Some is picked from DownloadTwo.com
Detail:
Title: DirectX 9.0c
Filename: directx_9c_redist.exe
File size: 33.49MB (35,113,704 bytes)
Requirements: Windows (All Versions)
License: Freeware
Date added: May 16, 2005
Author: Microsoft Corporation
www.microsoft.com
www.microsoft.com/windows/directx/default.mspx
Homepage: www.microsoft.com/wi...rectx/default.mspx
MD5 Checksum: Not calculated
Description:
Microsoft DirectX is a group of technologies designed to make Windows-based computers an ideal platform for running and displaying applications rich in multimedia elements such as full-color graphics, video, 3D animation, and rich audio. DirectX 9.0 includes security and performance updates, along with many new features across all technologies, which can be accessed by applications using the DirectX 9.0 APIs.
It is required by almost all PC games and 3D applications.
FAQ
1.How can I determine what assembly level shader code is generated from HLSL shader code in my effect file
You can make use of the command line effect compiler, fxc.exe, provided in the \bin\dxutils subdirectory of the SDK installation. Using the /Fc switch will cause a source code listing to be generated. For example, the command
c:\dxsdk\bin\dxutils\fxc /FcListing.txt MyHlsl.fx
will compile the effect file MyHlsl.fx, and create a source code listing as /FcListing.txt.
2.Q. After installing the DX 8 SDK, I recieve the error LNK1104: Cannot Open File "d3dim.lib" when attempting o compile my program.
After installing the DirectX 8 SDK, you may recieve the following error when compiling existing source code written for previous versions of DirectX:
LINK : fatal error LNK1104: cannot open file "d3dim.lib"
This is because the library for Direct3D Immediate Mode (now called DirectGraphics) has been renamed as D3D8.LIB. To correct this, link to D3D8.LIB instead of D3DIM.LIB.
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Q. I am using Direct3D to draw a tile map to the screen. Why can't get the edges to match properly?
This is due to the algorithm used to determine what pixels to draw when rendering a triangle, which is determined by whether the center of each pixel is enclosed by the triangle. The pixel centers lie on integer values, so if you are using integer coordinates to define a rectangle the sides will straddle pixels.
To account for this, expand your pre-transformed primitives by 0.5 pixels in each direction. For an example of this, look at the source code in A Simple Blit Function for Direct3D.
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Q. When I use the D3DX shape creation functions to generate a mesh, there are no texture coordinates in the vertices. How can I set texture coordinates?
To add texture coordinates, you will first have to use the D3DXCloneMeshFVF function to create a duplicate of the mesh with a new vertex format which contains elements for storing texture coordinates (tu,tv). For an example of how to do this, take a look at the source code in Spherical Texture Mapping.
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Q. How can I render to multiple windows under DirectX 8 Graphics?
This can be accomplished by creating a swap chain for each window, using IDirect3DDevice8::CreateAdditionalSwapChain(), then setting the appropriate chain's frame buffer as the render target before rendering.
For more information, see Rendering to Multiple Windows.
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Q. When loading a texture with the D3DX texture creation functions I specify a color key, but no transparency appears when I render the image.
Color keying is not directly supported in DirectX 8, transparency instead being handled through alpha blending. If you need to render color keyed images with transparency, the D3DX texture creation functions bridge the gap by automatically generating an alpha mask that culls out pixels of a specified color.
There are a couple of reasons that this may occur. Probably the most common error is in specifying a key color with an alpha of zero. Since bitmaps are assumed to be opaque, all pixel values read from the file will be assigned an alpha of 255. Unless the key color has a matching alpha value, the color key test will fail. You can prevent this by using a color function that allows you to specify alpha, or by OR'ing your color value with 0xff000000.
The other reason that color keying may fail is that the proper alpha blending states have not been set. The following should be set prior to rendering to achieve transparency:
pDevice->SetRenderState(D3DRS_ALPHABLENDENABLE,TRUE);
pDevice->SetRenderState(D3DRS_SRCBLEND,D3DBLEND_SRCALPHA);
pDevice->SetRenderState(D3DRS_DESTBLEND,D3DBLEND_INVSRCALPHA);
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Q. I am rendering with alpha blending and setting the alpha of the diffuse vertex component to determine the opacity. It works when there is no texture set, but as soon as I set a texture the alpha that I set is no longer applied. Why?
