It's always the small thing...
If you want to run ComicRack in client/server mode AND you have a working firewall that blocks inbound traffic (read as not XP firewall) you may have to open up ports 7612-7613 for inbound TCP/UDP on your firewall. And of course open them only for local/subnet addresses. Just to be save :)
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
A view of the past
Ever wondered why the program icon of ComicRack is a "RC" instead of a "CR"?
Well, today i traveled back into the depths of my Version Control System and checked the granddaddy of ComicRack out of the repository.
It was called "RComix" and was developed in the year 2004 out of the need to have a comic reader able to read pdf files (and not wanting to use Acrobat). 2 years later it was the starting code base for the development of ComicRack. The icon is still the same :)
You can download it here.
Simply unpack it into a folder, start "RComix.exe" and marvel at the long way ComicRack has come :) You can still recognize very early versions of features and decisions still at work in ComicRack (fading panels, page part navigation, background thumbnail creation etc.).
Well, today i traveled back into the depths of my Version Control System and checked the granddaddy of ComicRack out of the repository.
It was called "RComix" and was developed in the year 2004 out of the need to have a comic reader able to read pdf files (and not wanting to use Acrobat). 2 years later it was the starting code base for the development of ComicRack. The icon is still the same :)
You can download it here.
Simply unpack it into a folder, start "RComix.exe" and marvel at the long way ComicRack has come :) You can still recognize very early versions of features and decisions still at work in ComicRack (fading panels, page part navigation, background thumbnail creation etc.).
Monday, November 20, 2006
Added some Screenshots
Finally i had the time to add some screenshots of the current ComicRack version. So now there's no excuse anymore if you're not using it :)
Sunday, November 19, 2006
ComicRack v0.9.19 released
This one finally has the long awaited switch to text type for number fields. Now you can enter 0.5 or 12a as series information.
Here's the rest of the changes for Build 0.9.19:
As always
hf
Here's the rest of the changes for Build 0.9.19:
- NEW: Command to hide/show the Sidebar in Library/Explorer/Favorites
- NEW: Hot tracking effect in browsers
- CHANGE: Switched Number & Alternate Number to Text (allowing now 0.5, 12a etc)
- CHANGE: Comic Book Dialog remembers last active tab
- CHANGE: Added Cancel button to Progress Dialog when getting big file lists in explorer
- CHANGE: Keyboard shortcuts for switching list modes
- CHANGE: Removed Searchbar and moved the items into a dropdown menu
- CHANGE: Some changes in how thumbnails & tiles look (I hope for the better :))
- BUG: Proposed Textbox background incorrectly displayed & as _
- BUG: Preferences Dialog now correctly accepts Enter/Escape for OK/Cancel
- BUG: Month, Alternate Count, Alternate Series and Alternate Number was not editable in the details mode (long click edit)
As always
hf
Sunday, November 12, 2006
ComicRack v0.9.18 released
Again a fairly small release.
Build 0.9.18:
Build 0.9.18:
- NEW: Scroll mode now automatically switches to next/previous page
- CHANGE: Better Page Type Context Menus & Filter Drop Down in Pages Browser
- CHANGE: Extended List Options Dialog with some new options
- CHANGE: Better handling of quick search with big lists
- CHANGE: Comic Book Dialog now always uses the full scale page image in the color settings
Sunday, November 05, 2006
ComicRack v.0.9.17 released
This is just a very small bugfix release.
Build 0.9.17:
Build 0.9.17:
- BUG: Crashing bug when clicking on a non valid folder in explorer view (e.g. My Computer)
- BUG: Killed scrolling in image preview for color adjustment preview in version 0.9.16
- BUG: Fixed multi-selection with keyboard-only in comics lists
- BUG: 0.9.15 optimizations actually broke writing info back to eComics - that's what i call optimizations...
Friday, November 03, 2006
Pimp your XP
Microsoft released a really nice theme for XP in their Zune marketing effort. It's a Media Center styled Theme in black.
You can download it here. It matches nicely with ComicRack :)
You can download it here. It matches nicely with ComicRack :)
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
I'm almost done with Microsoft now...
Here's a little story.
Yesterday i wanted to download the Tablet PC SDK from the Microsoft Website. If you follow the link you may notice the "Genuine Advantage Validation" stuff on the page. Now my XP is not running any of these WGA homecalling microsoft spyware. I like to have control over my computer and my operating system. I like to decide what i can and what i can't do, whom my machine is talking to in idle time and to whom not.
So till this moment this genuine advantage was to keep unlegitimate users of XP out of updates for new features. You want the new IE7? Prove you have a legitimate copy. You want this nice power toy? Show me your license. There seems to be at least some logic behind this. It gives me at least a way to opt out (that is, the XP i bought has all the features i need and no WGA stuff).
Back to the Tablet PC SDK. An SDK (or Software Development Kit) is solely there to help write and develop applications. It is no program in itself, no utility and no application, it does not give you as a user more features in your Microsoft Product (in this case XP). It is there to enable writing applications for an operating system.
So I want to make ComicRack a good program. I want to support proprietary things on the XP platform. I create a program that helps people come to the conclusion that Windows XP is a cool platform. That it has better programs than the other platforms. That those Linux guys can go home with their little featureless viewer programs. The programs make the system. People don't use Windows because it is good, but because most of the good programs are running there. So I help Microsoft earn money. I HELP Microsoft. And for this "Advantage" i have to fall to their "total control over my machine" scheme.
Nice thinking Microsoft. Only problem is, you kinda keep people losing on the way.
As an alternative, i tried to download the SDK from my Linux machine. But of course there is no way to download a Windows SDK from a non windows platform...
