I need ideas...

[coulda_been_me]

What does it need, I need ideas....

I am making a desktop / Operating System simulation called GINW OS.

I would like your ideas / comments on it.

http://coulda-been-me.port5.com/ginw.swf

best run in stand-alone player (flash MX)

my website: http://yfm.port5.com/start.html

[iredlands]

do you see this having some commercial value?

if so you need to get out of flash / unless macromedia are going to release a binary player

if its just a project, your designs are good & clean, i would probably make the menu access a bit different - with flyout submenus and the screen resolution fit to full screen.

be interesting to see it in the commercial market - youd have uncle bill running scared

steve

[coulda_been_me]

I would love to know how to code in LINUX or somthing...but I dont.

My monitor only works in 640*480, so its full screen for me...

thanks for the submenu idea, ill try it...

Did you know if you click on the "Dock GINW" icon it also brings up a menu.

Also using the mouse click and drag on the desktop to "draw" a icon selection "box".

I am tring to fix some errors with the "dock".

Thanks for commenting!

[iredlands]

look under xfree86

documentation @

www.tldp.org

best of luck
steve

[brutfood]

I couldn't get it to work (has it been tested on a mac?). But I am really interested in seeing it. If you want to peek behind the curtain at what I've been working on:-

i2genius.com/home.html

(the home bit gets removed when it's ready to publish).

..you'll probably guess why I'm interested.

[Novel_Idea87]

It took me a while to find the main menu at the upper left. I think it disoriented me because the close window is also a small square button at the top left of a window. Almost didn't even see the button in the top left until I went to close the site. Just a suggestion. But I am very impressed. Are you releasing the .fla?

[brutfood]

Hi again,

I managed to get into it - looks cool. Heavily influenced by Mac OS (So be careful about copyright infringement if things get commercial - especially that disk drive icon.)

I'll be launching some internet applications soon (see link I posted earlier). We could get your OS working with my applications perhaps? Are you up to creating a filing system?

What are you using with a 640x480 screen?

Daniel

[coulda_been_me]

Thankyou for your interest

So I made a newer up date...

I added sub-menus, gTunes works...(is finished)

Docking-bay is 95% fixed.

little bits have been added.

I am making this @ home, which only supports 640*480.
Its a pII win98, I cant stand it, its too old...

Thats why I got interested in making this...OS simulation.

Windows users:(ginw.exe)
http://coulda-been-me.port5.com/Ginw.exe

Mac users:(ginw.hqx)
http://coulda-been-me.port5.com/Ginw.hqx

Web-Broswer:(ginw.swf)
http://coulda-been-me.port5.com/ginw.swf

brutfood, do you know how to make flash read your computer?
....."Are you up to creating a filing system?"

I would make one if I know how, or are u talking about a fake filing system?

I really like your drawing app, perhaps we join our projects...
my email: young_flash_master@hotmail.com

NOTE: my website has been offloaded to make space for GINW OS.

[coulda_been_me]

(I stand corrected...)

I havent yet finished gTunes, I still have to finish the
Playlist. It holds 21 tracks but I havent made the scoll work yet.

Note when adding a song for the first time,u must reset
GINW so that gTunes loads the file from the playlist. so that u can play it.

To open playlist hold "Ctrl" and click on "play".

Also it still plays when you "close" gTunes.

Any ideas on another "app" that I could make for GINW.

Windows users:(ginw.exe)
http://coulda-been-me.port5.com/Ginw.exe

Mac users:(ginw.hqx)
http://coulda-been-me.port5.com/Ginw.hqx

[brutfood]

Hi Chris,

Thanks for the Email too. I'm going to post a much more detailed reply on this thread about the functionality of this proposed filing system. I'm still thinking about it.

First a hint about storing and reading variables in cookies on the user's computer. It's easy, for example:-

directory = sharedobject.getLocal("ginw");

directory.data.filelist = new Array();

directory.data.filelist[3]=afilename;
directory.flush(); // flushes the buffers and writes all to disk.

Or you can read the variables in the normal way.

