MMB History

What's new in 4.9.7?

ADDITIONS:

fileaname$ = path to text file (not binary files!)

string$ = string to add to line

toline = number of line to add

overwrite = TRUE/FALSE - if true, 'toline' line is replaced otherwise moved down

opacity = 0 object is fully transparent, opacity = 100 object is fully opaque

FRONT - move object to Front

BACK - move object to Back

FORWARD - move object one step up

BACKWARD - move object one step back

/* code

code

code

code */

FIXES:

KNOWN PROBLEMS & LIMITATIONS:

4.9.6a

FIXES:

4.9.6

ADDITIONS:

MAXIMIZE - Start application in maximized mode.

MINIMIZE - Start application in minimized mode.

HIDE - Start application with hidden window (useful for command prompt or BAT files).

FIXES:

CHANGES:

KNOWN PROBLEMS:

KNOWN LIMITATIONS:

Q: Some objects placed over the "windowed" objects (like a HTML, ListBox, Binding, Video or Flash) does have an ugly white rectangle around them.

A:

It's because MMB4.9 allows only the rectangle objects to be placed over these special objects. Then if you place for example a circle over the HTML, it will still appear as a circle inside the ugly white rectangle. We will try to do something with this limitation in any next version of MMB.

Q: WMA, ASF audio formats don't fill the CBK variables.

A:

At the moment only the OGG files have the complete support for CBK variables.

What to do if you experience any problem? Read the Support chapter in this help file.

4.9.5

MMB Video object:

MMB Video object is now completely rewritten! The days of an obsolete and not reliable MCI video playback are counted! The MCI object still remains there and unchanged (for technical experts), but the Video object is now a fully featured and easy to use DirectShow player. Of course, there are some dependencies on the installed video codecs; however, if you have installed Windows Media Player 7 or higher, you should have all the usual codecs installed. Now it is possible to run multiple video objects on a page at the same time!

Bitmap object enhancements:

Added a lot of new Image related scripting commands and designer enhancement. Now you will be able to preserve the Image size, or stretch image to fit window, resize/rotate the image and preserve its aspect ratio and lots of other things. Look at the detailedBitmap Object description.

Polygonal Hot-spot:

Added a polygonal hot-spot object. Irregular hot spots are now possible!

ZoomTool:

Added Zoom Tool for magnifying the selected part of MMB workspace.

MMB Script:

A lot of new scripting commands were added to work with strings, date/time, video, image/hotspot/polygon object resize and rotation, and many others. BTW, complete list of all MMB functions, CBK variables and predefined functions is now accessible over the right-click menu in MMB scripting dialog (both basic and enhanced windows) and scripting functions are no longer case sensitive. Check the Scripting Unleashed chapter. This chapter is really important to all of you who want to understand MMB Scripting. We really recommend you to check this chapter (thanks Bokzy! :)

OTHER ENHANCEMENTS:

SCRIPTING ENHANCEMENTS:

CHANGES:

Numeric arrays:

  NumVar[n]

String Arrays:

  StrVar$[n]

Object Arrays:

  TextBTN[n]

Example:

str$= 'item 4#item 5#item 6#'

sep$=CHR(35)

param$=str$+','+sep$

** previously only this worked...

ListBoxAddItem("ListBox1","str$,#")

** but now you can use also this..

ListBoxAddItem("ListBox1","str$,sep$")

** or this

ListBoxAddItem("ListBox1","param$")

FIXES:

Bokzy (as the author of Delphi SDK fix) will probably release (in a near future;) an improved Delphi SDK with description how to fix the current Delphi plugins.

myTrickyString$1234]

test[1]=10

i=1

c$=CHAR(test[i])

sel=1

selX=ObjectX(TextBTN[sel])+ 5

x = 2

array$[x] = '1#2#'

number$ = GetArrayItem(array[x]$,#, 2)

LoadText("TextBTN","number$")

MMB 4.9.0.1( bug fixed 4.9 ;)

IMPROVEMENTS:

Example:

OpenFile("Audio Files (All Files|*.*||","*.*")

FileName$=CBK_OpenFile

ListBoxAddItem("ListBox1","STRING:FileName$") ** will add the selected file name as an item in ListBox

FIXES:

MMB 4.9 - ADDITIONS AND REPLACEMENTS

FMOD audio library:

MMB Audio support is now completely rewritten with the latest FMOD audio library (www.fmod.org).

What it means for you?

Macromedia Flash object:

It will allow you not only to load and play Macromedia Flash animations, but with this object, you can control all the MMB scripting actions directly from the Macromedia Flash Action Script! Therefore, you can use your own Flash file as a powerful scripting addition to the basic MMB scripting – e.g. for parsing strings, advanced math, adding some new UI elements, like a check/option boxes, combo boxes, spinning objects, tables and charts, etc.

