ContentsChanges from 5.0 to 6.0
Familiar with AutoPlay Media Studio 5.0?
Here’s what you need to know to get right up to speed with v6.0!
AutoPlay Media Studio 6.0 was developed with v5.0 users in mind. While a plethora of new features have been added, v6.0 remains 100% compatible with v5.0 projects. Best of all, there is no complicated import process to convert your v5.0 projects; simply open any .am5 file in v6.0 and start working!
A combobox object, progress object, and tree object have been added to the army of objects available in AutoPlay. The combobox object allows you to present users with a dropdown list of choices; the progress object allows you to display progress in your project; and the tree object allows you to display information and choices in a collapsible tree view.
AutoPlay Media Studio 6.0 contains 454 actions right out of the box. All of the actions existing in version 5.0 exist, as well as some new very powerful ones. For example, it is now possible to change almost any property of any object at runtime using a SetProperties action. Likewise, any object can now be created at runtime (through script) by using a Page.CreateObject action.
When you want to perform a quick task, such as closing the application when the user clicks on an 'exit' button, or pausing the background music when the user clicks on a pause button, you can make use of the Quick Actions. Quick actions allow you to perform some of the most common tasks with zero scripting knowledge.
In addition to performing actions whenever objects are clicked or otherwise interacted with, AutoPlay Media Studio 6.0 now allows you to perform tasks every time the mouse is moved or a button is clicked. You can also perform actions whenever the user right-clicks with the mouse. As well, any time the window is resized you can perform actions (moving / resizing objects) with the On Size event.
Perhaps the most anticipated new feature of AutoPlay Media Studio 6.0 is the ability to create dynamically-resizing applications. While previous versions of AutoPlay restricted the created application to a pre-specified size, applications created with v6.0 can be resized by the user. If you enable this feature, your users can either resize the window by dragging on the window border or by clicking on the maximize button on the window title bar. Of course you can also change the size of the window through actions.
Choosing Tools > Script Explorer in v6.0 allows you to edit all scripts in your project from one central location. Need to copy a script from a button on page 1 to a label object on page 6? No problem! Just open the script editor, and you are ready to go!
The Object and Pages panes have been replaced in v6.0 by the project explorer. The project explorer is a tree view of all pages and objects in your project. As well, you can display all available events in the project explorer.
Included in v6.0 is the file layout viewer. From this dialog, you can view both your project layout as well as your local system. Adding new files to your project is a breeze!
Objects can now be created and modified at runtime. Using GetProperties and SetProperties actions, you can change almost every aspect of existing objects. As well, using Page.CreateObject, you can create an object right from script!
Up until now, any published application created with AutoPlay Media Studio has been stamped with Indigo Rose's information and forced to use a generic icon for the exe file itself. In version 6.0, we allow you to set your own custom file properties information, and use a custom icon for the exe. While we still hold the copyright for the runtime, many of our users have requested this feature, and we listened!
Most high-quality professional design programs have some form of guidelines that can be used to line up objects. Now, AutoPlay Media Studio 6.0 has guidelines too! With both page-specific guidelines and project-wide guidelines, you can line up objects on just one page, or use a project-wide guideline and have it show up on all of your pages at design-time. Objects snap to the guidelines by default, allowing you to easily align them; however, you can disable this feature if you prefer.
By default, right-clicking on your application’s system tray icon will present three options: Restore, Minimize, and Exit. If these options don’t suit your needs, add more! AutoPlay Media Studio 6.0 allows you complete control over what items are displayed in that right click menu, if a menu is displayed at all.
It’s now possible to add a standard Windows style menu bar to your project. It’s easy to configure and edit, even letting you configure nested items. When a menu item is selected, it fires a project event telling you what was chosen, allowing you to take whatever action you desire.