development

Overview of MSI Factory 2.0

Don’t put up with the hassles, excuses and outsourced technical support that you get with your current installation toolkit. Join the thousands of developers who have made the switch to our next generation software deployment tools. Our fresh approach to Windows installers is exactly what you’ve been looking for. MSI Factory 2.0 makes the task of creating professional .MSI format installers faster, easier and hassle-free. We guarantee it or you’ll get your money back.

• Create 100% pure Microsoft Windows Installer (.MSI) format software installers. If you’re developing software that will be installed in a corporate or government environment, or you plan on applying for Windows logo certification, you’ll need an MSI installer.
• Intelligent development environment makes installer creation faster, easier and more reliable than ever before. MSI Factory 2.0’s visual IDE focuses on the files you want to distribute, rather than on abstract concepts like components, features and GUIDs. While you still have access to all the advanced MSI features you could want (should you feel like getting your hands dirty), our approach is simply more intelligent than other installer builders.
• Next generation Windows Installer XML (WiX) compiler technology for the ultimate in flexibility and control. This is the same technology Microsoft uses internally for creating installers for products like Microsoft® Office, SQL Server^TM, BizTalk® and Windows Live Messenger®.
• Unique fully scriptable .EXE bootstrap wrapper. With LZMA data compression for incredibly small installers and 200+ actions including HTTP downloads for unprecedented flexibility in an MSI based installer.
• Make a single installer that is compatible with all Windows systems, including Vista, XP, Server 2003, 2000, ME, 98 and even 95.
• Extensive list of actions included MSI Factory 2.0 comes standard with actions including registry editing, shortcut icons, file operations, INI files, environment variables, custom VBScript/JScript, file permissions, installing and controlling services, XML editing, working with ODBC and much more.

What makes MSI Factory 2.0 different is the unique file-centered design view. You aren’t forced to deal with the complexity of MSI database tables, sequences and components (unless you want to – MSI Factory 2.0 is as flexible as you need it to be). Most developers simply drop in their application files, customize a few dialog boxes using the visual dialog editor and then click “build.” No kidding.

MSI Factory 2.0 is the result of over 15 years of experience in creating software installation tools. You can rely on Indigo Rose to provide reliable tools, top quality documentation and superior technical support.

MSI Factory 2.0 includes all the advanced installer capabilities you want plus the next generation power of WiX, an intelligent development environment, a revolutionary fully scriptable .EXE bootstrap wrapper and access to world class technical support. Don’t settle for second best when MSI Factory 2.0 is the clear choice.

Download the Free Trial and Get Started Now!

The best way to know if MSI Factory 2.0 is going to work for you is to try it. You can download the free trial version of MSI Factory by clicking here. The free trial version will continue to work for a period of 30 days, so you have plenty of time to build projects and see for yourself what a great tool it is. There is no other software in its class which is easier to use, or faster to work with!

development

Overview of DeltaMAX 1.0

DeltaMAX is an advanced binary differencing engine library for Windows. It allows you to create and apply binary difference files (”patch files”) from your applications. It is the same binary differencing engine used in Visual Patch.

Binary differencing is the process of analyzing two files and then compactly representing the differences or “delta” between them. Also known as “delta compression,” binary differencing is able to represent the data that differs between two files in the most compact way possible.

The most common application of binary differencing is in creating software patches. This involves analyzing two versions of a file in order to extract only the data that has changed from one version to the other. The results of this analysis can then be used to recreate the newer version from any file that exactly matches the original. By only containing the differences, such a patch file can be very small.

Of course, there are many other uses for binary differencing beyond deploying software updates. Because so little data needs to be transmitted, delta compression makes it possible to distribute changes to large data files as efficiently possible.

Key Features

• Very fast encoding. DeltaMAX is able to perform multiple passes in less time than it takes other tools to perform a single pass.
• Fast decoding. DeltaMAX uses efficient file I/O buffering in order to apply differences quickly.
• Low memory requirements for decoding. DeltaMAX requires only minimal amounts of memory for decoding, and is able to apply differences in low memory situations.
• Compact encoding format. DeltaMAX uses a custom encoding scheme that is very efficient.
• Unique multi-pass optimization. DeltaMAX can perform multiple encoding passes in order to experimentally achieve the best results. This is especially important because the optimal settings can vary according to the unique internal structure of each individual file.
• Works with all file types. DeltaMAX can create differences for all kinds of files (e.g. software executables, word documents, satellite images, medical databases, ocean maps, game data files…)
• Support for large files. DeltaMAX is exceptional in its ability to handle very large files (up to 2GB) and to encode these large files very quickly.
• Developed for Windows. DeltaMAX was developed specifically for the Windows platform, and does not sacrifice performance to achieve platform independence.

