Release: TouchBuddy v1.0.2

Following on from the previous posting:

http://forum.lockon.ru/showthread.php?t=16753

I would like to announce the release of TouchBuddy v1.0.2. There a lot of new features and fixes in this release, but the biggest change is the fact that the default for creating buttons on screen now is "skin mode", where the buttons are drawn into the background of the window. No more clunky "windows" style buttons (unless you specifically enable them).

Download here:

http://www.touch-buddy.com/forums/local_links.php?catid=1

New look and logo:

Totally reworked simple-layout.tbc profile to show all the new features

Some of the important changes are:

New compilation method - TouchBuddy is now compiled a different way, and that requires some extra DLLs in the TouchBuddy directory (sorry about that)

new touchbuddy-local.cfg file - this file is not distributed with TouchBuddy, (you have to create it). It allows you to save information specific to your setup (IPs, passwords, etc) in this file, and it will not get overwritten when you upgrade to the next version. It uses the same layout as touchbuddy.cfg, and the local file is read last, so any options in the local file will take priority.

NOTE: We sometimes see a strange crash bug where TB goes crazy with errors, but cannot find the cause. Once I am back from vacation and can actually recreate this bug on demand (I dont see this bug right now on my system), i`ll get to work on finding a fix.

Wild Bill Kelso will be along shortly with a post about the TouchBuddy Toolkit 1.0.2

As the forums limit the amount of characters per message, i`ll have to split the release notes for v1.0.2 into seperate posts.

====================

Release notes for v1.0.2 (revision 0)

 

- (v1.0.2 Rev. 0) - ADD: 3rd August 2006

Added new option in *.tbc -> [new-window] -> [options]

# The default tab that will be displayed right after the profile

# has been loaded

default_start_tab = <name-of-tab>

If the named tab doesnt exist, TouchBuddy will start up with the first tab

selected (i.e No errors).

 

- (v1.0.2 Rev. 0) - ADD: 3rd August 2006

Added special internal name for select_tab button option.

select_tab = tb:previous

This will take you back to the tab you came from. Taking the numeric

entry example from below, once you arrive on this tab and have entered

the numbers you want, you can press a button with this select_tab

option to take you back to the original tab you started on when you

went to the numeric entry tab (if you see what I mean).

 

- (v1.0.2 Rev. 0) - ADD: 3rd August 2006

Added touchbuddy-local.cfg to the "load config" routine. It is loaded

after the normal touchbuddy.cfg file, and allows users to store config

options specific to their setup to be held in a file that wont be

overwritten with future releases. Options found in both files will take

the value from the touchbuddy-local.cfg file.Items like client/server

IPs and passwords can be stored in the touchbuddy-local.cfg, without

the risk of them being removed when the next release copies a new

touchbuddy.cfg file into the directory.

 

- (v1.0.2 Rev. 0) - ADD: 2nd August 2006

Added new button option select_tab option for [new-button]

[new-button]

type = button

select_tab = <tab_name>

[end-button]

It is *ONLY* supported on button type = button definitions.

This will call the tab_update routine to change the display to the named tab,

but *AFTER* any macros for this button have been sent. This will allow

TouchBuddy to to be able to change to to a new display when a button is pressed.

Example: Pressing the Radio Message menu button in EECH will send the TAB key to

bring up the in-game Radio selection, and then TouchBuddy can change the selected

tab to display a numeric input screen, allowing the user to choose the numbered

option for the selected radio message.

 

- (v1.0.2 Rev. 0) - REMOVE: 2nd August 2006

Removed the button type "tab_emulate". They were coded, worked great,

but not very useful. This was due to me not thinking about *HOW* they

would be used before I started coding them.

 

- (v1.0.2 Rev. 0) - ADD: 2nd August 2006

Added new button option

border_color = 255,255,255

Only enabled if the tab the button is on is in skin mode. Will draw an

outline/border on this specific button using the R,G,B values specified.

These borders will not be enabled/disabled by the "Toggle Button Borders"

button on the TB tab. It allows users to group buttons together and have

a border to show the edges of those buttons all the time. Think of a LCD

numeric input, with black buttons, but adding a green border to each button

to show where they are. Of course, the users could always have made the

button images with the border on them anyway, but...

 

- (v1.0.2 Rev. 0) - ADD: 2nd August 2006

Made "skin mode" for all tabs the default (for now, anyway). Profiles will now

have to disable skinable tabs deliberately if they want to display the old

"button" mode, using "skinable = 0" in each [new-tab] entry.

(NOTE: The *TB* is still "old " button mode, its a lot of work to move this

over to skin mode).

 

- (v1.0.2 Rev. 0) - ADD: 23rd July 2006

Added new TouchBuddy object, called an "image". These kind of act the same as new

buttons, can be placed on anywhere, on any tab, on any layer, but they have no

macros defined for them. Mostly to be used in "full skin" mode.

