Sprite Manager- for the MilkDrop Visualization Plugin.

Programmed by Chuck Nin
Chuckn1n@hotmail.com
Please email any comments, bug reports or registration requests.

PURPOSE:

MilkDrop has a great feature of being able to asynchronously show one, or several, images on top of the usual visualization effect. This image can be effected in a similar manner to the visualization by detecting parameters of the audio. This allows MilkDrop to be an effective information display as well as a visualization engine.

Imagine that while MilkDrop is entertaining a nightclub with its 'eye-candy' it subliminally induces an advertisement for "241 Drinks" that dances across the screen followed by a "Smirnoff" logo. As quickly as it came, it blends into the background. Add to that a dancing "TV bug," using the nightclub logo and the potential is clear for the commercial benefit of using sprites with MilkDrop.

This utility is useful for managing and simple editing of MilkDrop Sprite presets stored in the Milk_img.ini file. These sprites are JPEG pictures that add visual and information effects to the MilkDrop display window. These images can be programmed in a variety of ways. The Manager provides a GUI interface and simple editing, so manipulation is made significantly easier.

The purpose of this utility is to make real-time (live - 'on air') editing and insertion of graphics less complicated, and to allow a library of a variety of effects where the image may be changed but the effect remains the same. Or vise versa.

WARNINGS:

INSTALLATION:

Install the program as you would any other windows program. Follow all on-screen directions and start the program from the windows start menu. The first time the program is run it assumes the location of all files is relative to the application path where it was installed. It will be necessary to point the Managerto the "Milk_img.ini" file. Example files are included by default. If you currently use sprites from MilkDrop it is recommended that you backup your existing Milk_img.ini file before pointing the Managerto your functioning file.

DESCRIPTION:

There are three main areas of "Sprite Manager"

1: the sprite entry window
2: the code window
3: the MilkDrop image presets window.

SPRITE ENTRY WINDOW: The sprite entry window is a visual description and information display of the currently selected sprite. This area shows sprite number, sprite name, the image, the width, height, and size in bytes of the image file, the image file name, and a text description of the sprite preset. This area also has buttons to change the image, add an initialization line to the sprite code, add a code line to the sprite code, and update the currently selected sprite.

CODE WINDOW: The code window shows all the code entered into the Milk_img.ini file. The code is editable.

NOTE: Sprite Manager adds the NAME and DESCRIPTION lines to the Milk_img.ini file. These entries are not used by MilkDrop, and are only present to make Sprite Manager more useful. They will not cause any influence to MilkDrop as of version 1.03.

IMAGE PRESETS WINDOW: This is listing of the presets currently in the Milk_img.ini file. Selecting one of these entries will make it appear in the Sprite Entry and Code windows. This area has a clear and refresh button to manually identify if a update has in fact taken place. At the bottom of this window there is status line that identifies the currently selected Milk_img.ini file.

MENUS: In the standard windows menu are the following items.

'File:Preferences': allows you to change the currently selected Milk_img.ini file and the currently selected library. It is possible to uses Sprite Manager to edit additional library files or backup copies of your Milk_img.ini file.

'Tools:Show library': displays a library of pre-made sprites for use in your Milk_img.ini file.

'help:readme' : displays this file.

'help:about' : displays the about box for version and registration information.

CONFIGURATION (Sprite Manager Preferences):

When Sprite Manager is first installed it uses example files for the MilkDrop image presets. To configure Sprite Manager to edit your actual MilkDrop image preset file, choose 'File:Preferences' from the standard Menu. In the "MilkDrop Sprite INI File" box type, or browse to, the location of the MilkDrop plugin directory and select "Milk_img.ini". This is the file MilkDrop uses to define sprites it uses.

It is not recommended but you may use this same dialog to select the sprite_lib.ini file. You can create as many library files as you wish. The library file included with Sprite Manager was created with Sprite Manager.

You MUST select "APPLY" for the changes to take place and then "CLOSE" the window.

OPERATION:

Use the "MilkDrop Image Preset" window to scroll through and select a preset. Once you have the preset selected you may view or change any available parameter in the "Sprite Entry" window. Double clicking in the Code window alows changing of specific code entries. In order to use this feature it is recomended to read the Help portion of the Milk_img.ini file.

Selecting the "UPDATE" button will update the file and the next time it is accessed by MilkDrop, the changes will be refected. As of version 1.03 of MilkDrop, changing sprite parameters while a preset image is being displayed has no effect. The parameters are read every time the sprite is accessed. If Sprite Manager changes them, the next time the sprite is accessed any changes will be displayed. This allows MilkDrop to be its own preview window. When preparing a large show or making "live" changes all that is necessary is to re-activate the sprite.

LIBRARY WINDOW:

The library is a pre-defined set of sprites. Showing the library window allows you to click and view a sprite from an additional file (the library) and update it into the Milk_img.ini file. A generic library of image effects has been included.

It is recomended that as you create your own effects you store them into as many additional librarys as necessary. As the need arrises you may access the sprites and insert them into the Milk_img.ini file.

KNOWN ISSUES:

1: Sprite Manager edits the Milk_img.ini file without reguard for readability. It does this with full windows complience, and therefore functions properly. However, if you are used to editing this file by hand, you may notice that some enries are out of numericle order, or may not be spaced evenly.

2: When overwriting an existing sprite with the update function, some older code or init lines may not be removed. For example, Overwriting a Sprite with five lines of code, with a sprite that only contains 3 lines of code. Somtimes leaves lines 4 and 5. Selecting the updated sprite form the "Image preset window" will allow you to manually remove the code from the code window and update again.

OTHER SOFTWARE PRODUCTS FROM RWM:

Keyboard Macro Launcher: $100 (download only), a programmable keystroke macro launcher. It sends a series of keystrokes to the topmost window (MilkDrop if you wish automate sprites or text messages or any other funtion available for the keyboard) from the task bar. 16 macros can be stored and launched in each of the following ways.

1: From a timer. Every X seconds the next macro is launched.

2: From the serial port. A hex value 0-F on the serial port will launch the coresponding macro 0-15.

3: From TIME OF DAY. Each macro will lanuch based on time of day. Usefull for time sensitive advertising (lunch specials) and/or an "on the hour" clock.

Universal Serial Interface: $100 (download only), a completely programmable software serial button interface. It allows you to send a serial string, from a custom interface, from a windows based computer. Use a mouse, or a touch screen, or a keyboard, to press a custom GUI button from windows and send a serial string.

Can be used with keyboard macro launcer above to activate one computer from another, through the serial port. Or, can also be used to control an AMX, Crestron Alcorn Mcbride Prcessor, or any other device that receives serial commands.