What does GINW stand for anyway? (Gates Is Not Wonderful?)

I think that your demonstrator could be developed into something quite useful in its online (.swf) form - and a catalyst for bringing together online applications that lots of people could write. What you need is a interface specification that app writers can follow. That will be the subject of my next posting.

I'm glad you like my draw application. It hides a lot of complexity behind that simple facade. Some of the logic and mathematics behind what it does gets quite hairy.

[brutfood]

Hi again,

I expect you already knew about cookies, because GINW remembers to open with the clock on the dock or desktop. By the way, I'm still worried about infringing Apple's copyright with the HD icon.

Here are my thoughts about a programmer's interface to GINW. Of course it's your baby, so modify these ideas to suit your vision.


Launching applications:

There are two types of application. Applications that open within GINW, and applications that open in another browser window. Starting an application is easy, either loadMovie() or getURL(). Actually it's best to open new browser windows via a javascript method that turns off scrollbars, buttons, bars etc.

There are two areas of the filing system data files, the NETWORK for files online, and the GINW HD for local files. Every file is associated with an application that created it. So you still launch applications in the same way, followed by a ?fileid=value parameter. It is up to the app writer to retrieve this parameter and use it to pick up their own cookie or online file. Note that a fileid isn't a filename, and there's a cunning reason for that. The same filename may exist in several places in the filing system, and the user is free to move them around or rename them without the creating app knowing about it. A fileid is unique (on that user's computer, for that app anyway).

Moving files between users, or opening a file in a different applications are issues to be solved later - much later. Also, when do we tell an app that the user has thrown away a file and emptied the wastebasket? Best to do this next time the app is activated by passing it further parameters.


Creating new files (save):

This is where the app plugs in to your API. When the user saves a new file from an application, the app itself saves the data either online or in a local cookie. It then passes the following four parameters to GINW: filename, fileid (which the app generates automatically), path, appid (a value understood by GINW, that tells it which application is talking to it).


Loading a file from an application (load):

If you're writing a filing system, it's not that much more work to write save and load windows that also navigate this filing system and can be used by the application.

The load window will make it possible to retrieve a fileid which is understood by the application.


Graphical user interface:

I'm sure you know what to do here. Just make it cool without inflating the .swf file size too much. Obviously, doing something with the GUI also modifies the data structures that sit underneath.


Does this all make sense? The last time I wrote an O/S it was a university assignment in assembly code for a PDP-11, when dinosaurs roamed the earth.

[coulda_been_me]

GINW OS, stands for: Glad Its Not Windows Operating System.

Yes I do know "shared object" or "flash cookies".

I drew the HD icon. so its 100% vecter. But I understand...so i'll change it.

Did you like gTunes?, I am thinking: gText, gDraw, ...

Do you know a script that reads the contents of a users computer?

Or are you wanting the "directory script" just to read the contents of the "GINW apps" and files?

I only know how to use "flash cookies / shared objects", when you talked about saving to the web can "shared objects" save to the web?

I dont know much about html,xml,php,javascript...etc. so saving to the web with html cookies...well.

IF you want I will post a "open source" .fla which will only inclued a "window" which gives the app writer the the correct size of window and the code which GINW uses to "close" and "dock" itself.

Now to the Finder...the filing system.

I had started a little before this new idea of yours...now ours:

When the user entered the details of the playlist of gTunes.
In the finder which would be opened by the HD icon.
A folder labeled gTunes would contain the songs entered by the playlist.

how it would work:

I have a var. which knows the no. of songs in playlist. so everytime the user open the finder/gTunes folder:
(writing in code..sort of)

onLoad (of folder)get playlist no.
Duplicate ".mp3 icon" to the no. with playlist no. var
and get song name for each icon.

so when the user clicks on the icon it will open the .mp3 and play it.

I think that is what you where talking about as well,but also with the net apps?

If so, I think its going to be a happening thing.

I was thinking of a Slogan for GINW: "It Works!"

I am all ears for your help, and together this will be a great project.

(No new updates yet,of GINW for flash kit users.)

