I released version 2.0 a few hours ago. I can't remember what's new (just read the readme file to find out what is new), but I do remember that version 1.9 will now update to version 2.0. That's my first program that you can update online. Hopefully lots more will follow...

Dark Fire  

Version 1.9 released. All problems with the updater are fixed, and the ability for it to carry out extra functions in command prompt, if needed when updating, has been added. Also, I can now do a lot more stuff with the update list, like create custom messages for each version. Also, all downloaded files are now cleared off your computer, no matter what combination of buttons in the update dialog boxes you choose to press...

Version 2 will take a while to come out because I have a maths modular GCSE exam coming up, I've been doing too much to this program already, and version 2.0 is going to be a lot better than 1.9...

Dark Fire  

There is a new Emptosoft website at www.geocities.com/emptosoft/. I only spent 5 minutes making the home page, but I have uploaded ERTfT 1.1 and the latest version of the Adventures of Guy, which you can download using the links on the left side of the space.

ERTfT 1.1 includes a lot of fixes and new stuff:
- New Option to start Terragen with a low priority.
- Fixed a bug where the program keeps rendering until
infinity frames when the total amount of frames and the
starting frame are the same.
- Location of Terragen stored in a save file for all users.
- Support for some command line values added:
   Ver = Version Information
   Last User = Find out who last used Renderer on your
                      computer.
- ERTfT now stores the name of its last user and the
location of Terragen in a .emp file accessible to all
users on your computer. WARNING: Make sure you enter the
correct details first time.
- New Icon
- Name inequalities fixed.
- Notification bubbles now appear after a frame has been
              rendered, rather than after the sleep period after the
              frame has been rendered.

I am currently very busy because I am programming ERTfT 1.2, which will include an option to reset all of your saved settings.

Dark Fire  

Today I am creating a load of new icons, so I should hopefull never run out. I have decided that the .emp file format will be the best way of storing settings for my programs, but I haven't decided yet whether the .emp files will store settings for one program, one user, or one computer. I have a feeling, though that I will go for a combination of the second option and the third option. Each individual user will have their own personal preferences for the programs, and the computer will have system-wide settings, like the location of Terragen for the Emptosoft Rendering Tool for Terragen.

Dark Fire  

This was originally meant to be a reply to Mr_Wolfman1, but it just got too long and important:

Doors - It really wasn't too hard to make Doors, it just took a long time typing out all of the code. It took me a few hours on about half of the days during my summer holidays to program the core parts of Doors. Since then, I have mainly been tinkering with the code to optimise it, and adding new functions. It should be released within the next year (most likely the next 6 months), so you can see for yourself that Doors actually does what the screenshots say it does.

Guy - I know, Guy is wierd. He has a problem with constantly dying and somehow coming back to life to die a different way. The PowerPoint version is a lot better. I have also converted most of the PowerPoint version to Bink Video, executable programs, and screensavers. These will all come out with Doors when I get some webspace. (The files are all quite small, so even the most basic web packages should provide me with enough space to host them all).

ERTfT - Rather than use the registry or .ini files as I have recently suggested, I am considering creating an Emptosoft File format. The Emptosoft file format files (most likely *.emp) could accompany each program and store data for them, so they could be easily portablised, or there could be one central .emp file that all of the Emptosoft programs could save their data to, meaning that all of your stuff is in one place. This would enable different settings for different users, if I associated each file with a different user, or there could be general settings for everyone using your computer. Maybe I could program both. What do you think? This would be similar to the .pfd files used by Portable Fresh Download, but these particular files would remain a separate format (this is because .pfd files are optimised for storing registry data, whilst the .emp files would have a similar structure to .ini files). Of course, with a new file format at my disposal, I would probably add parts to all of my existing programs, so they could take advantage of this, and save your data. At the very least, this would mean that my programs could do advanced things, like register themselves to a user or organisation (Don't worry, no compulsory payment or anything like that is coming up. The program would just look more professional is the Window Title went something like 'Doors, for Microsoft Corporation,' or a dialog box said 'Welcome to Doors, John Smith.').

After looking at X website, I have to recommend you take a look at it, because his program actually looks like it has potential. See it here http://www.wolfman22.co.nr/.

Dark Fire  

I have just written a part of version 1.1 of ERTfT that is not affected by the reults of the poll on SouthanUK. The new feature is the ability to make Terragen run with a low priority on your computer, so it only takes up processor power not being used by whatever else you are doing...

The screenshots are now out of date, but I won't update them for a while, because I am busy, and the program may undergo a lot more changes over the next few weeks...

Dark Fire  

I have submitted the program mentioned in the title to the SouthanUK administrator for upload, and I have started a new poll to do with the next update (version 1.1) here.

Dark Fire  

I have made another new program over the last few hours: The Emptosoft Rendering Tool for Terragen.

 

Terragen, which is one of the recommended programs on this space, is a scenery renderer. It allows you to create a natural scene, such as mountains, or a lake, and render an image of it. You can also render animations with moving camera, sun and/or water level positions. There are also many other things that can change that I can't be bothered to list. Basically, when you render an animation in Terragen, it uses your processor at 100% capacity until it has finished rendering the animation. The animation could take several weeks to render, which would permanently damage your processor.