Benefits of Binary Differencing

Binary differencing is the process of analyzing two files and then compactly representing the differences or “delta” between them. Also known as “delta compression,” binary differencing is able to represent the data that differs between two files in the most compact way possible.

This technology is most commonly used in software updating and patch management applications, however it is also ideal for use in backup software, server synchronization, data transmission or wherever the environment calls for reduced storage space and lower bandwidth usage.

Having less data to transmit means that file changes can be sent and received faster, which means less time is spent waiting for updates, improving productivity and making “background” updates possible.

In addition to reduced file sizes, binary differenced files are very secure. Difference files contain only the byte level differences between the two source files. Transmitting only tiny portions of a file in a format that can’t be used without the original greatly reduces the risk of unauthorized use.

Competitive Position

Some binary differencing libraries claim to include large-file support, but they process large files so slowly that it really isn’t feasible to use them for that purpose. DeltaMAX uses a unique binary differencing algorithm that was developed to process very large files as quickly as possible. It does this while also achieving the best compression performance possible on all file sizes, large and small.

For example, in benchmark testing DeltaMAX was able to create a patch for a 1.2 GB data file in under 3 minutes, whereas the nearest competitor we tested required more than 70 minutes to process the data on the same system. Some of the competing libraries we tested were not even able to process such a large file, and either failed completely or were still processing after more than 24 hours.

Remarkably, DeltaMAX achieves its speed without sacrificing performance, creating difference files that compare favorably in size to difference files created by other tools. In fact, the speed of DeltaMAX permits additional size optimizations that are not feasible with other tools. For example, it can perform multiple passes with different settings in order to find the optimal parameters for each particular file-and still manage to do so in less time than competing tools require for a single pass!

development

Overview of Autorun MAX! 2.1

Autorun MAX! 2.1 gives you the power to create professional looking CD-ROM/DVD-ROM autorun menus and other interactive multimedia projects that are sure to impress. And you don’t have to be a software programmer to do it. With its intuitive workspace and drag-and-drop objects, it’s quick to learn and easy to use. Autorun MAX! requires no programming knowledge whatsoever! You’ll be amazed with the powerful functionality and stylish visual appeal that Autorun MAX! puts at your mouse-clicking fingertip.

Completely Visual – No programming required. Autorun MAX! features a completely visual drag and drop environment. Simply add content such as photos, videos, music, and text to your pages and position them using your mouse. If you like, you can even use the included alignment tools, including grids and rulers to help keep things straight. We’ve even included lots of extra content like backgrounds, panels, buttons, sound effects and more to get you started. Make your project completely interactive using our simple “fill-in-the-blanks” style system. From opening documents, to running programs, viewing websites and sending email, it couldn’t be easier!

Includes a Collection of Ready-to-Use Templates. One of the features which makes Autorun MAX! so quick and easy to work with is the included library of ready-to-use project templates. We’ve included templates for all of the popular autorun CD projects like basic CD menus, electronic business cards and much more. To apply a template simply select it in the new project dialog and Autorun MAX! will do the rest. All you have to do is substitute your content for the placeholder content and publish. Autorun MAX! templates guarantee professional autorun CDs for anyone, in just a few clicks!

Easy Publishing – Burn to CD, Send by Email & More. Whether you prefer to distribute your projects via email, CD-ROM, the internet, or even a CD ISO image, Autorun MAX! makes it a breeze with the handy Publishing Wizard. With just a few clicks you can generate all the files you need to get the job done quickly and correctly. Autorun MAX! can even directly burn your autorun CDs without any need for external CD burning software. The Autorun MAX! Publishing Wizard is clearly laid out and very easy to use, even if you have no prior experience creating your own autorun CDs.

Download the Free Trial and Get Started Now

The best way to experience the value of Autorun MAX! is to try it out first hand. You can download the free trial version of Autorun MAX! by clicking here. The free trial version will continue to work for a period of 30 days, so you have plenty of time to build projects and see for yourself what a great tool Autorun MAX! is. There is no other software in its class which is easier to use, or faster to work with.

development

Setup Factory Product Features

Don’t be fooled by products costing twice as much – Setup Factory 8 has everything you need to make rock-solid professional software installers. It’s also easier to use and faster to work with. Setup Factory 8 features a quick-start project wizard, customizable dialogs, themes/skins, runtime modules, multilingual support, MD5 encoded serial numbers, single-file setup.exe for internet downloads, powerful scripting engine with 250+ functions, Authenticode support and much more.

Standard Features

Install Any File – Anywhere!
Setup Factory 8 features an unbeatable development environment that puts you in total control of your files. Simply drag and drop your files and folders onto the project window and you’re ready to build. Setup Factory is smart enough to maintain your folder structure, automatically query version resource information, create shortcut icons and ensure 100% data integrity with reliable CRC-32 checking. Of course, everything can be customized and overridden if you wish, but for most projects the improved Project Wizard can handle it all with just a few clicks.

