Author Topic: N.A.N.Y. 2012 Brainstorming, Suggestions, General Discussion (Read 25,296 times)

kyrathaba · « **on:** June 25, 2011, 12:17 AM »

This thread is for brainstorming ideas for pledges. Feel free to ask any questions regarding the 2012 NANY event. Valuable suggestions always show up on these threads each year during NANY, as more experienced programmers weigh in with advice. You can also feel free to post a Pledge-Request here, asking for a particular sort of program to be entered.

justice · « **Reply #1 on:** July 12, 2011, 10:08 AM »

I've got a great NANY idea for someone with a lot of time on their hands. Go download Future Pinball and create a DonationCoder pinball machine. Donationware: http://www.futurepinball.com/ how cool is that. You can download loads of pinball tables for free and they load up in the editor ready for adjustment and you can script it etc. If you're not on XP you need to run it in Win XP compatibility mode, but set the graphics to maximum in the preferences and it looks really good. Even if you just want to play pinball I can recommend this and download a few tables there is a browser within the program.

I'd assume you need both scripting skills, and create your own graphics (you might be able to get loads of pinball sounds from exisitng tables or freesound?) but the image of playing a Cody Pinball table fills my eyes with tears.

[attachthumb=#]

Edvard · « **Reply #2 on:** July 12, 2011, 08:42 PM »

If this is a fork of Visual Pinball (which it looks like it is...) the scripting is dead-simple.
Just look through some of the other tables to get an idea how to advance a counter, pop up a new ball, flip the flippers, etc.

Damn, I wish they had a native client for Linux, I used to LOVE VP.

Crush · « **Reply #3 on:** July 12, 2011, 09:28 PM »

From time to time I play some Futurepinball-tables - good idea!

kyrathaba · « **Reply #4 on:** July 13, 2011, 02:59 AM »

Excellent idea justice! If I'd not already made my two contributions (made? I'm still working on them, I suppose), I'd try my hand at it. Hope to see a few attempts by people.

worstje · « **Reply #5 on:** July 14, 2011, 07:00 PM »

I put this Coding Snack up a few months ago, and I think it was generally accepted to be a bit closer to a five-meal course. Never the less, I would love to see it created. (I already have a different project I'll be working on, so I can't do it.)

The topic for the 'Flexible Fictional Timeline Tool' has all the information in it about the features that I am looking for.

kyrathaba · « **Reply #6 on:** July 14, 2011, 07:20 PM »

Excellent idea

kyrathaba · « **Reply #7 on:** July 19, 2011, 12:24 PM »

There are 140 days remaining for Pledges to be submitted. So far, we have six Pledges. Thanks to all who have stepped up! Keep those Pledges coming, we're currently 12% of the way to attaining our goal of 50 Pledges for NANY 2012!!

CodeTRUCKER · « **Reply #8 on:** July 22, 2011, 03:25 AM »

Please take a look here and let me know if this could qualify as a NANY 2012 app. Thank you.

kyrathaba · « **Reply #9 on:** August 05, 2011, 11:47 AM »

CT, replied on the thread you linked to

justice · « **Reply #10 on:** August 08, 2011, 01:05 PM »

Anyone interested in a program that would mark documents/files as templates then easily allow you to create new documents from these templates? It's more a interface gimmick than anything, but I noticed I never use the context menu > new menu and I also never reuse documents (always start from scratch) but it would be much more productive if I could base files off other files and have a nice list of templates to choose from.

Example:
New "Timesheet"
New "todo list"
New "meeting report"

etc.

mouser · « **Reply #11 on:** August 08, 2011, 03:16 PM »

justice, i think its a very good idea.

cranioscopical · « **Reply #12 on:** August 08, 2011, 09:05 PM »

Quote from: justice on August 08, 2011, 01:05 PM

Anyone interested in a program that would mark documents/files as templates...

Sure, especially if there's be a way to make them specific to allow calls to certain sets based on which program has the focus:

Excel running:
newx.xls
newy.xls
newz.xls

etc.

kyrathaba · « **Reply #13 on:** August 08, 2011, 11:02 PM »

+1 on this justice. Would be quite useful.

justice · « **Reply #14 on:** August 10, 2011, 01:14 PM »

Had another idea/need for a tool, wonder what you guys think of this:

Every time your computer reboots, it searches for the mapped shared folders. This will slow down the boot process enormously, especially if the other computers are turned off. However, manually mounting shares is a pain. You are able to prevent this delay using my nany program. It will remember a list of network shares that get mapped to drive letters when the program is started, with an option to start this program at boot.

edit: I've just been told Windows 7 startup is not delayed anymore because of this.

skwire · « **Reply #15 on:** August 10, 2011, 06:27 PM »

Quote from: justice on August 10, 2011, 01:14 PM

Every time your computer reboots, it searches for the mapped shared folders. This will slow down the boot process enormously

For this very reason, I've used a batch file to map my drives for years and years now. It's really very simple:

net use z: \\server\share <password> /user:<username> /persistent:no

The "/persistent:no" part is the key and is what keeps Windows from trying to map the drives itself on the next boot (allowing the batch file to do the work).

justice · « **Reply #16 on:** August 11, 2011, 09:28 AM »

yeah and instead of z: you can use * and it will pick the last available drive letter.

fenixproductions · « **Reply #17 on:** August 12, 2011, 02:11 PM »

Idea: WindowsStealer

It would be nice to have an application similar to WinSpy which would show the list of all controls from clicked application window and save it to some file format (XML?). Such file could be later converted to i.e. SVG, HTML, DFM, etc.

Maybe something like this could be an extension to Screenshot Captor?

Ath · « **Reply #18 on:** August 13, 2011, 10:48 AM »

Quote from: fenixproductions on August 12, 2011, 02:11 PM

Idea: WindowsStealer

Yeah, nice idea

Quote from: fenixproductions on August 12, 2011, 02:11 PM

Maybe something like this could be an extension to Screenshot Captor?

No, that would add bloat to something that's in a total different league.
Should be added to a WinSpy/WinInfo-like tool, IMHO

wraith808 · « **Reply #19 on:** December 01, 2011, 07:04 PM »

I put two pledges in this year... I have ideas for 2 more small ones given time: an add-on for RIFT and another desktop gadget for checking RIFT server status and news (they're so easy!) It just depends on time...

Edvard · « **Reply #20 on:** December 01, 2011, 08:35 PM »

Quote from: justice on August 08, 2011, 01:05 PM

Anyone interested in a program that would mark documents/files as templates then easily allow you to create new documents from these templates? It's more a interface gimmick than anything, but I noticed I never use the context menu > new menu and I also never reuse documents (always start from scratch) but it would be much more productive if I could base files off other files and have a nice list of templates to choose from.

Example:
New "Timesheet"
New "todo list"
New "meeting report"

etc.

Not sure how to do it in Windows 7, but up to XP, you could put files in c:\Windows\Shellnew folder (or anywhere else, for that matter...) and tweak the registry to point to it and label it.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/140333 (old info, I know, but it was valid up to XP).

justice · « **Reply #21 on:** December 02, 2011, 09:15 PM »

only one template per extension