Hollywood APPBuilder released

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Allanon
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Re: Hollywood APPBuilder released

Post by Allanon »

Hi Bugala,
I think that it's normal because your accessing a system folder (c:/program files...), try to start APPBuilder as administrator or change your development folder to a one with lesser restrictions in (like your_user/documents for example).

Let me know :)
Bugala
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Re: Hollywood APPBuilder released

Post by Bugala »

Okay, I put it to different (less restrictive) folder, and it worked.

I also noticed another benefit for using this.

Right now my Kings Of Israel is loading over 100 big sized pictures with @BRUSH command. When i use Windows IDE and click Run the current script, it takes quite long for it to start running as it adds each picture there or something.

When i either compile with Hollywood itself, or with APPBuilder, It compiles it in 1 second, compared to "run the current script"s 10 seconds. With windows IDE it is too much trouble compiling the script, as i first need to choose compile from left mouse menu, and on top of that choose the versions i wish to build and destination.

But with APPBuilder, I could leave it on background, and everytime i wish to test run the program, i could click the save button, and then build button, and i would get exe in 1 second, then click the exe button, and already be running the program, which is actually faster than using "run the current script" option.

Right now the 10 seconds is still waitable time, although annoying, and not long enough to start complicating life with things like that, but bit more, and need for finding some mean bug which makes you need restarting, and using APPbuilder becomes a viable option for doing it instead of "run the current script".


However, a feature request, or three even, but third one might be too hard to be worth it.

1. Possiblity to choose where the exe will be created at. Right now it creates its own folder with time stamp, which is very nice by the way and useful in some cases too. However, if for example thinking of replacing "run the current script", it would be annoying that while exe would come with click of a button, i would still need to find the exe every time to start it, which would spoil the idea of it being easier with APPBuilder.

Not to mention that for example right now Kings Of Israel takes 50 Mb of size, since i havent altered the pictures smaller yet, hence testing it 20 times, means i have already lost 1 Gb of my harddisk space, unless i take the effort to delete the previous ones, as each compile creates a new folder with new timestamp name, and each takes 50 Mb, supposing i compile for one platform only of course.

Also, I would like to keep the APPBuilder in same folder as my Hollywood, to keep harddisk well organised, but right now due to windws restrictions, i have to move APPBuilder to some other less restricted folder to use it. This problem would get solved by having posiblity to choose where the exe (or folder) is being created to.

2. Having possibility to use the automatic time stamping folder naming, but so that it would always leave only the last compile stay, that the previous compilation folder would always be destroyed,

3. As mentioned, using APPBuilder instead of "run the current script", means i first need to click "save" - button on Windows IDE to save the HWS file, which "Build"-button would then use for compiling. Well, it would be great for it to be able to just compile the current, even if not saved, script to save that one click. Or even better, have "Build" button integrated into Windows IDE version. Just keep APPBuidler open on background and click "Build" in Windows IDE, and it would take all the settings from APPBuilder that is on background open there and make the exe. Then i would just click on that exe (which would always coem to same place) and it be much faster than using "run the current script".
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Allanon
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Re: Hollywood APPBuilder released

Post by Allanon »

I Bugala,
your feedback is much appreciated, thank you.

I'm agree with your suggestions so here are some ideas that comes to mind to satisfy your requests but keeping APPBuilder generic for different purposes and uses.
1. Possiblity to choose where the exe will be created at. Right now it creates its own folder with time stamp, which is very nice by the way and useful in some cases too. However, if for example thinking of replacing "run the current script", it would be annoying that while exe would come with click of a button, i would still need to find the exe every time to start it, which would spoil the idea of it being easier with APPBuilder.
If you use the [...] button on the executable name field you can choose a file name with a destination folder, this way APPBuilder will use the path part to build your project and the file part for the executable name. To keep more simple and flexible I can add the following switches:
- Use Time Stamp switch -> If this switch is off the app will be built in the destination folder, if the folder already exists it will be cleaned first (that could be dangerous because you could accidentally remove something useful that's why I've not included this feature in the beggining).
- Ask before overwrite switch -> if this switch is on, before overwriting/deleting anything, the program will ask the user to confirm the operation
- Open folder once built -> When the build process is completed the destination folder will be opened automatically
- Run once built -> When the build process is completed and one of the target platform is the same of the host system APPBuilder will run it.
2. Having possibility to use the automatic time stamping folder naming, but so that it would always leave only the last compile stay, that the previous compilation folder would always be destroyed
This requires to store a list of all builds for every project... I've to think about it.
3. As mentioned, using APPBuilder instead of "run the current script", means i first need to click "save" - button on Windows IDE to save the HWS file, which "Build"-button would then use for compiling. Well, it would be great for it to be able to just compile the current, even if not saved, script to save that one click. Or even better, have "Build" button integrated into Windows IDE version. Just keep APPBuidler open on background and click "Build" in Windows IDE, and it would take all the settings from APPBuilder that is on background open there and make the exe. Then i would just click on that exe (which would always coem to same place) and it be much faster than using "run the current script".
Right now comes to mind a console mode command you could use in the Windows IDE but I don't want to make too much platform dependant code that could be difficult to maintain, anyway I will think about it, but what you are asking is not so simple because you could have APPBuilder with one project and WindowsIDE with another, you built from windows ide and another app is being built :)
Bugala
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Re: Hollywood APPBuilder released

