Hotlist 2.25 - out soon, help wanted.

Allright, after a period of beeing pretty busy, i did manage to find some time for programming.

After the latest experimental version of Hotlist ended up in uncureable major crashes, I restarted from version 2.2 and finally fixed troubles with winamp 5, as well as various other bugs.

I also integrated some of the features intended for Hotlist 2.3, first to name are Transition Control and extended Beat-Detection support.

What I need you for is:
1. Beta testing
2. Authors for language packs to make it more international

I know about the usual lazyness in here but it would be nice if at least a few peopel would be willing give me a Hand.

And just fyi, things that are planned for the next big release:
-Individual preset transition configuration
-Map one or more presets to songs

1. Can do
2. Can do!

I've never actually used hotlist before though. 😕

Thank you. I appreciate you wasting time for me ;-)

I'll publish the test version later this week.

Offtopic: Just remebered this post of yours: http://forums.winamp.com/showthread....797#post908797

Woah, sounds cool.. can't wait to try it out 😉

Originally posted by Magic.X
[BOfftopic: Just remebered this post of yours: http://forums.winamp.com/showthread....797#post908797 [/B]

Heh, well porn gets a bit old after you download 1 gigabyte of it :P
But i think i can squeeze hotlist somewhere between playing Diablo II LoD and posting in the Recycle Bin 😉

What kind of goodies can we expect?

A overhead AVS controller which is sooo much better than the integrated Interface.

Just to name key features:

The possibillity of compiling lists of Presets which can be played forward, backward or shuffeld, thus either for a certain ammount of time, beats or switched after a certeain ammount of time but on-beat.

Furthermore, screenshots for every preset in two varying resolutions of your choice (for your comfort, those can also be saved to external files).

This programm has been created as a VJ interface, but good for fun at home too.

Still have to run some fixes and decrap my old code, but it will be avilable asap.

That sounds nice.When is it coming out?

It really does. I was thinking that it would involve some of the wishlist, but wow. A new interface? I hope it's brilliant.


*PRESSURE*

I followed the link in your signature and downloaded whatever was available there. Well, I couldn't get it to work. Maybe I'm confused about the entire thing, but I looked through the readme file and still couldn't figure it out.

To be honest I didn't spend too much time with it, about a half hour trying to understand it. Sorry I can't help more with this version, but I'll be glad to check this one out when it's done. 🙂

I'm sure it's a really useful tool, I'm probably just doing something stupid again.

Dont use the outdated 2.2, it won't work with winamp 5 (unless you replace the executable file with the one i'll place here).

University is keeping me busy and i havent been home yet, but it'll be available next monday for sure.

@JFASI:
Don't get it wrong. Its a new interface for Prest controlling, NOT for Editing / Writing Presets.

What it basically does, is remote control AVS via Windows Messaging API. Its similar to Playlister, but more usefull for any general purpose needs (at least this is my aim).

@denkensiefursich:
This reminds me that i'll also have to write a short step by step guide on how to basically use it (for those who feel completely lost😉)

Aaaaaw. I thought that the layout would change. Too bad. Change is good.

This is generally possible but would require an assload of work compared to little effect, atleast if you want to have an external editor.

Id be glad to help out too, Glad to see you picking it up again 🙂

I wouldnt mind testing it for you either, I'm sure i could give some valuable feedback...

I am interested how you intend to map AVS to songs without using a pile of unstable hacks too... Everyway I can come up with is basically substandard (e.g. checking title bar) 🙂


Here are some tips based on the 2.2 version available from your link in sig...

Tip 1: Autodetect the AVS directory from the registry if its there, and only pop up the 'browse' box if you can't

Tip 2: Make the browse for directory window work. It only picked out the root of the path I gave it, and I couldnt change it or override it manually...

Tip 3: Reduce loading time... (what is it doing?)

Tip 4: Make help button do something, at least pop up a box to say "Help missing" or "Need to add this..." or something...


I am using Windows 2k3 (32-bit), if that helps.


If it worked I am sure it would be great tho, the UI seemed quite complete and full of useful stuff. Good work on that, UI programming on any platform is a pain in the ass. 🙂

Alright just checked the preview version i inteded to post and found jherikos bugs still there... 🧟

Anyways, for those who wanna play now with crumpy versions do the following:

Follow Link in Sig, download, Install, do first run.

