Start Predefined Aquarium?

memilm · 04-30-2002, 02:16 PM

Hi,

I am not a programer...
I used to play with Aquazone, another Virtual Reality program wich give the posibility to create more own aquariums but allow only one session of programm to run at once...
I know that my english is bad, but I wish that somebody could implement this simple funktion to start one from a list of more predefined aquariums. Probably would Jim implement in the future Version of saltwateraquarium, something little and very easy to configurate in the Traylist...
I hope I don't angry Jim. When that what I made is unalowed, I bag the admin to delete this entry and scuse me.
I'd like to see what another users said about this (when the admin not delete it).
To start the utility unzip the files and put them in an directory and start the exe. To start your own prefered aquariums edit the ini-file...

{MODERATOR NOTE: We are purging all these old versions of the picker. Please go to later pages to find the latest version.}

Swede · 04-30-2002, 02:49 PM

Hehe! I think I was first to download this.

Crazy or not, I installed it! (hoping it wasn't a virus)

I think the idea to have predefined aquarium settings is quite nice. Specially when more and more fishes and creatures will be available.

It's a fast way to change the population of the aquarium.

BUT, the window leaves a lot o traces if you move it around... Other than that it's a good start!

Until it's banned from this forum, I can recomend a try at least.

If it's against the rules I don't know, but without "borderbenders" we all would still be monkeys in a tree or something...

(I think memilms humble aproach should lead us to treat him with respect at least, or what do you think Jim, Feldon23 and all others...?!)

Your User Name · 04-30-2002, 02:55 PM

Whoa thats actually cool program!

I belive some people wanted this feature to b implemented in future versions of Aquarium.

Do you think its possible to make predefined background and foreground lights go with each setup?

memilm · 04-30-2002, 02:59 PM

I only change the fish in the registry and make no chandes to another settings. The program is only to start something and is made with installation software and it is only to try something and exit; anotherway hold the whole system and give not the cpu-power free.

feldon34 · 04-30-2002, 05:02 PM

I don't THINK there is anything wrong with something that does various Registry profiles. We'll have to wait and see Jim's opinion on it.

I haven't downloaded and tested it yet.

memilm · 05-01-2002, 01:49 PM

Hi,

here are another files that support settings for back-foreground-autolights and starfish. The setting for the last started aquarium will be remain for the next one when the other not change from ini again.

{MODERATOR NOTE: We are purging all these old versions of the picker. Please go to later pages to find the latest version.}

feldon34 · 05-01-2002, 04:36 PM

If this thread is still going 3 weeks from now, I'll take a shot at making something graphical.

memilm · 05-02-2002, 08:25 AM

I hate that I cannot write programs, it would be so nice to have something small in trayicon to start and configure the screensaver...
I'm not pleased with the "look and feel" from my "tool" but that's what I can do...
Hey, is there nobody to make it better ???

feldon34 · 05-02-2002, 08:28 AM

Looks like you managed to write a program to me.

Like I said, if this doesn't get the death knell from Jim, I'll do a graphical version.

Mountainmaster · 05-08-2002, 08:43 PM

Well, I gave this a shot and it seems to be working fine. You can click on a fish pic and then add it to one of the slots with the numbered buttons. No fancy drag 'n drop but very simple to use. Custom settings can be saved as required. Let me know what you think.
And if anyone is wondering, the delete and cancel buttons are not functional yet. Personally I hate programs that don't clean up after themselves, but for now you'll just have to run the included reg-file to uninstall all traces of this program from the registry.

Swede · 05-09-2002, 04:37 AM

Hey! Nice work!

It's a bit confusing to use though. Maybe it's because of this two-click selection style, (first select fish, and then slot) but I see that it's not easy to reduse this to only one click... After a few tries you get used to it, but I think a program needs to be close to foolproof to gain total aprechiation on the market.

One other small request: a button to start the serenescreen from your program also?

I added a picture of your program running, so everybody here can see what we talk about.

