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[BenJeremy]

September 25 2003

Media X Menu 0.9n.5

Please stop by the forums at Xbox-Scene.com to report any issues in the MXM forum.

Tutorials located at:  http://www.writersgallery.com/MXM/TUT

Short Version-

Revamped the FTP Server. More robust.

ActionScripts  - Think "DOS Batch Language" on steroids.

Partition Formatting

G: Support

PAL/NTSC switching with PAL60 support and independent Region Selection

Built in "Recovery Disc" support for NEW Hard Drives.
If run from a CD-RW or DVDR/RW, upon detecting a "fresh" unformatted HD, MXM will offer to format the partitions and then copy the contents of CBackup, EBackup, FBackup, and GBackup, if present, to their respective drives.

Fixed numerous annoying bugs

Added time offset for time synchronization

Fanspeed support in ActionScripts

See below for complete list.


Beta 0.9n.5 (Bug Fixes)

 Fixed Music Enable

Checked Enable Global Music - works on my test machine

Added "Enable Network" to configuration menus.

Explaination of the <Action> tag to add your own "Systme" commands to the 'regular' menus:
 Instead of defining an "Exe" You define an Action for the item:
 <Item>
 <Action>trayopen</Action>
 <Title>Open DVD Tray</Title>
 <Thumbnail>::ICO_ACTION</Thumbnail>
 <Media>::ICO_ACTION</Media>
 </Item>
 Actions currently available:
 - ResetMenuCache
 - trayopen
 - trayclose
 - reboot
 - shutdown
 - PowerCycle
 More will follow

Totally new FTP server code. Should be no more hangups... you can now ABOR during transfers.

Recognizes "G:" drive

Toggle for "Action..." menu (Formarly "System..." but confusing name with "Y" menu)

Hard drive Formatting!
 - SITE commands:
    FORMAT C:
    FORMAT E:
    FORMAT F:
    FORMAT G:
    FORMAT X:
    FORMAT Y:
    FORMAT Z:
  Of course, use these at your own risk!!
  As usual, these SITE commands can also be used in ACTION menu items
  Requires a toggle of the configuration menu (Misc settings) before first usage.

Drive-related Strings have "G" equivalents now.

Conditionals: cdrivepresent, edrivepresent, fdrivepresent, gdrivepresent

Added "not" attribute to conditionals, for testing OPPOSITE condition. To use, set not="true"
   i.e.: <condition not="true">GDrivePresent</condition>

Added "fanspeed" gadget string.

Added
   ATTR <FileOrDir> ro|rw
   CHMOD 777 <FileOrDir>   (This command is compatible with FlashFXP's "Attributes" action)
   LaunchDVD
   EEPROMBackup [Filename] (Backs up EEPROM contents, encrypted, to a file, file defaults to "eeprom.bin" in current directory)
   EEPROMRestore [Filename] (Restores EEPROM contents, encrypted, from a file, file defaults to "eeprom.bin" in current directory)
   MKDIR <PATH>
   RMDIR <PATH> <CASCADE>
   CD <PATH> (GUI only, sets default directory, which starts as MXM's path)
   COPY <Path/File/Wildcard> <Path/File>
   RENAME <FileOrPath> <FileOrPath>
   DELETE <File>
   :<Label>
   GOTO <Label>
   SYSTEMMENU <Activate|Hide|Unhide|ActivateFull>
   MESSAGEBOX <message> (Displays a message box AFTER script is done executing, or if used between BeginDraw and EndDraw, renders a message box)
   SET <VarName> <Value>  
   ADD <VarName> <Value>
   SUB <VarName> <Value>
   DIV <VarName> <Value>
   MULT <VarName> <Value>
   IF <arg1> <op> <arg2> goto <label>
   -<op>:
    - =
    - >
    - <
    - >=
    - <=
    - != or <>
    - ##   (True if LValue contains RValue)
    - #^   (Same as ##, but case insensitive)
    - !##   (True if LValue doesn't contain RValue)
    - !#^   (Same as !##, but case insensitive)
    IF# (Used to evaluate numerically)
   SETFANSPEED <Manual|Default> <speed>
   SETFUNC <VarName> <Function> <Function Arguments>
    -Functions:
    - XBETITLE <FileName>
    - XBEID <FileName>
    - FILESIZE <FileOrPath>
    - FILEEXIST <FileOrPath>
    - PATHEMPTY <Path>
    - LEFT <Count> <Text>
    - RIGHT <Count> <Text>
    - MID <Count> <Length> <Text>
    - SPACE <Count>
    - REPEAT <Count> <Text>
    - LENGTH <Text>
    - TRIM <Text>
    - TRIMLEFT <Text>
    - TRIMRIGHT <Text>
    - LOWER <Text>
    - UPPER <Text>
    - CONDITION or COND <conditional>    (Sets value to 1 or 0, depending on state of skin conditional)
    - !CONDITION of !COND <conditional>
   EXEC <xbe> [<args>]
   BEGINDRAW [USeCurrent]    (Starts rendering a screen, "UseCurrent" grabs the previously rendered screen to display)
   ENDDRAW   (Displays screen)
   INPUT    (See ActionScript ReadMe for details on return variables set)
   CALLFILE <file> <Args...>
   CALLSCRIPT <name> <Args...>
   BOX <X> <Y> <Width> <Height> [<Color>] [<BorderColor>]
   TEXT <X> <YTOP> <CENTER|LEFT|RIGHT> <Text> [<Color>]
   ALLOWFORMAT <1|0>
   MOUNT <Drive:> [<DevicePartitionPath>]
   DATE <Day> <Month> <Year>
   TIME <00:00>
   DELAY <Delay Sec>
   DELAYMS <Delay ms>