Finally i bit the bullet, downloaded this GenuineAdvantage Tool, "validated" my machine and downloaded the SDK.
Now lets look at the grander things to come...Vista.
Take a closer look at that future. Is this the way you want it to be?
I know i don't. And i know i don't want it to be that way with an upgrade cost for my 5 machines in my home network of roughly 1000 €,when the none monopoly guys can do it with more technical finesse and no homecalling, crippling, "don't upgrade your machines ", "we decide what content you're allowed to view" Orwellian software for this amount. And i'm not even mentioning this or this.
In the last 15 years i was supportive of Microsoft. I liked what they did. I still like SOME things they are doing (.NET comes to mind). But slowly the bad things begin to outweigh the good things.
And as a last note: Don't give me the "i don't buy it anyways, i wait for the russian release" line.
With this attitude you're just enabling Microsoft to go on doing what they are doing: Screwing over all the legitimate users...
Yesterday i wanted to download the Tablet PC SDK from the Microsoft Website. If you follow the link you may notice the "Genuine Advantage Validation" stuff on the page. Now my XP is not running any of these WGA homecalling microsoft spyware. I like to have control over my computer and my operating system. I like to decide what i can and what i can't do, whom my machine is talking to in idle time and to whom not.
So till this moment this genuine advantage was to keep unlegitimate users of XP out of updates for new features. You want the new IE7? Prove you have a legitimate copy. You want this nice power toy? Show me your license. There seems to be at least some logic behind this. It gives me at least a way to opt out (that is, the XP i bought has all the features i need and no WGA stuff).
Back to the Tablet PC SDK. An SDK (or Software Development Kit) is solely there to help write and develop applications. It is no program in itself, no utility and no application, it does not give you as a user more features in your Microsoft Product (in this case XP). It is there to enable writing applications for an operating system.
So I want to make ComicRack a good program. I want to support proprietary things on the XP platform. I create a program that helps people come to the conclusion that Windows XP is a cool platform. That it has better programs than the other platforms. That those Linux guys can go home with their little featureless viewer programs. The programs make the system. People don't use Windows because it is good, but because most of the good programs are running there. So I help Microsoft earn money. I HELP Microsoft. And for this "Advantage" i have to fall to their "total control over my machine" scheme.
Nice thinking Microsoft. Only problem is, you kinda keep people losing on the way.
As an alternative, i tried to download the SDK from my Linux machine. But of course there is no way to download a Windows SDK from a non windows platform...
Finally i bit the bullet, downloaded this GenuineAdvantage Tool, "validated" my machine and downloaded the SDK.
Now lets look at the grander things to come...Vista.
Take a closer look at that future. Is this the way you want it to be?
I know i don't. And i know i don't want it to be that way with an upgrade cost for my 5 machines in my home network of roughly 1000 €,when the none monopoly guys can do it with more technical finesse and no homecalling, crippling, "don't upgrade your machines ", "we decide what content you're allowed to view" Orwellian software for this amount. And i'm not even mentioning this or this.
In the last 15 years i was supportive of Microsoft. I liked what they did. I still like SOME things they are doing (.NET comes to mind). But slowly the bad things begin to outweigh the good things.
And as a last note: Don't give me the "i don't buy it anyways, i wait for the russian release" line.
With this attitude you're just enabling Microsoft to go on doing what they are doing: Screwing over all the legitimate users...
Sunday, October 29, 2006
ComicRack v.0.9.16 released
Seems i have too much time on my hands lately :)
.16 brings the long awaited and much anticipated global color adjustment settings. It also introduces an optional "Auto Contrast" setting that greatly enhances washed out scans without you having to move those sliders around :)
And as always i threw some additional bug fixes into the basket.
Build 0.9.16:
.16 brings the long awaited and much anticipated global color adjustment settings. It also introduces an optional "Auto Contrast" setting that greatly enhances washed out scans without you having to move those sliders around :)
And as always i threw some additional bug fixes into the basket.
Build 0.9.16:
- NEW: Global Color Adjustment Settings
- NEW: Auto Contrast option
- NEW: Apply Button in Preferences
- NEW: "Next/Previous from List" commands added to Viewer Context Menu
- CHANGE: Default key shortcuts for messageboxes with checkboxes (press Alt to see the shortcut)
- CHANGE: Small close button for comic preview
- BUG: Show View commands always toggled browser visibility (now only if selected view already visible)
- BUG: Fixed the pixel bug on the left side of the first entry in the comic list
- BUG: Bad hash code for color adjustment values that could lead to wrong images loaded from cache
Friday, October 27, 2006
Fun with your PSP
Just tried something that worked amazingly good.
1) Connect your PSP
2) Open ComicRack, open an eComic, do File->Save eComic as... and select "Folder with jpeg images" as type
3) Browse in the save dialog to your PSP Photo Folder (in my case G:\PSP\PHOTO) and hit save.
4) Disconnect your PSP, go to photo and select the new comic folder :)
Reading on the PSP works amazingly well. Maybe it would be a good idea to add a 480 width conversion to the save function, so that the comics are already properly scaled. It would also be cool if the PSP could retain the current zoom state when changing pictures.
1) Connect your PSP
2) Open ComicRack, open an eComic, do File->Save eComic as... and select "Folder with jpeg images" as type
3) Browse in the save dialog to your PSP Photo Folder (in my case G:\PSP\PHOTO) and hit save.
4) Disconnect your PSP, go to photo and select the new comic folder :)
Reading on the PSP works amazingly well. Maybe it would be a good idea to add a 480 width conversion to the save function, so that the comics are already properly scaled. It would also be cool if the PSP could retain the current zoom state when changing pictures.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