Then download: http://www.psytrancecamp.de/Hotlist/..._2.25_pre2.rar

Replace the executable and check if its even worse... 😉

Tomorrow i'll have Tip 1,2 & 4 fix0red.

Thanks, going to work on this immediatly.

Note about the song->avs stuff:
IF you already have an external controller (which, yeah, is a hack) i figured the rest to be an easy peace of work. I'll write some kind of general plugin that notifies Hotlist of songchanges and opens a hotlist specifically for the file (filename and pathbased). I know it might make a lot of peopel bitching who move around their mp3's or play cds, but at least its a way to deal. Titlebar might work as well as long as you dont rename stuff. But i'll see as i take care of the problem.

I still cant set the AVS directory, :/ .If i try to just use it anyway, it sort of seems to work, it doesnt change the preset, but it gives me an 'error loading from 0' message

EDIT: I dug up the registry key and fixed it myself in regedit, and it works fine. Good work. 🙂 The only real bugs seem to be in the interface which I mentioned earlier.

...

Actually, the beat detection thingy is added as an unknown render object... i had to move the ape in to my avs directory myself to fix that...

Just tested hotlist, and I've got a small list of bugs and recommendations:

Bugs:
- It seems that the hotlist.ape supplied with the old hotlist causes my winamp 5 to crash (sometimes), but I guess that you have to update the APE for never versions of AVS.
- If winamp crashed, and I started hotlist afterwards without having winamp open, there popped up a Ungültige Grafikgrösse (invalid graficsize) warning box, and the box would pop up again, whenever I changed settings (in the settings dialog).
- The slider in the transition toolbar doesn't work seem to work (if it's supposed to change how long the transitions take).
- Once where I minimized and restored the main window, the loading splashscreen also restored.
- The Stick AVS in Foreground setting doesn't work (at least in windowed mode.
- The reset timer on preset change doesn't work.
- Some of the text cannot be edited from the language files (mainly the titles of dialogs and error messages).

Recommendations:
- If it's possible, buttons for starting winamp and opening/closing the AVS window would be nice.
- You shouldn't change presets on singleclicking, but on doubleclicking and selecting and pressing Enter.
- It should be possible to see wether or not you have enabled Hotkey markers and Keep AVS on top from the menu.
- It would be nice to be able to set the Ghost modes alpha value, or at least have it less transparent by default.
- It shouldn't be able to autojump to the same preset.
- Some kind of a commenting or rating system for the presets could be nice (showed as a tab in the details view).

I also attached a danish language pack

Your program seems quite usefull (and a ton better than the method used in winamp), and I'm beginning to like the interface of the program, although it's not extremely easy to use for new users, and using some nicer (and not so win3.1 like) icons (or no icons at all) would help. Other than what I've mentioned, I really like the program.

btw. how do you link a song to a preset??

Ok, first of all the result of a night without sleep:


Fixed things:
-empty help (now opens helpfile or says "file not found")
-buggy settings (at least should, based on my tests)
-read avsdir from registry if own registry settings unavailable
-firststart settings removed
-autoadding ape is no more messing up large avs files

Added stuff:
-language support for new features
-language files (you can now start working on translations 😁)

Known issues:
-some dialogs may still appear with a german title (working on that)
-hotlist.ape buggy if you're trying to configure stuff (fixed version is still at home 🧟 )
-trans-speed slider sometimes buggy if nothing else changed

@DummyDDD:

- If winamp crashed, and I started hotlist afterwards without having winamp open, there popped up a Ungültige Grafikgrösse (invalid graficsize) warning box, and the box would pop up again, whenever I changed settings (in the settings dialog).

Gonna check, though its porbably a result of incomplete settings!

- Once where I minimized and restored the main window, the loading splashscreen also restored.

Gonna check, though its porbably a result of incomplete settings!

- The Stick AVS in Foreground setting doesn't work (at least in windowed mode.

Gonna check, thought this should definately work!

- The reset timer on preset change doesn't work.

Gonna check!

- Some of the text cannot be edited from the language files (mainly the titles of dialogs and error messages).

See newer language files, dialogs will be dealt with soon.

Recommendations:

- If it's possible, buttons for starting winamp and opening/closing the AVS window would be nice.

Winamp - Possible but would require a check wheter Winamp is running or not to make sense, but I really doubt its usefull. Would like to have some more comments on the nessecity of this feature.