James · 05-09-2002, 06:25 AM

Hey that's a nice one

with all the fish pic included the user gains more info about what fish is actually been selected.

and Swed's suggestion about adding a button for launching the SSA is a good one.
and here's another suggestion: what about adding a starfish position selector with on/off glass option? so the user could define the position of start fish with instant effect.
these two setting also linked to the two registry values,
there's no need to define every pixel postion of starfish but with few predefined fixed postion is enough. Just apply the binary value into the "StarFishPos" in registry. and "StarfishOnGlass" for instant effect to let the starfish claw on the glass

This is a very good tweaking tool for SSA
maybe u can include other special settings such as "NoCompressedTextures" and "Blankspace" for advance user

Mountainmaster · 05-09-2002, 11:06 AM

Ok, here is a new version. It now cleans up its own registry key once you delete your last custom setting. The undo button restores the settings found on startup, even if you already applied changes. And yes... there is now a button to launch the aquarium!
As for the starfish, I agree that it would be neat to force it to the glass without having to wait for the right conditions, but I will have to do some experimenting with those binary keys first. We wouldn't want to recreate the floating/disappearing starfish bug again, now would we?

{MODERATOR NOTE: We are purging all these old versions of the picker. Please go to later pages to find the latest version.}

Tiny Turtle · 05-09-2002, 11:20 AM

Swede, it looks like you've caught some of that lose-the-last-letter-disease that have been concentrating on Jim...

/Tin Turtl

cjmaddy · 05-09-2002, 11:21 AM

Mountainmaster, your picker is Brilliant !!!

memilm · 05-09-2002, 12:58 PM

Hi,

the program look great, fine work...
It would be nice to have a list with all saved "setting-files"(replacement for dropdown-list) and a posibility to change the position (up-down) of the "setting-file".
I miss the 2 Starfish options (StarfishAllowedGlass;StarfishOnGlass), the second-one can not be setted from screensaver options.
The "start screensaver" button is OK but when the screensaver ist started you can see no changes, please end the saver and start it again by click on this button.
An tray icon option as button (and commandline option to start it directly in trayicon) and an "exit"-button will be also great.

Swede · 05-09-2002, 02:28 PM

***
off topic

The little Turtle wrote:
Swede, it looks like you've caught some of that lose-the-last-letter-disease that have been concentrating on Jim...

Hm... I have been looking, but I only found one s missing...
Was it "need" ="needs"? Was it only that? Hm... I must be something more, but I have no more time to sit and stare at the last post. I'm in the middle of a session of Dungeon Siege here in Karlskrona, so I leave it for the world to ponder upon.

Sometimes I am a bit dyslxeic... hehe dyslexic and loose the ending of words, or scramble the letters up. Maybe too little blood in my alcohol.

(just kidding)

***

Tiny Turtle · 05-09-2002, 03:17 PM

[offtopic]
Guess I was a bit unclear there. I meant that just as Jim sometimes is referred to as "Sach", James wrote "Swed's" in a post. This was no big issue. I wasn't looking to pick on people's spelling, just trying to make a quick joke...
[/offtopic]

/Tin Turtl

P.S.
If (i.e. when) I make grammatical or orthographical errors, please tell me about it. I'd rather learn than repeat my mistakes.

hpman77 · 05-09-2002, 03:55 PM

* WISHLIST for the fish picker program *

Ok, as it's such a nice program, maybe we can start a wishlist too

My first wishes are:

- Display the name of the fish under each pic
- Maybe find some nice pics of those fish, information and maybe some facts (like feldon's fish guide) and with a nice [?] button you could click that, then a fish icon, and popup a window and show the rendered fish, the real fish pic(s) and the info about it.
- An option to open the aquarium in window mode "docked" below the program screen and, if there's any way to do it, select a new setup and refresh the aquarium on the fly to check what your setup will look like.

