Animated Popups

[Agent Jones]

Hi everyone,

You all have probably seen animated popups in Windows XP, and I'd like to know if you can do one of those with AMS 5.

The "animated popups" I'm talking about show up on several applications:

• MSN Messenger (notifications coming from bottom)
• McAfee Personal Firewall (application alert showing up from right)
• McAfee SecurityCenter (update notifications showing up from bottom)
• Norton LiveUpdate (a popup shows up when it automatically updates)
• Many others, I guess...

Please help me... Thanks

[Agent Jones]

OK, I found out a few controls that actually make those popups.

Now the problem is these controls are made as components for Microsoft Visual Studio. How can I integrate them into AMS?

I really need this... Thanks.

[JimS]

I don’t know anything about the controls you speak of, but it seems to me that you can do it with AMS5.

If it were me, I’d consider building the popup as a separate AMS project. You can position it wherever you’d like, and even have it move around the screen if you want.

If you need it to change shapes more than that, check out Worm’s SetMask plugin

http://www.warmuskerken.com

Hope that helps

[Agent Jones]

I don’t know anything about the controls you speak of, but it seems to me that you can do it with AMS5.

If it were me, I’d consider building the popup as a separate AMS project. You can position it wherever you’d like, and even have it move around the screen if you want.

If you need it to change shapes more than that, check out Worm’s SetMask plugin

http://www.warmuskerken.com

Hope that helps

Hi,

Thanks for replying. The controls I referred in my previous posts are, for example, PopupNotify 1.1, AlertPOP or PopupAlert Objects. I have also found out an ActiveX component, which does the same thing: ShellObjects.

I have considered creating a separate project, but I don't think AMS has been designed to create the sort of animation effects. You must certainly have MSN Messenger, or at least have seen it working, and noticed the notification popups (like "JimS has signed in"). I don't think an AMS project is that "lite".

As for your suggestion about Worm's Plugin, I'm pretty sure it would be a great buy - but I can't purchase anything for now.

So, back to my option, is it possible to use a Visual Studio component in AMS? Thanks.


Regards,
Agent Jones

[Worm]

If it requires a container object, then I think the answer is no unless you put it in a web object or even an IE window and use COM automation. Plus I see price tags on these babies too and you stated you didn't want to purchase anything.

[Lorne]

You might be able to use the DLL.CallFunction action to call something like that from AutoPlay. (You might need to create a DLL wrapper for the control, or find a similar control that has a compatible API, or ask the authors for a DLL version, etc.)

Way beyond the scope of support but the short answer is "yep, should be possible, but it might take some C++ work on your part."

(You could even grab the AutoPlay SDK and create an object plugin...)

In other words, although you can't directly use such a control within AutoPlay, given a bit of programmer elbow grease you should be able to find a way to achieve the same effect by calling an external routine (whether it's a free one or a bought one or one that you program yourself).

[Corey]

SDK download link

[TJ_Tigger]

SDK download link

wink wink nudge nudge

LOL

[Dermot]

The attached example shows how you can use the Popup Alert control from Innovasys with Luacom and AMS. This example only shows how to set the text and the position for the popup. There are lots of other properties you can experiment with.

Requires the trial version of Popup Alert from Innovasys and the luacom plugin.

Works really well :yes

[Worm]

Very cool!

Innovasys produces some really nice controls. Although this one seems a bit pricey to me...

Still, very cool!

The attached example shows how you can use the Popup Alert control from Innovasys with Luacom and AMS. This example only shows how to set the text and the position for the popup. There are lots of other properties you can experiment with.

Requires the trial version of Popup Alert from Innovasys and the luacom plugin.

Works really well :yes

[Intrigued]

Works great! To pricey for my blood. I'll have to code my own.

[Dermot]

Yep! it's a little pricey for sure but if you have a project that needs that functionality and you can price it in then it's not bad considering how long it would take to roll your own and get the same professional look. I just thinks it's great that we can use these cool controls in AMS. Thank God for Luacom :yes :yes :yes

Yes Innovasys have some great controls. I use there free Button Plus all the time in VB and Access and it's awsome. :yes I have also used their Explorer Bar which again is great. :yes

[Lorne]

Good catch, Dermot. I keep forgetting about luacom.

[Corey]

I keep forgetting about luacom

Easy COM, easy go...

[Agent Jones]

Thanks everyone!

I'll try to find some free alternative to Innovasys... Who knows, I might be lucky :lol

EDIT: How can you change the style of the popup box? The InnovaSys manual says

Alert.Style = AlertStyleOffice2003

So I placed in the code:

Popup.Style = AlertStyleOffice2003

But it doesn't work