ChatLogJJ2 II

[Link]

Well...I have been working on my next version of ChatLogJJ2. It will be released mid to late January, depending upon how many features you all think of (see below). It has\will have a whole whack of new features, and will work better than the first version. Current features put in\planned are:


TSF Support
Better text capturing (for those technically inclined, it will read from every single address from the stack, rather than just the top slot)
Better interface; instead of just a listbox with the name and the text, there will be separate things so you can do things like copy and paste, make it say ONLY the text in JJ2, sort the list, and so on.
A wider window, so you can see all the text when someone posts a big long 54 character chat.
Will use the built-in windows API rather than having external dependencies (e.g. comdlg32.ocx and skinform.dll); the only external file needed will be msvbm50.dll (the VB5 runtime library). EDIT: I will actually use a few ocx files, but I'll try to keep it to a minimum
Multiple choices for chat export to files, including real-time exporting, and partial parsing (format "name:chat text") for full parsing by PHP scripts and the like.
Option to make a noise when an event occurs, or flash the icon in the taskbar. Also the ability to customize exactly what sound it makes depending on what event it is (chat, joining, leaving, roast, capture, etc...)
Some sound effects will be included, but you can use your own too.
Logging options (to log only certain events)
Auto scrolling
A separate "log" window (kind of like the JJ2 spy window), for logging ChatLogJJ2 events and messages and errors, and not JJ2 stuff
Hide window (only an icon inthe system tray), and possibly complete hide, only accessible by a key combination (depends if I can figure out how to do that) (BæÅüMÃ(-)Ñ)
Color coding and RTF export (if I can get the rich textbox OCX to work the way I want) (BæÅüMÃ(-)Ñ)
Log file cap (BæÅüMÃ(-)Ñ)
Place to type things in to chat in the JJ2 window (but, due to a Windows limitation, the program will have to restore and bring to focus the JJ2 window. However, I can make it disappear again afterwards) (iCeD)
Maybe an FTP upload thing, if I can find out about the FTP protocol (or easier, use someone elses OCX ;)) (iCeD)
Sorry...it isn't a chat bot program (and anyways, another J2HG member is working on that and we can't copy each other)



I would like everybody to tell me what other features they want in ChatLogJJ2 II. I want it to be the best ever, and have all the features that everybody wants.

I will post some screenshots soon, but it isn't quite ready for screenshots yet (I still have to finalize some layout decisions).

I will also need some program testers, so if you would like to pre-release test this, please post here. I want a few people who are good at computer stuff, who can test it for bugs and things, and I want a few computer illiterate people who will test it just for ease of use and user interface and stuff.

So remember, try and think up some features and post them here. There wasn't really a lot of feedback in the J2O downloads section about features you wanted, so mostly everything above was thought up by me. I will give people credit who thought up features that I use in the program.

Program Testers:

Overlord
KRSplat
BæÅüMÃ(-)Ñ
Aiko (if he agrees)

[Aiko]

Finally TSF support! Absolute coolness! Thanks so much, Link.

[iCeD]

-How hard would it be to make it FTP the logged file to a server (with the right settings of course) automatically, every X minutes? An almost "real time" stats thing could be done that way.
-Can you make it so it will log roasts/etc. and chat messages separately?
-How difficult would it be to be able to input stuff to chat in JJ2 through the program?

[Krezack]

Hmmm iced do yuo mean make it add to the document each time it updates? well that could certainly be done but would you be willing to read it after? lol hmmm but yea that could easily be done (erm dunno how easily in VB)....whoa iCeD your getting onto packets here....hmmmm neat idea.....well yea its possible to type stuff into jj2 externaly.

[Cpp]

Link you got one betatester right here.
I can see one bug from here :p
Chatlog won't be able to play sounds for events like roasts and similar since the sound device is in use by JJ2 :)

[Aiko]

Newer soundcards (at least my SB Live Player 5.1 and Daddys SB Audigy Player RTL) can play multiple sounds at the same time. For example, i can hear MP3s, listen to the Radio (via my WinTV FM card :-) and play Jazz2 with sound and music all together. The result sounds horrible of course, but hey, it works. Release that prog finally, Link!! :-)

[Link]

My soundcard works with more than one program sound at once too.

iCeD, I could probably find out a bit about the FTP protocol, but I'm not sure.