Add "CherryPatch" - Yes, Thank you Cherry for your PAL/NTSC code. It's EEPROM safe, so you should be OK with a simple reboot.
   With this patch, the PAL/PAL60/NTSC switching code is reimplemented!! It's improved, though, as there is now support for PAL60
   and USA/JAP/EUR region coding as well.

ActionScripts can be loaded internally from the MXM.xml file - define them in a <ActionScript name=somename">
...script here...
</ActionScript>
and
<ActionScriptLoad name=somename">loadable.xas</ActionScriptLoad>
Loads form the disk, relative to the MXM.xml file

MXM will execute "AutoExec" scripts -
1) First, it runs an internally defined script, _AutoExec
2) It runs a user-defined script, AutoExec, as defined in the MXM.xml
3) If it exists, it will run "AutoExec.xas" from the MXM directory.

Colors can either be the named versions, or ARGB values (0xFF001122, for example)

Special ActionScript symbols, $eol$, $lt$ and $gt$

Fixed passcode usage with SubMenus and ActionScripts. Also cleaned up rendering
so the passcode is not revealed once passed by the fade-in.

Cleaned up the way the Dashboards menu option works. Much nicer now

Added "DVD Player Preference" to select a preferred player (Default, X2, or M$)

Users can add "Context menus" for games. These are actionscripts defined in a <Context> node in MXM.xml -
The scripts have some awareness of the currently selected game, and can act on them.

Added "TimeSynch Offset" in hours for those using non-local time servers.



Beta 0.9n.6 (Bug Fixes)

Added experimental automatic G: fix
   If drive F: is not between 128GB and 132GB, MXM will not automatically mount G:

Failing that, there is now an MXM_Patcher option to force MXM not to init G:

SETFUNC::FILESIZE should now return directory size now.