*.tbc -> [new-image]

[new-image]

type = static

name = new-image-test

tabname = Tab-4

xpos = 10

ypos = 10

layer = 1

image_file = simple-layout\new-image-01.jpg

[end-image]

NOTE: "type = static" is the only supported type right now.

 

- (v1.0.2 Rev. 0) - ADD: 23rd July 2006

Added config entry in touchbuddy.cfg to enable/disable the ClipCursor routine,

which tries to allow the mouse to leave the game window area. This option

does not work with all games.

# Some games prevent the mouse cursor from leaving the game window area.

# enabling this option allows TouchBuddy to try to release the cursor

# (Note: This option does not work on all games!)

clip_cursor = [0|1]

 

- (v1.0.2 Rev.0 ) - ADD: 20th July 2006

Added config to *.tbc files to allow buttons to be created on

separate layers. This is really only of any use on a "skinable" tab.

Use of layers for normal buttons should be avoided, they wont work

the way you are expecting!

*.tbc -> [new-button]

layer = 0 to 200

Layer 0 is the lowest layer, all higher layers will be sequentially layered on top.

Buttons that have no layer defined will be automatically placed in layer 0

 

- (v1.0.2 Rev. 0) - ADD: 20th July 2006

New button on the *TB* to toggle the display of borders around

buttons in "full skin" mode.

 

- (v1.0.2 Rev. 0) - ADD: 20th July 2006

Added config entry in touchbuddy.cfg to enable/disable the

display of the button borders in "full skin" mode, and also

the ability to change the color of the displayed borders

# Show or Hide button borders when TouchBuddy is displaying a skinned tab

# (Has no effect when displaying the old style "normal" buttons

display_button_borders = 1

# This defines the color to use for the borders when display_button_borders

# is enabled. Color is defined as R,G,B (0-255 for each)

button_border_color = 255,0,0

 

- (v1.0.2 Rev. 0) - ADD: 20th July 2006

Added new config entry in *.tbc file to allow specific tabs to display as

"full skin" rather than the original "button" mode.

*.tbc -> [new-tab]

skinable = [0|1]

 

- (v1.0.2 Rev. 0) - ADD: 18th July 2006

New cursor type in touchbuddy.cfg - "cross"

# define the initial state of the cursor

# can be "dot" for single pixel cursor

# or "cross" for a crosshair cursor

# or "normal" for the default system cursor

cursor_state = normal

Changed *TB* tab button to "Cycle Cursor Type"

 

- (v1.0.2 rev. 0) - ADD: 16th July 2006

Added options to position the initial window

touchbuddy.cfg

# defines the x/y postion of the initial

# small window

initial_window_xpos = 10

initial_window_ypos = 10

 

- (v1.0.2 Rev. 0) - ADD: 13th July 2006

Liberated WBKs "no image" place holder from TBTk and now using

it to fill in any missing image files for buttons in TouchBuddy.

 

 

..................

#==========

 

v1.0.2 revision 1

 

- (v1.0.2 Rev. 1) - CHANGE: 18th August 2006

Changed the look of the initial TouchBuddy window, featuring the new TouchBuddy logo

and character :)

 

- (v1.0.2 Rev. 1) - REMOVE: 18th August 2006

Removed (well, disabled) the memory status code from the *TB* tab, as it was causing

a serious slow down, as well as (ironically) using a lot of memory :)

Once I find an better way to implement this, I`ll enable it again.

 

- (v1.0.2 Rev. 1) - FIX: 17th August 2006

Fixed the client area calculation on the *TB* Tab (client area height was wrong).

 

- (v1.0.2 Rev. 1) - ADD: 17th August 2006

Added button "type = static" to *.tbc file definitions. "static" buttons will

display just like any other button, but have no macros attached, and do nothing

except just display the image on the correct tab, at the defined position on the

correct layer. On a Skinable tab, they support transparency. Think of static buttons

as a way of inserting an image onto a tab. Note: static buttons do not display a border

when "toggle button borders" is enabled, but if you define a border_color for a static

button, it will be displayed.

*.tbc -> [new-button] -> type = static

 

- (v1.0.2 Rev. 1) - ADD: 17th August 2006

Added option in touchbuddy.cfg to enable the mouse cursor to be

moved to a specific location after pressing a button in Local mode.

# In Local mode, when you press on the TouchBuddy window, the mouse/cursor

# will move to the area of the button, but after pressing the button, the

# cursor will stay there. By defining the following value, TouchBuddy will

# move the mouse/cursor to the defined position after a button press, or

# if its defined as "centre", the mouse/cursor will be moved to the centre

# of the currently active window. If this value is not defined, the mouse

# cursor will remain over the TouchBuddy window.

#mouse_position_after_press = 320,240

# or

#mouse_position_after_press = centre

 

- (v1.0.2 Rev. 1) - FIX: 7th August 2006

Found + fixed *MAJOR* show-stopping runaway crash bug. Had to remove the

"minimize" box from the top of the window if running in "Local" mode. If

TouchBuddy was minimized in Local mode, the code would go absolutely crazy.

I wont be enabling this again, because if you minimise a window with the

NOACTIVATE flag on it, it doesnt appear in the task bar, so you are unable

to click on it to show it again.

 

- (v1.0.2 Rev. 1) - FIX: 7th August 2006

Fixed logic bug with "touch" buttons in full skin mode.

 

- (v1.0.2 Rev. 1) - ADD: 6th August 2006

Added 44th_eightfive's new graphics to the EXE icon. Also re-wrote most of

the simple-layout.tbc profile to make it look "new and slick" :)

 

- (v1.0.2 Rev. 1) - ADD: 5th August 2006

Added new "Background Image Not Found" placeholder image, which will be used

when the tab backgroud image cannot be found or loaded.

 

- (v1.0.2 Rev. 1) - CHANGE: 4th August 2006

Change memory status updates to once every 60 seconds, and only while the

*TB* tab is selected.

 

- (v1.0.2 Rev. 1) - FIX: 4th August 2006

Fixed small logic bug with hold buttons that were not sending their deselect

macros when another button was pressed. Only seemed to happen in full skin mode.

 

- (v1.0.2 Rev. 1) - ADD: 4th August 2006

Fixed memory leak in (transparent) image painting into window background.

(Updated library call)

 

- (v1.0.2 Rev. 1) - ADD: 4th August 2006

Updated some included library files, and spent 5 hours trying to get it

all working again :)

 

- (v1.0.2 Rev. 1) - ADD: 3rd August 2006

Added "Memory Usage" status line to the *TB* tab, showing overall memory use,

the amount of memory TouchBuddy had allocated before loading any profile data,

and how much extra memory it has had to allocate for loaded data and internal

variables. Updates every second.

 

#===========

 

v1.0.2 revision 2

 

- (v1.0.2 Rev. 2) - FIX: 22nd August 2006

Dumb crash bug with paint routine in "server" mode

 

- (v1.0.2 Rev. 2) - ADD: 22nd August 2006

Along with the clip_cursor option in touchbuddy.cfg, there is now another

option to enable/disable in an attempt to remove some games ability to lock

the mouse cursor to the game area. The new option "release_capture" does

cause all kinds of weird behaviour in normal windows, so I highly recommend

that you only enable it if you REALLY REALLY must!

# this is another way to try to unlock the game mouse, but it does cause a

# LOT of problems. I highly recommend you do not use this unless you

# absolutely have to!!

release_capture = 1

 

- (v1.0.2 Rev. 2) - FIX: 22nd August 2006

Forced tabstrip update for page after profile load (used to randomly leave the

initial tab looking a real mess, with all the ActiveX items visible, and no

buttons)

 

- (v1.0.2 Rev. 2) - FIX: 21st August 2006

Added new option for "mouse_position_after_press" called "previous"

which will move the mouse to where it was somewhere beteen 1-2 seconds ago.

 

- (v1.0.2 Rev. 2) - FIX: 21st August 2006

Found and fixed crash on exit bug (not just TouchBuddy error window crash, but full

"Microsoft crash debug window" kind of crash). Legacy code calling a system routine

that should have been removed a long time ago was being called with an uninitialized

variable... BOOM!

 

- (v1.0.2 Rev. 2) - CHANGE: 19th August 2006

Added routine to block sending of button macros in local mode if either of the

TouchBuddy windows are the foreground window and have "focus".

 

- (v1.0.2 Rev. 2) - CHANGE: 18th August 2006

Updated simple-layout.tbc to remove the [new-image] entries, replaced them with

[new-button] -> type = static, and changed the graphics to reflect that.

 

#===========

 

v1.0.2 revison 3

 

- (v1.0.2 Rev. 3) - ADD: 25th August 2006

Added msvcp60.dll to the zip file, which is required for some older

Windows operating systems. The file is zipped up, so it wont get

loaded if you already have it, but if TouchBuddy complains its missing

then just unzip msvcp60.zip into the TouchBuddy directory and run it

again.

 

- (v1.0.2 Rev. 3) - FIX: 25th August 2006

Fixed crash on exit bug that was due to ActiveX components not being

shut down correctly.

 

- (v1.0.2 Rev. 3) - CHANGE: 22nd August 2006

Changed the EXE build process completely. It *APPEARS* to be running OK,

but havent had more than a few hours testing so far. The advantages of

the new build process far outweigh any problems that have appeared so

far (i.e. none :) The code now requires a few DLL files to run correctly,

but these are created by the build proces, supplied with the TouchBuddy

ZIP file, and are extracted to the correct location when unzipped.

