Tiny Launcher 1.0 Released

[olesio]

Unfortunetly text "Trying" on left side and "No" on right side still stays in background like on screen which I attached before. I already tested under WinUAE only. And please add also Left/Right cursor key when sometimes we need to use only keyboard for select list item and back to Launcher after "like Guru" error message, except of LMB/RMB Left/Right Joy direction.

[gibs]

I have downloaded 4DSportsDriving and the one with masterclass.
I didn't had to rename (both are working without renaming)

Are you sure you have executed the right version ???
look at the "SCANNING" typo to be sure. Cursors keys have been added and so the Cursor keys.

ah ok...cursors keys everywhere...Where is it missing ?

[olesio]

Originally Posted by gibs

I have downloaded 4DSportsDriving and the one with masterclass.
Are you sure you have executed the right version ???
I didn't had to rename (both are working without renaming)

I tested last version which you uploaded and give link here. Exe have 72*064 bytes. To test it I go to subdirectory !_SWOS_HD renamed !_SWOS_HD.tl to !_SWOS_HD.3tl to see it clealry under Total Commander which sorts my files by extension. And "Trying" and "No" still stays on screen after "your guru" error like you see at PNG screenshot from WinUAE in post above. Can this be fixed?

look at the "SCANNING" typo to be sure. Cursors keys have been added and so the Cursor keys.
ah ok...cursors keys everywhere...Where is it missing ?

Yes. Also in "your guru" screen, left cursor key = exit, right cursor key = back.

[gibs]

Hmm maybe I did a mistake.
Try with this one and tell me : http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1566495/Tiny.../TL13beta7.exe

Video: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1566495/Tiny...r/IMG_3664.mp4

Can you tell me where in the app the cursors controls are missing ?

[olesio]

Now it is fine, but I suggest you to swap keys, left cursor key like LMB for quit and right cursor key like RMB to back, because moving joy to left is for quit and moving joy to right is back. And in cursor there are swapped. And good thing is there is not unrefreshed graphics anymore. And what you think about adding separate screen (under some key like "S" and separate screen like for quit to set paths for assigns from loader and save it to some file in TinyLauncher.exe directory. Maybe you can made some nice drive and subdirectory requester like games/demos item list. But if it is a problem to code - you can resing from this suggestion. Ah, and one more thing. I suggest you to do not remove "GAMES" or "DEMOS" text from top right when back to menu by back with mouse button/cursor key/joy direction, beacause when back with ESC the category ("GAMES" or "DEMOS") text stays on screen. It is not very important, but will be look nice. So in next version please fix wrong cursor keys assing in guru message (swapped left with right) and leave "GAMES"/"DEMOS" text after back to menu with right direction cursor/mouse button/joy direction. About setup screen which allow easy sets paths by typing or by browse buttons for devices and directories requester you can think about later. But if you will implement it, I think setup screen should always back to main menu to allow user select ECS/AGA category once again and get realoaded item list with directories from selected path. That's my idea, but I do not know it is possible to easy code in your GUI with AMOS (which you probable used because you included amos.library before in early versions).

[gibs]

-The cursors are supposed to be swapped, can you confirm ?

-Separate screens like my 1st version ?
[ Show youtube player ]
The problem is that some screen would have 3 games...I don't like too much.

-It's not a problem to code but I'm not going to scan the whole drive. This Launcher is for creating a fast compil, with fast navigation and without the workbench.
I have decided to assign because I thought it's the easier thing for the user. he is guided to configure the launcher...editing a file isn't that hard Everybody know how to use a Word Processor I guess

"Games" & "Demo" aren't supposed to be removed...going to check.

[olesio]

Originally Posted by gibs

-The cursors are supposed to be swapped, can you confirm ?

Yes, Left cursor key is now for back and should be exit. Right cursor key is for exit and should be back.

-Separate screens like my 1st version ?
[ Show youtube player ]
The problem is that some screen would have 3 games...I don't like too much.

Hmmm, look good, but not needed if you change concept to use like it is at this moment. I know my English is bad, but I meant sepearate screen for setup window to enter assigns paths only if you implement it maybe in future.

It's not a problem to code but I'm not going to scan the whole drive. This Launcher is for creating a fast compil, with fast navigation and without the workbench.
I have decided to assign because I thought it's the easier thing for the user. he is guided to configure the launcher...editing a file isn't that hard Everybody know how to use a Word Processor I guess

Maybe you have right. That was only suggestion to make program perfect, but if someone use for example Classic WB - like me - adding assigns is not problem than changing startup-sequence or other assign-startups from CLI under pure ED editor. So it is only small suggestion maybe for the future and make you Launcher perfect

"Games" & "Demo" aren't supposed to be removed...going to check.