New ActionScript commands:
   BEGINSEARCH <WildCardPath>
   - The local variables "search_name", "search_path", "search_arg", "search_size", "search_type", "search_active" (which equals "1" when the search values are OK) are updated during the search
   SEARCHITEM <VarName>   (Load VarName with current file/pathname)
   SEARCHSIZE <VarName>   (Load VarName with current file size)
   SEARCHTYPE <VarName>   (Load VarName with current type for entry - "file" or "dir")
   SEARCHNEXT
   ENDSEARCH
   MEDIAPATCH <FilePath> (Experimental, patches media flag and media check code)
   INPUT [NOWAIT] (Added optional "nowait" parameter, which prevents it from waiting forinput)
   OPENREAD <HandleName> <FilePath>
   OPENWRITE <HandleName> <FilePath>
   READFILELN <HandleName> <VarName> (Reads line and loads variable)
   WRITEFILELN <HandleName> <Text> (Writes line with text and appends CR/LF)
   WRITEFILE <HandleName> <Text> (Writes line with text)
   CLOSEFILE <HandleName>
   FILESTAT <HandleName> <VarName> (If file access is OK, value will be "1" - for read, "0" means end - otherwise "")
   WEBFILEFETCH <Filename> <URL>  (A little goodie... but this is a very basic HTTP client, so it won't work with all sites)
   SETFUNC new:
    - FNBASENAME <FilePath>
    - FNEXTENSION <FilePath>
    - FNPATH <FilePath>
    - FNMERGE <Path> <Filename> [<Extension>]
    - FATXIFY <filename> [<replacementchar>] (Do not use with a full path! backslashes and colons will be removed!!)
    - TEMPFILE <Path> <Prefix> (Creates a new temporary filename)
    - REPLACE <Old> <New> <Source>
    - ContextScriptExists     - ScriptExists    XMLOpen <HandleName> <FileName>
   - Opens an XML file or internal XML link (::MXM, ::PREFS, ::MENUCACHE, ::MENU, ::Internal)
   XMLSave <HandleName> [<FileName>]
   - Saves XML back out to a given file
   XMLSaveNode <HandleName> <FileName>
   - Save current selected node to file (File must not exist)
   XMLSetNodePtr <HandleName> <Node> [OnFail <Label>]
   - Set the current node pointer
   - To start from "root" use ! Example: !.FTPServer.User:1    (Accesses second user node in FTPServer node of a config file)
   XMLCreateNode <HandleName> <Node> [OnFail <Label>]
   XMLCreateElement <HandleName> <Element> [OnFail <Label>]
   XMLSetElementPtr <HandleName> <Element> [OnFail <Label>]
   - Must be relative to currently set node, or this will also cause the current node to change
   XMLSetElementValue <HandleName> <Value>
   XMLSetElementAttr <HandleValue> <Attribute> <Value>
   XMLSetNodeAttr <HandleValue> <Attribute> <Value>
   XMLSetValue <HandleValue> <Location> <Value> [<AttrPref>]
   XMLGetValue <HandleValue> <VarName> <Location> [<DefaultValue>]
   XMLGetNodeCount <HandleName> <VarName> [<Name>]
   XMLGetElementCount <HandleName> <VarName> [<Name>]
   XMLGetNodeAttrCount <HandleName> <VarName>
   XMLGetElementAttrCount <HandleName> <VarName>
   XMLCreate <HandleName> <MainNodeName>
   LoadCurrent
   CallContextScript

Fixed issue with submenu conditional

ActionScripts now run in their own thread, meaning the video and audio continue while ActionScripts run. This will be further exploited in the future with scheduled and event-driven execution.

Fixed File access error in ActionScript FILE functions.

Added new Text Gadget source: ENV - this gives the skinner access to the global environment (Environment variables prefixed with the "_" character)
   Define the "Key" attribute to select an environment variable to display (without the % on each side, with or without the underscore)

Rewrote the ActionScripting engine. This will be getting a slight re-arrangement when I incoroporate the scheduler, which is more or less written.

Added $timer$ 'special' ActionScript variable, which gives a running count of milliseconds

Added _GP_ANYBUTTON variable set by input for simple testing.

Fixed non-working string functions and issue with XMLSetValue when setting attributes

Fixed spurious file entries when connected to M$ Internet Explorer via FTP. This might fix other issues (I hope).

Added DNS cacheing. This may solve some issues with newsfeeds, but if edited, the cache file can make DNS lookups more efficient!
   In the file, you can set a hostname as one of three types of persistence: dynamic (always looks up IP), session (Looks up IP once per session) and static (you can 'permanently' assign an IP)
   If the cached IP doesn't work, MXM will try and get another one, no matter what.

Changed the FTP Server again.... should be working again.

Added jlm5151's Simplicity Remix skins as internal skins.

Added more specials: $tm_time$, $tm_date$, $tm_hours$, $tm_minutes$, $tm_seconds$, $tm_year$, $tm_month$, $tm_day$ - all based on current time. Format for date: DD/MM/YYYY and time: HH:MM:SS. Individual units are 2 digits (or for year, 4 digit)

Fixed issue that prevented "RandomSource" enabled image resources from working properly.



This post has been edited by BenJeremy: Oct 31 2003, 01:48 AM

[mojojojo]

cool, this will be nice to try.
ive had a modded xbox for a while now and have not used mxm
till recently and i must say its great .wish i wouldve started
using this a long time ago. thanks
new format feature will be convinent.

