New White Papers, System UI and Plug-in Scripts Options

[BenJeremy]

Upcoming features to go with the File Manager.

Sneak Peaks here....

Plug-Ins White Paper

System UI White Paper

Still working on these, and will take comments here on them.

[BenJeremy]

Wow .... 9 views.

Any comments on these, geniusalz? Any other ActionScripters out there?

[geniusalz]

Missed that too

I'll look over it, but I gtg right now

[geniusalz]

Quick thought: Scripts overrides should have options of replacing or appending the existing script

[BenJeremy]

QUOTE (geniusalz @ Jan 8 2004, 06:07 AM)

Quick thought: Scripts overrides should have options of replacing or appending the existing script

Hmmm... appending. Hadn't thought of that. It adds some complications, though.

Perhaps appending as an addiotional script to trigger on an event? (For example, a secondary AutoExec script?)

[geniusalz]

Yeah, that's good

[BenJeremy]

I'm thinking a priority should come into play for multiple event-driven scripts, so one could happen before another.

[geniusalz]

Nice set of controls

Esp. the treeview, can be used for configuring menus. (No more menu.xml problems for noobs, phew)

[flattspott]

I'm not reading those. There like books or something.............just kidding, read both of them.

Well, I haven't been hanging around here as much as I was when the whole ActionScript thing began but I am quite impressed. One thing though. In the ActionScript.doc it don't recall seeing anything about *.xas files. Is that a thing of the past now? Are we just gonna be concentrating on the new *.xsm files?

And I must say the whole load the *.xsm file from a defined directory at start is great. It'll make them easier to use.

[BenJeremy]

QUOTE (flattspott @ Jan 9 2004, 01:14 PM)

I'm not reading those. There like books or something.............just kidding, read both of them. Well, I haven't been hanging around here as much as I was when the whole ActionScript thing began but I am quite impressed. One thing though. In the ActionScript.doc it don't recall seeing anything about *.xas files. Is that a thing of the past now? Are we just gonna be concentrating on the new *.xsm files? And I must say the whole load the *.xsm file from a defined directory at start is great. It'll make them easier to use.

xas won't go away.... they are plain-text script files, while xsm modules are scripts that can co-exist with other data.

[ub312g0d]

to turn on/off the plug-ins, mxm should auto-add all of them and allow you to turn them off from within the system menu. Also, I think that you should force the action script to be loaded into its proper category in the menu. aka utils go into utils. All of the different categories could be at the base level of the menu, with the option of the action script to create a sub menu within its area. ala utilities->game copiers->(list of game copier scripts) Just make sure to not allow the script to make a menu wherever it wants. Dont let the script touch the base menu( the one that just says, games,apps,emulation. etc.)

[geniusalz]

How's the progress?

[BenJeremy]

QUOTE (geniusalz @ Jan 15 2004, 05:03 PM)

How's the progress?

Well, I might make some progress tonight.... weather is horrible here. The last two days, my commute time, already long, has tripled due to the dumbass drivers combined with as much as 10 inches of snow dumped in near-zero temperatures.

On top of that, it's crunch time at work, with our lead S/W engineer flown in for the next few weeks - but I've developed a good relationship and we are really kicking some ass on the project - unfortunately, the side effect is that I have little time to crunch code at work (during breaks, of course ). In fact, it's 8pm here and I just got home

[yourwishismine]

QUOTE (BenJeremy @ Jan 15 2004, 06:58 PM)

QUOTE (geniusalz @ Jan 15 2004, 05:03 PM) How's the progress? Well, I might make some progress tonight.... weather is horrible here. The last two days, my commute time, already long, has tripled due to the dumbass drivers combined with as much as 10 inches of snow dumped in near-zero temperatures. On top of that, it's crunch time at work, with our lead S/W engineer flown in for the next few weeks - but I've developed a good relationship and we are really kicking some ass on the project - unfortunately, the side effect is that I have little time to crunch code at work (during breaks, of course ). In fact, it's 8pm here and I just got home

You outta give your 'lead S/W engineer' a modded xbox with MXM on it.. and subconciously persuade him to become your new 'partner in xbox crime'..

[BenJeremy]

QUOTE (yourwishismine @ Jan 17 2004, 11:39 AM)

QUOTE (BenJeremy @ Jan 15 2004, 06:58 PM) QUOTE (geniusalz @ Jan 15 2004, 05:03 PM) How's the progress? Well, I might make some progress tonight.... weather is horrible here. The last two days, my commute time, already long, has tripled due to the dumbass drivers combined with as much as 10 inches of snow dumped in near-zero temperatures. On top of that, it's crunch time at work, with our lead S/W engineer flown in for the next few weeks - but I've developed a good relationship and we are really kicking some ass on the project - unfortunately, the side effect is that I have little time to crunch code at work (during breaks, of course ). In fact, it's 8pm here and I just got home You outta give your 'lead S/W engineer' a modded xbox with MXM on it.. and subconciously persuade him to become your new 'partner in xbox crime'..

Ugh... I couldn't work with him. Hard enough getting him to do the things I ask for work - and even harder to explain some of the simplest things. To be fair, the language barrier doesn't help, but even when I think he understands, it turns out he doesn't.

These guys are uncomfortable coding in plain ol' C... They had the benefit of special training on some of the tools that I don't - yet I understand them much better then they probably ever will. Unfortunately, the market is changing, as is the demands on software engineering, particularly with the big customers we deal wth. In Japan, dealing with other Japanese companies, there were few requirements to deal with - the product was self-contained, but now they are dealing with a customer that specifies the way the product works down to minute detail, and there's support in the factory - a concept totally alien to them - where they must provide configurability/upgradability of their product and the ability to do this both in the factory and at service centers. :::sigh::: so instead of a handshake, then hiding away for 9 or 12 months and producing a blackbox product that plugs into the customer's systems, they have to work closely, under supervision, of the customer for the next year, and produce a tightly integrated component that proper operation of the system, as a whole, is dependent upon.

If I told you what it was (I can't), you'd go "Hmmmmmmmm.... Whaaaa????"

In short, it's somewhat exasperating - but it keeps me busy, and I do make a difference, which is a good thing. It helps that I've had a hand in writing many of the tools our customer uses in this long, slow development process (I'm a contractor on this project, from a third company - one very much involved in work with the main customer).

Anyway... I just had to vent a little. Venting can be healthy, right?