Like I wrote - under WinUAE they are gone when back with right direction. And stays if you press escape. Final version I will test later when it will be reeleased on my real Amiga.

[gibs]

ok fixed : http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1566495/Tiny.../TL13beta8.exe

On classic workbench they have separated by names because depending on the computer it would have been to long to get the list.
If you read the scroll on my 1 year old video, I said that I don't need 4000 games.
I want the best ones. This is why the number of my games ECS/AGA are about 200 and hasn't evolved since 1 year.
So for the Multiple screen it is the same problem : if someone wants to do a small compilation (50 games), there would be too much empty screens. This is why I choose to do this way. I think you can retrieve a game quickly and easily.
But I had the idea with multiple screens too, and to scroll them like the iPhone. Maybe I will keep the display as it is but I'll scroll horizontal, it will have a nice looking but would seems slower (like the vertical scroll)

Is it ok for long filenames ?

thanks for the bug reports

[olesio]

With fast tests I see it works fine. Now I can upload it to my real Amiga. Thanks for fast developing

[gibs]

Some news...I have added a small feature. New demos are coming with the .exe extension.
We are not going to write a script for each demo right ? So...Tiny Launcher will look now for the .exe extension and launch it.
For the old demos like ottifanten, etc...just add the .exe extension.
Will also work for the games.
Pretty easy!

Now some numbers... I have created a CD: 272 demos, 177 Games = 700MB

On a stock CD32 (No extensions).
Time to boot (include indivision AGA init) : 15 sec
Time to scan 177 games : 3 sec
Time to scan 272 demos : 6 sec

\o/ Yeah \o/

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1566495/Tiny...auncher131.lzh

[tomcat666]

Hi.

Just one question - is the tinylauncher supposed to work on a totally unexpanded A600 (1Mb chip mem only) ? Since everything works up to the loading of the game - then it goes back to the CLI screen. Same happens in WinUAE with this configuration - if I add some memory then it works fine

note: the games I am trying to get to work work fine when executed from the CLI on this A600 !

[gibs]

Hello,
I suppose that you're not talking about whdload games.
So, have you done a script for your game ?

[tomcat666]

Yes, the ones that don't work are WHDLoad games - the games that require a script work fine (Leaderboard golf, etc.)

I don't have anything else but the Assign for TLGECS and a cd to my games directory in the startup-sequence...

Strange

[gibs]

1MB is not enough to run whdload games.
Can you give me some examples of whdload games that run from the CLI with 1MB ?
I could try on my Amiga 500.

[tomcat666]

Here is my current A600 game selection screen.
All the games apart from Leaderboard Golf and Tetris Pro are WHDLoad games. They all work fine (no preload ofcourse).

Best regards,
TC

[gibs]

Thanks I checked.
When you run without startup-sequence (or minimal) you should have 836K of available RAM. When Tiny Launcher is launched as you can notice there are 625k left.

Ok I did a light version which leave 736K free.
I have successfully launched : BloodMoney, ChaseHQ, Lotus with 1MB of Chip RAM.

The Amiga 500 with 1MB can run : Arkanoid, Blood Money, Chuck Rock, DinaBlaster, Galaga 92, Goldrunner, Giana Sister, Lotus, Nebulus, Menace, Rodland, Turrican 2...

Beast1, Beast2, Battle Squadron, doesn't works, Bombjack

[tomcat666]

Thanx for all the work gibs!

Will test the new version as soon as it is up

For some reason I thought that TL first totally exits (and gives back all the mem) and then a small tiny process starts the game...

[gibs]

It release the memory when it quit but when it launch the "game" it still in memory

I have done a very light version (20k) , that only launch whdload, limited to 40 games (for memory reason). I manage to launch the games (mentioned in my previous message) with 1MB. I also managed to run Battle Squadron, Beast in my last test (on real amiga 500) and emulation.

It seems that the final version of whdload ask for more memory that the previous one. We need to find the right whdload version for 1MB computers.

Which one are you using ?

Another solution would be to use a RAD disk. TL would let you make your choice and then copy: a startup-sequence that would execute a small exe in the RAD that would execute your chosen game/demo at reboot.

[gibs]

Tomcat666

This one should run your games : http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1566495/Tiny...LauncherSE.exe

[tomcat666]

Thank you ! I will try it out tommorow (JMJ concert today ).

TC

EDIT: Error (404) - file not found when trying to download...