[mxlegend99]

Shit, im an ava boy for the most part, but this release looks pretty damned cool. I dunno if i'll replace ava just yet, i feel the two dashes are so close....... or where till this release. Great work here, and im hoping ava can manage a release half as good as some of the new features.
cheers BJ

[Timan]

Quick "Q?" if you dont mind...

When it says "Partition Formatting" does that mean I can format say E: and all my other partitions will be not touched?

[DeVante]

I'll forever be an MxM boy. ;>

Let me ask a couple of things:

1) Thankfully you removed the System Menu from the root menu, but it looks like you replaced it with another unwanted menu; the "Dashboards..." menu.

Is there an easy way to disable this or do we have to use action scripts (which I still haven't managed to get to work right, by the way. ;>).

2) I didn't like MxM picking up the descriptions on its own (usually company names), so I found out a way to leave them blank by putting <DESCR> </DESCR> in the ITEM node. Notice the space. This worked and MxM would use the blank instead of figuring out the description on its own. It looks like this no longer works.

Is there a way to have MxM not automatically pick up descriptions on its own?

3) Everytime I log into my XBOX, it looks like a file is being left in every folder I visit with a weird name. The name changes, but it can be a folder with the name "Close..." or a shortcut with what looks like a high ascii character. This is just a bug I'm point out. :>

Thanks for such a cool dashboard!


This post has been edited by DeVante: Sep 26 2003, 04:12 AM

[koldfuzion]

QUOTE (Timan @ Sep 26 2003, 05:41 AM)

Quick "Q?" if you dont mind... When it says "Partition Formatting" does that mean I can format say E: and all my other partitions will be not touched?

yes, just like evox.. the format drive commands can be ran totally seperate,  individually or all together.

[BenJeremy]

!--QuoteBegin-DeVante+Sep 26 2003, 12:47 AM-->

QUOTE (DeVante @ Sep 26 2003, 12:47 AM)

I'll forever be an MxM boy. ;> Let me ask a couple of things: 1) Thankfully you removed the System Menu from the root menu, but it looks like you replaced it with another unwanted menu; the "Dashboards..." menu. Is there an easy way to disable this or do we have to use action scripts (which I still haven't managed to get to work right, by the way. ;>). 2) I didn't like MxM picking up the descriptions on its own (usually company names), so I found out a way to leave them blank by putting <DESCR> </DESCR> in the ITEM node. Notice the space. This worked and MxM would use the blank instead of figuring out the description on its own. It looks like this no longer works. Is there a way to have MxM not automatically pick up descriptions on its own? 3) Everytime I log into my XBOX, it looks like a file is being left in every folder I visit with a weird name. The name changes, but it can be a folder with the name "Close..." or a shortcut with what looks like a high ascii character. This is just a bug I'm point out. :> Thanks for such a cool dashboard!

1. There is an option in the Config -> AutoMenu to enable/disable this.
2. MXM_Entry.xml is the way to have MXM pick up the entry info. There is another way coming down the pipeline.... a "Games Database" that will do a few more things, as well.
3. Dunno about the file. Possibly your client? Which one are you using? I've used the latest MXM on two xboxes here, without that side effect. Is anybody else having the problem?

[DeVante]

Hey! I didn't even notice that "No AutoAdd Dash" line. It works great! Is there a tag that goes into the mxm.xml file for this?

Anyway, about the FTP thing, I'm using Windows Explorer. I have my XBOX setup as a networked drive on my computer. The weird file thing doesn't happen in CuteFTP, so maybe the new release doesn't react well with Windows Explorer/Internet Explorer.

About the descriptions thing, I'm not sure if you misinterpeted what I said or not, but basically I do NOT want MXM to add the company names under the titles. I want it to leave the description field blank unless I tell it to add something. In the prior release I could add a description of a blank and it would work. Not anymore.
Having MXM_entry files everywhere isn't very centralized and makes for a lot of unnecassary files in the directory structure. Maybe if you have time you could add a tag or something to disable MXM automatically adding descriptions? I'd pay you in hugs!

Also, a few suggestions, as this is a suggestion board.
1) To clean the "Y" system menu up, you could consolidate About, Game Info, System Info, and Game Options under an "Info" menu. You could put Reboot, Power Cycle, Power Off, etc under an "XBOX Commands" menu.
Lastly, possibly move the Load Dashboard (what does this do, anyway?) away from the reload menu cache command, as I keep hitting it on accident!

2) Uh, nothing. ;>

I guess my only gripe is about the description thing.

