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View Full Version : FCLage, is KML Browser being maintained/updated?


Craig_E
03-03-04, 22:38
Hi,

I was just wondering if FCLage is updating his great dev app.

The reason i've asked it in this public forum is so people can see his reply, and also suggest any improvements/bugs if he is maintaining it.

ozzie
03-03-04, 22:44
Yes thats a good plan so it can be made more perfect hehe :)

fclage
04-03-04, 01:18
Hi,

I was just wondering if FCLage is updating his great dev app.

The reason i've asked it in this public forum is so people can see his reply, and also suggest any improvements/bugs if he is maintaining it.

Naturally it is...
In fact, i plan to update it soon...
Why do you ask ?
Naturally, I would love to hear any suggestions and improvements ideas (and bugs)... You can post it in this thread or just email me.

// FCLage

Craig_E
04-03-04, 10:53
Yep, my plan was to post suggestions in this list when you replied :)

Here goes:

-F5 to refresh page (old IE habit when continually rewriting pages!)
-Entered URLS are saved and retained in the drop down list
-The seperate colours window should have the current KML background (to see how transperencies work for current image)
-An option to see the output in a browser when the KML fails (so we can see all the problems and full output, rather than just the dialogue box)
-Match the text size and placement of the KISS better - i know you must be using the coords in the script, but as you must know, the text on the KML Browser and KISS Player can be very different (esp. when font=1)
-Emulate menus better. For example, when i have menus with no text, the KML browser just displays all the menu on-hilites.
-Enable an option so that the visible output matches that of the KISS player. On my TV at least, the full 720x480 pixels can't be seen on the player... theres a border of about 50 pixels dead zone either side.

Emulate the screen persistence of the KISS player better:
the GIF IMAGES you load in are not stored in memory like the player, so you have to include/load them every page to work correctly with KML browser
The browser clears the screen of any IMAGES/TEXT between pages, while the KISS does not, and this can actually be an advantage



Thats all i can think of right now, i'm sure i'll think of more when i'm coding KML tonight :D

Thanks for the great app FC, i don't want you to think i'm moaning, just want to help the browser get better :)

Craig_E
04-03-04, 20:32
Just remembered a biggie: if you serve it an empty document, it quits with error "out of memory", so i guess you need to add an empty document check or something...

Keep up the good work :D

Craig_E
07-03-04, 14:46
Also, can you give it a minimise button!

fclage
08-03-04, 01:48
Also, can you give it a minimise button!

Oki... working on all sugestions and some extra of my own.

Adding feature so menuitems can be browsed using remote keys UP/DOWN/LEFT/RIGHT. That solves the issue of the non-working menuitems if you don't have image/text on the onhilite section.

Cheers

// FCLage

zorglub
08-03-04, 09:39
- Text on the emulator seems to be blitted a couple of pixels higher than on the Kiss. Hard to do precise text positioning.

- The transparent stuff seems to work for the first 4 elements on th epage and then it just shows as solid black for the rest.

- make font size 1 muuuch bigger

fclage
12-03-04, 01:38
Ok... Here's what you requested:



Here goes:

-F5 to refresh page (old IE habit when continually rewriting pages!)

Done :)

-Entered URLS are saved and retained in the drop down list

Done :)
You can now save the url to a favorite list.

-The seperate colours window should have the current KML background (to see how transperencies work for current image)

Done :)
KML color index table now uses current kml background

-An option to see the output in a browser when the KML fails (so we can see all the problems and full output, rather than just the dialogue box)

Not done :(
That will be harder... What kind of errors are you talking about ? XML parse errors ? http ones ?

-Match the text size and placement of the KISS better - i know you must be using the coords in the script, but as you must know, the text on the KML Browser and KISS Player can be very different (esp. when font=1)

Done... Kind of :D
I've increased the size of font=1 to 24pts... Maybe it will do the trick... I'm too lazy to check sizes on my kiss. :)
Due to some requests (saying that the text is displayed 1 pixel lower than what is expected) when displaying text it will use 1 pixel above to compensate.

-Emulate menus better. For example, when i have menus with no text, the KML browser just displays all the menu on-hilites.

Done :)
This was a part that had to be done a long time ago... but I never had the time to do it... Just use the remote control UP/DOWN/LEFT/RIGHT/ENTER keys like you would in your kiss player. It will navigate from one menu item to the next... even if they are not recognised in the mouse.

-Enable an option so that the visible output matches that of the KISS player. On my TV at least, the full 720x480 pixels can't be seen on the player... theres a border of about 50 pixels dead zone either side.

Already done :?
You already had that option... Just activate 'TV Border'.

Emulate the screen persistence of the KISS player better:
the GIF IMAGES you load in are not stored in memory like the player, so you have to include/load them every page to work correctly with KML browser
The browser clears the screen of any IMAGES/TEXT between pages, while the KISS does not, and this can actually be an advantage

This will take a bit longer to do, since I have to 'force' it to save the foreground contents in memory even after transition... Anyway 99.9% of the pages clear the foreground with a FILLRECT pen=0... I'll make it so that the 0.01% left is also displayed correctly :)


Thats all i can think of right now, i'm sure i'll think of more when i'm coding KML tonight :D

Thanks for the great app FC, i don't want you to think i'm moaning, just want to help the browser get better :)

Thanks
I've added some things extra as well (as requested), like minimize button, etc...

Can you check if this version is better ?
download from:
http://www.kiss-ezlink.com/downloads/FCL_KMLBROWSER.zip

Lemme know

// FCLage
ps.
This new version will run 'free' until some days after the end of the game contest. After that only PRO users will have access to the KML browser.

Craig_E
12-03-04, 11:18
Yay! Thanks FCLage, i'll try it tonight.

Craig_E
13-03-04, 12:10
Thanks.. i've got the latest version now, very nice. However... :)

* Can we have a back button?
* Can you add an extra query string variable to all requests, like KMLBrowser=1
* Can we have the x,y coords of the mouse location next to the mouse... this would make text placement a lot quicker!

Cheers!

THD
13-03-04, 12:58
very nice the new browser FClage... it's really going somewhere ;) ... but I have a question: is the playerid 'UNKNOWN_KISS' from this browser when you don't enter a playerid? or are there just some Kiss players which really have an unknown playerid??? :?:

Yannic
13-03-04, 13:17
Hi FCLage,
is there a possibility to have the old emulate button (emulate http request no proxy) in futur version ?
With that we can see the TinyStocks Page in KMLBrowser.
Thanks.
--
Yannic

fclage
13-03-04, 13:44
Thanks.. i've got the latest version now, very nice. However... :)

* Can we have a back button?
* Can you add an extra query string variable to all requests, like KMLBrowser=1
* Can we have the x,y coords of the mouse location next to the mouse... this would make text placement a lot quicker!

Cheers!

Done...
New version posted

// FCLage

fclage
13-03-04, 14:04
very nice the new browser FClage... it's really going somewhere ;) ... but I have a question: is the playerid 'UNKNOWN_KISS' from this browser when you don't enter a playerid? or are there just some Kiss players which really have an unknown playerid??? :?:

All kiss players have id's...
The problem is I don't want to create a virtual ID that can match someone's player... and then all hell would break loose :)
So, you can enter the ID manually.
By default it is still "UNKNOWN_KISS"
I've changed it in my PC to match my DP-500's ID.
The setting will be saved and it will allways request pages with the new ID from then on.

// FCLage

fclage
13-03-04, 14:08
Hi FCLage,
is there a possibility to have the old emulate button (emulate http request no proxy) in futur version ?
With that we can see the TinyStocks Page in KMLBrowser.
Thanks.
--
Yannic

I bet zorglub is pi**ed off about that :) ehehe
Maybe you should ask zorglub to give you permitions to open TinyStocks with KML Browser using your player id.

Cheers

// FCLage

Craig_E
13-03-04, 15:07
I think its stupid that Zorglubs site can't be viewed with the KML browser. Anyone who wants to see all his source code tho, just grab a copy of Ethereal :D

Looking at my KML code is fine by me... it may be messy, but there's no point hiding it. I know the only way i learnt HTML was to look at the source of pages i liked... why should KML be any different :)

THD
13-03-04, 15:25
I think its stupid that Zorglubs site can't be viewed with the KML browser. Anyone who wants to see all his source code tho, just grab a copy of Ethereal :D

Looking at my KML code is fine by me... it may be messy, but there's no point hiding it. I know the only way i learnt HTML was to look at the source of pages i liked... why should KML be any different :)
yeah... exactly... everyone should be able to learn from each other... in the end it will only benefit you... :)

Ethereal forever :!: :twisted:

too bad we can't just use Ethereal to capture the Kiss sourcodes huh ;)

fclage
13-03-04, 15:44
I think its stupid that Zorglubs site can't be viewed with the KML browser. Anyone who wants to see all his source code tho, just grab a copy of Ethereal :D

Looking at my KML code is fine by me... it may be messy, but there's no point hiding it. I know the only way i learnt HTML was to look at the source of pages i liked... why should KML be any different :)

I think that is not the case.
I have the impression that it is because of bandwidth limitations...