AVS - Would require to specify the vis_plugin and more unstable hacks. Tried some time ago and failed so i'll not pick this up, at least for this release.

- You shouldn't change presets on singleclicking, but on doubleclicking and selecting and pressing Enter.

Made it this way on purpose. Because doubleclicks are annoying for night-long vj sets. Therefore I created the lock function, so preset loading is disabled for organizing purposes.

- It should be possible to see wether or not you have enabled Hotkey markers and Keep AVS on top from the menu.

Hmm, I know the standard mainmenu doesnt show so well. I'll try to make it more obviously visible.

- It would be nice to be able to set the Ghost modes alpha value, or at least have it less transparent by default.

Got the function already and it will be integrated soon.
I'd propose default alpha settings of 30% transparency.

- It shouldn't be able to autojump to the same preset.

Didn't get what exactly you meant.

- Some kind of a commenting or rating system for the presets could be nice (showed as a tab in the details view).

Nice idea but this will have a rather low priority.

Thanks after all so far and have fun playing with the new and improved preview.

More soon, maybe already tomorrow.

Just checked the graphic size thing:

Yup, was about wrong settings.
Try changing the size of your images to something else.

Hotlist saves root bitmaps, and specifically sized ones for large and small pictures.

It doesn't really care about root picture sizes, but its picky about both others.

If you changes sizes, hotlist will run a resize batch with all root pictures itself and save the new size values also. This should solve your problem.

I know its a waste of hd space to store multiple picture versions but imho the only way to get fast loading times and variable picture sizes without losses in quality.

@jheriko: Thats whats causing the loading time: initial resize on firststart, and later filling the picture array and assign the bitmaps.

Updated the lang file

The suggetion for adding a button for opening was just if it wouldn't require much work, as it might be nice for the super lazy people, although it won't be much easier than opening winamp manually.

By "It shouldn't be able to autojump to the same preset" (which I don't understand either 😁) I meant that sometimes when swithching presets randomly, it will select the same preset twice in row, which looks kinda wierd (especially when using transition). I think that when it randomly selects the the same preset twice, it should either pick another preset randomly or just not change the preset (not reset and use transition).

I just thought of another (low priority) feature, it could be nice to have the file tab in detailed view show relative path if the preset is inside the AVS folder.

I haven't had any problems with the new version (except the keep AVS on top thing), and it really is quite nice to have the transition speed slider working properly.

Keep up the good work 👍

Right... since i have no custom bitmaps i don't quite swallow your excuse for the slow load time. I cant see how loading the one small image I see is realistically slowing it down that much.

If you do want to speed that part up here are some more 'tips', though they may not be applicable if you are using some heavily abstracted API/library/visual basic or whatever...

• Rather than batch resizing the whole lot, just do the ones which are wrong, load the bitmap file header, check the size and compare it... then load and convert the file only if you need to.
  
• Make the large and small images a convenient ratio of each other so that you only need to store the larger size, and use an optimal downsampling routine to generate the other in memory when needed. Using tight code, this normally takes much less than a 60th of a second on images of this size, even on the CPU if done reasonably efficiently. Generating in memory from data in memory is much faster than loading from the disk.

You could always hardware accelerate the texture processes too... though that is generally a lot of effort for something this simple...

New preview more fun!


Whats fixed:
-Multiple loading presets on random in a row
-Some language assignement problems here and there
-Transition speed is now verified to be set correctly

Whats new:
-Alpha blending values can be set individually
-Some minor language stuff according to changes
-newer hotlist.ape included (the config dialog shows a lot of unused stuff - still got to hide this as its inteded for future use, but for now, a version without crashes);

About the picture and loading stuff:
I know, this is not as convenient as i'd like it to be. Have been messing araund variuos times with this.
For now, i basically use abstract standard components, an array of those might cause a lot of loading time, but i havent found any substitute solution, that is fitting well in the remaining pool of components.
The way i have it now allocates bitmap handles for each preset (even if the same) so if they are added later on, it will even cause less loading and reorganization time and crap while running, so the speed of avs won't be noticeably reduced by hotlist working.

@DummyDDD: Checked the Fixontop function and it works all fine over here in windowed mode.

What I meant was load the large image size only at load-time, then work out the small ones from that, also during load time.