Compact Single-File Setups
Smaller and faster means a better experience for your customers and Setup Factory 8 delivers. Compare our tiny ~450 KB runtime overhead (including uninstall) to the competition and see for yourself. Additionally, with no “unpacking” step required, Setup Factory 8 installers are also much faster to initialize and install than those created by competitive tools. What’s more, our Publishing Wizard walks you through the build process with a few easy steps. The single-file setup.exe is ready for distribution by web, email, LAN, CD, DVD and even floppy disk.

Project Wizard Quick-Start
Spend five minutes with Setup Factory’s easy to use Project Wizard and come away with a complete, ready to build installation project. You’ll be walked through each option so you can get your project started as quickly as possible.

Flexible Uninstaller
Setup Factory 8 features a new and improved uninstall feature. Simply turn it on and let Setup Factory worry about removing your files. Anything that is installed during the setup will be marked for removal by the uninstaller. However, if you want to go in and tinker with the settings, you’ll find that the uninstaller is now fully customizable. You can take full control of what files are removed, what shortcut icons are deleted, what registry changes are made and anything else you require. Even the dialog screens and sequence can be adjusted to suit your needs!

System Requirements Checking
You can easily enforce system requirements just by clicking a few boxes. Built-in checks include operating system, memory, screen resolution, color depth and administrator privileges. If the user’s system does not meet the minimum requirements you have chosen, the installer can either warn the user or abort the setup entirely.

Advanced Features

NEW! Support for Files Larger Than 2GB
Are you distributing massive data files? Setup Factory 8 is up to the challenge. While many installers will choke on files larger than 2GB in size, Setup Factory 8 sails right on through. In fact, with our new LZMA data compression, you’ll also get dramatically better compression ratios and lightning fast installs.

Serial Numbers, Security and Access Features
Setup Factory includes a variety of features designed to help you manage access to your software, including serial number lists and date-based expiration. With its powerful serial number generator you can quickly create thousands of unique serial numbers, which are stored internally as secure MD5 hashes. Hidden from prying eyes, your installer data is compressed using proprietary algorithms and only accessible to those users who supply a valid serial number. Of course, if you’d rather do it yourself, Setup Factory 8 is flexible enough to support your own custom validation and authorization schemes.

Packages, Categories and Install Types
Creating installers for complex and multi-part products is now easier than ever. With dramatically improved support for grouping files into packages, it’s a snap to group products and features into a single installer. There’s even support for categories so you can group your packages into logical components. It’s the ultimate in flexibility for those large projects that need to support different installation types like typical, minimum, complete and custom.

Dependency Modules & Runtime Support
Instantly add runtime support for many popular third-party technologies, including Visual Basic 5.0, Visual Basic 6.0, DCOM, JET, MDAC, Visual C++ and more. Additional dependency modules are easy to create and integrate seamlessly into the development environment. Setup Factory 8 gives you complete control over the detection and installation of each module, so you can easily adjust the behavior to suite your particular requirements.

NEW! Latest Technologies
In addition to the classic modules like Visual Basic 5.0/6.0, DCOM, JET and MDAC – Setup Factory 8.0 now includes easy-to-use runtime dependency modules for the newest and most popular technologies like .NET 3.0, .NET 3.5, SQL Express 2005, Visual C++ 2008 and Windows Installer 3.1 v2.

International Language Support
Setup Factory 8 offers unsurpassed support for multilingual installations right out of the box. While some products charge you extra for this essential feature (or don’t offer it at all), Setup Factory 8 gives you everything you need to support your customers and clients around the world. Installers created with Setup Factory can automatically determine the language of the client operating system and adjust the display of screens and messages appropriately. Whether you need to support English, French, German, Spanish, Italian or any other language recognized by Windows, with Setup Factory 8.0 you simply provide the text and your installer takes care of the rest!

NEW! LZMA Data Compression
With Setup Factory 8’s new high performance LZMA data compression, you’ll see remarkably smaller installers as well as faster installation performance than ever before. Compared to Setup Factory 7, our test results show up to 300% better compression performance and up to 20% faster installation speed. You’ll be able to fit more on each CD/DVD (that’s a potentially huge manufacturing cost savings) and reduce your bandwidth for Internet distributed installers (that saves both you and your customers time and money). Additionally, customers will notice that your installers finish faster – and that means happier customers!

NEW! Automatic Authenticode Signing
It’s never been faster or easier to “codesign” your installer executable. Authenticode signing is incredibly important for both Internet downloads and Vista compatibility. Simply point Setup Factory 8 to your certificate and private key files, give it the description information and it will automatically sign your setup.exe during the build process.

