DLL = Custom Sized Image Popup...

[Intrigued]

Here is my next (more useful) offering, with regards to creating .dll files for AMS 5 Pro (remember: you need AMS 5 Pro because of the .dll function call!)

Here is the DLL "call" (to use a DLL in AMS 5 Pro) and comments for the .dll:

--[[
This is a .dll that "pops up" an image of the size you specify in the DLL call (see: below -- width by height)
Remember this is version 1.0, so you can only use a .bmp (bitmap) image and you must rename it to 'popup.bmp'
Finally, the bitmap image and the CustomPopup.dll needs to stay in the "AutoPlay\\Docs" directory
]]

Next, here is the link for the AMS 5 Pro project file (.apz):

http://www.amsuser.com/ams/examples/DLL-CustomPopup-Intrigued.apz

And here is the link to a working .exe for those without AMS 5 Pro (so this is a demo for you):

http://www.amsuser.com/ams/examples/DLL-CustomPopup-Intrigued.exe

Let me know if you run into a snag. I plan on having more features and flexibility built into this .dll, sooner than later. Remember, this is day three for me with .dlls. So, I'm not an expert by any means. Thanks for your patience.

[Corey]

Hey, that really boogies. Boogie down!

:yes :yes :yes :yes :yes :yes :yes :yes :yes :yes

[Intrigued]

Thanks Corey.

Another thing that some may or may not like is that the image pops up in the middle of the screen based on the screen dimensions themselves and not the location of the application.

I changed the flag needed for that and tried the .dll out again. Now it will center in on the AMS application. If anyone needs an updated .dll based on that... just say so and I will share such.

[Corey]

Isn't there someway to make that optional during the .dll call?

[Intrigued]

Let me work on that, there should be a way. The other variables work find in that same section.

[Intrigued]

Updated: Now you can center the image to the application or to the screen.

Note: Use the same links as my previous post. The .dll has been more aptly called CustomImagePopup.dll (as the previous name was a little vague for what I eventually have coming up. ;-))

Thank you Corey for pushing me. That would have been easy but I had to figure out how to work with a Constant, which I thought returned a string, when it returned a number.

Zig, when I should have shagged, at first.

;)

[Corey]

Awesome stuff Intrigued. I'm jealous of that rewarding feeling you must be basking in. Hee. :yes :yes :yes :yes :yes

[Intrigued]

Awesome stuff Intrigued. I'm jealous of that rewarding feeling you must be basking in. Hee. :yes :yes :yes :yes :yes

I must admit... it's a good feeling when you finally work through a problem to a successful conclusion. It's the "don't rest on your laurels" that always gets me.

:D

[Corey]

Hee. :) :yes

[Derek]

Go Intrigued!! :yes :yes

I'm "chuffed" for you to have accomplished this. Good for you.

I'm jealous of that rewarding feeling you must be basking inI'll second that.

[Intrigued]

Thanks Derek. I'm glad you used chuffed and not the one without the 'ed'.

;-)

[Derek]

lol - i can make noisey exhalations too, but you'll never know about it !!! :wow

[Intrigued]

Tonight I am going to work on getting a Tooltip (crashed my app. last night for some reason) to work, and maybe a left and/or right click on the image to work, also having the ability to set a custom Title for the window, and finally the ability to absolute position the window (which will be nice I am hoping for quasi-modal placement).

It looks like another 3 am. night coming up.

:eek:

[Worm]

That's DLLiscious I-Man.

(I know that was *REALLY* bad, but it's all I could come up with)

[Intrigued]

Thanks Worm, for the kind comments and getting me motivated to learn this here .dll stuffs!

DLLlighted to make a contribution on the .dll front, even if in some small way. :yes

[Intrigued]

Update: 06/07/05 - 7:25 PM - Tuesday

Remember, you will need AMS 5.x Pro to properly use this project file (the .exe, demo, can be ran regardless (Standard edition does not support DLL function calls)

New features for the CustomImagePopup.dll:

1. Now you can absolute (as well as center to screen or app. still) position the image window.

2. You can set the Titlebar text (aka. window title) via the title.txt file.

For your convenience, here are the links to the project and .exe (demo) files:

Project:
DLL-CustomPopup-Intrigued.apz (http://www.amsuser.com/ams/examples/DLL-CustomPopup-Intrigued.apz)

Demo (.exe):
DLL-CustomPopup-Intrigued.exe (http://www.amsuser.com/ams/examples/DLL-CustomPopup-Intrigued.exe)

Note: The comments listed in the Button's On Click even are to be used as instructions!

[Corey]

Very cool. This is great, it could really revolutionize the way people make slideshows with AutoPlay Media Studio... :yes

I think I smell a full blown add-on coming... Errr no wait, that's just my socks, never mind... Nice work anyhow, I like it. :)

[Intrigued]

Very cool. This is great, it could really revolutionize the way people make slideshows with AutoPlay Media Studio... :yes I smell a full blown add-on! No wait, that's just my socks, never mind... :)

Heh.. heh.