Aiko, do you want to be one of the program testers?

[Newspaz]

How about keeping the interface more simple this time?

[Link]

What do you mean by "more simple"?

I think it was very simple before, with just four buttons. I'm putting in a 5th button, which is Settings, and it will pop up a window where you can customize lots of things.

[KRSplat]

Remove the occasional "BWHAHAHA" message I get sometimes ;)

I'll beta test, but I don't know anything about programming.

[Krezack]

I'd love to beta test link if you'd let me.

[Monolith]

All I need is the streaming file logging. As for preferences, make it a resizable window, with as little clutter as possible.

[blurredd]

It should have color support. And maybe something so that you can copy something from somewhere then you can paste stuff into jj2. And it should allow email addresses and links to be clickable.

Just some simple ideas to think about :)

[Kaz]

On windows 95 systems most sound cards can only play 1 voice at a time, but in 98 and above that fixed, and even so in 95 you can play multiple sounds like when you use direct sound and another program using windows sound.

[NinjaNukerabbit]

o.O

yAy!

Finally I get to beta test something.
Link, my ICQ is #140371830
If I dont reply soon PLEASE wait for me.

[Rage]

Maybe something like: (Example)

-RagE joins the game-
{Prog says:} -Hi RagE.-

Maybe something for this prog, or some other prog like omega.

[BæÅüMà Ñ]

ah... u mean a bot, rage? :D well, this looks like it isn't going to be just a simple chat log anymore... (Note: I'd be happy to beta test... my info:
ICQ: 51362234
AIM: bobi9wan7k
MSN: beaumage@msn.com

- eh... i beleive someone posted above that u should color coat everything, whichi agree...
(Names = Green, Roasts = Red, Joining = Yellow, Leaving = Blue, ect ect. [or u could just feed it so that it just recieves the colors of the letters, names, ect... but that can be a pain, especially for people who have the special names which make the "roast" messages spread out real long]. I feel color coating it (custom colors, of course) would be better...

- if u did like rage said above, which would be basically making it into a bot... but i'm not sure if u want to do that much work, since as far as i know no JJ2 bot has been made (i remember one was attempted).

- Oh! Add a hide feature, which just makes it visible on the icon bar... that's always a nice feature... (or possibly, if i REALLY wanted to hide it, make it only recallable through a special key combo [i.e. Alt + 8], but i feel that's not exactly needed... justs makes it spiffy)

- If you even wanted to go farther with it... you could give the option so if the user wanted to, he/she could seperate certain things into other windows (i.e. in one window is the chat, while in the other window is roasts, or joining & entering, or possibly both!)... Then again, that's a lotta work ;) i dunno ur laziness factor, hehehe...

- You could also make it part chat proggie, to make it more
"bot-ish", so that, one does not HAVE to play, but could just log on and chat through ur proggie (which i beleive iced mentioned earlier)

- Have the option to re-log automatically to a different log file every so many characters (i.e. Log1.txt has reached 25,000 characters, move on to Log2.txt and record), which would be helpful to reduce LOOOOOOOOOOONG log files that take about 1 min. to just load :D

- Have it be able to save to different formats, so that it can save the "color coated" forms of the log (i.e. .doc, .rtf, ect), which makes it very useful that way...

- IF you make it able to chat through, add a voice-2-text thingie, i believe a a plug-in for that can be found somewhere...

- More ideas later...

[Txl Kill]

I would beta test and you got to post some of thoes addresses in the members section!

[Link]

Ok...I've updated my feature list with some ideas from your comments. I have also discarded some, as they are not in the scope of my programming ability or they would just be too much work.

I think I have enough beta testers, as long as Aiko agrees to test it.

With all these new ideas, I'm starting to think that this won't be ready until February. So I'm wondering if you would like me to release a "mini" version, which only has the TSF support, the better chat capturing, and a few of the other ideas above.

Or you could just wait until the whole thing is done.

I've decided that I will use as many OCXs as I want, because they are meant to be used. It means a sooner release and less work for me. And I might even have to make my own one, for the section where text is logged.

I also want your opinion: should I keep the "cool" looking layout, or go to a normal Windows look. The cool layout is great, but it has less aesthetic flexibility (like everything needs to be rounded for it to look good, and windows elements don't come in a round variety, so it will look bad if I use them). I could still have the black and yellow color scheme though, even if I changed it to be the standard rectacngular "window".