By the way, forget the hugs.
Check out your tip jar instead (although it isn't much!). :>

This post has been edited by DeVante: Sep 26 2003, 05:38 AM

[Telemachus]

So would there be a way to add a script that can enable/disable the X2 IGR?

Great stuff BenJ!

[StormLord]

Mxm 0.9n.5 wont boot with very large F drives (ie using a 300 GB Maxtor HD with X2 4977 using LBA48, on a X2.2pro chip in a V1.0 Xbox). Mxm 0.9n.4 works just fine with the large F drive (went back to this version).

I tried do get 0.9n.5 to boot various way's (ie thru Evox, Boxplorer, renaming it to xboxdash for the bios to boot it, but no luck )
I hope this is not a hard to fix problem. If you need a tester for a large drive let me know.

Thanks for the GREAT dash!!

[Budmiester]

I got the same problem as Stormlord, won't boot won't run, Im also back using 09n4.
Cept the only thing the same is the lba48 bios.
Im running a 120gb maxtor with x2-4976.02+lba48 (because i switch to another 200gb western digital.)
This is on a 1.1 xbox with a ozxchip (cheapmod.)

[diffident]

QUOTE

Everytime I log into my XBOX, it looks like a file is being left in every folder I visit with a weird name. The name changes, but it can be a folder with the name "Close..." or a shortcut with what looks like a high ascii character. ... Anyway, about the FTP thing, I'm using Windows Explorer. I have my XBOX setup as a networked drive on my computer. The weird file thing doesn't happen in CuteFTP, so maybe the new release doesn't react well with Windows Explorer/Internet Explorer.

BJ, this sounds like the mystery file 's' problem I saw when testing WIP - the 'extra' files are visible via Explorer and WS_FTP on XP. Under OSX, they're not visible in the GUI, but show up in transcripts via Interarchy and Transmit. As DeVante says, these files turned up in every folder I opened under WIP. They're not visible (or logged in transcripts) when I move back to 0.9n4 or XBMP's FTP server, whatever the client; that suggests to me that they're not 'real' files created in the filing system, but something less tangible.

[Xombe]

I've got an FTP issue, using FlashFXP as always.  Upon upgrading to 0.9n.5 by copying over the old xbe, my FTP isn't what it used to be.  Specifically, it sporadically hangs when I try to edit a file on the Xbox by right-clicking it and selecting 'Edit.'  Until now, it would open the file (in this case menu.xml or the like) and I could make my changes, save it, and press OK to transfer the updated file back over the old.

But now, when I click 'Edit', FXP goes through the motions but hangs short of opening the file.  It displays the usual:

257 "/C/" is current directory.
List (cached)
List Complete.
TYPE I
200 Mode is set to I.
PORT 192,168,11,2,10,167
200 PORT command successful.
RETR menu.xml
150 Opening BINARY mode data connection for file transfer.
226 Transfer complete.

but so-called 'transfered file' doesn't open.  After that, FXP just sits there, not responding.  If I disconnect, I can't connect again until I reboot MXM (running in dash mode).

It also tends to hang when moving amongst folders sometimes.  Or when uploading games.  Performance seems to degrade with use during a single session.  Anybody else?

Otherwise, thank you again, BJ, for a wonderful creation!

[BenJeremy]

!--QuoteBegin-Telemachus+Sep 26 2003, 02:19 AM-->

QUOTE (Telemachus @ Sep 26 2003, 02:19 AM)

So would there be a way to add a script that can enable/disable the X2 IGR? Great stuff BenJ!

That should be a cinch with ActionScripting....

[BenJeremy]

QUOTE (StormLord @ Sep 26 2003, 03:44 AM)

Mxm 0.9n.5 wont boot with very large F drives (ie using a 300 GB Maxtor HD with X2 4977 using LBA48, on a X2.2pro chip in a V1.0 Xbox). Mxm 0.9n.4 works just fine with the large F drive (went back to this version). I tried do get 0.9n.5 to boot various way's (ie thru Evox, Boxplorer, renaming it to xboxdash for the bios to boot it, but no luck ) I hope this is not a hard to fix problem. If you need a tester for a large drive let me know. Thanks for the GREAT dash!!

Hmmmm.... well, I can test that, at least. It will take me a bit to get it set up, though.

I have a 160GB drive here to test out the problem. I will try and look at it over the next few days.