I definitely want to optimize the code base and get all of the features in I can think would work good for this .dll.

I don't plan on trying to make a buck on this one per se. But, a plugin may be a lot closer, from me, to coming to fruition than I would have thought as recently as four days ago!

:yes

[Corey]

Nothing wrong with releasing free add-ons while you're learning, people will appreciate them and it gets more traffic to your site. I really do have to buck under and get my design site up so I can start channel some traffic to you guys. Once I get done the current IR project I'll hop on that. I bit off *way* more than I can chew this year and I'm floundering like a, ... a... well a flounder frankly. See, I can't even form sentences I'm so bogged up? But now I've seen the light of day and am going to rectify the situation ASAP. :yes

P.S. Just wait until you see what I've been working on BTW. We'll be launching it with in the week. Hoo-ee-boy! It's sweeter than cornbread on a possum stump... (Sorry, the quality of my country colloquialisms just hasn't been up to snuff lately frankly, sigh...)

[Intrigued]

Nothing wrong with releasing free add-ons while you're learning, people will appreciate them and it gets more traffic to your site. I really do have to buck under and get my design site up so I can start channel some traffic to you guys. Once I get done the current IR project I'll hop on that. I bit off *way* more than I can chew this year and I'm floundering like a, ... a... well a flounder frankly. See, I can't even form sentences I'm so bogged up? But now I've seen the light of day and am going to rectify the situation ASAP. :yes

P.S. Just wait until you see what I've been working on BTW. We'll be launching it with in the week.

Ah, I'll be keeping one eye wide shut and the other closed wide... or was that...

:D

[Intrigued]

Something I forgot to share, incidently, is that I believe (chuckling) that the three characters in that image I shared in the project for testing purposes is really, I believe (chuckling) some I.R. pranksters!

Lorne? Corey? ... maybe Sandy! Yes, Sandy is probable the ring leader!

:D

[Corey]

I'm innocent on this one, I've never seen that photo... :o

[Intrigued]

That's boarder line to "pleading the 5th", very suspect.

:D

[Corey]

Naw, I'd cough up if it were my photo. I'm no sneak. Or am I? [insert suspenseful music] No I'm not, seriously... To quote famous rap artist Shaggy, "It wasn't me..."

[yosik]

Between your Dll, Intrigued and the suspense of what you, Corey, are cooking for us, it has been a mouth watering couple of days.
Intrigued, I envy you as you plunge into Dll world. I wish I had the time to go into that, as it opens a whole lot of possibilities, especially with AMS.

I am following this thread VERY closely...
Yossi

[Corey]

Yep, this will be the biggest thing to hit indigorose.com in years... :cool

[yosik]

NOW, I am panting.... and holding my breath atthe same time...errrr, almost...

[Corey]

Hee. :) :yes

[tsbpd]

Hoo-ee-boy! It's sweeter than cornbread on a possum stump...

Now that's good cookin' !

Tim
West Virginia

[Intrigued]

Update: 06/08/05 - 12:33 PM - Wednesday

Remember, you will need AMS 5.x Pro to properly use this project file (the .exe, demo, can be ran regardless (Standard edition does not support DLL function calls)

New features for the CustomImagePopup.dll:

SEE: Attachment (image with updates listed)

For your convenience, here are the links to the project and .exe (demo) files:

Project:
DLL-CustomPopup-Intrigued.apz (http://www.amsuser.com/ams/examples/DLL-CustomPopup-Intrigued.apz)

Demo (.exe):
DLL-CustomPopup-Intrigued.exe (http://www.amsuser.com/ams/examples/DLL-CustomPopup-Intrigued.exe)

Note: The comments listed in the Button's On Click even are to be used as instructions!

[Dermot]

You're rockin now!

By the way the link to the APZ is pointing to version 0.3.

Dermot

[Intrigued]

You're rockin now!

By the way the link to the APZ is pointing to version 0.3.

Dermot

OOF! Sorry there... I try to drag and drop two files at once and my FTP client whines. Heh..heh

I uploaded the v. 0.4

Thanks Dermot for the headsup! :yes

[Dermot]

Still the older version Intrigued.

Dermot

[Intrigued]

Hmmm... it's working for me.

[Dermot]

Must be a caching thing then because I still get the old version dated june 7th

Dermot

[Intrigued]

You're rockin now!

By the way the link to the APZ is pointing to version 0.3.

Dermot

There, now I can really see what the problem was... I was reuploading the .exe and not the .apz!

ACK!

[Dermot]

That did it. Thanks

Dermot

[Intrigued]

Rooooger that!

Thanks for your patience.