Waiting for your responce before further action.

[coulda_been_me]

I just reread your post, and I now think that you want me to start a new project for you that is simular to GINW for the web apps?

Well either way i'll still do it.

[brutfood]

Actually, if you drew the HD icon - you may be ok - I though it was modified from a picture of the MacOS X one.

I like gTunes. I think we should ask is there anyone else out there with applications they could throw into the pot?

I don't know how to read the user's computer other than cookies. There are good security reasons why we shouldn't be able to do this, but stay inside our sandbox.

I do know how to write files to the server. I use a Perl program to format and save the data it is passed. I don't think ginw itself will need to do that yet.

Your directory script would just manipulate the (filname,fileid,path,appid) records. The data itself would be handled by the applications themselves.

For ease, just implement the data structure as an array of records to start with. And these are the methods that manipulate it:-

newfile(filename,fileid,path,appid); //also use to make directories
indirectory(path,[appid]); //returns all files in directory
rename(fileid,newfilename);
movefile(fileid,newpath); //also use to move to trash
emptytrash();

Yes, open source framework for ginw apps is a good idea. How about an open source framework for ginw icons too that open apps in another browser window? And then there's the open source open and save windows that I mentioned before.

I suppose I should tell you now that I have my work cut out on my own projects at least until Christmas. But this is an interesting diversion, so I can always chip-in with advice.

[Lightwave Network]

Cool idea.

If you don't mind, I'll pitch in some of my help, too.

To make the mouse cursor move without obeying the framerate (much smoother this way) then put these scripts in it:

onClipEvent(mouseMove) {
	_x = _root._xmouse
	_y = _root._ymouse
	
	updateAfterEvent()					  
}

Also, I realize you're on a Mac, so this probably wont do any good: For PC users, there's a free program called Flash Studio Pro at http://www.multidmedia.com that allows you to obtain more versatile access to the local computer. It is designed specifically for EXE files, but it allows you to save files to the hard drive, create directories, access database files, access the Windows registry, etc. It's pretty nice--just a little confusing to use at first.

But, since you're on a Mac...I guess the above paragraph is pointless.

Good luck!

[Lightwave Network]

Heh, just reviewed the thread and realized that you're not on a Mac...saw someone else's post.

So, Flash Studio might be an option for ya unless you want to make this project work on both platforms.

[Lightwave Network]

You know, this is a really fun idea. I'm not sure how profitable it is commercially--it can't be distributed as an OS, but more as a "helper" which might be a beautiful help to all of those new computer users who still don't know what a Start button is... I remember way back when Gateway 2000 (when it was GW2K) used to distribute those "Bob" programs that were basically fun graphical GUIs for non-savvy users.

Another thing you may want to consider is making the project somewhat open-source--basically providing a way for the rest of us Flash Junkies to make more programs for your GUI. You would have to provide something short of an SDK, and it would be a fair idea to include all other participants in credits (and if you make a million bucks--you might want to consider sharing that, too...hehe)

Anyway, love the idea. You're in for a fun project--probably in for a few headaches, too, so keep the bottle of Advil handy.

[coulda_been_me]

When starting to re-script Ginw, I found my script would not work for different sized MC'c / "windows".

So I am starting from scratch which also brings to a point:

How do app writers add their .swf to the server?

Before I can go any more:

I need a database that tells GINW the .swf name and its "extentions".

extentions meaing: "file~x" where x is that apps extention.

as flash uses "." as part of its code, instead GINW will use "~"

Can flash "shared ojects" save to the server?,so that I can create the database within flash?

Or will I need some external database file eg: .php ?

which I don't know how to use.

[coulda_been_me]

once the database is formed I could take this further by making user log-on which gives the user a *****peer effect to GINW.

which would make Ginw a Network program instead of a OS.

I would then be able to design a chat app inside Ginw so that users can talk to each other in real time.

CAN ANYONE ANSWER ME:
Can "flash cookies"/"shared object" send info to a server .swf

tell me....

[brutfood]

Occams Razor!