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[BenJeremy]

The spec is here in WORD DOC format.

Please review and add your thoughts here....  <

[flattspott]

Reading it now.  <

[flattspott]

So when can well expect all this to come to life?  <

[geniusalz]

All I can say is, looks good.

Are multiple 'attach'ments possible?  I like the timer attachment.

'Append' will also be available for overrides, right?

Also, for the files, 'Required' should be True by default, or just use 'Optional', keeping it false by default.  

And you should incorporate a default module for each skin.  e.g. Raize\MXM_Skin.xsm will be loaded whenever the Raize skin is loaded.  This could be used for skin customization (changing info variables, colors, etc.)  <

[BenJeremy]

QUOTE (flattspott @ Feb 22 2004, 02:26 PM)

So when can well expect all this to come to life?

I will be working on it shortly.  <

[BenJeremy]

OK... a few things I've got jotted down:

Plug-in scripts will be able to be deleted or enabled/disabled.

Here's a starter list of events:

AutoExec
SkinPreload (Skin selected, Script has access to skin before it's configured)
SkinTimer (May be more than one timer, dunno yet)
SkinLayoutChange (When MXM switches between, say, Title and Menu layouts, this would execute)
Help
System Info

Game Context items (For menu items):
GameLaunch
GameHelp
GameDelete
GameConfigure
<Custom>

KeyEvent

SystemMenuItem (Custom items)

Actions (Added via Actions menu automatically, unless specified not automatic)


Anything else that seems practical? If not, I'll finalize these based on this list.


 <

[flattspott]

Sounds neat-o-rific.

So with this SkinPreload (Skin selected, Script has access to skin before it's configured) does this mean we'll be able to for instance, remove the Menu Descriptions from a skin before they're loaded?  <

[-FourDoor-]

Sounds like the forecasted great things for actionscripts are now in sight. I definetely like the term "XBOX Script Module".

Having a "standard" as to how actionscripts are made, stored, loaded will only help make it more "user friendly."

Only concern since it appears that we are one step closer, is the auto download from the internet. As more scripts are made, it would only make sense that they are verified to see that there isn't any type of malicious code in there before making them available for autodownload in MXM. My suggestion for autodownloads is to have one main download site, with a mirror site just in case the first site goes down or needs additional bandwidth. Aside from those 2 servers, it should be made clear that actionscripts shouldnt be downloaded from anywhere else. Kind of like an official MXM update/patch site...  <

[flattspott]

That does sound like a good Idea  <

[BenJeremy]

QUOTE (flattspott @ Feb 24 2004, 02:42 PM)

Sounds neat-o-rific. So with this SkinPreload (Skin selected, Script has access to skin before it's configured) does this mean we'll be able to for instance, remove the Menu Descriptions from a skin before they're loaded?

Yes, that is the idea. Something to modify the skin before it is initialized.



 <

[BenJeremy]

QUOTE (-FourDoor- @ Feb 24 2004, 03:31 PM)

Sounds like the forecasted great things for actionscripts are now in sight. I definetely like the term "XBOX Script Module". Having a "standard" as to how actionscripts are made, stored, loaded will only help make it more "user friendly." Only concern since it appears that we are one step closer, is the auto download from the internet. As more scripts are made, it would only make sense that they are verified to see that there isn't any type of malicious code in there before making them available for autodownload in MXM. My suggestion for autodownloads is to have one main download site, with a mirror site just in case the first site goes down or needs additional bandwidth. Aside from those 2 servers, it should be made clear that actionscripts shouldnt be downloaded from anywhere else. Kind of like an official MXM update/patch site...

Yes, it is working towards some sort of web-based capability for script and skin modules.

Currently, I am looking at doing the following:

There will be a "Plugins" folder in the same location as where MXM is executed (unless specified to be elsewhere) and on startup, MXM will scan for two (later, three) types of files: ZSM and ZSK.

ZSM are Zipped Script Modules

ZSK are Zipped SKins

For ZSMs, we will look inside for a main.xsm, which will become a part of the cached plugin scripts xml. Any files specified will be placed into the plugins cache path, in their own directory (for example, with Tetris, you might have a bunch of JPGs and sound files, and even more ActionScript code, since it's an on-demand script)

ZSK files will be properly unzipped to their own skin folder in the skins path, saving people the trouble of how to install new skins.


Later, we'll also handle binary DLL modules, which will be where new features will come into play.

I may have ZIP functionality available soon. I plan on testing out the code with ActionScript first, before integrating the Plug-in system.

Rars are a bit more complicated.... not sure if I want to support them at all; the PD code only handles 2.0, and is horrible, horrible code. It will take a lot of re-writing to make usable in a multithreaded environment. It also only handle unraring, so it's a one-way ticket. The reality is that most skins are probably archived with RAR 3.0, so the support wouldn't do much anyway.  <

[flattspott]

Well that 7Zip has UnRar code, maybe it's better or cleaner.  <

[unleashx]

QUOTE

ZSK files will be properly unzipped to their own skin folder in the skins path, saving people the trouble of how to install new skins.

Defeats the purpose of having it zipped in the first place if you're going to unzip each and every zipped skin...unless you're going to delete the expanded inactive skin files. -just my two cents.  <

[BenJeremy]

QUOTE (unleashx @ Feb 24 2004, 04:43 PM)

QUOTE ZSK files will be properly unzipped to their own skin folder in the skins path, saving people the trouble of how to install new skins. Defeats the purpose of having it zipped in the first place if you're going to unzip each and every zipped skin...unless you're going to delete the expanded inactive skin files. -just my two cents.

True.... the trick is to manage things with the right balance. MXM will have some expanded options for the user, and having skins handy would be nice.

I would consider just unzipping a preview file, though, along with storing information, then moving the zipped skin to a "master" skins location.   <

[unleashx]

QUOTE (BenJeremy @ Feb 25 2004, 05:29 AM)

I would consider just unzipping a preview file, though, along with storing information, then moving the zipped skin to a "master" skins location.

Better, exactly the way I think it should be implemented.  <