The problem originates in the texture blending stages, rather than in the subsequent alpha blending. Alpha can come from several possible sources. If this has not been specified, then the alpha will be taken from the texture, if one is selected. If no texture is selected, then the default will use the alpha channel of the diffuse vertex component.
Explicitly specifying the diffuse vertex component as the source for alpha will insure that the alpha is drawn from the alpha value you set, whether a texture is selected or not:
pDevice->SetTextureStageState(D3DTSS_ALPHAOP,D3DTOP_SELECTARG1);
pDevice->SetTextureStageState(D3DTSS_ALPHAARG1,D3DTA_DIFFUSE);
If you later need to use the texture alpha as the source, set D3DTSS_ALPHAARG1 to D3DTA_TEXTURE.
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Q. Why does rendering of pre-transformed vertices appear to be slower in DX 8?
Unlike previous versions of Direct3D, DirectX Graphics 8 clips pre-transformed vertices by default. To prevent this, set D3DRS_CLIPPING to FALSE before rendering pre-transformed vertex formats.
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Q. Why does rendering of an ID3DXMesh object slow down significantly after I define subsets?
You probably have not optimized the mesh after defining the face attributes. If you specify attributes and then call ID3DXMesh::DrawSubset(), this method must perform a search of the mesh for all faces containing the requested attributes. In addition, the rendered faces are likely in a random access pattern, thus not utilizing vertex cache. After defining the face attributes for your subsets, call the ID3DXMesh::Optimize or ID3DXMesh::OptimizeInPlace methods with the D3DXMESHOPT_ATTRSORT flag. See Creating Subsets in ID3DXMesh for more information.
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Q. Why doesn't Intellisense offer code completion options for DX 8 interfaces under VC++?
The problem is that the IDE is drawing its information from the older headers that were installed with VC++. It will also use information from the headers in your project files, though simply using #include does not cause them to be inventoried from the new headers. You can enable Intellisense with the new interface by adding the header files containing the definitions to your project (e.g. D3DX8.H and D3D8.H for Direct3D). Right click on your project in the FileView pane, select "Add Files to Project...", then select the necessary include files from the DXSDK\INCLUDE\ directory.
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Q. Will applications that I compile with the DirectX 8.1 SDK be compatible with systems with the DirectX 8.0 runtimes?
By default, applications compiled under 8.1 will require the 8.1 runtimes to run, because some of the interfaces have changed and have different GUIDs. However, you can specify a constant when creating the Direct3D object that will use the 8.0 interfaces. Rather than creating an object as shown in the docs with
g_pD3D=Direct3DCreate8(D3D_SDK_VERSION);
instead use
g_pD3D=Direct3DCreate8(120);
The value 120 is equal to the D3D_SDK_VERSION that was specified in the DirectX 8.0 headers, which has been changed in the 8.1 SDK. Specifying the original value will cause 8.0 version interfaces to be used by Direct3D, providing compatibility with 8.0. Note that new features in 8.1, such as the latest pixel shader versions (1.2 - 1.4), will not be available.
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Q. I have heard that DirectX 8.1 no longer supports Windows 95. Can I compile applications compatible with Windows 95 if I have the DirectX 8.1 SDK installed?
The DirectX 8.1 interfaces require Windows 98 or higher, and will thus not be available on Windows 95. However, you can force applications compiled under the DirectX 8.1 SDK to use the 8.0 interfaces, allowing for Windows 95 compatibility. For information on how to specify creation of 8.0 interface explicitly, go here.
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Q. Why do my calls to IDirect3DDevice8::Getxxxx fail?
This usually occurs when using a pure device, that is, a device created with the D3DCREATE_PUREDEVICE flag. Such a device does not support any of the Get*() functions for any values that can be stored in state blocks.
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Q. When I draw an image using ID3DXSprite::Draw() with 1:1 scaling, the sprite is different than the original image size. Why?
Since the image file is loaded into a texture, the bitmap is scaled to match the capabilities of the hardware. In general, this means that images that have dimensions that are not powers of 2 will be scaled up to the nearest power of 2.