The Emptosoft Rendering Tool for Terragen helpt to minimise the effects of prolonged rendering, by making Terragen take a break (with customisable length) between rendering each frame of the animation. It also lets you choose if you want the computer to shutdown when the animation has finished rendering.

This tool is very useful. For example, after rendering 50  frames of an animation (with a size of 100px by 56px), my processor was at 48°C (it normally runs at about 30°C). With the Emptosoft Rendering tool for Terragen the highest it got was 37°C. Considerably cooler and safer.

 

I have uploaded some screenshots of it in the 'Emptosoft' album if you want to see what it looks like. (The icon will be changed by the time I release it).

 

Next challenge: Get a website that I can host it on...

 

Dark Fire  

1. I added the London Underground History website to the recommended websites list, because it is quite interesting, and it has just been upgraded to a proper server. It has the full history of the London Underground, including the failed 'Northern Heights' project, and the Metropolitan line beyond Amersham. There seems to be a huge amount on the abandoned Aldwych branch of the Piccadilly line, probably because it was only fully used for a few years, but remained in partial use until only a few years ago. This means that items ranging in age from 100 years ago to 10 years ago are preserved there.

2. I am posting a lot of Emptosoft stuff on the Emptosoft forums on SouthanUK at the moment (Did you notice Emptosoft got moved up the forums home page?). Click here to go to the SouthanUK forums home page, or click here to go directly to the Emptosoft section.

3. The Flash Version of the Adventures of Guy has finally been updated by the SouthanUK Administrator. Click on the link in the 'Emptosoft Downloads' section to see the new version (WARNING: Not recommended for dial-up users).

Over the last few days I have made a lot of general updates to a few of my programs, including a faster login process in Doors and utilisation of tskill.exe whilst using Network Simulator on Windows XP Home Edition rather than the taskkill.exe program used by Network Simulator oin Windows XP Professional Edition.

Next week is half term, which should mean lots of developments, but I don't intend to update much during half term period because I want a break, so I can sleep, and see if I can train myself to write ambidexterously (I can use both of my hands equally well for everything except writing, so why not write with both?).

Dark Fire

The program I mentioned in the last blog entry has now been completed. The problems that were identified have now been solved because of the limitations of normal computers - Running 100 pings take up about 1GB of RAM and 2GHz of CPU power. I may upload some screenshots in the next few days...

Dark Fire  

My eye is better now (I hope I haven't spoken too soon), and I am now programming a new program that slows your network or internet connection (so you can run tests and see what it is like when it is busy), and that you can use to find out how fast your network or internet connection will go (I'm using a Firewire network, and it can never go at above 25% because one of the computers on it is too slow). Unfortunately, this program has a potential to be used to deliberately slow down public networks, slow down the internet and/or use up the monthly bandwidth allowance of a server or computer. I am currently trying to solve this problem. The logical solution would be to make a dialog box come up on the computer being targated to ask the user using it if they would like the program to run. The problem is, to make this appear on computers being contacted over the internet, this would require some hacking, and servers would not be able to respond. I could also  make the program filter out internet and IP addresses. This seems much easier and more likely. I think I'll program that in now...

Dark Fire  

The problems with the Network Test thing are fixed, and new screenshots are uploaded. I am also temporary (hopefully) suffering from bad vision from one eye because I poked myself right in the middle of it with a ruler, and caused a bit of damage...That's why I'm typing so little about such a big development...

 

Dark Fire  

Yesterday I made a new tool for Doors: The Network Test. All this actually does is run the Command Prompt Ping command, but it does give you a nice window that makes entering the necessary details easily. I will upload some screenshots as soon as I have fixed a minor problem with the program.

My problem is that when Doors initialises, it uses a banner plugin that says 'Verifying installer: X%'. After the installer has loaded it unloads the plugin, which prevents it from working again until the program is closed. The Network Test tool uses this plugin to say 'Please wait' when loading, and 'Running tests: Please wait...', when the test is being carried out. I am currently trying to find where NSIS is getting the code to unload the plugin from so I can fix this problem, and the banners will work.

Dark Fire  

During the last week I have added a new 'Startup Options' window to Doors. Actually, it didn't take a week - It took an hour. I just said it took a week to make it look as if I have been busy. I have removed all parameters, because the tasks they carried out are now easily selectable in the new window. If you want to see the window, I have uploaded a screenshot of the new window to the photos. I have also made some other small improvements, but I can't remember any in particular apart from an error which had Doors telling you that you didn't have Windows XP so it couldn't run, and then proceeding to run.

Also, as you may have noticed, I havechanged the name of Portable Doors to Doors. This reflects the change in ability of the program from running as portable by default (without any parameters) to not using parameters and offering the user a choice of doing a wide range of things.

Dark Fire  

I have made even more improvements to Doors over the last few days, including a new parameter - Time. This tells you the day, time and date. Other improvements include a reduced file size, and faster network operation. Support for Microsoft PowerPoint 2003 has also been added, and the window open and close detection system has also been significantly improved. The programs in the Portable Doors package have got new icons, and when you install Doors, it will now show up in Add/Remove Programs. However, there is still no date for when I will release it.

Dark Fire