Ok, ok, maybe I'm asking for too many things, but after that, it's a wishlist

James · 05-09-2002, 04:14 PM

Mountainmaster
very nice, it looks ur programe going better and better
and I agree the starfish thing, in fact I've treid to alter the binary values of starfishpos long tim e ago and found it is interesting to see u force the starfish anywayeher u want, even sometimes u make it disappers, yes, for some ppl who don't like the starfish,they like the previours buggy version, I remeber someone said this b4 "with this buggy version, there no simple way to get rid of starfish!"(was it u Tiny?or someone else?)
I beleive u have to do some experiment to recored down some binary value of starfish's position,taugh job man! but I wish u all the best.

I beleive a user-friendly graphical user interface is not really easy to design, as u have to suit many ppl's tastes, GUI thing are just something not easy to design, coz I've been thru...

memilm
I don't quite understand what u mean in some of ur sentences,but I rather like to stick with the combo box UI(a technical term for drop down menu),becoz when u create a new setting for a tank, u r dynamically increase the number of predefined tank, using combo box is the easiest way to do that,sbut for a list of tank is static settings, u can only change them but cannot add more tank setting or delete them.

Tiny
Man! u r just so funny, LOL, I realy like ur humour Tiny
I admire u

Swede
Sorry about the missing "e"...

04-30-2002, 02:16 PM	#1
memilm Registered Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: germany Posts: 259	Start Predefined Aquarium? Hi, I am not a programer... I used to play with Aquazone, another Virtual Reality program wich give the posibility to create more own aquariums but allow only one session of programm to run at once... I know that my english is bad, but I wish that somebody could implement this simple funktion to start one from a list of more predefined aquariums. Probably would Jim implement in the future Version of saltwateraquarium, something little and very easy to configurate in the Traylist... I hope I don't angry Jim. When that what I made is unalowed, I bag the admin to delete this entry and scuse me. I'd like to see what another users said about this (when the admin not delete it). To start the utility unzip the files and put them in an directory and start the exe. To start your own prefered aquariums edit the ini-file... {MODERATOR NOTE: We are purging all these old versions of the picker. Please go to later pages to find the latest version.} Last edited by feldon34; 11-26-2002 at 10:55 PM.

04-30-2002, 02:49 PM	#2
Swede Registered Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Karlskrona, Sweden Posts: 172	Hehe! I think I was first to download this. Crazy or not, I installed it! (hoping it wasn't a virus) I think the idea to have predefined aquarium settings is quite nice. Specially when more and more fishes and creatures will be available. It's a fast way to change the population of the aquarium. BUT, the window leaves a lot o traces if you move it around... Other than that it's a good start! Until it's banned from this forum, I can recomend a try at least. If it's against the rules I don't know, but without "borderbenders" we all would still be monkeys in a tree or something... (I think memilms humble aproach should lead us to treat him with respect at least, or what do you think Jim, Feldon23 and all others...?!) 4x / F C Am G F C Am G // Chorus: 3x /F C Am G F C Am G//

04-30-2002, 05:02 PM	#5
feldon34 Forum Administrator Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 10,939	I don't THINK there is anything wrong with something that does various Registry profiles. We'll have to wait and see Jim's opinion on it. I haven't downloaded and tested it yet. "Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed. Everything else is public relations." - George Orwell "If voting changed anything, they'd make it illegal." - Emma Goldman

05-01-2002, 01:49 PM	#6
memilm Registered Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: germany Posts: 259	Here a new one. Hi, here are another files that support settings for back-foreground-autolights and starfish. The setting for the last started aquarium will be remain for the next one when the other not change from ini again. {MODERATOR NOTE: We are purging all these old versions of the picker. Please go to later pages to find the latest version.} Last edited by feldon34; 11-26-2002 at 10:55 PM.

05-01-2002, 04:36 PM	#7
feldon34 Forum Administrator Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 10,939	If this thread is still going 3 weeks from now, I'll take a shot at making something graphical. "Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed. Everything else is public relations." - George Orwell "If voting changed anything, they'd make it illegal." - Emma Goldman

04-30-2002, 02:55 PM	#3
Your User Name Registered Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Home Posts: 4	Whoa thats actually cool program! I belive some people wanted this feature to b implemented in future versions of Aquarium. Do you think its possible to make predefined background and foreground lights go with each setup?

