Stoking the flames!

[20 Ton Squirrel]

Hello all,
I hope this forum hasn't gone so dead that people won't notice this new post. I realize that we've reached a beta testing stage, but can't help but feel as if much of the initial steam we had on this project has dissipated.

That's to be expected for the most part, but I'm not willing to let this go to dust. So in the interest of keeping the forges of inspiration alight, I have a few ideas for the teams...

A paste function for code. The user clicks a button which brings up a subwindow to paste AS into. A send button slaps the content to the server. To avoid the hassle of coding something new, I'd suggest we use the @paste command from the engine... for those that know what it is.

We still need to get the automap feature up and running. I think that Pink originally volunteered for that. It'll be a fairly code-intense widget, if she needs help I hope that someone can provide.

We still need to get the whiteboard widget working. Jesse's concept was cool but you can only draw two-point lines. I had more of a real-time drawing tool in mind. He can fire me for my critique later! *snicker*

IfZen, I had signed you on to help me with the PHP-Engine communication. I still need your skills if you're willing. I was a lame-o and lost your e-mail address. Can you PM it to me?

Maccer, you and I discussed the whole skinning idea. I can send you a copy of the client FLA and a description of what I'm talking about. Are you game on tackling that under Red Pengie's wing?

Alright! Let's roll.

[tg]

i'm game to help out with the map widget...

[pinkaboo]

hey squirrel/Red - can you post me anything we've got so far please (pretty please!) seems I'm going to be stuck at home for a while and I could probably use something to muse over while I can't get online so easily [have to pay for internet access :0(] give me something to think about at least!

K

[Rupert]

I'm still happy to test it - if it helps.

BTW will we be able to copy out of the message window?
ie: if someone posts a URL - can we copy it and slap it in a browser?

Cheers,
Rupert

[zoomfreddy]

Hi there 20 Ton!!!, maybe i can help Pink with the Automap...as long as times let me...also i propposed to Vile, adding sounds to the client, i guess this goes on "skinning" ... i can do the editing of loops/fx, etc.
just let me know.

[vilehelm]

I apologize for being so "not around" lately. Buying a house and logging close to 70 hours a week at work has absorbed all of my time but i am thinking about what to do next. I was HOPING that we'd get some more test comments but I think we've reached critical mass on that. That's cool though, thanks to all who sent in your test sheets. I want to pull together a thread to start talking about the test comments and move into refinement stage and then hopefully get this sucker up and moving. I think that 20 has made some good suggestions. There are a lot of little holes that need filling.

The funny thing is that the client and project has already fullfilled many of the goals that it was set out to fulfill. Definitely has created a stronger community, pushed everybody's perception of what could be done with flash out a little farther and now we know how much time 20 spends screwing around at "work"...

let's all give ourselves a pat on the back...except Pink, she's hurt, take it easy on her...

[20 Ton Squirrel]

Ouch, Vile! You cut me to the quick with your stab at my work ethic! I'll have you know that I am a consumate and quintessencial wageslave to the Big Corporate Machine!

You're just jealous of my ninja-like multitasking skills!!

Heheheh... Right. Sounds good. Glad to hear that you all are still on board. Let's get this sucka knocked out!

[pinkaboo]

hey guys,

just let me know what I can do to help out (if anything) looks like I'll be off work for 3 weeks minimum so I could probably do with something to puzzle over. though I warn you I'm a bit woozy on painkillers and only have one hand, but hey I can try :)

maybe catch you later?

K

[vilehelm]

Pink, do you want to take a stab at implementing some of the changes from your comments? Namely working on some of the look and feel stuff...and whatever else you can handle with a broken limb?

I'm swamped with moving and work right now but I'd like the project to creep forward. Let me know, k? If so, pester 20 to send you the .fla after he's done with it.

I also agree that the drawing tablet needs to be a little more blown out. Look at this (http://www.etalentagency.com) for an example except minus the animated brushes. But three different brushes and 4 colors would be good. Any takers on that one?

Dang, I'm hungry...

[zoomfreddy]

Hi there Vile!!!

im on the drawing tablet stuff, already have 1 brush working :)...(yes, i tested before posting), i'll be out of town next week, but i let you know how much i advance on this.