:yes

[csd214]

Honoured Professor, what a knowledge progress you demonstrate (v0.4)!!
:yes :yes :yes

[Corey]

Well, there it is, the biggest thing to hit indigorose.com in years, i.e. a new site:

http://www.indigorose.com/

:yes :yes :yes :yes :yes :yes :yes :yes :yes :yes

[Worm]

Very Nice Corey!!!
:yes :yes :yes :yes :yes :yes

[Corey]

And 100% Firefox friendly too. Boop boop be doo. :yes

[Intrigued]

That's Phat!

I like the more compact look!

[Intrigued]

Corey, where are the plugins for AMS 5 located on the new Website? I must be staring straight at the link, ack!

I see them over here: http://www.autoplay.org/plugin/power_pack_1.php

[Corey]

Oops, thanks for the heads up, for now I did this:

http://www.indigorose.com/ams/resources.php

But we will be tweaking things over the coming weeks and will probably put the add-ons database script back. For now we just wanted to get everything ultra-focused, compact, and consistent from product to product. :yes

[Intrigued]

Oops, thanks for the heads up, for now I did this:

http://www.indigorose.com/ams/resources.php

But we will be tweaking things over the coming weeks and will probably put the add-ons database script back. For now we just wanted to get everything ultra-focused, compact, and consistent from product to product. :yes

Roger that! I do wish I had more of an eye for design, layout myself. I might have to have a mind meld with you after you are done.

;)

[Corey]

I believe you have it in you. Start by copying designs you like and the next thing you know, you'll be generating awesome original designs. :yes

[csd214]

A really nice site. Beautiful design. A navigating system that reminds me about the IR products; a logical flow.

Great legibility; even early, early in the morning (local time) after just one cup of coffee.

Congratulations! :yes

[yosik]

Nice revamping Corey. Clean, organized, good design.
:yes :yes :yes
Well done!
Yossi

[csd214]

A neat usage of CustomImagePopup.dll could be to display an image with "context sensitive help". I succeed to do this in AMS50 with an upper right corner display. In SUF70 I can't have it to work. The image is displayed, but disappears immediately. (In AMS50 the app is waiting until the image is closed.)

I could certainly use Dialog.SplashImage() but I can't control the image coordinates in the nice way I can with the DLL.

Intrigued, can you tell me why your DLL is disobedient in SUF70?

[Intrigued]

A neat usage of CustomImagePopup.dll could be to display an image with "context sensitive help". I succeed to do this in AMS50 with an upper right corner display. In SUF70 I can't have it to work. The image is displayed, but disappears immediately. (In AMS50 the app is waiting until the image is closed.)

I could certainly use Dialog.SplashImage() but I can't control the image coordinates in the nice way I can with the DLL.

Intrigued, can you tell me why your DLL is disobedient in SUF70?

Hmmm... I'll have to check into that. I have not done any testing on any other platforms but WinXP and AMS 5 for now.

[Intrigued]

-- This first line is just to help me -- ShowPopup(nX.l, nY.l, nWidth.l, nHeight.l, nCenterOn.l, sTitle.s, sToolTip.s, sIMGPath.s) -- leave tooltip (not used yet) at "" (blank)

strCWF = Folder.GetCurrent()
--File.ExploreFolder(strCWF, SW_SHOWNORMAL)

DLL = SessionVar.Expand(strCWF.."\\CustomImagePopup.dll"); Dialog.Message("", DLL) -- Does not work
DLL = strCWF.."\\CustomImagePopup.dll" --Dialog.Message("", DLL) -- Nor does this work

IMAGE = SessionVar.Expand(strCWF.."\\usa.bmp"); --File.Open(IMAGE, "", SW_SHOWNORMAL) -- works fine!


DLL.CallFunction(DLL, "ShowPopup", "200,200,80,60,-1,"..Enclose("Image popup in SF7")..","..Enclose(IMAGE), DLL_RETURN_TYPE_LONG, DLL_CALL_STDCALL) -- Why won't it work?

[Dermot]

I might be wrong but are you not missing the tooltip argument in the DLL call?

Dermot

[Dermot]

Silly question but are you sure that "CustomImagePopup.dll" is in the ame folder as "usa.bmp"

Dermot

[csd214]

Hi Intrigued,

I added the dll and the image as Primer files; then the files are located in _TempLaunchDir (strDLL = _TempLaunchFolder.."\\CustomImagePopup.dll"). I deleted my test screen with the dll call (part of another project). It doesn't take much time to recreate a test project, but unfortunately it is late in the evening local time. I'll come back tomorrow.

[Intrigued]

Silly question but are you sure that "CustomImagePopup.dll" is in the ame folder as "usa.bmp"

Dermot

Good catch on the missing arg., corrected, still not working.

Also, in that script I used I put in a way to check (Dialog.Message and the Explorer open Action.) The current working folder variable I crafted shows the two files there. A File.Open on the image one works fine, just not the DLL call.