Customize the Look of Your Installer

Install Wizard Screens
Over 20 pre-built layouts handle just about any task your installer could want, and it’s easy to adjust them to fit your needs exactly using the advanced dialog editor. There’s everything from check boxes, radio buttons and edit fields to popular screens like license agreements, serial number verification, shortcut folder selection and other advanced options. Each screen features a real-time preview so you can see the result of your changes as you work.

Themes and Skins
Choose from dozens of pre-made themes (skins) for your screens or even make your own. It’s as easy as viewing a live dialog preview and picking your favorite style. You can configure everything from fonts (face, color, size, style) and banner images to body/background graphics, control colors (buttons, check boxes, radio buttons) and more. Whether your installer needs a corporate feel or a hip attitude, you can do it with Setup Factory 8!

NEW! Visual Dialog Editor
One of your most asked for features is finally here. You now have the freedom to create your own custom dialogs from scratch! Start off with an empty wizard dialog and then drop whatever controls you require onto it. Resize them, reposition them, call script code and much more. It’s fully featured and totally visual. When one of the built-in dialogs doesn’t get you where you want to go, the new visual dialog editor is sure to fit the bill.

Background Window Options
Choose between the traditional setup-wizard style or the modern Windows Installer style interface. You can customize the background window with gradients, images, color washes, headlines and footer text with 3D effects. Now you can also select a custom taskbar icon, force the setup window to remain on top of other windows or even hide the taskbar icon completely for totally silent installs.

NEW! Custom Setup Icon and Version Resource Info
You can now change the embedded setup.exe icon as well as the embedded version resource information (comments, product version, company name, product name, description, trademark, copyright etc.). While other installers force you to display their branding to your customers, Setup Factory 8 gives you the freedom to brand your installer however you see fit.

Scripting System for 100% Flexibility

Powerful Scripting Engine
Setup Factory incorporates an incredibly powerful free-form scripting engine. Based on the popular LUA language, this easy to understand scripting language features everything from “for, repeat and while” loops, to “if/else” conditions, functions, variables and tables (associative arrays). Paired with the built-in action library, full mathematical evaluation and Boolean expressions, there’s simply nothing you can’t achieve. Of course, we’ve also built in an “Action Wizard” and “Code Wizard” so even complete novices can create powerful installers that handle even the most demanding installation tasks.

Extensive Action Library
Setup Factory comes with a built-in library of more than 360 easy to use actions, so you can do whatever you need without having to be an advanced programmer. There are actions to handle everything from text file editing to system registry changes. You can execute programs, call DLL functions, query drive information, manipulate strings, copy files, enumerate processes, start and stop services, interact with web scripts, display dialog boxes and much more.

Fill-in-the-Blanks Style Action Wizard
You don’t have to be a wizard to create powerful installers with Setup Factory 8. We’ve built the wizard into the software! Simply choose the action you want from a categorized list (complete with on-screen interactive help), fill in the requested information fields and the wizard does the rest. You don’t have to know anything about scripting or programming – just fill in the blanks and you’re done. Making changes is just as easy. Click on the line you want to change and press the “edit” button to go back to the original form. It’s really that easy.

Color Syntax Highlighting Action Editor
If you’ve outgrown the Action Wizard interface or simply want to unleash the power of the fast and efficient scripting engine, we’ve got you covered. The Setup Factory 8 freeform action editor features all of the professional features you’d expect. There’s color syntax highlighting, code completion, function highlighting, as-you-type action prototypes, Ctrl+Space function listings and even context-sensitive help. If you’re used to programming in Microsoft® Visual Basic, Microsoft® Visual C++ or any other modern development language, you’ll be right at home.

NEW! Stand Alone Script Editor
Setup Factory 8.0 now includes the Indigo Rose Script Editor application. This new stand-alone program allows you to edit your installer scripts outside of the Setup Factory 8 IDE. Includes support for syntax highlighting, intellisense code completion and help file integration. Simply run “IRScriptEditor.exe” from the Setup Factory 8 program folder.

NEW! Extensive MSI Action Library
For when you want your Setup Factory 8 “script” installer to interact with “MSI” installers like Indigo Rose’s MSI Factory. These new actions leverage the Windows Installer service technology on the user’s system. They make it easy to query the state of products, features and components on the user’s system that were installed with a MSI Windows Installer package.

Expandable with Action Plugins
Setup Factory 8 can be easily expanded with Action Plugins. These plugin modules can extend the product in infinitely powerful ways, such as adding support for databases, XML, data encryption and FTP file transfers. Tight integration with the design environment – including IntelliSense style code completion and syntax highlighting – makes them just as easy to use as built-in actions. Plugins are available through Indigo Rose as well as third-party developers thanks to Indigo Rose’s freely available plugin development kit.

NEW! Custom Error Handling Events
Sometimes things go wrong during install or uninstall. Perhaps the user doesn’t have the correct system requirements, or is missing a required application. With Setup Factory 8 you can either let the installer handle it with intelligent defaults, or you can now trigger script code thanks to the new “On Install Error” and “On Uninstall Error” events. These events are fired when an error occurs during the setup or uninstall, allowing you to handle it in a custom way.

NEW! More Script Actions than Ever
Setup Factory 8 now comes with over 360 high level functions (actions) for use in your installer scripts. That’s 40+ more than in v7.0. We’ve built in some real goodies too, such as the new MSI action library.

Productivity & Team Development

Built-in Spelling Checker
Now it’s easier than ever to make sure that typos don’t creep into your projects. Basically anywhere you can type, you can perform a spell check to ensure error-free text. Dictionaries are available for over a dozen languages including English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Swedish, Danish, Croatian, Czech, Polish and Slovenian.

Reports and Logs
Keeping track of the essential details of your installation project is now just a couple of clicks away. With improved HTML-based project reports (featuring CSS formatting) and text-based install-time log files, you’ll have an accurate record of everything you need. New options let you control the level of detail being logged, including options for recording errors and script actions.

Silent Installs
Create silent installations that operate without displaying user interface dialogs, prompts, messages or errors. Easily read command defaults from a response file and control the installation automatically. Silent installs let you maintain control over hundreds or thousands of workstations while enforcing corporate standards. New options let you enable silent installs with a command line switch, or even force the installer to always run in unattended mode. Setup Factory 8 installers automatically return command line status codes and can be easily called from batch files and automatic build processes.

Visual Basic Project Scanner
If you’re creating installers for your Visual Basic projects, then look no further! Setup Factory can analyze your VB project and automatically add the necessary runtime files and dependencies for you. There’s even an advanced executable scanner that can assist you in determining required DLL’s and libraries for those difficult to manage multi-team projects.

Unattended Builds
Setup Factory 8 fits seamlessly into your daily build process. Creating your product installer every time you build your source code makes it easy to test early and often. Simply include your Setup Factory project in your build process to run automatically and output a finished setup.exe.

NEW! Plays Well with Source Control
For those of you who prefer to keep your Setup Factory project files in a source control system, we’ve made it possible to turn off the recording of file time, statistical data, and version information inside the project file. This makes it much easier to add Setup Factory project files to source control and not trigger immaterial “changes.”

100% Compatible

Works with Windows 95 through Windows 7
While other installer tools are dropping support for older operating systems such as Windows 95 and 98, we believe that your choice of installation builder shouldn’t limit your potential market. Setups created with Setup Factory 8 work just fine on every Windows operating system from Windows 95 to Windows 7.

NEW! Updated for Windows 7, Vista, XP, Server 2003 and Server 2008
Build your installer with Setup Factory 8.2 and relax. We’ve included all of the latest OS detections, automatically populated built-in variables with the latest “popular” folder locations (e.g. CommonDocumentsFolder, MyMusicFolder, MyPicturesFolder, MyVideosFolder) and built-in the smarts so your installer will work on the newest operating systems as well as legacy systems all the way back to Windows 95. Ask the competition if they can do that…

NEW! 64 Bit Windows
There is now a new global variable that returns the location of “_ProgramFilesFolder64″ as well as session variables for locating “%ProgramFilesFolder64%” and “%CommonFilesFolder64%.”

Comprehensive User’s Guide

We listened when you said you wanted more learning resources. The new user’s guide has been written from scratch to cover everything you need to know to create professional installers. You’ll learn everything from basics like working with files and customizing the user interface all the way up to lessons on mastering the scripting language and creating multilingual installers. It’s sure nice to have when you want to move beyond the wizards and get the most out of your software investment.

development

Frequently Asked Questions for AutoPlay Media Studio

AutoPlay Media Studio 7.5 is an easy-to-use software tool that allows you to create your own custom CD/DVD-ROM autorun menus, interactive presentations, and custom multimedia programs in just minutes. Use your existing content such as images, music, video, flash, text, and more, and simply drag and drop your way to amazing software applications.

Here are some answers to common questions about AutoPlay Media Studio 7.5…

Who Needs AutoPlay Media Studio?

Anyone who wants to create their own multimedia software needs AutoPlay Media Studio. Whether you are creating an autorun menu for a software CD-ROM/DVD-ROM, distributing document files, PowerPoint presentations, Acrobat PDF files or making full multimedia applications, AutoPlay Media Studio is the tool for you.

What can I do with AutoPlay Media Studio?

Quite simply, AutoPlay Media Studio helps you make professional multimedia software. While the product excels at certain tasks like making front-end browsers for CD/DVD-ROMs (i.e. Autorun/AutoPlay menus), that’s just the beginning. Integrating diverse media types such as images, sounds, videos, text, and flash into a single cohesive presentation is what AutoPlay Media Studio does best. In fact, it’s been trusted to deliver rock-solid multimedia experiences to millions of people around the world. Examples include:

• Multimedia Authoring & Application Development
• Computer Based Training (CBT) Applications
• CD-ROM AutoPlay/Autorun Menu Systems
• Interactive Marketing Presentations
• CD Business Cards
• Much more!