List Box object:

The one of the most requested features is now available in MMB! This object is primarily designed for showing the audio playlists (winamp *.pls, *.m3u and MMB *.m3l formats), but it can be used as well as a usual list box control with multi-selection. You can fill this object with text, string variable, string array, text files or mentioned playlists. This new type of object also bringing new type of event to the MMB – double click (at the moment only for list box object). In addition, there are some new scripting commands, allowing you to effectively work with the list box object.

Audio Visualization object:

With this control, you can visualize the playback of OGG, WAV, XM and S3M formats. At the moment, there are two types of audio visualization objects - oscilloscope and equalizer. Of course, you can change the type of audio visualization object or change the curve and background color in a runtime (for example after click on an object, you can change the type of AV object from oscilloscope to equalizer - ala Winamp).

OTHER ENHANCEMENTS:

SCRIPTING ENHANCEMENTS:

FIXES:

MMB 4.8

The new version of 4.8 MMB designer GUI is changed to the latest trends with full toolbars, menu, and keyboard customization. Now you can customize the designer anyway you like. You can practically customize any important aspect of the designer interface, including:

Note: if you use Hide Vertical Scroll Bar it will always hide the scrollbar. Even if the page is longer than the HTML object height user won't be able to vertical scroll (only with Microsoft Scroll wheel)

SysCommand("MoveWindow","0,0")

SysCommand("ResizeWindow","ScreenWidth,ScreenHeight")

This option is experimental - it may be removed from release if it cause problems. Also during testing from designer, MMBuilder will hide to uncover the background - don't be surprised then.

Html Object is a full Browser object in MMB. It uses Microsoft IE control. - example html_browser.mbd

Binding Object is a way how to easily put exe file into MMB - it will become a part of the player: for example flash movie with flash projector player, your installer, notepad with text, another indenpendednt mmb project etc...See example binding.mbd included in the beta archive, shows notepad, regedit and plays a flash movie inside page.Tested on Win2000 and Win 98SENote: Not all exe files can be binded, but many I tested could (for example you can even bind CompactDraw or PhotoBrush....) Some exe files may be unhapy to be binded and may freeze your system - save often. Some exe files can't be binded at all or shws garbage (Winamp).You can't call just the file to open associated exe yet. you need to specify the executable and then the parameter (file). You can hide Menu , status bar or toolbars from the binded applications.

Fixes:

path$ = '<SrcDir>\myfile.txt

LoadText("Text","FILE:path$") ** will load the text from a file specified in the path$

LoadText("Text","STRING:path$") ** will load the text from the path$ directly - in our case the Text will show the <SrcDir>\myfile.txt

MMB 4.7 and earlier

These functions return the current position (left, top corner) of the object specified by the label.

Example x= OBJECTX(Text1)

This returns

-1 if object doesn't exist on the page,

0 if object is hiden

1 if object is visible

Example: VolumeUp("50") will set volume to half

The last item there is a dot cursor - great for touch screens.

Plugin's are now loaded before the window and they don't require to be visible.

Move (and/or resize) the object (or group) to the x,y position. The w and h parameters are not required and if they are defined the object is resized - However it wont resize any bitmap object or text - it resize only its active boundaries. But it works fine for rectangle, buttons, hotspots...etc..

Yu can make a code:

for i=0 to 100

MoveObject("Bitmap","i,20")

Refresh()

Pause("30")

next i

**and it will move the object form left to right!

This simple command moves object (or group) from current position to the x,y using # of steps. The type can be EASYTO, EASYFROM or none to define the linearity in time. It basically does the same as code above, however you can specify slowing or accelerating with the TYPE.

This command will force to redraw the changes. It also works like a pump, if you use Refresh() in a loop the program reminds active and in fact you can still interact with the active objects (while the loop is continuing).

Pause command in the script, takes a number of ms to pause before continuing the script

Example: a=CBK_Total

This always returns the number of seconds (equivalent to what would be displayed in these objects.

This allows you to insert your text in the Comments field of executable properties. For example you can put your copyright for the contents you created or comments about used materials. You can put up to 60 characters. That doesn't replace the other MMB player properties, but it resolves some legal issues if your custommer doesn't want to put your copyright on the project pages but you still want to have your copyright or name there. Many other authoring tools didn't allow you to do this. You can access this option in the Check & Distribute dialog box.

You can tell the project before the start to change (or at least to try) the Display Resolution to one of few typical resolutions. You can set this option in the Project-General Settings. You can make a project which will play always on a full screen. Note: Some video cards (very old ones) don't allow to dynamically change the resolution so the project will continue in its standard size. The most common sizes are 640 x 480 and 800 x 600 and should work on most of the cards. The resolution will be returned to the original settings after you exit the project. Checking this option will uncheck "Standard Window" and "Movable" from the default values - because it makes little or no sense, however you can turn them back on if you making a "special" project.

