Count down timer

[unkwn666]

Hello, i just got this led matrix working as clock using the following code:

#!/usr/bin/env python
import RPi.GPIO as GPIO
import time
from time import sleep
from datetime import datetime
from luma.led_matrix.device import max7219
from luma.core.interface.serial import spi, noop
from luma.core.virtual import viewport
from luma.core.interface.serial import spi, noop
from luma.core.render import canvas
from luma.core.legacy import text, show_message
from luma.core.legacy.font import proportional, CP437_FONT, TINY_FONT

serial = spi(port=0, device=0, gpio=noop())
device = max7219(serial, width=32, height=8, block_orientation=90, blocks_arranged_in_reverse_order=True)
virtual = viewport(device, width=32, height=16)


def clock():
    
    print ("clock is started")
    # The time ascends from the abyss...
    animation(device, 8, 1)
    button_state2 = True
    toggle = True # Toggle the second indicator every second
    
    while True:
        
        toggle = not toggle
        sec = datetime.now().second
        if sec == 59:
            # When we change minutes, animate the minute change
            minute_change(device)
        
        else:
            hours = datetime.now().strftime('%H')
            minutes = datetime.now().strftime('%M')
            with canvas(device) as draw:
                text(draw, (0, 1), hours, fill="white", font=proportional(CP437_FONT))
                text(draw, (15, 1), ":" if toggle else " ", fill="white", font=proportional(TINY_FONT))
                text(draw, (17, 1), minutes, fill="white", font=proportional(CP437_FONT))
            time.sleep(0.5)
     
def minute_change(device):
    '''When we reach a minute change, animate it.'''
    hours = datetime.now().strftime('%H')
    minutes = datetime.now().strftime('%M')

    def helper(current_y):
        with canvas(device) as draw:
            text(draw, (0, 1), hours, fill="white", font=proportional(CP437_FONT))
            text(draw, (15, 1), ":", fill="white", font=proportional(TINY_FONT))
            text(draw, (17, current_y), minutes, fill="white", font=proportional(CP437_FONT))
        time.sleep(0.1)
    for current_y in range(1, 9):
        helper(current_y)
    minutes = datetime.now().strftime('%M')
    for current_y in range(9, 1, -1):
        helper(current_y)
        
def hour_change(device):
    '''When we reach a hour change, animate it.'''
    hours = datetime.now().strftime('%H')
    minutes = datetime.now().strftime('%M')

    def helper(current_y):
        with canvas(device) as draw:
            text(draw, (0, current_y), hours, fill="white", font=proportional(CP437_FONT))
            text(draw, (15, 1), ":", fill="white", font=proportional(TINY_FONT))
            text(draw, (17,1), minutes, fill="white", font=proportional(CP437_FONT))
        time.sleep(0.1)
    for current_y in range(1, 9):
        helper(current_y)
    hours = datetime.now().strftime('%H')
    for current_y in range(9, 1, -1):
        helper(current_y)
        
def animation(device, from_y, to_y):
    
    '''Animate the whole thing, moving it into/out of the abyss.'''
    hourstime = datetime.now().strftime('%H')
    mintime = datetime.now().strftime('%M')
    
        
clock()

mainloop()

But i would like to use the seven segment display to run a countdown timer for various periods of time. Is it possible to get python to print out a timer display in HH:MM the same way it displays time for the clock?

if so can you also program it to do a stopwatch? (the ability to have the display count up and down would be amazing on two different scripts)