When loading an image with D3DXCreateTextureFromFileEx(), you can pass a pointer to a D3DXIMAGE_INFO structure, which will be filled with information about the source image. You can then get the size of the texture using IDirect3DTexture::GetLevelDesc() and calculate the required scaling factor for 1:1 rendering:
LPDIRECT3DTEXTURE8 pText;
D3DXIMAGE_INFO info;
D3DXCreateTextureFromFileEx(....,&info,....,&pText);
D3DSURFACE_DESC desc;
pText->GetLevelDesc(0,&desc);
D3DXVECTOR2 vScaling;
vScaling.x=info.Width/desc.Width;
vScaling.y=info.Height/desc.Height;
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Q. Why does my programmable vertex shader fail during creation on some hardware?
This may be because the device created by your application is using hardware vertex processing, but the video hardware or driver does not support the programmable vertex shader execution in hardware, or does not implement the version of vertex shader code required by your shader. To prevent this, you should check for vertex shader support when evaluating devices that use hardware vertex processing. For example, if you are implementing a vertex shader that requires Version 1.0 support, you would add the following to the ConfirmDevice() code (assuming you are using the D3DApp framework):
if( (dwBehavior & D3DCREATE_HARDWARE_VERTEXPROCESSING ) ||
(dwBehavior & D3DCREATE_MIXED_VERTEXPROCESSING ) )
{
if( pCaps->VertexShaderVersion < D3DVS_VERSION(1,0) )
return E_FAIL;
}
You do not need to perform this check on devices using software vertex processing, as shader support is guaranteed through emulation.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
SyncBack 3.2.19 new version 3.2.19
Some is picked from DownloadTwo.com
Detail:
Title: SyncBack 3.2.19
Filename: SyncBack_Setup.zip
File size: 1.79MB (1,878,371 bytes)
Requirements: Windows XP/2003/Vista/XP64/Vista64
License: Freeware
Date added: August 12, 2008
Author: 2BrightSparks
www.2brightsparks.com
www.2brightsparks.com/downloads.html#freeware
Homepage: www.2brightsparks.co...oads.html#freeware
Description:
SyncBack has established itself as world-class in the field of backup and synchronization software. Whether you're a beginner or advanced user, at home or work, SyncBack ensures your most valuable asset, data, remains protected.
* Backup - Protect your data
* Restore - Recover your lost files easily
* Incremental Backups - Does what is required
* FTP and Email - Online access
* Performance & Throttling - As fast as can be
* Synchronize - Work with 2 or more computers
* Secure - Keep confidential data private
* Compression - Keep your files small
* Automation - Set it and forget it
* Advanced Customization - A superb array of options
FAQ: When I run SyncBackSE/Pro on Windows Vista it always prompts me with "A program needs your permission to continue". Why?
Windows Vista introduced some very strict security features, one of which is called User Account Control (UAC). UAC basically means that all programs are run, by default, with the least number of security privileges. For example, even if you are an Administrator when you run a program it runs at the lowest security level, meaning it cannot delete or change system files, for example. The purpose of this is to protect your system from malicious programs that may damage or exploit your system.
SyncBackSE/Pro requires Administrator (and other, e.g. backup operator) privileges for a number of features to work, e.g. copying open/locked files, creating or deleting schedules, etc. Therefore, when it is run it requests that it be run at the maximum security level for the current user. This means Windows Vista will prompt you every time it is run, including at Windows startup if SyncBackSE/Pro is set to run then. The only time you are not prompted is when it is run from a schedule (this makes sense because you may not even be logged in when the scheduled task is run).
There are three ways to remove this prompt:
* The recommended way is to have SyncBackSE/Pro start with Windows (via Preferences -> Options main menu). When it starts with Windows you will not be prompted.
* Switch off UAC in Windows. This is not advisable.
* Use a different manifest file for SyncBackSE/Pro. This is discussed below.
In the folder SyncBackSE is installed to there are two files (the same applies to Pro, but with different filenames):
* SyncBackSE.exe.manifest
* SyncBackSE.exe.manifest.nonadmin
The manifest file is used by Windows Vista to know what security level to run the program at. If you want SyncBackSE to run without prompting, i.e. at the lowest security level, perform the following tasks using Windows Explorer:
* Close SyncBackSE
* Rename SyncBackSE.exe.manifest to SyncBackSE.exe.manifest.admin
* Rename SyncBackSE.exe.manifest.nonadmin to SyncBackSE.exe.manifest
Note that running at the lowest security level means you cannot copy open/locked files, for example. It also means any profiles that are stored in the same folder as SyncBackSE.exe cannot be used unless you have write permission to that folder (which is unlikely).