04-30-2002, 02:59 PM	#4
memilm Registered Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: germany Posts: 259	I only change the fish in the registry and make no chandes to another settings. The program is only to start something and is made with installation software and it is only to try something and exit; anotherway hold the whole system and give not the cpu-power free.

05-02-2002, 08:28 AM	#9
feldon34 Forum Administrator Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 10,939	Looks like you managed to write a program to me. Like I said, if this doesn't get the death knell from Jim, I'll do a graphical version. "Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed. Everything else is public relations." - George Orwell "If voting changed anything, they'd make it illegal." - Emma Goldman

05-09-2002, 06:25 AM	#12
James Principal Engineer as SDET Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Was in Auckland, New Zealand, Now in Taipei, Taiwan Posts: 1,406	Hey that's a nice one with all the fish pic included the user gains more info about what fish is actually been selected. and Swed's suggestion about adding a button for launching the SSA is a good one. and here's another suggestion: what about adding a starfish position selector with on/off glass option? so the user could define the position of start fish with instant effect. these two setting also linked to the two registry values, there's no need to define every pixel postion of starfish but with few predefined fixed postion is enough. Just apply the binary value into the "StarFishPos" in registry. and "StarfishOnGlass" for instant effect to let the starfish claw on the glass This is a very good tweaking tool for SSA maybe u can include other special settings such as "NoCompressedTextures" and "Blankspace" for advance user James C Chen Principal Engineer as SDET, Connected Services HTC Corporation 88 Section 3. Zhongxing Road Xindian District, New Taipei City 231, Taiwan www.htc.com

05-09-2002, 11:06 AM	#13
Mountainmaster Liopleurodon Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: 3rd planet Posts: 314	Ok, here is a new version. It now cleans up its own registry key once you delete your last custom setting. The undo button restores the settings found on startup, even if you already applied changes. And yes... there is now a button to launch the aquarium! As for the starfish, I agree that it would be neat to force it to the glass without having to wait for the right conditions, but I will have to do some experimenting with those binary keys first. We wouldn't want to recreate the floating/disappearing starfish bug again, now would we? {MODERATOR NOTE: We are purging all these old versions of the picker. Please go to later pages to find the latest version.} Last edited by feldon34; 11-26-2002 at 10:55 PM.

05-09-2002, 11:20 AM	#14
Tiny Turtle is pleased Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Stockholm, Sweden Posts: 7,365	Swede, it looks like you've caught some of that lose-the-last-letter-disease that have been concentrating on Jim... /Tin Turtl Thanks to Morgan, Tiny Snapshots is up and running again with "Tiny Järvafält" as the latest addition – Go have a look and tell me what you think. "We knew the world would not be the same. A few people laughed, a few people cried, most people were silent. I remembered the line from the Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad-Gita. Vishnu is trying to persuade the Prince that he should do his duty and to impress him takes on his multi-armed form and says, 'Now, I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.' I suppose we all thought that, one way or another." /Robert Oppenheimer on witnessing the first thermonuclear detonation in history.

05-09-2002, 11:21 AM	#15
cjmaddy Registered Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Lancashire, UK Posts: 7,854	Mountainmaster, your picker is Brilliant !!! Last edited by cjmaddy; 05-09-2002 at 11:25 AM.

05-09-2002, 12:58 PM	#16
memilm Registered Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: germany Posts: 259	Nice to see a good program Hi, the program look great, fine work... It would be nice to have a list with all saved "setting-files"(replacement for dropdown-list) and a posibility to change the position (up-down) of the "setting-file". I miss the 2 Starfish options (StarfishAllowedGlass;StarfishOnGlass), the second-one can not be setted from screensaver options. The "start screensaver" button is OK but when the screensaver ist started you can see no changes, please end the saver and start it again by click on this button. An tray icon option as button (and commandline option to start it directly in trayicon) and an "exit"-button will be also great.