This new version allows you to control the priority of the process. You can change the priority in the Project-General Settings. If you select High, the application you create will steal more CPU for itself from other windows application, making the transitions and FX running smoother. This is great for presentation type of applications where you don't expect user to be often switching between applications. The Normal settings is good for most of the application (it is the default setting) and the Low priority setting can be used for special (background) application which shouldn't use much CPU (launch bars etc..)

In 4.6 you can use B/W mask for Video Masking. With the Mask, video doesn't have to play in rectangular square anymore and it can have any shape you want.

You need to prepare an image mask with size of the video. The video will be played through this mask where the black pixels will be video and white transparent. The mask could have any shape or image (for example black text on white background). You can load the mask in the Video Properties. (Two buttons were added - Load and Clear Mask) You can create a very interesting effects because finally you don't have to be stuck with the boring rectangular video found in many authoring

This makes easier to play video or audio using MCI without doing much scripting. Let's say you want to play ASF so instead of bunch of messy MCICommand script lines you simply draw a MCI object which could play your asf automatically on page start or you can control basic functions (play, stop, close) with new script command MCIObject.

TimerA, TimerB and TimerC were added to the ScriptTimer command, making that four timers for script. You can use ScriptTimer command as before - then it uses the standard timer or you can use syntax:

ScriptTimer("TimerA=Script","500")

(You can use TimerB and TimerC the same way) These are independent timers. The same rules apply for them like for the standard timer: After the script is executed the attached timer is killed as well as if you go to another page.

In the Check and Distribute a Secure layer option was added.This will process the mbd data in such way that no Text or Script would be visible if you look at it in the Hex editor. Also the file can't be loaded back to the designer (no password will help!) so it can only be played. However, note that the loading of file with Secure layer would need more time and memory that without this layer so you should use it only on necessary files. The same option was added to Compress and Export to easy create mbd files which can't be viewed in Hex editors and loaded in designer.

Fixes in 4.6

toon$[0]='O'

toon$[1]='k'

string$ = toon$[1] + toon$[2]

path$ = 'c:\mydir\\'

will be displayed as c:\mydir\

There was a conflict because in 4.5 we used \' to enter ' into the string:

string$ = 'That\'s great!'

which will be displayed as That's great! and there was no way to add backslash at the end of the string then. Now you just use double backslash to ad a backslash at the end of a string. Complicated? Hope not that much!

MMB 4.5

The objects supporting the Tooltip are: Text Button, Bitmap Button, Text EditBox and Hot Spot

This is very useful if you have many graphic or text objects on the disk. The same way you can import all supported images, Bitmap buttons (BTW) or exported Objects (OBM).

The Roll-Up window can be minimized and maximized by clicking on the white rectangle or double-clicking on the top handle.

MMB 4.4

New Script Editor

(See Syscommand.mbd)

(See Syscommand.mbd)

a$ = 'Don\'t panic'

MMB 4.3

MMB 4.2

MMB 4.1

MMB 4.0

MMB 3.3

New object - animated gif was added. It has its own properties which allows you to control the gif transparency, background color, speed, auto play, loop..

For sample see Ronnie's demo agif.mbd on the users gallery or the included simple animation.mbd.

Yes you can embedded wave into mbd file. Use it for small click sounds and you will be happy.

New Object was added. This object can be used for your global functions or any functions. It has also feature to run that script if user press some keyboard shortcut. See example keys.mbd

This will cover all windows with solid fill, image, tiled image or stretched image.

Great for kiosks. See examples: kiosk.mbd and fullback.mbd

The script now has MidiPlay and MidiStop commands

If you compile the stand alone file you will see it is arround 300 kB smaller than in version 2.0. This allows you to put the file on the old floppy disk, so you can distribute your presentation on that medium.

Added to the script. The syntax is typical Basic syntax:

for a=1 to 5

...

next a

Now you can protect your mbd files from editing by putting password. Go to menu File- Compress & Export and there is a place to put the password. You cannot protect the files you are saving with Save or Save As commands, you can protect only files you are exporting.

Move 10 pixels - If you use Keyboard Arrows, the object will move 1 pixel, but if you use CTRL+arrow the object will move 10 pixels.

Interaction with other objects - the "Moving Mouse over the object" has more actions in the combo-box: Show only, Hide only and Run script. The first is great if you want to show Animated gif if mouse is over some object - the animated gif can hide itself after last frame (See Animated Gif properties). With the other commands you can do some other magic on mouse move.

CBK_AudioEOF - The script object with this name will run when Audio song reach its end... for more see sample mp3list2.mbd in the package.

MMB 3.1

  OpenFile("MPEG files |*.mpg||","*.mpg")

  Then you can use the <File> (the same way like you were using <SrcDir>). So for example for MCI you can use:

  MCICommand("play <File>")

MMB 3.0

MMB 2.0