Applies to
SyncBackSE, SyncBackPro, Windows Vista
Detail:
Title: SyncBack 3.2.19
Filename: SyncBack_Setup.zip
File size: 1.79MB (1,878,371 bytes)
Requirements: Windows XP/2003/Vista/XP64/Vista64
License: Freeware
Date added: August 12, 2008
Author: 2BrightSparks
www.2brightsparks.com
www.2brightsparks.com/downloads.html#freeware
Homepage: www.2brightsparks.co...oads.html#freeware
Description:
SyncBack has established itself as world-class in the field of backup and synchronization software. Whether you're a beginner or advanced user, at home or work, SyncBack ensures your most valuable asset, data, remains protected.
* Backup - Protect your data
* Restore - Recover your lost files easily
* Incremental Backups - Does what is required
* FTP and Email - Online access
* Performance & Throttling - As fast as can be
* Synchronize - Work with 2 or more computers
* Secure - Keep confidential data private
* Compression - Keep your files small
* Automation - Set it and forget it
* Advanced Customization - A superb array of options
FAQ: When I run SyncBackSE/Pro on Windows Vista it always prompts me with "A program needs your permission to continue". Why?
Windows Vista introduced some very strict security features, one of which is called User Account Control (UAC). UAC basically means that all programs are run, by default, with the least number of security privileges. For example, even if you are an Administrator when you run a program it runs at the lowest security level, meaning it cannot delete or change system files, for example. The purpose of this is to protect your system from malicious programs that may damage or exploit your system.
SyncBackSE/Pro requires Administrator (and other, e.g. backup operator) privileges for a number of features to work, e.g. copying open/locked files, creating or deleting schedules, etc. Therefore, when it is run it requests that it be run at the maximum security level for the current user. This means Windows Vista will prompt you every time it is run, including at Windows startup if SyncBackSE/Pro is set to run then. The only time you are not prompted is when it is run from a schedule (this makes sense because you may not even be logged in when the scheduled task is run).
There are three ways to remove this prompt:
* The recommended way is to have SyncBackSE/Pro start with Windows (via Preferences -> Options main menu). When it starts with Windows you will not be prompted.
* Switch off UAC in Windows. This is not advisable.
* Use a different manifest file for SyncBackSE/Pro. This is discussed below.
In the folder SyncBackSE is installed to there are two files (the same applies to Pro, but with different filenames):
* SyncBackSE.exe.manifest
* SyncBackSE.exe.manifest.nonadmin
The manifest file is used by Windows Vista to know what security level to run the program at. If you want SyncBackSE to run without prompting, i.e. at the lowest security level, perform the following tasks using Windows Explorer:
* Close SyncBackSE
* Rename SyncBackSE.exe.manifest to SyncBackSE.exe.manifest.admin
* Rename SyncBackSE.exe.manifest.nonadmin to SyncBackSE.exe.manifest
Note that running at the lowest security level means you cannot copy open/locked files, for example. It also means any profiles that are stored in the same folder as SyncBackSE.exe cannot be used unless you have write permission to that folder (which is unlikely).
Applies to
SyncBackSE, SyncBackPro, Windows Vista
Songbird new version 0.7-RC2
More in
Description: Songbird is a desktop Web player, a digital jukebox and Web browser mash-up. Like Winamp, it supports extensions and skins feathers. Like Firefox, it is built from Mozilla, cross-platform and open source.
* Cross Platform - Windows, Mac, Linux
* 30+ languages
* 64-bit support
* Play as you browse
* Web pages as playlists
* Now with video hack!
Change Log:
Here are the most noteworthy features we'd like to call out in RC2 and get your feedback on:
* Smart Playlists: Create playlists that automatically update based on criteria you set.
* Album Art: Read, write and display album artwork. Theres a new Album Art Display Pane in the bottom of the Service Pane that shows the artwork associated with currently playing track. In the Metadata Editor, you can add, remove, cut, copy and paste artwork to a track - changes will be saved to the file(s) you edit.
