HK's Standard Launcher(Highly customizeable) V2

ok i am finnised with the recoding of this launcher(23124 lines of recode btw o.O)
and i am releasing V2
why? because so much have changed since V1

functions in launcher (bold = new in V2)

• Highly customizeable
• TLM and remove Launcher Tab *Removed due to bugs in V2(might try and code them again)*
• ServerStatus checker(does not constantly ping server!, it connects and if it gets answer it shows server online and disconnects!)
• Autoupdater (thanks to Xezis for letting me borrow his webserver)
• Optional: close launcher after pressing connect(if you DC alot you might want to keep it up)
• User can decide if launcher shall load the webbrowser(something for those with low connection)
• Graphics Mode(lets you use the launcher design you want!)
• Integrated Launcher designer that refreshes the launcher window when you change something
• Easly make and share launcher skins with skin.ini files!
• All settings stored in Launcher.ini instead of the registry(no more launcher.bat editing!)
• Automaticly makes backup of your Launcher design process and stores it in backup.ini(incase of launcher crash, if any or computer crash)
• Settings by admin is encrypted.
• Upgraded graphics module that fixes the out of bounds error

preview:
main window (ServerStatus OFF+graphics mode OFF)
http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/9453/launchers.png

main window (ServerStatus ON + graphics mode OFF)
http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/8944/launcherv2.png

options(more functions will come as i get suggestions)
http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/3451/optionsg.png

Graphics Mode panel(skin maker)
http://img524.imageshack.us/img524/1...smodepanel.png
yes it looks complicated but its pretty simple
all that is needed is height+width, placement coords(left+top) and 6 images (online, offline, options, connect, close, background)
everything except the background supports transparency!

here is an example on how a finnished skin can look like
http://img524.imageshack.us/img524/4...aphicsmode.png

updater window
http://img300.imageshack.us/img300/6609/updating.png

due to the new function which includes encoding of some settings you must
setup the launcher settings by using Launcher INI creator
Launcher.ini creator automaticly encode the sensetive settings that users shouldnt mess with.
the image below shows how its entered in the creator and how it will appear in the launcher.ini (textfields will be disabled when the needed option isnt enabled)
http://img34.imageshack.us/img34/369...inicreator.png

more functions will come once i figure how to code them XD
PS: do not change name on the libs folder!! its needed for the launcher to work

Launcher links

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download link: http://www.sendspace.com/file/zp11nr (last updated 07.10.09 at 06.09 gmt+1)
mirror: HKs standard launcher v3 - *************** Download Center

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NOTE: the launcher.bat in this release will remove the registry entries made by older versions of this launcher if you used one!

remember this is just a simple standard launcher and i dont do graphics, this is why there is a graphic mode in this launcher. its so people can add their own design.
NOTE: "coded by HikariKnight" is removed from the main window durring graphic mode, this is because its your design, but its still my code :P
NOTE2: more options isnt skinable due to tabs

thanks to Xezis for letting me borrow 200bytes of space on his webserver XD
you ppl should be happy he did it! XD now you got an autoupdater! and for finding a .ini module i could use
Thanks to *LoRD* for some VB sources i recoded to RB and for helping me with some dreaded API calls XD

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GUIDE is in the attachment
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How to share and use skins

Quote:

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when you finnish making a skin you should press the make skin.ini button, the launcher will then get the location of the images used in the skin and move them to a folder in the Launcher Skins folder, that folder will have the same name as the skin you made(it must have a name!), then it will create a skin.ini(yourskinname.ini) in the Launcher Skins folder, this ini file contains all the info the launcher needs in order to use the skin
zip/rar the ini file and the folder that belongs to it and send to those you want to share it with

to use a skin you have recived from someone, extract the zip/ini to the Launcher Skins folder.
launch the launcher and click more options
go to Graphics Mode
click load skin.ini
find the ini file for the skin(MUST BE IN LAUNCHER SKINS FOLDER!) select it and open
wait a few seconds for the skin to be added
done! and click enable graphics mode if you havent already

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PS: this autoupdater cant be bypassed by changing the version, but if you do find a way then tell me and i will fix it right away

please report any bugs, i will fix them asap

Launcher INI Creator links

Quote:

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download link: Launcher INI Creator - *************** Download Center
mirror: http://www.sendspace.com/file/c27tip

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The Update Manager have its own Linux version that is compatible with wine

Approved Thread

MIB youre scaring the heck out of me since youre so fast to approve my threads o.O
you on 23/7 watch looking for new posts?

i got nothing more to do on the launcher so suggestions for improvements please?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by *HK*

MIB youre scaring the heck out of me since youre so fast to approve my threads o.O
you on 23/7 watch looking for new posts?

i got nothing more to do on the launcher so suggestions for improvements please?