This will be faster on load, and the same speed at run-time unless you are doing something really badly somewhere (in on of those "abstract standard components" maybe).

What are you using to make this btw? That would help...

Worked out all with Delphi7.

Its not as fast as C++ and not as crappy as VB.

Finally got around testing it and i say it's quite a nice piece of work! The screenshot tool is especially handy 😁

A couple of problems i had though.

1) It doesn't seem to find the langunage files, i tried copying them into the hotlist root and in hotlist\languange packs, but the only languange file showing is the default one.

2) The "Use screenshot as a picture for [presetname]" gives me an error: Datei "[drive]:\pictures\[presetname].bmp" kann nicht erstellt werden. The system cannot find the path specified.

3) I can't seem to access anything in the AVS editor while hotlist is running, it always just jumps back to the beat detection window. Bug or a "feature"?

4) Not really a problem, but i find it confusing that "Reverse" means from top to bottom and "Forward" means from bottom to top 🤪

At first I have to say, some nice piece of software you made there! Easy and efficient interface, good icons and functionality, great job 👍
I'll find good use for it!

But I experienced tuggummis bugs too...

Plus one WA crash after telling him to readapt bpm ["User.dat" was the file of concern he told me] but unfortunately, I can't reproduce it, readapt botton worked fine several times before and after.

And a minor feature I would find useful: add preset to playlist on double-click in upper browse window [the one where the actual filenames show up]. Also, as an addition to that, it might be cool to have the whole directory added if double clicking on one of the folders in the lower browse window. For the second function I'm not sure with what it might interfere, but as far as I could see, double-click isn't assigned in both windows.

And it would be good if one could assign an image to a preset by other means than the screenshot tool, e.g. an "assign bitmap[s] to preset" option in the right-click preset context menu.

Yep, that's about it,
GC

@Tuggummi

1 & 2: I am pretty sure that the registry entry for hotlists directory is somehow fucked.

Currently, there's no Error Message when it cannot be read on start. I'll integrate one and a dialog to enter it.

Meanwhile open regedit, search: HKEY_Local_Machine->Software->Hotlist
and check if there is a correct "hotdir" entry, correct it manually or create one if not existent.

3: You've finally found my Easteregg 😁
No, this is neither Bug nor Feature. Its a side effect of the extended AVS-Status bar. It checks BPM an stuff and therefore keeps this window open.

I already had the idea to lock any user functionality in the AVS Editor and change its Titlebar temporarely to [Hotlist active, Editor disabled] while extended AVS-Status bar is active, so no confusion arises. Would you think its a good idea?

4: Well, thought that you'd start from top and scroll / proceed to bottom, rather than vice verso, so i called this logically "forward". I'd tend to eave it this way, the arrows should at leatst clear up any understanding problems.

@Grandchild:

WA crash on "readapt bpm": Never ever had troubles with this. Must have been a bunch of bad circumstances that rarely happen at the same time. Dunno what to do about this.

add preset/directory on double-click: Gonna check if its possible. Thanks for the idea.

"assign bitmap[s] to preset": How should this work? Assign one of those available or open a open-file dialog?

What i might also consider is an yuto screenshot function, but you know, screenshots taken automatically migtht be not as representative.

Thanks for all your comments, especially for liking it.
Next preview comming soon.

Okay got the pictures and languange pack to work now (had to manually create the picture folder and the subfolders though 🧟 )

Anyway one more point: Why on earth is the picture size locked to a certain ratio? Not everyone uses a 4:3 resolution you know. The screencaps look horrible now. I suggest you let the user manually enter whatever value he/she desires for the screenshots to be. Or you could even detect the screensize of the AVS window and do a percentual resize (which would be set with the current screensize sliders).

Allright. New preview, less, bugs, more fun:


New stuff:
-add presets/folders on doubleclick as grandchild suggested
Fixed
-check directory settings, pop up dialog if empty/missing
-reset counter on load
-other very very minor stuff

@Tuggummi:
Did this because the picture size has to be fixed (according to the image list of equal sizes i use). Thought that 4:3 would be the most common application. I'll consider using freely selectable sizes.

One more queston: Did you, despite the instruction, JUST use the preview executeable without previously installing hotlist2.2? Sounds pretty much like this was the fault. 😛


Thats all for tonight, having some mor vodka now... 😁