How easy is it to learn?

AutoPlay Media Studio has always been known for its easy-to-use visual design environment. Easily add interactive objects (images, video, text etc.) to your project and move them into position with the help of alignment tools, guidelines, and grids. Once you’ve completed your interface, it’s a snap to attach powerful actions to events such as mouse clicks and key presses. Whether opening a PDF file, playing a video, or showing a web site, the Action wizard makes it easy to choose from over 500 built-in functions. It’s just as powerful as Visual Basic, Delphi, Director or C++, but it’s much easier to learn and faster to get results.

Does AutoPlay Media Studio have a drag-and-drop WYSIWYG interface?

Yes. AutoPlay Media Studio boasts an intuitive drag-and-drop WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) interface. Adding images, videos, and other content is as easy as clicking a button. Or, simply drag your media into the Design Environment from Windows Explorer. Moving and re-arranging items in your project is just as easy; just drag them around the page! What you see when you are designing your project is what your users will see when they run your project. Adding and working with content has never been easier!

Can I make business card CD’s and video projects with AutoPlay Media Studio?

Absolutely! While AutoPlay Media Studio was originally designed to create front-end menus for CD-ROM’s, the new features in AutoPlay Media Studio 7.5 make it the perfect tool for any multimedia task you can throw at it. Create stunning CD business cards, dazzling video projects, or anything else that you can dream up!

Can AutoPlay Media Studio Burn to DVD?

Yes! AutoPlay Media Studio 7.5 can now burn DVD+/-R’s right from the design environment. Simply select ‘CD/DVD’ as your publish method, insert a blank DVD, and AutoPlay Media Studio 7.5 takes care of the rest. DVD’s burnt through AutoPlay Media Studio will play in any Windows computer that can read DVD+/-R format discs.

Does AutoPlay Media Studio support Adobe/Macromedia Flash?

Yes! AutoPlay Media Studio comes standard with a Flash object, enabling you to seamlessly integrate your Flash files into your AutoPlay Media Studio projects.

What video formats does AutoPlay Media Studio support?

AutoPlay Media Studio supports a variety of video formats including Windows Media Video (WMV), AVI, and MPEG. In addition, through the web object, AutoPlay Media Studio can display any video that can be viewed through Internet Explorer, such as QuickTime and Real Video. Please consult the help file for a complete list of supported video formats.

What image formats does AutoPlay Media Studio support?

AutoPlay Media Studio supports a variety of image formats including BMP, JPG, GIF, PNG, PSD, and TIF. Please consult the help file for a complete list of supported image formats.

What audio formats does AutoPlay Media Studio support?

AutoPlay Media Studio supports a variety of audio formats including OGG and WAV. MP3 files can be played through the Windows Media Player plugin. Please consult the help file for a complete list of supported audio formats.

What operating systems do AutoPlay Media Studio projects run on?

Applications created with AutoPlay Media Studio 7.5 will run on Windows 95B and above. Please consult the help file for a complete list of system requirements.

Can I use AutoPlay Media Studio with Macs?

Unfortunately, AutoPlay Media Studio is designed for use with Windows only. It currently does not support other operating systems such as Mac. That being said, AutoPlay Media Studio does support a variety of cross-platform technologies, such as universal video formats and Macromedia Flash.

Do I need to be a programmer to use AutoPlay Media Studio?

Absolutely not! With its intuitive drag-and-drop WYSIWYG interface and easy-to-use action wizard, both programmers and non-programmers alike can create professional, fully functional applications in a matter of minutes. Beginners will appreciate the quick results while power users love the flexibility of the software.

Can I create web pages with AutoPlay Media Studio?

No. AutoPlay Media Studio is designed to create multimedia applications such as CD front-end menus, CD business cards, presentations, etc. It is not able to generate web pages. With that being said, you can publish to a self-contained executable which can be hosted on a website for your users to download. You can even host web pages within your application, thanks to the included Web object.

Are there any templates to work from?

Yes! AutoPlay Media Studio ships with 20+ templates to choose from. As well, both Indigo Rose staff members and users alike post sample projects from time to time on the Indigo Rose forums.

How long does it take to create a project?

Simple yet fully functional applications can be created in a matter of minutes! It really depends on what you are trying to create. Suffice to say, you can create impressive multimedia projects faster and easier with AutoPlay Media Studio, than you could with any traditional software development tool, like Visual C++, Delphi or Visual Basic.

Do any large companies use AutoPlay Media Studio?

AutoPlay Media Studio is used by thousand of companies, both large and small alike. Large companies love our royalty-free licensing policy, while small companies and individual users enjoy the multitude of features for an affordable price.