:cool:

[vilehelm]

sweet freddy, also maybe if pink wants to work on Dzign you and her can add some sounds...?

I love suggesting work for others to do...gotta go visit Dent the bartender now...

[zoomfreddy]

sure Vile!!!

...UPDATE...
3 brushes now working...this is fun!!!!

im gonna need some cool "array insert" code to keep tracking on drawings...

see you.

:cool:

[vilehelm]

You may be able to use something Jesse's original code...I think Red has that...???

[zoomfreddy]

so far...this:

drawTest1 (http://zoomfreddy.t35.com/Draw.html)

sorry for the popup add, can't upload it in other place...tell me if this goes ok.

:cool:

[tg]

pretty slick zoomfreddy.

[vilehelm]

that's pretty dang good Freddy, nice. I like the scroll through colors cause it saves some space which we will probably need. I think though that you can leave off the stop and start drawing even though it's pretty slick. can we just have it on all of the time and eliminate those buttons or is there a need for it that I don't understand? Entirely possible...

Way to jump in..! I think I have a good way to integrate it design wise too. See you guys monday, packin up the puter for the movers!

[zoomfreddy]

thanks tg, vile!!!

i'll check on the start/stop thing, and some other add-ons...
see you.

:cool:

[Rupert]

Hi,
Is it windows only? I am not getting any drawing or colour selection on the Mac. :(

Rupert

[zoomfreddy]

Nooooo!!!!, im doing this on Mac, can you check it again, i made some changes after my last post...

DrawTest 2 (http://zoomfreddy.t35.com/Draw.html)

do you have flash 5 plug-in?, wich browser are you using?


:cool:

[Rupert]

Hey thats cool. It worked that time for me! I have choice of 3 colours and all is good. I am using IE 5 with Flash 5 but it seems ok to me now. Good one!

Cheers,
R

[zoomfreddy]

hey Rupert...thanks....

another update...and maybe is time to show the fla to 20 Ton, or Red...still needs the AS to pass the draw to other's client and the AS to reconstruct the drawing. i'll see if i do the second.

drawTest 3 (http://zoomfreddy.t35.com/Draw.html)

BTW. i have some cuestions on this...see you in the client.
:cool:

[pinkaboo]

hey that's just fab Zoom :) like Vile I like the way you chose to save space with the colour selection - superb.

K

[20 Ton Squirrel]

Just talked to Zoom a bit about the drawing thang. Consumate job there, chum. Looks great.

Now the thing to tackle is how to limit the data that is recorded to be sent from client to engine to another client. If the FLA is running at 30FPS then that is ALOT of data being recorded every second the mouse is held down.

I see two ways of doing this...

First -
We limit what is sent across to the engine to the last 200 elements in the array that records your strokes. This would kinda suck if you had a complex drawing to show or if you are slow on the draw (literally).

Second -
We have the user select who will receive the drawing before any drawing is done. Then the data is sent live as the user draws. This might be a more viable option.

What do ya'll think?

[zoomfreddy]

thanks Pink!!!

20Ton...maybe some code to send the arrays by steps:

checkArraysLength, then

sendArray 0 to 100

then

sendArray 100 to length...

don't know if this cut be slow...

btw. dots are added just if you have your mouse button down && move it around the drawing box, and values are stored only when you press the "check" button, in 3 arrays( Ypos, Xpos and color), this can be done in just 1 array, i don't know how yet :)



:cool:

[zoomfreddy]

read my other post, i edited it...

...i'll be out of town for 5 days, with my girlfriend :) then, i'll be speaking about flash in a conference in one small university here, wish me luck!!!

see you all some time the next week, to finish the drawing stuff.

:cool:

[red penguin]

Okay..let's roll...mmmmuuuaaahhhhhhh!!

I think the best thing at this point, would be to have a group get together. The Squirrel has some good ideas there and I believe as of this post, the tasks have been tentatively handed out. We need to gather and discuss to be sure we are all on the same page!

My apologies for slacking a bit in the past two weeks. For all of you in the know, things are on the up and up and the penguin is back, so beware! With all the hooplah of the release of MX, there seems to be a lot to take in!

But, I said it bafore and I'll say it again...