Cheers

// FCLage

Craig_E
21-03-04, 14:25
Back on topic: Can we have the arrow keys on the keyboard emulate the arrow keys of the remote? (with maybe another key for enter?)

fclage
21-03-04, 14:48
Back on topic: Can we have the arrow keys on the keyboard emulate the arrow keys of the remote? (with maybe another key for enter?)

Please download the updated version of the KML Browser... It supports menu navigation through the arrow keys (on the remote) and activation with enter (also on the remote).

http://www.kiss-ezlink.com/downloads/FCL_KMLBROWSER.zip

Cheers

// FCLage

Craig_E
21-03-04, 14:52
I have that version... i mean the arrow keys on the keyboard control the arrow keys on the virtual remote.

fclage
21-03-04, 14:57
I have that version... i mean the arrow keys on the keyboard control the arrow keys on the virtual remote.

Sorry... misunderstood you.
ok... will do next :)

Cheers

// FCLage

zorglub
21-03-04, 16:47
I think its stupid that Zorglubs site can't be viewed with the KML browser. Anyone who wants to see all his source code tho, just grab a copy of Ethereal :D

Looking at my KML code is fine by me... it may be messy, but there's no point hiding it. I know the only way i learnt HTML was to look at the source of pages i liked... why should KML be any different :)

It doesnt take a brainiac to see the TinyStocks source code! Anyway there is nothing in there that has not been published in the different kml guides on this site and at gooddvdstuff. I'm sure even you can figure out the stuff. If not, just post a question and it will be answered. :lol:

The restriction is there to keep my bandwidth in check and reserved for people actually connecting to the site with a Kiss player. I dont see any reason for making special allowances for using the KML Browser since it is supposed to be a tool for developers to develop their own sites. Also, a lot of the services offered save user information based on the playerid in a database. I dont want to end up having gigabytes of data for bogus player ids since it'll be a lot tougher to purge without deleting real data. This way just keeps everything clean. And finally, it's easier to prevent cheating in the games and users accessing other users' settings.

Anyway, those are my rules, you can do whatever you want on your site.

Craig_E
21-03-04, 17:23
lol.. 'gigabytes of data for bogus player ids' .. do you know what a gigabyte is?! ;)

zorglub
21-03-04, 21:51
yeah, do you? :lol:

Yannic
21-03-04, 22:29
> The restriction is there to keep my bandwidth in check and reserved for people actually connecting to the site with a Kiss player. I dont see any reason for making special allowances for using the KML Browser since it is supposed to be a tool for developers to develop their own sites. Also, a lot of the services offered save user information based on the playerid in a database. I dont want to end up having gigabytes of data for bogus player ids since it'll be a lot tougher to purge without deleting real data. This way just keeps everything clean. And finally, it's easier to prevent cheating in the games and users accessing other users' settings.
Anyway, those are my rules, you can do whatever you want on your site.

K..
- Bandswitch .....Gigabit..... :-))
- View a KML code, i think it's not a finality. (like view a asp/php/perl source :-) ) all Tags founded is published & if anybody want help for a tag : he just says Help : Tag here or in the KML yahoo group or in the irc/chat.
- False stats & Purge with out deleting real data OK it's a real problem.- Game : Oh No! we can't cheating like page?win=1 ARfffffffff you'r Hard with us :-)))
in a friendly way,
Yannic.

zorglub
22-03-04, 00:50
Fclage - still have problems with transparency in new browser. 3 or 4 rects will show with transparency and the others with solid colors. You can see it in the Weather section or the TV guide on the tinystocks site.

Font=1 is now perfect.

Text still seems to be one pixel higher than on Kiss player.

In <MENUITEM> you dont handle the MENUSELECT command (see front page of Tinystocks portal). You just use the default left/top and right/bottom key functions.

zorglub
22-03-04, 02:17
- Bandswitch .....Gigabit..... :-))

Geesh when did everyone become so anally retentive?? 8O

It's just an expression, kilobytes, megabytes, gazillion, I'm not gonna go and count the exact bytes a bogus entry takes up together with the mysql overhead, etc. Who cares :?::?::?::?: What I care is to keep my data clean because I actually use it for a bunch of stuff. :roll:

Again, anybody has got a question about my very simple kml stuff, pm me. Now can we get back to the topic of this thread? :roll:

Yannic
22-03-04, 21:16
yes we can :oops:

Up & Down button from the remote doesn't work very well

in my new KMLChat i don't use <menuselect> just <onup> & <ondown> tags
but always the FCLage KMLBrowser remote goes left & right
--
Yannic
KMLChat available at : http://kml.sophyann.net/Chat.php