05-09-2002, 02:28 PM	#17
Swede Registered Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Karlskrona, Sweden Posts: 172	* off topic The little Turtle wrote: Swede, it looks like you've caught some of that lose-the-last-letter-disease that have been concentrating on Jim... Hm... I have been looking, but I only found one s missing... Was it "need" ="needs"? Was it only that? Hm... I must be something more, but I have no more time to sit and stare at the last post. I'm in the middle of a session of Dungeon Siege here in Karlskrona, so I leave it for the world to ponder upon. Sometimes I am a bit dyslxeic... hehe dyslexic and loose the ending of words, or scramble the letters up. Maybe too little blood in my alcohol. (just kidding) * 4x / F C Am G F C Am G // Chorus: 3x /F C Am G F C Am G// Last edited by Swede; 05-09-2002 at 02:30 PM.

05-09-2002, 03:17 PM	#18
Tiny Turtle is pleased Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Stockholm, Sweden Posts: 7,365	[offtopic] Guess I was a bit unclear there. I meant that just as Jim sometimes is referred to as "Sach", James wrote "Swed's" in a post. This was no big issue. I wasn't looking to pick on people's spelling, just trying to make a quick joke... [/offtopic] /Tin Turtl P.S. If (i.e. when) I make grammatical or orthographical errors, please tell me about it. I'd rather learn than repeat my mistakes. Thanks to Morgan, Tiny Snapshots is up and running again with "Tiny Järvafält" as the latest addition – Go have a look and tell me what you think. "We knew the world would not be the same. A few people laughed, a few people cried, most people were silent. I remembered the line from the Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad-Gita. Vishnu is trying to persuade the Prince that he should do his duty and to impress him takes on his multi-armed form and says, 'Now, I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.' I suppose we all thought that, one way or another." /Robert Oppenheimer on witnessing the first thermonuclear detonation in history.

05-09-2002, 03:55 PM	#19
hpman77 Blue Angel Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Santander (Spain) Posts: 285	* WISHLIST for the fish picker program * Ok, as it's such a nice program, maybe we can start a wishlist too My first wishes are: - Display the name of the fish under each pic - Maybe find some nice pics of those fish, information and maybe some facts (like feldon's fish guide) and with a nice [?] button you could click that, then a fish icon, and popup a window and show the rendered fish, the real fish pic(s) and the info about it. - An option to open the aquarium in window mode "docked" below the program screen and, if there's any way to do it, select a new setup and refresh the aquarium on the fly to check what your setup will look like. Ok, ok, maybe I'm asking for too many things, but after that, it's a wishlist .:: AMD Athlon XP 1700+ :: 512MB SDRAM :: Windows XP SP1 :: shappire ATI radeon 9600 PRO :: Soundblaster Live Player 5.1 :: Directx 9.0 :: (Always latest drivers for everything) ::.

05-09-2002, 04:14 PM	#20
James Principal Engineer as SDET Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Was in Auckland, New Zealand, Now in Taipei, Taiwan Posts: 1,406	Mountainmaster very nice, it looks ur programe going better and better and I agree the starfish thing, in fact I've treid to alter the binary values of starfishpos long tim e ago and found it is interesting to see u force the starfish anywayeher u want, even sometimes u make it disappers, yes, for some ppl who don't like the starfish,they like the previours buggy version, I remeber someone said this b4 "with this buggy version, there no simple way to get rid of starfish!"(was it u Tiny?or someone else?) I beleive u have to do some experiment to recored down some binary value of starfish's position,taugh job man! but I wish u all the best. I beleive a user-friendly graphical user interface is not really easy to design, as u have to suit many ppl's tastes, GUI thing are just something not easy to design, coz I've been thru... memilm I don't quite understand what u mean in some of ur sentences,but I rather like to stick with the combo box UI(a technical term for drop down menu),becoz when u create a new setting for a tank, u r dynamically increase the number of predefined tank, using combo box is the easiest way to do that,sbut for a list of tank is static settings, u can only change them but cannot add more tank setting or delete them. Tiny Man! u r just so funny, LOL, I realy like ur humour Tiny I admire u Swede Sorry about the missing "e"... James C Chen Principal Engineer as SDET, Connected Services HTC Corporation 88 Section 3. Zhongxing Road Xindian District, New Taipei City 231, Taiwan www.htc.com