...it's all in the organization and we have the knowledge and the right group so...

let's roll...

[vilehelm]

Hey Guys, I'm back but I'm busy busy so i'll just be peeking in every now and then. Does the drawing have to go through the engine? Would that help things at all. I thought that it was going to run on it's own little seperate PHP thingy...? Not that I know what that really means but it makes me sound all smart like...

Like the new choice of colors zoom...

[zoomfreddy]

back on town!!!...and made some changes to the drawing stuff...

drawTest 4 (http://zoomfreddy.t35.com/Draw.html)

Vile...the color choice was a "big inspiration" from....guess where :)

see you all in the client!!!

:cool:

[vilehelm]

That's perfect Zoom...kudos

Now we need to get the PHP thingy running. 20 or Jesse want to chime in at this point?

[Jesse]

Sorry everyone I know I've totally let my side down and been out of the loop for weeks (so busy). Out of interest, aren't we using my whiteboard module? I didn't recieve any info about it but ppl seem to be redveloping it....

[vilehelm]

I'll take the hit for this one Jesse.

(20 made me do it)

I think we're looking for a tool that mimicks actual hand drawing even though i can understand data wise why your yours might be easier to handle.

I think that Zoom's version has a lot of good intuitive qualities that people will understand immediately.

However there is the matter of sending it back and forth to people wich still needs to be developed right?

It's still up for discussion but...unless there is a really compelling reason datawise I think Zoom's is a more fully developed tool,

Plus he was rarin to go and needed something to do.

[20 Ton Squirrel]

Actually, Jesse, there's no reason to sugarcoat this. We all got together and declared MUTINY! That's right. I've got my cutlass and big hoop earring. Vile was going to bring some eyepatches. Red promised to bring the black skull flag... we tried to convince him to amputate his left leg so have a pegleg, but he went all pale and waddled off in a hurry. I think he lacks conviction.

Heheheh... don't worry Jesse, we all get busy with real life stuff. There's no guilt in taking care of business, and I appreciated your work on the whiteboard just as everyone else did. Hope ya don't feel tossed aside about that, really. That's not what was intended.

So there. Stuff. The mutiny is called off cuz Red is too much of a wuss to amputate his leg in favor of table leg.

[vilehelm]

peng-leg....

BUWAHAHAHAHAHAAAA

[tg]

hmmm...
penguin leg... little bbq sauce and peppers... taste like chicken.

[Jesse]

Ah ok that's cool. I just wanted to make sure it wasn't due to some mega bug in my original whiteboard script which you'd asked me to repair and I'd not recieved the emails... or something.
Hand-drwaing methodology is cool also.

Cheers

Jesse

[zoomfreddy]

and the flames are growing here!!!:) just kidding..

hey Jesse...and 20 or Red, want to see the fla, to check the data passing issues?...

mmm..peng leg...don't think so :)

:cool:

[red penguin]

I'd like to see the fla, Zoom...please?

[red penguin]

I'd like to see the fla, Zoom...please?

Red Penguin looks down at his left leg.
Red Penguin says "When was my leg even considered for amputation?"
Red Penguin shakes his head in disbelief.

[zoomfreddy]

pm me your mail, i'll send you the fla, Red, i want to know wich direction to go next...

[red penguin]

Done deal...see you soon Zoom!

[zoomfreddy]

already mailed you the fla, Red, tell me if you got it right.

btw. my internet account at home is giving me troubles, hope it works tomorrow to see everybody on the client.

:cool:

[zoomfreddy]

sorry for the delay, been busy at work, but now i replyed your last mail, nice work :)

more ideas:

maybe xml can be slow (flash parsing the xml, then drawing, etc.)...but
what about using php for the drawing, like this:

One client send the arrays for colors, positions and user/usersTarget to php.

Php writes a txt file on server with the info and also send to the clients a variable with the user/usersTarget and the name of the txt (in the client, a mc that checks if the user have a drawing waiting, some thing like a blinking light... and this needs to be switchable, on and off). Of course we need Jesse for the php part.

and a button to call the funtion that loads the txt file and redraws stuff...

Think on this as a postal system, Red.

just some thoughts on this...let me know what you think.

btw. some times the lines are doing funny things(jumping to places)

:cool: