Author Topic: Is this possible? Instruction card before program launch. (Read 3583 times)

massivebasset · « **on:** November 11, 2009, 06:44:10 pm »

What I would really like to have, is the ability to display a JPG file immediately after launching a program from Dmenu. The picture would be displayed until I press any button, in which case the picture would disappear and the program would launch as normal.

This would be useful to create and provide instruction cards for all the different games and programs that you would want to in Dingux.

Off the top of my head, the worst offender is Another World (RAW emulator) where I can never correctly remember what the "Load State" button combination is before I accidentally overrite it. Then its back to trying to get past the copyright protection all over again.

I personally know very little about Dingux, Dmenu, or how to do what I am proposing even in the slightest, but if anyone out there is more knowledgable than I would like to flesh out some of the possibilities, that would be great. It would really increase the usability of Dingux for infrequent users (me) or new users (people I show it off to) a whole lot.

Any thoughts?

Kalisiin · « **Reply #1 on:** November 11, 2009, 06:56:22 pm »

Quote from: massivebasset on November 11, 2009, 06:44:10 pm

What I would really like to have, is the ability to display a JPG file immediately after launching a program from Dmenu. The picture would be displayed until I press any button, in which case the picture would disappear and the program would launch as normal.

This would be useful to create and provide instruction cards for all the different games and programs that you would want to in Dingux.

Off the top of my head, the worst offender is Another World (RAW emulator) where I can never correctly remember what the "Load State" button combination is before I accidentally overrite it. Then its back to trying to get past the copyright protection all over again.

I personally know very little about Dingux, Dmenu, or how to do what I am proposing even in the slightest, but if anyone out there is more knowledgable than I would like to flesh out some of the possibilities, that would be great. It would really increase the usability of Dingux for infrequent users (me) or new users (people I show it off to) a whole lot.

Any thoughts?

Actually, from what I understand, the major developers here are getting together on a "Best Standard Practices" for future coding projects, so that buttons will be similar, or same, across most applications. So, then, once you know the standard buttons, it shouldn't be a major problem.

massivebasset · « **Reply #2 on:** November 11, 2009, 07:25:09 pm »

Quote from: Kalisiin on November 11, 2009, 06:56:22 pm

Actually, from what I understand, the major developers here are getting together on a "Best Standard Practices" for future coding projects, so that buttons will be similar, or same, across most applications. So, then, once you know the standard buttons, it shouldn't be a major problem.

Would still be good then for anything that falls outside the button standard, and to help in the meantime. But yes that is a good idea, however some programs have menus where others dont, etc.. while some standardization can certainly take place, this wouldnt ever be an obsolete option, if it were possible.

And for any programs that it wasnt necessary for, you could always not provide a jpg and thus skip that step altogether.

dukemagus · « **Reply #3 on:** November 11, 2009, 07:36:43 pm »

No idea about .jpg, but isn't impossible to attach commands to show and close a bitmap image in the program intro...

massivebasset · « **Reply #4 on:** November 11, 2009, 07:59:44 pm »

Quote from: Duke Magus on November 11, 2009, 07:36:43 pm

No idea about .jpg, but isn't impossible to attach commands to show and close a bitmap image in the program intro...

Any picture file would do really.

By program intro you mean in the actual program (ie scummvm or mame4all)?

I was envisioning more like a select the icon > run the picture veiwer > close picture viewer > autorun the application.

Similar to what is available for home Mame machines like Cpviewer or CPwizard though all the fancy business about generating the pictures for Mame games off the controls.ini wouldnt be needed, just interested in the displaying of a static picture would be good enough for the Dingoo.

So I guess the real question is, can you run two applications in succession through Dmenu.

joepie91 · « **Reply #5 on:** November 11, 2009, 08:19:59 pm »

Quote from: massivebasset on November 11, 2009, 07:59:44 pm

Quote from: Duke Magus on November 11, 2009, 07:36:43 pm
No idea about .jpg, but isn't impossible to attach commands to show and close a bitmap image in the program intro...

Any picture file would do really.

By program intro you mean in the actual program (ie scummvm or mame4all)?

I was envisioning more like a select the icon > run the picture veiwer > close picture viewer > autorun the application.

Similar to what is available for home Mame machines like Cpviewer or CPwizard though all the fancy business about generating the pictures for Mame games off the controls.ini wouldnt be needed, just interested in the displaying of a static picture would be good enough for the Dingoo.

So I guess the real question is, can you run two applications in succession through Dmenu.

I think the best way would be to write a shell script (and I have no clue how to do that) that first runs a program that displays an image, and on button press the image viewing program terminates. Then the shell script should start the actual program as soon as the image viewer terminates.

massivebasset · « **Reply #6 on:** November 11, 2009, 08:43:46 pm »

Quote from: joepie91 on November 11, 2009, 08:19:59 pm

I think the best way would be to write a shell script (and I have no clue how to do that) that first runs a program that displays an image, and on button press the image viewing program terminates. Then the shell script should start the actual program as soon as the image viewer terminates.

Exactly what I am looking for.

And as well, I have no clue how to go about it.

Kalisiin · « **Reply #7 on:** November 11, 2009, 08:46:35 pm »

I think you should post this idea here:
http://boards.dingoonity.org/dingux-games-and-homebrew/project-ideas-and-requests-3/msg3762/#new

This entire thread actually belongs there.

massivebasset · « **Reply #8 on:** November 11, 2009, 09:21:05 pm »

Quote from: Kalisiin on November 11, 2009, 08:46:35 pm

I think you should post this idea here:
http://boards.dingoonity.org/dingux-games-and-homebrew/project-ideas-and-requests-3/msg3762/#new

This entire thread actually belongs there.

Done, thanks for the direction, Im not that familiar with these boards yet.

codiak · « **Reply #9 on:** November 11, 2009, 09:26:13 pm »

Message me if this was wrong.

Dingoonity.org

Author Topic: Is this possible? Instruction card before program launch. (Read 3583 times)

massivebasset

Is this possible? Instruction card before program launch.

Kalisiin

Re: Is this possible? Instruction card before program launch.

massivebasset

Re: Is this possible? Instruction card before program launch.

dukemagus

Re: Is this possible? Instruction card before program launch.

massivebasset

Re: Is this possible? Instruction card before program launch.

joepie91

Re: Is this possible? Instruction card before program launch.

massivebasset

Re: Is this possible? Instruction card before program launch.

Kalisiin

Re: Is this possible? Instruction card before program launch.

massivebasset

Re: Is this possible? Instruction card before program launch.

codiak

Re: Is this possible? Instruction card before program launch.