"auto-linkage" - buttons and files...

[sferguson]

Hi folks, ...new guy here...

First-off, SUPER-kudos to this forum, and the community behind it!

In looking over some past threads, circa 11-19-2002, I've stumbled upon what may be the ideal solution for a stubborn little item on my current project.

However, the posted links/zip files are apparently MIA as a result of the switch to new forums.

Is there anyone out there, ...Worm, feilong, et. al..., that has the following zip file(s) handy and wouldn't mind posting a new thread or link?

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... > AutoPlay Media Studio 4.0 > General Discussion > Linking buttons with files (or something like that)
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Originally posted by Worm
I just noticed that I left the file extensions on the Text Labels, this will take the file extensions off.


14350-DynamicFile.zip

Originally posted by Worm
Yeah, a small change. You can use the replace function to change the underscore to a space. I have attached the updated version.


14364-DynamicFile.zip

Boat-loads-of-thanks, in advance!

Cheers!
-Scott F.

[Corey]

That file is toast. I'm sure we can help you though, please explain the problem and what sort of solution you are looking for...

Corey Milner
Creative Director, Indigo Rose Software

[JimS]

Here is a sample project that shows how to get the short name of a file without the .extension I hope that’s what you are after.

[JimS]

I just read your post again. If you are trying to put the name of a file, without the extension, as the caption to a button, try this one

[sferguson]

THANKS fellas!

Jim, I'll take a quick look at the sample project, it sounds like it's bound to be part of the solution.

FYI - Here's the Scenario...

-- Objective --
Develop a walk-up, touch-screen kiosk, which "vends" a custom burned CD-ROM.

-- Resulting CD-ROM Includes --
Copy of user-specified project folder, from our internal file server/network drive.
(the directory structure and file types are constant, but the file names and quantities are unique for each disc.
Standardized AMS front-end with corporate brand look & feel that includes a few utilities related to the project files.

-- AMS Front-end--
Includes menu buttons for the utilities on the disc, as well as the project-specific files unique to each user's disc.

-- End-users, Disc --
Administrative staff and office assistants

-- End-users, Kiosk --
Administrative staff and office assistants

[sferguson]

Thanks, the button thing is right-on!


Here's the part of the original thread that reeled me in:

The name of the file is linked to the name the person typed on the touchscreen. For example you get: john.mpg, dennis&peter.mpg, mike.mpg, jamie.mpg etc. etc.

After a night of shooting, we have around 50 videomessages that we have to present on a cdrom, and we use Autoplay to create that with.

The thing is, it is very time consuming to create this cdrom, and are looking for a way to speed this up a bit. What we do now is put al the videofiles in the distributionfolder and manually add labels to the buttons. So the first button, labelled JOHN links to john.mpg, the second button is labelled DENNIS & PETER.mpg and links to dennis&peter.mpg.

Now for the question: is it possible, that Autoplay retrieves the buttonlabel from the filename, and making it somehow possible to speed up the process of creating a cdrom (for 50 mpg, it now takes around 1 hour)

Thanks for any tips you might have, and sorry for the long post,
Dennis

Nb. Ideally, we're looking to create a template which automatically links the files to the buttonnames and calculates how many pages it shoud create. We now place 5 buttons on a single page, and manually add the same page for additional buttons. Very very boring.. :-(

Ideally, what I'm shootin' for is the concept of having a standardized runtime that:
a.) generates a button for each file located in a particular folder
b.) read the file name and use it to label the button
c.) "hyper-link" the button back to the file on the CD

[Corey]

sferguson, we have a plug-in coming out this week which automates that entire process (heads up AK) IRThumbnail. It is superb, Brett did an awesome job as always but I can't reveal anymore about it other than to say:

1. It will be out within a week or so.
2. You'll need 5.0 to run it as it is a plug-in.
3. It will make short work of any CD(S) of images. Wam, bam, thank you ma'am. Completely automated, just point it at a folder and it does the rest, even allowing users to customize certain aspects in real time like thumb size, etc.

See attached for a sneak peak at the demo. Bear in mind this is just the skin I choose to put on this demo, you can insert the thumbnail maker's functionality right into any of your projects, there's lots more functionality in it too than what's demonstrated here via those 5 buttons but this is just an intro demo, the plug-in itself has vast ramifications beyond what you see here...

Dynamic catalogs (can even be remote) make great B2B and business supply chain apps for example, i.e. you could build a catalog app for an autodealer for example which simply attaches to their inventory database to provide their resellers with a CD ROM "current to the minute" catalog which they can use in their shops, thereby allowing even small scale mechanic shps to easily offer full up-to-the-minute ordering via any cheap online PC... And you could build that app in no time flat thanks to the plug-in...

That's just one very unimaginative example, the possibilties are endless.

As for doing this in 4.0 yep that's totally possible but it will take a little bit of work and and dynamic imagery would have to be served via a web object, etc. We can help if you need to do this no probs but I'm telling you, for the few extra bucks to get 5.0 (which everyone should do anyhow) and the Thumbnail plug-in you will save hours of work everytime you have to do any sort of file browser project like this... It'll pay for itself in a single project by saving you time, and it will increase the quality of your end product.

All I can say is wait until it's out and see for yourself, this plug-in is amazing, nothing like it on the market that I've seen...

Corey Milner
Creative Director, Indigo Rose Software

[sferguson]

Corey,

Thanks for the scoop! The plug-in sounds primo, and I'm already sold twice-over on the 5.0 upgrade

Best,
-Scott

P.S. What's the latest ETA on the IR "how-to training cd", and any advice on accessing old forum links/files?

[Corey]

Old forum links and files are toast, but you should ask if you have a question, I'm sure someone can help with new samples...

AMS 5 starts shipping on Friday, and I assume so will the CD unless pixies bombard me in my sleep, in which case Saturday.

Corey Milner
Creative Director, Indigo Rose Software

[sferguson]

...Godspeed, and good-luck with the pixies

[TJ_Tigger]

I think this is it.

[sferguson]

TJ_Tigger (and Worm too of course),

THANKS ...a million!!!!

[Corey]

I wonder if people in the olden days used to say, "Hey, thanks a thousand!"

Or, "A thousand monkeys working at a thousand typewriters..."

Who wants to marry a thousandaire?

Corey Milner
Creative Director, Indigo Rose Software