Post by Bugala »

If you use the [...] button on the executable name field you can choose a file name with a destination folder, this way APPBuilder will use the path part to build your project and the file part for the executable name.
Ah, didnt realise this. Seems that feature i was hoping for was already there then.
- Run once built ->
This would be excellent. I can already see that if I had had this option when i had couple of bugs which reguired me to try out the game couple of times first to figure out what was causing the odd behavior, I would have used this. SInce now it was 10 seconds each time, and i had to start it several times. With this option it had been 1 second each time, much nicer.
This requires to store a list of all builds for every project... I've to think about it.
While it would be nice, It is also a matter of which is worth doing and which is not. Now that there is already an option to name your exe yourself with that "..." button, this isnt so necessary anymore. After all, I rather see you for example add another feature to your HGui (which i intend to buy too - this program was actually nice show off of HGuis capabilities) than see you add this feature. After all, you have only limited amount of time to use for your softwares, hence you need to spend them wisely so we can have more. quantity over quality at this point still. When we start getting lot of quantity, i start preferring the quality.

same goes for third, just forget it. It would be nice, but its probably too much trouble, especially since with "Run once built" it is already only a matter of clicking "save" - button and then activating APPBuilder window from background and pushing that "build" button. And especially being forced to clicking save button is in most cases even good, since what if machine crashes for some reason and you lose all your code? Sure, there are also some situations where i have redone something and didnt save until i was sure the new version was working, but that can be done with "save as" by making extra copy before starting to do the new thing.
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Allanon
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Re: Hollywood APPBuilder released

Post by Allanon »

You are right, I've not enough time for all my projects :D

In the next release i will add the "Run" switch ;)
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Allanon
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Re: Hollywood APPBuilder released

Post by Allanon »

Hello all,
I've released v1.2 of AppBuilder, you can download from my site or from the IndieGo! AppStore, as you wish.

ChangeLog
- Updated all available Plugins to their latest versions
- Added support for GLGalore plugin
- Fixed some minor bugs

@Bugala
I will add your requested features in the next release, unfortunately I don't have free time right now but as promised I will implement your requests :)
Bugala
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Re: Hollywood APPBuilder released

Post by Bugala »

Thanks a lot!

For those of you who havent bought this yet.
After having used it now when building new builds for "Kings of Israel", I can say that this is very time saving program. I didnt quite realise how useful this actually is, until i started making those small updates to my game, at which point i noticed something terribly negative about this program: For 1. I start appbuilder, 2. i load project, 3. i click "build"-button - And its done, for all target platforms.
- However, everytime i do this, i feel very uncomfortable for next half an hour trying to figure out what i forgot to do, since it just cant be this easy.
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Allanon
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Re: Hollywood APPBuilder released

Post by Allanon »

Hello!

AppBuilder v1.3 released :)

Image

Here is the change log:
- Updated all available plugins to their latest versions
- Added support for HTTP Streamer. RapaGUI and Plananarama plugins
- Added a way to keep updated the application with the addition of the [update] button
- Reduced package size
- At first run the application will download all needed files and plugins from a remote position, this was needed to keep easy to manage updates and to reduce my hosting space needs, but also to provide you an easy way to keep the application updated.
- Fixed minor bugs.

Please note that from this version it will be very easy for me (and you) to add or update new plugins, infact the new update system will let you update the application hitting the [update] button.
As said in the change log, at your first run, the application will need to download all plugins from a remote position, please be patient during the download process :-)

APPBuilder page : link

The software is shareware without limitations, you can use it as you wish but if you find it usefull consider to buy the license to allow further development :D
Bugala
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Re: Hollywood APPBuilder released

Post by Bugala »

Great to hear you are updating it still.

This one have saved me whole load of time and while it does such a minor job, it might well be the most useful hollywood app for me that there currently is.
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Allanon
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Re: Hollywood APPBuilder released

Post by Allanon »

This tool saves al lot of time for me too and I'm planning some new features that could be very useful :)
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