 

#===

 

v1.0.2 revision 4

 

- (v1.0.2 Rev. 4) - FIX: 25th August 2006

Fixed issue in Local mode where the "touch" window was taking focus when

it first started, even though it was told not to when that window was created.

 

 

oh, and a quick shout out to 44th_EightFive, who designed the new logo and TouchBuddy character, and won the touch screen competition.

just an idea.. possible to mix F4 glass....using the f4glass item to display on the touch buddy screen and we can create buttons around the image?

I'm thinking either a layer on top of touch buddyor a "hole" so to speak in the touch buddy shell so the f4 glass item can seen...

just thinking....

Hey bflagg, this is being considered. We are also working with Doug on his excellent LUA hookups.

Hey bflagg, this is being considered. We are also working with Doug on his excellent LUA hookups.

May want to check this link:

http://www.winbeta.org/comments.php?id=4539&catid=1

"Online gaming buffs could be at heightened risk for attack, McAfee has warned, after Avert Labs received several worms implemented in the "Lua" scripting language used mostly in gaming codes."

Out

Thanks for the headsup Polecat.

Will it be possible in the furure to use TrackIr to look around in the cockpit?

Will it be possible in the furure to use TrackIr to look around in the cockpit?

We can already do that, but all aircraft in lock on don't have the 6DOF (only blackshark will have this) nIf you don't have a TIR I suggest you get one as soon as you can.

Sorry I did mean the touch buddy screen. Can you look around in that? Or will it be possible in the future?

Sorry I did mean the touch buddy screen. Can you look around in that? Or will it be possible in the future?

You mean, will the TouchBuddy allow the simulation of a cockpit to look around in?

Guess that would take some serious 3D-programming (and cost some more CPU-cycles). Besides that - not sure whether one has access to TrackIR-data once it runs in "advanced/absolute" mode.

And - it would increase the complexity of TouchBuddy a lot, which is basically "just" a sort of display/mouse-check-program....

(and good at it, just judging from photos/reports)

w75 out

PS: Dont get me wrong, if I had the money I would have a touchscreen with TouchBuddy in no time ... the idea just great - simple, but highly effective.

I just got my Lilliput 8.4" touchscreen from FedEx today and have been playing with touchbuff, f4glass and falconguages in server-client mode for the last few hours with an assortment of flight sims. I feel like taking avacation day tomorrow :-)

All I can say is WOW! And can't wait for the F-15 profile!

Thanks TB crew, you guys really did a great job with touchbuddy!

im still drooling, maybe when its time to put the bike up for the season I can get a touch screen :)

Hey rugg man, i think you said that you were running 2 PCs to have both screens going due to the fact that you need a VGA output for both.

Would it be possible to simpley use a second video card to run the second TB monitor, therefore multiple cards for multiple screens thus having a sim pit without switches and individual screens for each instrament, insted having like 3,5,7... TB monitors in an pit... combined with 3 projectors using aspheric optics thus creating the best sim pit ever without any hooking up a single switch?

Sorry I did mean the touch buddy screen. Can you look around in that? Or will it be possible in the future?

Have you ever tried clicking on a switch/button in a clickable pit that you can look around with TIR? man, thats really hard :)

There are no plans to link TIR into TB... there really is no need. If you need to look at another "panel" of switches, you just press the "tab" at the bottom and the current group will be swapped for the required group. you can add as many different tabs as you like, with user defined buttons, graphics, images, etc

wow looking real good !!

BUMP

ruggbutt,

You have outdone yourself. The F-15 profile is absolutely fantastic!

Great work!

i have to say this is great work on the f-15 profile ruggbutt, and not only yourself but zorlac and wbk also, i have been avoiding TB for a few reasons, one i have no touch screen and two i thought it would be very difficult and involved to learn.

after looking at the TB forums i now realise that i have nothing to worry about.

and that its also possible to hook up a touchscreen to the local computer on a dualhead videocard, no need for networking etc unless you desire to do so.

the coding for the buttons and tabs etc looks amazingly simple, basically just tell it where to be, and what to do.

and with the great f-15 profile all the hard work is already done.

for me and TB, its now not a matter of if but when, thankyou.

sorry dodger if i left you out mate, good job on the site.

i was thinking if we do eventually get the export of tews, pacs, mfd's, abris, tv etc for use on external monitors/screens, would it be possible to have say the exported radar in the centre of a touchbuddy border of buttons?

this would allow you to have say 2x 8" touchscreens, one either side of centre screen running lomac2f4glass instruments :)

say the right one could display an operational TEWS with a bunch of buttons around it, getting rather close to a realistic functional

instrument.

hey i'm just the ideas guy :D

No sweat mate. Seeing TB fly is all the thanks I need! :)

Download actually doesn't work:

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