How to dynamically update a Kivy label from a continuously running function?

Question

I am trying to have a function run continuously and spit out a distance that the label uses that I'll eventually tie to a sonar module, but the label remains blank and I am at a loss as to what I am doing wrong. If I just add a print statement for that distance variable it prints and updates just fine, just can't get the label to use it.

Part II of my question is how do I reference my same function in the second window and also have a label that updates from that same function?

Thanks for the help in advance, I am very very new to kivy and just started learning python a few months ago as well.

Python code:

from kivy.app import App
from kivy.clock import Clock
from kivy.lang import Builder
from kivy.uix.screenmanager import ScreenManager, Screen  # for multiple screens
from kivy.properties import StringProperty


class MySonar(Screen):
    global i
    i = 1

    distance = StringProperty("")

    #Generic function that just adds itself up, just using to try and get the label to change before I throw in my real function
    def sonar(self):
        global i

        if i < 250:
            distance = (10 + .1 * i)
            i += 1

        else:
            i = 1
            distance = 10

        self.root.distance=str(distance)

class DropWindow(Screen):
    pass

class WindowManager(ScreenManager):
    pass

kv = Builder.load_file("help.kv")

class HelpMe(App):
    def build(self):

        #running interval update to keep running code above
        Clock.schedule_interval(lambda dt: MySonar.sonar(self), 0.1)

        return kv

if __name__ == "__main__":
    HelpMe().run()

Kivy:

WindowManager:
    MySonar:
    DropWindow:

<MySonar>:
    name:"Main"

    GridLayout:
        cols:1

        ##Need this to update
        Label:
            text:root.distance
        Button:
            text:"Next Window"
            on_release:
                app.root.current="Drop"
                root.manager.transition.direction="left"


<DropWindow>:
    name:"Drop"

    GridLayout:

        cols:1

        ##Need this to update, commented out the text so the program will run and you can see the blank label for part one of my question
        Label:
            ##text:root.distance

        Button:
            text:"Cancel"
            on_release:
                app.root.current="Main"
                root.manager.transition.direction="right"

Answer 1

To simplify the access to distance, you can put that StringProperty in the HelpMe App:

class MySonar(Screen):
    global i
    i = 1

    #Generic function that just adds itself up, just using to try and get the label to change before I throw in my real function
    def sonar(self):
        global i

        if i < 250:
            distance = (10 + .1 * i)
            i += 1

        else:
            i = 1
            distance = 10

        # set the value of distance in the StringProperty of the App
        App.get_running_app().distance=str(distance)
        print(distance)

class DropWindow(Screen):
    pass

class WindowManager(ScreenManager):
    pass

# kv = Builder.load_file("help.kv")


class HelpMe(App):
    distance = StringProperty('')

    def build(self):
        kv = Builder.load_file("help.kv")

        #running interval update to keep running code above
        sonar_instance = kv.get_screen('Main')
        Clock.schedule_interval(lambda dt: sonar_instance.sonar(), 0.1)

        return kv

if __name__ == "__main__":
    HelpMe().run()

Note that I have also moved the Builder.load_file() inside the App. This is good practice when you reference app in the kv file (as I have done). Also, calling the sonar() method using MySonar.sonar(self) will not work. You need to use a reference to the instance of MySonar that is in your GUI.

Now the kv file becomes:

WindowManager:
    MySonar:
    DropWindow:

<MySonar>:
    name:"Main"

    GridLayout:
        cols:1

        ##Need this to update
        Label:
            text: app.distance
        Button:
            text:"Next Window"
            on_release:
                app.root.current="Drop"
                root.manager.transition.direction="left"


<DropWindow>:
    name:"Drop"

    GridLayout:

        cols:1

        ##Need this to update, commented out the text so the program will run and you can see the blank label for part one of my question
        Label:
            text: app.distance

        Button:
            text:"Cancel"
            on_release:
                app.root.current="Main"
                root.manager.transition.direction="right"

The change is that the text attribute of both Labels is now just app.distance.