Starlaunch - WIP launcher replacement [Now released on Windows, Mac and Linux]

[Megacrafter127]

ugh, it is THAT mistake I made and I thought I fixed it.
instead of downloading the actual file, it downloaded a generated html file. No wonder it didn't work.
Download this for now until I have fixed the installer.

 

[Megacrafter127]

the installer is fixed.
a redownload isn't required unless you had problems with executing the updater.

 

[therimmer96]

Bit of an update

I know I said i would fix a few of the issues with the program, but I kinda lost motivation to even starmade, let alone make this. Sorry about that :s

I am currently on holiday, and without a real computer, my brain started to do that think where ideas happen (hurt 'n' everything).

As soon as I get back, I am going to be doing an entire new version of starlaunch (maybe 2, regular and a lite that can go on USB sticks. ). This will be a complete, ground up rebuild, and have lots of awesomes in it. It will have all the same features as the current one, but better!

I will show what I mean when I have gathered my thoughts and made Something.

 

[therimmer96]

Quick update on the new version (nothing to show yet though )

You know how this site has the community content section? how cool would it be if the launcher had a version that would instantly install the mod/ship/station to the installations you have selected? pretty cool right? well i decided to do that. To have a thing added to this section, simply PM me the URL of it's page here

I have only done background work for this, along with a basic crappy prototype which is so bad that I won't share it in any way, but now the basic system is done, shouldn't be long until something is released, although based on how many times i have said that in this thread, don't hold me too it

Does anyone have suggestions for the style of the UI? I know the sort of layout I want, but the style is undecided, and will probably involve a fair amount of arguing with @Crusade again

 

[Megacrafter127]

You know how this site has the community content section? how cool would it be if the launcher had a version that would instantly install the mod/ship/station to the installations you have selected? pretty cool right? well i decided to do that. To have a thing added to this section, simply PM me the URL of it's page here

Or you could just set up a little html parser :P

 

[therimmer96]

Or you could just set up a little html parser :p

I want complete control over everything. I could cheat and use the built in .NET web browser item, but that is lazy, and I can't control the web pages. I want as much control as I can get

 

[therimmer96]

So I was screwing around with the UI today, not done any actual code, just screwing around with images and placement, and I have something I am actually quite happy with for once :D

This is an actual application, so not something made in PS that gets your hopes up, only not to be able to get it perfect

A few things will change, for example, the launch button will be changed to "launch game", and a few other tweaks. I am actually quite enjoying the minimalist block colour style.

*edit - updated image with minor tweaks*

Opinions?

 

[therimmer96]

Just finished porting the news reader from the current starlaunch to the new one

The text formatting may be a little weird because it is optimised for the site, and I don't want a web browser in the window as that feels abit tacky, so I have added a button that will allow you to read it on the site.

 

[therimmer96]

Starlaunch now has a diagnostics section! It is powered by SMC, the tool the official tester team uses to determine if someone's PC is capable of playing starmade. Thanks to @fire219 for creating it, and allowing me to include it.

 

[Byamarro]

While I understeand reason why You use this font, it makes reading info so painfull...

 

[therimmer96]

While I understeand reason why You use this font, it makes reading info so painfull...

I understand completely, I though the exact same, some of areas such as the news feed has been changed to Arial Regular for easy reading

 

[therimmer96]

If anyone has any suggestions as too features StarLaunch could provide, suggest them below

 

[Reilly Reese]

Server List with IPs for top ten Starmade servers!

 

[therimmer96]

Server List with IPs for top ten Starmade servers!

that would require me finding out how the ingame query system works, I have asked Schema about this before, he seemed reluctant to give it me, or I could ask all the servers for their starmade-servers.com API codes, but that would allow me to interfere with a few things (not that I would, but people have to think security), or I could HTML parse the site itself, which I really CBA doing :/

 

[Reilly Reese]

Question

CBA?

 

[JimmyJamba]

Question

CBA?

Haaha, I had to google it...

Couldn't be arsed

edit: Can't be arsed??

 

[Reilly Reese]

Err What?

TMI!

 

[therimmer96]

Basically, I am lazy and really don't want to set up a HTML parser. I have no experience with HTML, and honestly, don't want any

So unless schema decides to reveal the query system too me (which I don't want to ask for because I am waiting for a skype response about something else, don't want to pile up requests ), or the servers all send me their API code, not gonna happen (I had this idea a long time ago for the first version of SL, didn't happen for the same reasons).

 

[Reilly Reese]

Well it's an idea for a later date.

 

[NeonSturm]

How about regular expressions @therimmer96 ?

Basically you can search for a "class=\"server", then maybe the next "<div" ... Then start reading at the next ">" and stop at the next "<" one after another.

Or build a Tree (like in explorer.exe) and do like in ((1, 2, 3, 4)or(3b, 4b));

1. search for "<", read tag name, any amount of white-space ("class" before("/" or ">"), "=\"", read classes, "\"") or("/" before(">"), any amount white-space, ">") or(">", read tag-content into a deeper level of your Tree, "</")

read tag-content = start a new instance of step 1 before continuing.
read classes = separate them by white-space after you found the second quote char.


But there are also finished solutions.