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I always loved to see launcher like SkyTeam's one or Webzen...

Try making some new skins.....

i dont do graphics thats why there is a skinner integrated in the launcher :P
the skinner uses the same method as the skyteam launcher builder, but it instantly refreshes the launcher main window so you can acctualy see what you do and how it will look like

Thanks, HK.

btw, i got error when I do this steps:
- more options
- make skin.ini
- press load skin
- press cancel button

screenshot:
http://i32.tinypic.com/33xfxc6.png

The word "height" should be the "width" and the "width" should be the "height"?

Add Check when someone click on "Enable Graphic Mode" without set any settings.

thanks for noticing it :P
i had forgotten to add

if folderitem = nil then
blank
else
blablabla

i got it fixed now and are uploading it

with the height+width thing i cant understand what you mean :P

@xezis:
youre able to enable graphics mode without any settings so you can design while looking at the launcher :P

link in first post

good thing i added a function for the launcher to save backup of the skinning process in \launcher skins\backup.ini

yes, but this don't look good ;]

btw: I can't set width on 500 and height on 100 have other res on restart.

Add default settings in Graphic Mode this help to understand how change all.

ok i understand
1 problem is that i dont have any example skin :P
i have to do a slight change anyway in graphics panel
if i add default values then the backup.ini gets overwritten

merged
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merged

ok i noticed there was a bug in the loading of images in graphics mode once they were set and the user clicked enable or started the launcher(buttons and controls appears however they are transparent so you couldnt see them lol)
this is now fixed and i have been testing it for the last 3 hours and everything looks like it should work now

on the other hand as an apology for these v2 starting errors i have made it so the graphics mode removes the windows frame! its still moveable by grabbing the windows top 20 pixels(about the same height as the XP window titlebar) this makes it possible to design your own frame on the launcher

also added support for close button!! it will appear at the top right corner of the launcher by itself in graphics mode, no placement needed (max resolution is 20x20)

notice sent to all those i know have downloaded the launcher

again sorry for my errors :x but its not as easy to code something when you got 23k lines of code rofl

merged
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merged

*fixed skinning issue
*added examplevalues.ini into the launcher skins (no images tho)
*fixed backup function(it had an error when skinname had been entered before starting to skin)
*removed those wierd button
*max width and height on background = 999x999
*lowest width possible on background = 117

links in first post

again sorry for my misstyping in the code -.-'

finnaly rz is up again and i can update this thread
i have also created a project site for myself so people can keep track on my development and also maybe find solutions for other stuff

i have also made an more advanced updater that calculates the crc on files before updating, if the crc does not match the new one it will download the new file and replace the old one, its like a mu version of the suni updater you could say.
however i got no tool to make the update file yet, only a tool that helps find the crc on the files so the admins have to manualy edit a file to add the updates -.-

test app preview
http://www.hkprojects.freei.me/web_images/crctest.png

testing files vere sevral large files 2 exe files on 1mb and 5mb, 1 zip file on 13mb and 1 rar file on 7mb
no data loss
its a cheaper alternative to the sunisoft updater lol as they both use the same updating method

i will also update the download links soon so the free launcher gets updated(even if i sell special made launchers i will keep updating the free one with new functions^^ for tbh i hate selling >_<)

links in first post

added fake sync mode so it gets download progress of the update.rar file

I would suggest to have a feature to disable the More Options button after skin creation. For server owner this is useful but for players whose aim is to launch the game, I guess that this More Options button is unnecessary.

moreoptions are used as an extension of the options
also the skinning feature was my idea to let players have the ability to personalize the launcher

if players want to use it or not thats their choice

Quote:

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Originally Posted by *HK*

moreoptions are used as an extension of the options
also the skinning feature was my idea to let players have the ability to personalize the launcher

if players want to use it or not thats their choice

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My opinion is that once a player configure the More Options and messed up with that, player will have a problem launching the game and server owner will receive more complains in the forum to make the launcher works again. of course there's always an option to have a download link of the original launcher. just my opinion.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by PinoyCoder

My opinion is that once a player configure the More Options and messed up with that, player will have a problem launching the game and server owner will receive more complains in the forum to make the launcher works again. of course there's always an option to have a download link of the original launcher. just my opinion.

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only thing i can see there is that they have been messing with the skin and left graphics mode on and closed the launcher for some reason(without placing moreoptions button and connect button and loaded backup.ini while doing it)

but the only reason they would have to load backup.ini is if they were skinning and the launcher or the computer crashed
i could make a function to restore the backup without adding it to the on launcher load, basicly a load skin.ini button clone without 1 line of code

solution under
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UPDATE:
* added restore from backup button in more options, that way we can avoid the trubble with accedently messing up the skin
* recoded graphics mode(encountered a bug in load graphics mode and load skin.ini, this is now fixed)

links in first post