OK since we didn't get back on topic...

You're entitled to your opinion, of course. What would constitute being polite and helpful?

I've often wondered how to do that (install something on a Windows computer and then determine exactly and completely what has been changed). How do you do it?

That's a serious question and not intended to be impolite. I'm asking for practical help. Thanks.

Meanwhile, - back on Earth again....

How are things coming along, Jim, - with the eye, the concrete, and the background interface? .... in that order.

The eyelid is a little better, but I'm still not comfortable to be seen in public. It seems that when I look down and try to avoid eye contact, it just makes people all the more prying and curious.

The concrete turned out fine. Maybe I'll set up a link to some pictures and keep it by Invitation-only, to keep out the psychos.

The lighting interface is coming along slowly. Most people would consider it drudgery, but I find this part quite refreshing. I don't have to invent anything, just DO it. But it's a lot more complex than you might imagine. For example, there must be at least one background color-set active. The default is both #1 and #2. Now the user turns on set 3. On the interface, the box around that set, the top color swatch, the bottoms color-swatch, the edit box for the timer, and the word "Sec" must all be set to Active (non-grayed),and a checkmark must be placed in the "On" box. Each of these things have to be done individually, not in a loop, since they are designated by #defined numbers which are set and changed by Dev Studio, and are not necessarily in a particular order.
The reverse scenario is brought into play when the user turns off a color-set. I must make sure that there is always at least one color-set active, so if all of them are turned off, set #1 must pop on. There are a seemingly infinite number of logical threads that have to be accounted for, but it's coming along.

Yes, that does sound far more complex than I'd imagined it would be! - But I'm sure it will be well received. Changing the colours can affect the whole look and mood of the aquarium so much.... And having user change Registry files is perhaps not the ideal way to do it! ;)

BTW, Jean, (my wife), recalls having an eyelid cyst a few years back. It too was treated by using just hot compresses, (as-hot-as-possible, is what she was told). - It eventually cleared up without any other treatment.

The problem with changing the numbers for the background colors in the Registry is that you can easily change the "ff" at the beginning of the hexidecimal number, with disastrous visual results on the screen. The new system will eliminate that possibility.

Couldn't you solve this by setting the very first one to "on", and then disabling the on/off part of it? That would make it impossible to turn the first one "off". [Alternatively, you could just not have on on/off for the first color set, to reflect the fact that the first one is not "optional".]

~Ralph S.

Would it be possible to make the sweep-second hand optional? (ie: hour & minute hands only)

Thanks,
~Ralph S.

Re: keeping the first color set on - The user might want to disable that color set, and use (or cycle through) some others.

Re: Disabling second hand - OK.

If we had a "MA3 Beta Test" forum, you could release stuff for testing and suggestions. ;)

When it's ready.

Progress Report: I got bogged down for several days with a detail that I had considered trivial, but turned out to be nearly impossible. The new interface uses buttons which show the color you have chosen. Sounds simple, but nooooo... Windows REALLY doesn't like you to change the color of a button. Anyway, the problem is solved, and I'm back to forward progress.

Yay! 2 steps forward, 1 step back, cha-cha-cha!! keep going. :)

You are being serious aren't you? .... It is April 1st, you know. ;)

Sorry, I pay no attention to dates, days of the week, birthdays, holidays, etc. One day is just like any other to me.

If you forget anniversaries as well maybe now we know how your eye got messed up.

Sleep on the couch much do you? ;) :p :D:D

Thanks for reminding me, I think it's coming up.

Very interesting stuff indeed. Its a blast learning the way the "nuts and bolts" go together! :cool:

The new Background Color interface is in testing.

Progress Report:

The new background color interface has met with approval by the Alpha Testing team. Right now, I'm working on some additions to the Logo/Clock section, and the fading in-and-out of logos. It's proving to be a bit more of a challenge than I thought, but is under control now. A couple more days, and Beta 11 should be ready for testing by the general Forum members.

Will there be any bug fixes in Beta 11? Or just new features?

Who is this General Forum-Members guy? Is he in the military?

Howcome he gets to see it before we do? :p:lol:

Seriously, for now Dale I think it's just going to be testing the new features and I can't wait :).

Well, I was just looking at Post #1 in this topic.

I'll fix any bugs I can find.

In particular, I would suggest fixing the differences in how "Marine Aquarium Settings" works, depending on exactly how the user gets to that panel. That's currently a potential source of user confusion.

Sorry to hear the sweep second hand is del. I thought it was real
nice [and smooth] looking. Guess I'm the only one.:sad:

I think Jim is only providing an 'option' to disable the second hand.

Exactly.

Thanks, Jim.

I've got an even simpler and easier idea! How about just treating the starfish on the glass and the one on the ground as two separate "fish". In the fish chooser you could check one or the other or both. I'd like to have two on the ground and three on the glass myself... seems like that would solve this eternal problem in about 5 minutes.

The on-the-glass code is not something that is lurking in the background just waiting to be turned on. MA3 shares no code with MA2.6, so every feature has to be re-written. Researching how I did it before might suggest ways of doing it with Shaders, but it's still quite a job.

What I was hoping for with "Simple Additions" were suggestions like Jav's, where he asked for the locations of a couple of buttons to be swapped.

Those following the Beta11e threads are aware of all the changes that I've been working on during the current flurry of activity. I'm nearing the end of the list of simple (and not-so-simple) additions, so if anyone wants to get their suggestion on the record before I send this thing off to Prolific for the Installer treatment, speak up now. My memory isn't what it used to be, so if I had promised something that has seemed to fall through the cracks, now is the time to remind me. I hope to send it to Prolific next Tuesday.

Seems like I remember a Zebra Moray Eel being mentioned in there somewhere. :p :eek: :D:D

Jav shuts up and goes to hide now. ;)


PS. Yeah I know - He's already in there, he's just shy and hasn't come out from behind the rocks yet. :)

Thanks for that info, Jav400 -

it explains why I've been noticing a fish missing every day or so!

:)

I think I've more chance of seeing more featherdusters or more bubble columns, - than seeing that Moray Eel in that cave! :D:D
..... But there's no harm in wishing.... is there? ;)




On second thoughts, - how many years is it now that you have been asking for a Moray ? ........ Go on, Jim, - give him his Eel... ;)

Possibly the ability to add more than one song at a time to the playlist? Maybe have the playlist selection box open up in my documents or my music (if it's even possible)?

Sorry Nicki - I don't want to open up any new Windows/filesystem/text can-of-worms.

Jim, if the "Add" button in the playlist selection dialog box, would persistently remember the location that was previously opened, that would help.

By persistently, I mean across sessions of running MA3, and across system reboots - not just within one invocation. Which means storing that location info in the registry.

The playlist is in an easy-to-read format. Should be able to add hundreds of songs to it with Notepad if you wish.

Any Windows/text/filesystem work is EXTREMELY difficult for me. I just barely escaped from the Playlist bug fix with my life, and I'm not about to wade back into that quicksand bog as long as I have a workable system in place which doesn't crash.

It's not something that I really wanted for myself.It's just that somebody mentioned wanting it a while back and I thought I would throw it at the wall to see if it would stick, so to speak ;).