Do I have to pay any royalties to distribute my AutoPlay Media Studio created applications?

Absolutely not! AutoPlay Media Studio’s license agreement lets you distribute published applications on a royalty-free basis. In other words, once you purchase the commercial version of AutoPlay Media Studio, there are no additional costs to distribute your applications.

Is AutoPlay Media Studio only for creating CD-ROM menus?

No! AutoPlay Media Studio is a powerful multimedia design tool that can be used to design any multimedia application. Our users have used AutoPlay Media Studio to create everything from computer-based training applications to simple CD business cards. No matter what your multimedia task, AutoPlay Media Studio is up to the challenge.

Can I distribute my projects by email?

AutoPlay Media Studio can publish to a self-extracting executable file, which is perfect for internet distribution. While it is possible to attach this file to an email message, due to many modern spam filters blocking executable attachments, your best bet is to post the generated file to a web server and email your clients a link that they can use to download your application.

What type of files can I use within my AutoPlay Media Studio project?

Any file that can be read from Windows can be opened using AutoPlay Media Studio 7.5. Some files, such as images and videos, can be displayed within your AutoPlay application through objects. All other files, (such as PPT, DOC, XLS and PDF) can be opened in their default system viewers.

Can AutoPlay Media Studio react to mouse clicks and mouse movement?

Absolutely! AutoPlay Media Studio can detect mouse movement, and both left and right mouse-clicks. With this powerful interactivity AutoPlay Media Studio can perform tasks when objects are clicked and display pop-up menus when the user right-clicks within your project. You can even perform tasks each time the user moves the mouse! Thanks to the flexibility and high level of interactivity, the possibilities are limitless.

Can AutoPlay Media Studio read and write registry values and INI files?

Yes! AutoPlay Media Studio comes standard with easy-to-use actions for reading from and writing to the user’s registry as well as reading from and writing to INI files. As well, there are actions to determine if the user has the appropriate permissions to read from and/or write to the registry or to INI files.

What objects are included in AutoPlay Media Studio 7.5?

AutoPlay Media Studio 7.5 includes a plethora of objects allowing you to include a wide variety of content in your application. Using the built-in objects, you can include images, videos, text files, interactive buttons, Flash files, and web content. As well, AutoPlay Media Studio comes with objects for displaying combobox dropdown menus, progress bars, and selection trees. In addition to the built-in objects, AutoPlay Media Studio can be expanded through object plugins. Some of the plugins available allow you to include a calendar, a slider and image thumbnails in your project.

Can I add my own information to the file properties of the published executable?

Yes! The commercial version of AutoPlay Media Studio 7.5 allows you to customize the information displayed in the file properties of your published application’s executable.

Can I change the icon of the published executable?

Yes! The commercial version of AutoPlay Media Studio 7.5 allows you to customize the icon displayed both in your application, as well as the icon associated with the executable of your published application.

Can I change the properties of objects at runtime?

Yes! Every object in AutoPlay Media Studio 7.5 has corresponding easy-to-use actions allowing you to retrieve the existing object properties, and set new properties at runtime. As well, you can create and destroy objects at runtime through actions.

development

Frequently Asked Questions

Software developers, network administrators and end-users alike share in the benefits of TrueUpdate 3.5 enabled software. Developers appreciate it for the control it gives them over their deployed software. Network administrators benefit from improved security and better control of network nodes. End-users see TrueUpdate enabled software as an assurance of quality – a symbol that the developer is there to stand behind their product.

Here are some answers to common questions about TrueUpdate 3.5…

Who needs TrueUpdate?

Any company who develops software applications or distributes data needs TrueUpdate. Any organization that needs to ensure its network is secure and updated with the latest patches needs TrueUpdate. Anyone who needs timely and secure synchronization of documents and files needs TrueUpdate. Ensuring that everyone is using the most recent point release of a particular package makes good sense. It eliminates legacy technical support calls, and corresponding user frustration. It ensures that data is current. It also serves to maintain customer satisfaction. And that’s something everyone can appreciate.

Is TrueUpdate Vista Compatible?

Yes! TrueUpdate’s design workspace and generated updates are compatible with Windows Vista, including a configurable “requested execution level” setting for the update’s manifest.

What can you do with TrueUpdate?

Software products and network clients that have been TrueUpdate enabled can quickly and efficiently determine if they are out of date. Embedding TrueUpdate into a software product makes it extremely easy to manage, control and update “in the field”. Likewise, deploying the TrueUpdate client to computer systems throughout your network gives you a fast and manageable way to ensure that each node is current with the latest patches, documents and data that your company requires.

What’s wrong with traditional update methods?

One of the most serious problems with traditional update methods is that they require the users to do most of the work. The problem with relying on an update process that demands too much user involvement is obvious; the users might decide it isn’t worth the hassle to keep their systems up to date. This results in a higher incidence of legacy support issues, more security holes and other related problems. Additionally, when users don’t update, they don’t benefit from bug fixes and product improvements. TrueUpdate helps solve all of these problems.

