python3 main.py

# Verify it shows reasonable numbers for your route

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Common Setup Mistakes

Wrong API key (has extra spaces or missing characters): API keys from Google Cloud Console are exactly 39 characters. If yours is shorter or longer, re-copy it carefully.

Directions API enabled but key not working: There can be a 5-minute delay after enabling a new API before the key starts working. Wait and retry.

Home or work address resolves to wrong location: Test your addresses at maps.google.com before configuring. If Google Maps shows the right place, the skill will too.

Configured for transit mode but no transit data appears: Not all areas have detailed transit data in Google Maps. Switch to driving for the best results.

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Uninstalling / Resetting

To reset the configuration and start fresh:

rm ~/.config/smf/skills/morning-commute/config.json
python3 main.py --configure

This wipes the saved config without deleting the skill files.

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Next Steps

Setup complete. See HOWTO.md for daily usage and cron automation.