[defalcon]

Well, the standard windows format would be more tidy, but the kewl text would be alot more stylish. You should really do a poll on this one.

[Monolith]

Actually, what would be great if you could just make it open source :)

[Spaz Boy]

Hehehe, I'll beta-test on the ME computer (since it probably won't work on XP, yuk.) Anyway, my idea is sort of complicated, but would definitely be cool. (You could always make it an add-on...)

Anyway, this is assuming that you are going to release Admin Kit Server 2.x and Admin Kit Client (*NEED THIS*)

Have the server be able to select chatlog in the AKS options, and have the client have a window, so that the admin(s) [Yes, I heard you say it will support multiple clients at once.] can read and log at the same time. This would be good because the admin wouldn't have to be there for some things.

A bug I found is that if two people are playing splitscreen (maybe just if the server is doing it) then it screws everyone up. It might say Aiko for Spaz Boy, etc.

~SB

P.S. Just so you know, I've got loads of ideas for AKS...so get ready for a 2.5. ;P

P.P.S. I'm willing/want to beta test any or all of your future programs. (This applies to anyone..er...depends on the program. ;P)
(I won't test cheat programs.)

Gah, just read you have enough beta testers, darn. Well, I'm still willing to help.

[Txl Kill]

LINK! ADD ADDRESSES TO MEMBERS SECTION!!!!!!!!!!!

[Link]

I'm in no hurry to add the addresses to the J2HG members section. There is no rule that we have to add ALL of our addresses we know to the database. They aren't even hard to search for...they are just strings.

[Krezack]

This will be kewl i can't wait for it Link.....and Overlord hurry up with Omega! :p

[Michael]

Txl, no need to post them.
Search ascii values of the exact chat phrase. e.g:
||Nitro: Santas gunna kick you outta da servah !
then search for
Santas gunna kick you outta da servah !
without the name and the colon ( ':' ) and space after the colon.


*hopes he impressed Link* :roll:

[Krezack]

Nitro you didnt impress me :lol: exactly where do you search for those? i know one place...hmmmm..uh well but you cant chancge them in that area....search the games memory? it would appear in hex not ascii....but i think your on the right track there nitro.

[Txl Kill]

Man i know how to get them im just lazy!

[Txl Kill]

I found the address for everything that is said or happends but i cant read it

[Cpp]

Originally posted by Krezack
and Overlord hurry up with Omega!

Project Omega is already finished. I just need to upload it along with 2 more programs. I want to post all at once but I can't since I'm unable to find a betatester for one of the betas. I'l try to find one today.

[Spaz Boy]

I'll be a beta tester! =P

Anyway, Link, is AKS 2x going to be released in January/February or even later?

You said CL2 is going to probably be Feb., and that's reasonable. However, when you skin it, I'm wondering if the retarded XP will override the settings...

[NinjaNukerabbit]

It was pitiful Overlord...Krezack was in DL's server telling us not to pretend too have OMEGA.
=D
I got it like a month ago

[Txl Kill]

lol yes me 2 or maybe 2 months dont remember!

[Wacky Spaz]

Right Chatlog 2 hmmmmmm lets just hope its beeter than the last :lol: :lol: :lol: .

[Phoneix]

What about Streaming Chat from one server to another? That'd be nice for planting a bug in an enemy server and reporting to another server... Quite simple, Multipule instances of JJ2.

[Lama]

Originally posted by Krezack
Nitro you didnt impress me :lol: exactly where do you search for those? i know one place...hmmmm..uh well but you cant chancge them in that area....search the games memory? it would appear in hex not ascii....but i think your on the right track there nitro.

Actually, searching the games memory for ASCII is possible and you <b>can</b> make it appear in ASCII and not hex. How? In your case, since you're not using Windows XP that messes up memory, you could use a program to search for the ASCII strings and view them as ASCII and not hex. Just click the 2nd to the farthest on the left icon to use the ASCII search, its the one to the right of the magnifying glass and directly below start. The program isn't TMK or WPE but the author of the program is the same as the one who made the latter stuff I mentioned, btw. If you get SI 4.5 not to crash on you, I think you may be able to use it for that, too.

[Txl Kill]

Umm we are the J2HG we know how to do this lol anyways we all (or most) have all the addresses know to jazz so far.