FOG needs a little, external "ready!" application

Post by **pipfromslitherine** » Sat May 22, 2010 3:40 am

It should flash when there are turns available. Are you not seeing that?

Cheers

Pip

MesaDon · Post by **MesaDon** » Sat May 22, 2010 3:45 am

pipfromslitherine wrote:It should flash when there are turns available. Are you not seeing that?

Cheers

Pip

No flash. Using Windows Vista. Occasionally the whole icon vanishes. Still there because when you move the pointer where it should be it recognizes it but remains not there. Except for that I love the idea and not having to start the program or check e-mail to know if there is a turn. Nice job so far.

Post by **pipfromslitherine** » Sat May 22, 2010 4:24 am

I know Vista deals slightly differently with tray icons, but it should still allow for animation. Is anyone else getting the flashing correctly? Let us know your OS if you are

Don't have the source here, so I will have to take a look Monday and see what might be wrong.

Cheers

Pip

hidde · Post by **hidde** » Sat May 22, 2010 10:01 am

The tray icon disappear for me too. No flash but it's there if I move the pointer over the right spot. I have Vista.
Also, but this could be unrelated...the whole tray bar have started to flicker. I think it started about the same time as the icon started to disappear.
When I installed 006 the icon showed for some time and there were no flickering untill the icon vanished and the flicker started again.
I'm not sure about the flicker thing but it feels connected to the vanishing icon.

Morbio · Post by **Morbio** » Sat May 22, 2010 11:08 am

I noticed the invisible icon too, most of the time it is there, but occasionally it is invisible.

I use XP.

hidde · Post by **hidde** » Sat May 22, 2010 12:40 pm

I've had several problems lately with the game and I'm more convinced now it had to do with this application. The flickering as mentioned, couldn't start the game with the shortcut on my desktop, unable to scroll up or down when playing. It all went away when I throw the app in the dustbin. That wasn't straight forward by the way. Even though I could left-click on the invisible icon, right-clicking wasn't possible. So I couldn't exit the app and therefor unable to erase it. Had to do it through the task manager.
Have to do without it I suppose. Not a big deal but it was nice to have when it was working.

MesaDon · Post by **MesaDon** » Sat May 22, 2010 2:47 pm

I only have a single flash (and that is inconsistant) when there is a new turn with the balloon briefly popping up. but just that one flash and nothing so if I miss the short balloon life I have to do the left click on the icon. Maybe the color change if possible may be the way to go on Vista (a thousand curses on Microsoft). Otherwise I like the notifier. Oh by the way I know that not only me but most everyone appreciates the quick responses that come from the people at Slitherine, bery refreshing these days.

Post by **pipfromslitherine** » Sat May 22, 2010 7:17 pm

I'm struggling to think how the app could prevent you from starting the application - it doesn't actually interact with the FoG EXE at all. Did this problem only start with 005? And what OS are you running hidde?

On my machine it flashes away (basically shows alternating icons, which is just differently coloured) when there are turns waiting, but it sounds like all it does at your end is vanish, even on XP.

I'll do some more testing when I get into the office. Thanks again for all your responses.

Pip

hidde · Post by **hidde** » Sat May 22, 2010 8:52 pm

I have Vista. I think it started with 005. The shortcut failure and scrolling problem only happened once but the flickering seems very much tied to the tray icon.

MesaDon · Post by **MesaDon** » Thu May 27, 2010 1:23 am

Any more news? It really works well except for the two problems noted for Vista earlier. One flash only when a turn comes up and the vanishing icon. I am dong the left click to check and that works great but takes an effort .... yawn .... I think computers are making me lazy.

Post by **pipfromslitherine** » Thu May 27, 2010 2:01 am

I'm working on it - but the vanishing icon is a mystery that I am working on. I'll try and get a new drop out in the next day or two.

Thanks

Pip

Amaz_Ed · Post by **Amaz_Ed** » Thu May 27, 2010 4:15 pm

I've had the vanishing icon ( I think it's the same issue) in Windows 7 Professional 64 bit. I haven't really got much information to offer, i wondered whether I was going a little mad. I thought the app was running and then it wasn't, but when I tried to launch it again nothing happened, not even an error message. When checking the task manager I couldn't recognise anything relating to the app, but that's probably just me.

When it works it's great, but then it hides from me.....

Post by **pipfromslitherine** » Thu May 27, 2010 8:52 pm

Hmmm - in the task manager you wouldn't see it as a running app, just as a process. If it's not there then it could be that it is crashing silently, which is always possible! I'll get a new build out today which at least should flash correctly, and then perhaps we can try and work out these compatibilty issues.

Cheers

Pip

Post by **pipfromslitherine** » Thu May 27, 2010 10:18 pm

There is a new version available. Please give me feedback on how it is behaves for you. This should correctly flash when games are available.

If you see the icon vanishing, please let me know.

Thanks again to everyone who is taking part in beta testing this little app.

http://www.slitherine.com/files/SysTray ... eta007.zip

Cheers

Pip

Morbio · Post by **Morbio** » Thu May 27, 2010 10:27 pm

Installed and flashing away like a good 'un!

The only problem is that it's telling me that my broken game is ready.... not a problem with the app though

MesaDon · Post by **MesaDon** » Thu May 27, 2010 11:50 pm

update installed v0.07 and it is flashing in Vista. to early to tell yet if it'll vanish. Actually the icon disapears but if you move the mouse pointer where it should be it recognizes a blank space as the program. It'll even show turns if you right click on it.

Morbio · Post by **Morbio** » Thu May 27, 2010 11:54 pm

It's just vanished

It's still there, but invisible.

Post by **pipfromslitherine** » Fri May 28, 2010 2:42 am

OK - having done some delving, this seems to be a common windows issue, across all types. Windows trys to keep a cache of icons, and it can fill up if you animate them. I think I can work around it though - I will attempt to get another version out in the morning, although there is some BBC stuff which might take priority.

Thanks to you all!

Cheers

Pip

Post by **pipfromslitherine** » Fri May 28, 2010 4:18 pm

New version available. I am hoping this one will solve the ugly disappearing icon problems.

http://www.slitherine.com/files/SysTray ... eta008.zip

Thanks for all your help in tracking these issues.

Cheers

Pip

Morbio · Post by **Morbio** » Fri May 28, 2010 5:39 pm

Version 8 installed and running.....