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[The Master]

Don't ask me why but my motivation is up

So since the beautiful things I have planned for my media player are going to take a long time I just figured I'd do a in-between launch.. (I don't really want this new program I'm writing associated with the simple stuff that is Flashtools anyway)

Expect a deadline on this new version of Flashtools to be about 2 weeks more or less

The new version of Flashtools will address the following..

- Fixing the current problems with DDE applications (Office 97, 2000 for example)
- New features for my program including the ability to take spaces (sorta) be able to find the main directory's for Windows (windows, temp, system, system32, program files)
- Either ftoolmsg.exe will be improved or dumped in this new version
- The rewriting of text files after creating (ftooltext)
- Better and more through documentation of all features and uses
- The kill window utility with all features supported in the API (ftoolkill)
- The MCI utility (things relating to playing sounds, cd's ect.) (ftoolmci)
- And a basic Media Player for .avi .mpg files ect. (not recommended but usable)


This new version of Flash Tools or perhaps Flash Command Line Tools (a new name perhaps) should be pretty interesting and should offer new features and toys not yet seen in freeware development

Now there have been a number of suggestions concerning my flashtools programs more specifically a ton for FTOOLTEXT and this is great and everything but I am a learner of things by showing and doing.. and as of yet know one has shown me how to use my own tool or even how to actionscript for it..

Now is the time to come forward with information on how to use it..?? information on how to improve it?? (or any of my other tools for that matter) And even writing a flash application or two, too actionscript for it

If you want to help with this new release by all means come forward and do so.. you shall be credited if you want to be..

If any of these tools sound like they will have immediate benefit to your Flash developing lives, now would be a good time to come forward and beta test these tools.. as I develop them.. if you say you want to beta test them (for ease of use and lack of features) then I will, (this new version of Flashtools will not have the title Beta so as not to confuse certain people that it is a fully compliant and ready to go program..)

- Post them here on the board for download
- Or email them directly to you

(this doesn't just include the files you can help with the documentation too.. if you want)

Okay, so that's about it..
[Edited by The Master on 01-19-2001 at 01:25 PM]

[johnie]

I'll beta test for you. Just post the links or e-mail the links to me.

[supertrucker]

Happy to be a beta tester.

[The Master]

I'll just post links if I have more then one tester.. But as a Beta tester your going to have to know how to write your own command line syntax.. & Chr(9) & stuff

I don't wish to be spending extensive time writing up documenation on that subject, but instead just the new property's of the tools..

Concerning making a better desighn of certain tools the only one that will have a GUI will be the Media Player.. and I'm not going to go to extreme's when making this player perfect as it's really just a tide-me-over until I can go to work on my flash skinable player

Okay well you can probally expect to see new versions of my tools within a day or two to be posted here.. so keep an eye out, the documentation will be worked out after all the tools are done..

[The Master]

The first of the tools are somewhat done.. have a look.. (remember you must have some knowledge to use these tools)

http://theemaster.bizland.com/beta41.zip

[johnie]

The zip is bad- I've downloaded it 3 times and its been corupt 3 times. It probably needs to be re-uploaded.

[The Master]

Well that's weird I downloaded and it was fine but here are some alternative's

https://www.idrive.com/theemaster/files/Shared/
http://theemaster.webjump.com/beta41.zip

[WrecklessRat]

Originally posted by The Master

- New features for my program including ...
- The rewriting of text files after creating (ftooltext)

[Edited by The Master on 01-19-2001 at 01:25 PM]

Greetings Master,

Ability to edit text files would be a real bonus.
When is the ETA for the new ftooltext and can we expect to be able to produce "Reports" using ftooltext
ie output a lot of text to a text file, say a full A4 page of content?

DOS can output a lot of text, but it produces ugly pop ups while executing.
Do you know of a way to tell dos the run "minimised"?


Thanks

WrecklessRat

PS the beta41.zip url works, no problem.

[The Master]

Beta v4.2

Looks like ftoolapp.exe and ftooltext.exe are done unless someone else has suggestions.. (yah I know I'm behind schedule)

I tested these this time on both win9x and NT so there should be no problems..

The download locations are as follows..
60.7 kb

http://theemaster.bizand.com/beta42.zip
http://theemaster.webjump.com/beta42.zip
https://www.idrive.com/theemaster/files/Shared/

This will leave only Ftoolmci and Ftoolkill left.. unless there are suggestions or bugs for existing tools..

[The Master]

Well?

[marcellus2]

Master I have been using FTOOLS for a standalone application I am working on and have found them to be excellent. I have two recommendations regarding the beta42 version of ftoolstext. Firstly I like the ability to rewrite to an existing text file thus enabling the use of multiple variables however I think it would be advantages to have the option of overwriting existing information trough a command line entry eg {fscommand ("Exec", "ftooltext.exe" add mbchr(9) add SaveFile add “filename.txt" add (option to overwrite) mbchr(9) add "#" add textstring add "$");}

Secondly, regarding the problem with spaces. I have been using the following actionscript which I adapted from one placed on a previous thread to replace spaces with poles.

loopindex = length(variable);
index = int (1);
do {
thechar = substring(variable, index, 1);
charord = ord(thechar);
if (charord == 32) {
thechar = "|";
}
variable = substring(variable, 1, index-1) add thechar add substring(variable, index+1, loopindex);
index = index + 1;
} while (index <= loopindex);
loopindex2 = length(op_meas_h);
index2 = int (1);

When I save the file however it contains | instead of spaces. I feel it would be useful for ftooltext to have the ability to convert these back into spaces.

