Screen Resolution (Re-Deux)

[TJ_Tigger]

Sorry to dredge this one up from the past, but I just want to clarify a couple of things with the screen resolution detection scenario. I took a copy of my project to my In-laws this weekend figuring that if it would run on their ancient machine I would be in good shape. The problem I ran into is that my FIL (Father In-Law) has a 15" monitor and is running at 640x480, any smaller and it is hard to read being 68 and all. Quite frankly I am glad that he is in the computer age.

Back on subject. If I am on track with the above statements, I could have two projects. One at 640x480 placed in the root directory of my CD-ROM, that way when the CD autoplays it reads this and launches. While it is initializing the first page, I have it check for screen resolution. If the resolution is 640x480 do nothing, this will keep it on the initial project listed above. If the screen is higher (e.g. 800x600) I should have it do what???

A. Should I have it launch a completely separate project that is contained in a sub-folder off of root, maybe the DATA folder and then do an Application.Exit on the current project? This raises another question, if I have the application launch from a sub-folder on the CD-ROM, will %SrcDir% be the CD Drive letter or the CD Drive letter and path to the project application?

B. Or shouild I have a different Page in the same Project that is set to a different screen resolution? Is this a possibility?

I am asking before trying so don't yell if it is a stupid question. I am curious how the world at large is doing this.

[Lorne]

Re: Screen Resolution (Re-Deux)

Nope, B's not possible. [img]/ubbthreads/images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

[TJ_Tigger]

Re: Screen Resolution (Re-Deux)

What about a response to part A. Is there a suggested method in doing this. I assume there is a Best Practices out there somewhere with the amount of people who are doing this. I have been working through a couple of different scenarios. Which one would be better over the other. Or if neither is suggested then what would you suggest?

Scenario 1: Create a project at 640X480 with a screen resolution test upon initialization of the first page. If the screen resolution is higher than 640x480 File.Execute project 800X600 where 800x600 is contained in a folder 800x600. And then do an application.exit on the original autoplay project? The autorun file namess will remain the same in each project. (autorun.exe, autorun.apm, autorun.inf)

In this scenario, of what do I need to be made aware? <font color=purple>question 1</font color=purple> If the project switches to the 800x600 project, will %srcDir% point to the CD drive letter (D:\) or will it point to the directory where the 800x600 AMS files are contained (D:\800x600\)? <font color=purple>question 2</font color=purple> If that is the case, would I need to duplicate the installation files and all of the other content that will be resident on the CD? One copy for the 640x480 project and a second copy for the 800x600 project.

Scenario 2: Create a project at 640X480 with a screen resolution test upon initialization of the first page. If the screen resolution is higher than 640x480 File.Execute project 800X600.exe in the root directory of the CD. In this scenario I would open the Project settings and on the build tab, change the executable file name to 800x600.exe to differentiate between the two projects. I would then have both projects in the CDs root directory and change to the correct one upon startup.

<font color=purple>question 3</font color=purple> In this scenario, can I rename the .apm and .inf files along with the .exe file? I didn't see this option in the Project Settings. <font color=purple>question 4</font color=purple> What kind of problems will I run into with this scenario?

Scenario 3: Don't know what to do here. Still working on a scenario three.

I don't know if these make sense or not or what the best way is to proceed. <font color=purple>question 5</font color=purple> For those of you doing the screen resolution test, how to you separate each project? <font color=purple>question 6</font color=purple> When you do the screen resolution test, is it best to do it upon Project initialization or Page initialization? I am assuming it is best on the Project setting page.

Thanks for the help.
TTFN

PS Can't wait for Autozone. I hope stuff like this will be available on that page.

[Corey]

Re: Screen Resolution (Re-Deux)

Here. Download the following file, it does exactly what you want. Unzip it and look at the guts. It's pure AMS and it deploys 1 of 4 projects depending on your screen res...

I didn't bother to build in any redundancy but it would be simple to make it default to 800 X 600 or whatever for non-standard resolutions, etc...

Click here for file (11 MB)

Corey Milner
Creative Director, Indigo Rose Software

[TJ_Tigger]

Re: Screen Resolution (Re-Deux)

Great, thanks for the help.

If I am understanding this correctly, you have built a default AMS application that will start and check the screen resolution. Depending on the returned result, it will launch a self-extracting zip file that opens in TempMode and overrights the autorun.exe, autorun.apm, autorun.inf and contents of the DATA folder. This will then run at the appropriate resolution for that sytem. The other files in the distribution folder would remain untouched.

Is that the sum of it?

Thanks again for posting this

[Corey]

Re: Screen Resolution (Re-Deux)

In this case yes that's the thing, but you can create your own permutations.

Just for the record it probably isn't worth the hassle depending on your target user, but best of luck nonetheless...

Another option is to create 2 projects only, one at 800 X 600 which gets served to all users except those at 640 X 480 who instead get served a 640 X 480 version.

I'm in 1024 X 768 and (I like to sit about 4 feet away from my monitor so I won't be going any higher) 800 X 600 works fine over here in terms of delivering content.

Corey Milner
Creative Director, Indigo Rose Software

[TJ_Tigger]

Re: Screen Resolution (Re-Deux)

Another option is to create 2 projects only, one at 800 X 600 which gets served to all users except those at 640 X 480 who instead get served a 640 X 480 version.

In this case, I would create an 800x600 project and have it do the test on project initialization. If the %screenwidth% comes back as < 800 then I can have it launch the self executing zip you did in the attachment. If the %screenwidth% comes back as >= 800 then page.jump to the first page, or I guess I wouldn't have to do anything, would I . It would go to the first page of it's own accord.

Just answered my own question. Works well

One more quesiton on the self executing zip file. You put the autorun files and the DATA folder in there. What else do you have to add to make it work correctly. i see that it mentios SFX scripting. Is that part of WinZip Self Extractor software?

[TJ_Tigger]

Re: Screen Resolution (Re-Deux)

Figured it out using WinRAR.

Thanks for the help

[Corey]

Re: Screen Resolution (Re-Deux)

Yeah that sounds like a good idea... Should work real well...

Corey Milner
Creative Director, Indigo Rose Software

[DanceParty]

Re: Screen Resolution (Re-Deux)

How would you be able to look at the "guts" of an exe file?

[Corey]

Re: Screen Resolution (Re-Deux)

This one's just a SFX zip archive, just pop it open in WinZip.

Corey Milner
Creative Director, Indigo Rose Software