What is automated updating?

Automated updating is the ability of software to handle some or all of the update process so the user doesn’t have to. The update process consists of all the steps required to determine whether a newer version exists for a given piece of software, as well as all the steps required to bring an older version up to date. Automating the update process allows software to keep itself current after it has been deployed to users.

How important is automated updating?

Today’s rapid product cycles, security vulnerabilities and short turnaround times make it more important than ever to get new versions into the hands of users quickly and efficiently. The Internet has created a highly competitive market where users expect immediate results and the prize often goes to the company that reacts the most quickly to changes in user needs and perceptions. In order to streamline software deployment, it is becoming increasingly desirable for software authors to incorporate automated updating abilities into their software.

How does TrueUpdate benefit the software developer?

The easier it is for your users to update your software, the more likely it is that your users will be using the latest version. Your technical support team will have fewer legacy issues to deal with. The easier it is for you to release updates, the more often you can release them. You won’t have to hold back releases until you have made enough changes to justify the effort required to prepare updates using traditional update methods.

Why add TrueUpdate to your software application?

In a traditional release cycle, once your application or data files are released to customers, clients or other end-users, they are static, expensive and time-consuming to alter. However, once you add TrueUpdate to your application, you’ll be able to easily update your product or data as often as you require. From the developer’s point of view, when a new software release is available – perhaps a bug has been fixed – TrueUpdate makes it trivial to publish the changes and bring all of your users up to date. The next time the user runs the application, TrueUpdate will detect that a new release is available and take steps to handle it.

How easy is it to add TrueUpdate to an application?

As a self-contained executable, the TrueUpdate client can be integrated into your application in less than a day. While the actual time required depends on the amount of integration you desire and your level of programming knowledge, most developers should be able to complete the job in just a few hours. We even include sample source code for adding a “Check for Update” menu command and tips to get you going.

Alternatively, the TrueUpdate client executable can be distributed directly, rather than being embedded within an application. This allows the TrueUpdate client to be called manually from the start menu, from a shortcut on the user’s desktop or automatically with system schedulers. This method of adding TrueUpdate to your application is as easy as installing a shortcut onto the user’s system.

How does TrueUpdate impact technical support?

TrueUpdate allows your users to benefit quickly from any new features and bug fixes you develop. Ensuring that users benefit from all the bug fixes you’ve released reduces the incidence of support calls. Keeping users up to date makes it easier to support them when incidents occur.

How will TrueUpdate impact our customers and clients?

Today’s users are savvy; they demand responsiveness from software companies and they want tools that meet their needs and make them more productive. In order to maintain customer loyalty and maximize the user’s experience with your software, you need to make updating the software as easy as possible. Making it easy for users to update your software shows that you’re committed to supporting it.

How does TrueUpdate benefit the network administrator?

Keeping a corporate, educational or government network up-to-date with the latest security patches, applications updates and operating system fixes is a time consuming ordeal. Without tools like TrueUpdate, the task is virtually impossible. By installing the TrueUpdate client onto your networked computers, you’ll be able to quickly and effectively roll out whatever software you want throughout your organization. The client software can analyze the computer system, decide what is currently installed and then take whatever actions you determine are needed to bring that system up-to-date. It’s fast, easy and automatic.

I’m not a developer…do I still need TrueUpdate?

Absolutely! You don’t need to be a software developer to benefit from TrueUpdate. As a stand-alone executable, the TrueUpdate client can be used to update all kinds of files. You could use TrueUpdate to distribute product catalogs to your sales teams, or to remotely configure system files across your corporate network. Price lists, help files, quarterly reports, internal support videos – TrueUpdate can help you keep anything up to date.

Does TrueUpdate actually install files?

With a full suite of file operations, including specialized actions to download, copy, delete, rename and even zip and unzip files, TrueUpdate may be all you need to install files onto a user’s system. For situations requiring a more manageable and compartmentalized solution to file installation and patching, we’d recommend using Indigo Rose’s TrueUpdate and Visual Patch products. Used in conjunction with TrueUpdate, these products make up a complete and robust software deployment and management solution.

System Requirements

In order to build updates, a developer requires:

• Windows 2000/XP/Vista
• 512 MB RAM
• 1024×768 display resolution
• 100 MB free hard drive space

In order to run the update client, an end user requires:

• Windows 95/98/ME/NT4(SP6)/2000/XP/Vista
• 128 MB RAM
• 640×480 display resolution
• 50 MB free hard drive space

In order to host the update server components:

• Any standard web server, including Apache and IIS
• Any operating system, including Windows, UNIX, Linux
• Any hardware platform, including Dell, HP, IBM, Sun