Your tools have made my flash programming much easier and I hope my comments have helped.

[The Master]

Ftooltext v4.21 is done..

I've implemented almost all featured asked for though I could not get spaces to process with this delimiter | instead I went with $

This means a command line text statement now needs to end with % an example of this would be

ftooltext.exe sometextfile.txt #some$statement$in$a$text$file%

I've also added delete, copy and move commands for the command line.. (this will probably be added to ftoolapp as well)

The rewrite function is as you asked for /rewrite however this wasn't implemented for /temp, /system, /windows these routines still check to see if the file exists and then modify the file or create a new one if it doesn't exist (in a way the program still does this anyway)

Lastly there is a question of delimiters.. If anyone has any suggestion that would be helpful the delimiters of #$% can be replaced with any combinations of words or numbers except maybe | and some odd other characters.. but basically it can be replaced with anything.. I have been thinking about weird combinations like :::: whatever the combination it must have two factors

A. Easy to understand for the flash programmer
B. Not limiting the flash coders ability to add that statement to there text file.. (getting around this is to use a statement that they would probably never, ever use.. ore hopefully anyway)

If anyone has any suggestions step forward..

Ftooltext v4.21
33 kb
http://theemaster.bizand.com/ftooltext421.zip
http://theemaster.webjump.com/ftooltext421.zip
https://www.idrive.com/theemaster/files/Shared/

[marcellus2]

Tried the new ftooltext. It is great!

[Budze2]

Hello Master!

First of all: Very nice tool(especially because it is for free)
It would be very cool if you could open the explorer and choose a file, where variables stored and could load this variables into Flash. So with this feature you can programm nearly every apllication that comes to your mind and could things ,you create in your projector,Save and Load like you have programmed it in C, VB or whatever.

Could this be done? - This would be perfect!

I hope my English was good enough to explain it the right way.

Greetinx
Budze

http://www.budze.de

[The Master]

Sorry Budze2 what your talking about is way too complicated to be a command line tool.. Your talking about building a custom projector and that's my next project (but that will be a while)

This new beta features ftoolmci which can currently play .mid and .wav files.. also there is a revision of ftoolapp where I have now added the ability to process spaces via a delimiter of $ (same as what was used in ftooltext v 4.21) Lastly the same /delete, /copy and /move commands have been added to ftoolapp they process exactly the same was as ftootext version 4.21

Beta v4.3
46.6 kb
http://theemaster.bizand.com/beta43.zip
http://theemaster.webjump.com/beta43.zip
https://www.idrive.com/theemaster/files/Shared/

[Northcode]

Budze2, don't give up yet...

SWF Studio will let you browse the file system to locate files (using the FileSys plugin) and return the path of the selected file to your SWF so you can load it up.

SWF Studio isn't free like the ftools, it's $139, but all the plugins I develop to extend the product will be available for free.

You can find a list of features and comparisons with similar products at http://www.northcode.com/studio/features.

[freesoul]

Hello guys!!!!

After reading through all the emails and everything I worked out what I have to do.
I thank you all guys very much for your help.

I couldn't work out the sysinfo.html nor the shellopen - i have to less programming skills to understand that.

But what finally helped for me was the download of the program ftoolapp.exe (beta43).

http://theemaster.webjump.com/beta43.zip

You guys are really great and you are doing a great job for the flash community. ThanXXX a lot.

3soul

[homeiss]

What are you programing FlashTools with now?
At first it was Delphi then I thought you said c++?
Good job on the app so far! I look forward to your stand alone projector.

[The Master]

I'm still using Delphi.. but I'm moving permanently to C/C++ after this next version of Flashtools is done..

I might have had it done by now.. but the damn MCI API has so many damn features.. that I'm still caught in a mess of sorting them out.. and getting them all running right..

While I didn't exactly expect it.. (I thought maybe it might happen) I'll be able to reproduce the exact same product as ***********'s JAVI when I get finished with ftoolmci (of course mine will have more features.. and better customization )

This next version will come with it's own website, better documentation.. ect.

I could use some help if some people have some time.. creating a nifty flash demo or too.. (I've been thinking of designing a nice demo cdplayer.. for ftoolmci but I just don't have the time) Some of the cool things that can be done with ftoolmci is playing, pausing, resuming, changing tracks, open/close cdrom door

Lastly the beta version of the Media Player will be dropped instead for the better video features of ftoolmci

Ftoolmci and ftoolkill should be done shortly (well as I said the MCI API is tough to work though.. there are over 30 MSDN pages on it alone..) There finals will be posted here when completed.. and that will leave about a week to two week's of improvement suggestions before the documention and the website are done..

Since I promised Cd Audio tools by this weekend I'll deliver a early but not yet done version of ftoolmci

Here it is.. (If more download locations are needed let me know)

34.6 kb
http://theemaster.webjump.com/ftoolmci.zip
[Edited by The Master on 04-22-2001 at 03:13 PM]

[homeiss]

I can help you with a flash demo if you want.
just email me at ccone@home.com