Maybe an I.R. member can shed some light on this?

[Dermot]

I don't have SUF 7 so I cannot be of more help.

Dermot

[Intrigued]

I don't have SUF 7 so I cannot be of more help.

Dermot

Thanks Dermot for the help you gave. :yes

[csd214]

Intrigued's CustomImagePopup.dll works great with SUF70!

(The attached zip archive contains ExternalHelp.sf7 and the dll file + Help01.jpg in subfolder PrimerSourceExtHlp. Unpack to a folder of your choice. YOU NEED SUF70 TO RUN THIS PROJECT.)

Sorry, the "disobedience" was my fault. Thanks to my RecoveryBin I could recover my deleted test project. I had two errors when creating the parameter string.

local sParam = Xpos..","..Ypos..',397,379,-1,"My Title","",'.. _TempLaunchFolder..'\\figinshadows.jpg")'; -- ERROR

local sParam = Xpos..","..Ypos..',397,379,-1,"My Title","","'.. _TempLaunchFolder..'\\ figinshadows.jpg "'; -- CORRECT SYNTAX

In the first line _TempLaunchFolder is part of the text string and the string ends with an improper parenthesis. The debug window told me that the output was
620,0,397,379,-1,"My Title","", _TempLaunchFolder.."\figinshadows.jpg")

If I had used Intrigued's PopUp functions I possibly could have avoided the errors. (There is an unnecessary call to iMan.dll (non-existing) in Popup.Show()).

There is a slight difference in behaviour.
AMS50: The popup window has to be closed before the AMS50 app can continue.
SUF70: The popup window remains open when the SUF70 app is continued (this can be resolved by closing the popup window (if it exists) with an action 'On Next'.

[Intrigued]

Intrigued's CustomImagePopup.dll works great with SUF70!

(The attached zip archive contains ExternalHelp.sf7 and the dll file + Help01.jpg in subfolder PrimerSourceExtHlp. Unpack to a folder of your choice. YOU NEED SUF70 TO RUN THIS PROJECT.)

Sorry, the "disobedience" was my fault. Thanks to my RecoveryBin I could recover my deleted test project. I had two errors when creating the parameter string.

local sParam = Xpos..","..Ypos..',397,379,-1,"My Title","",'.. _TempLaunchFolder..'\\figinshadows.jpg")'; -- ERROR

local sParam = Xpos..","..Ypos..',397,379,-1,"My Title","","'.. _TempLaunchFolder..'\\ figinshadows.jpg "'; -- CORRECT SYNTAX

In the first line _TempLaunchFolder is part of the text string and the string ends with an improper parenthesis. The debug window told me that the output was
620,0,397,379,-1,"My Title","", _TempLaunchFolder.."\figinshadows.jpg")

If I had used Intrigued's PopUp functions I possibly could have avoided the errors. (There is an unnecessary call to iMan.dll (non-existing) in Popup.Show()).

There is a slight difference in behaviour.
AMS50: The popup window has to be closed before the AMS50 app can continue.
SUF70: The popup window remains open when the SUF70 app is continued (this can be resolved by closing the popup window (if it exists) with an action 'On Next'.

Excellent news and thanks for sharing!

and...

(There is an unnecessary call to iMan.dll (non-existing) in Popup.Show()).

D'oh! That was a small .dll written by Worm to show off his code *(suggestions) compared to mine. His .dll is separate than mine and written after mine, again to show how to make it easier for others to code in the arguments needed. (thanks again to member Worm)

[Intrigued]

I know it's only been a few days, but I was just wondering if anyone was using this DLL and if so, what they liked, disliked, etc. etc. I'm new to .dll creation (for those that don't watch the posts as closely as others)... so I'm still a youngling by far!

:o

[Intrigued]

Having any problems in AMS 6 with this? Let me know via IM or post back to this thread.

Thanks,

[rhosk]

Honorable **bump**

I knew that sooner or later I would want this feature :) It works good in AMS6 :yes

But, I can't get the window to position (in 5 or 6)? It centers on the screen no matter what I put in the Popup.Position(n, n). Is this still avail in the DLL?...or am I doing something wrong?

[rhosk]

I really wish we could edit our posts after the 15 minute time bomb :p

Disregard that post Intrigued...works great in AMS6, you may want to post it over there as well? I just needed to RTFI :D

[Intrigued]

I really wish we could edit our posts after the 15 minute time bomb :p

Disregard that post Intrigued...works great in AMS6, you may want to post it over there as well? I just needed to RTFI :D

Glad to hear it's coming in handy Ron.

Here's the post I made for the AMS 6 forum back in October, FWIW:

http://www.indigorose.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13450&highlight=DLL

Note: When searching for those EXEs or DLLs I created... one can usually locate them by typing in EXE or DLL (or both) into the Search area. :yes