FAQ:
1.What is Songbird?
I don't get it. What is Songbird, and what can it do. Is it just another media player?
Songbird plays the Media Web. Play MP3s without leaving the page. Songbird views Web pages as dynamic playlists to play, save, download or subscribe to.
Songbird plays your music too with all the features you’d expect in a desktop media player. Like Firefox, Songbird's features may be improved with user installed and contributed cross-platform extensions.
Soon, Web page authors will be able to publish playlists and transfer MP3s into Songbird to build digital music stores like eMusic, music subscription services like Yahoo! Music Unlimited, virtual jamming services like Ninjam, playlist sharing services like WebJay and more.
Does songbird play video's from my iTunes/iPod? I'm sick of the fact that iTunes is crash happy, and I want to give up on it.
How large of a library does Songbird work with (mine is only about 20,000 tracks)?
Also, I have AirTunes speakers set up, are you planning on having those work in the future?
2.What digital music formats will Songbird play?
What music formats does Songbird support?
With the QuickTime Playback and Window Media Playback add-ons installed, Songbird can play all the popular music formats including MPEG Audio (mpga), MPEG Layer 3 (mp3), MPEG4 family including FairPlay (m4a, m4v, mp4, m4p, m4b), Ogg Vorbis, Speex, AAC, WMA, WMADRM, FLAC, and less important: LPCM, ADPCM, AMR. If you're a developer, teach Songbird how to play your favorite format!
3.Will Songbird work with my favorite portable music device?
I've got a portable MP3 player - will Songbird support it and allow me to sync with it?
Yes! There are two popular extensions to add support for USB Mass Storage capable players, as well as iPods
4.What are Songbird's system requirements?
What system requirements does Songbird have for the various OS/platforms it supports?
Windows
* Windows XP, Windows Vista
Minimum Hardware:
* 733 MHz Pentium III CPU (Recommended: 1.5 GHz Pentium IV or comparable)
* At least 256 MB of physical RAM (Recommended: 512 MB)
* At least 40 MB of available space on your hard drive
* 16 bit sound card (Recommended: 32 bit Sound Card)
* Speakers or headphones
Linux
Please note that Linux distributors may provide packages for your distribution which have different requirements.
* Linux kernel - 2.2.14 or later with the following libraries or packages:
o glibc 2.3.2 or later
o XFree86-3.3.6 or later
o gtk+2.0 or later
o fontconfig (also known as xft)
o libstdc++6
# Songbird has been tested on Fedora Core 5 and Ubuntu Dapper 6.06.
Minimum Hardware:
* 233 MHz Intel Pentium II or AMD K6-III+ CPU (Recommended: 500 MHz or greater)
* At least 64 MB of physical RAM (Recommended: 128 MB or greater)
* At least 52 MB of available space on your hard drive
* 16 bit sound card (Recommended: 32 bit sound card)
* Speakers or headphones
Mac
* Mac OS X 10.4 or later
Minimum Hardware:
* Macintosh computer with an Intel x86 or a PowerPC G3, G4, or G5 processor
* At least 256 MB of physical RAM
* At least 61 MB of available space on your hard drive
5.How are Songbird and Qtrax related?
Glad you asked. :) Songbird (our company name is POTI, Inc.) makes a desktop media player called the Songbird Player. Qtrax licensed the Songbird Player, added the Qtrax brand, changed the look, and then integrated the Qtrax advertising supported music download service. If you speak geek, Songbird is a software platform providing open API's to allow seamless integration of devices and services into a desktop media player using markup, Javascript, CSS and other Web developer tools.
Songbird doesn't own or operate the Qtrax music service, and we're sorry to report that we can't fix your problems. If you have issues with the Qtrax service or the Qtrax player, you'll need to chat with Qtrax.
More on songbird faq
Description: Songbird is a desktop Web player, a digital jukebox and Web browser mash-up. Like Winamp, it supports extensions and skins feathers. Like Firefox, it is built from Mozilla, cross-platform and open source.
* Cross Platform - Windows, Mac, Linux
* 30+ languages
* 64-bit support
* Play as you browse
* Web pages as playlists
* Now with video hack!
Change Log:
Here are the most noteworthy features we'd like to call out in RC2 and get your feedback on:
* Smart Playlists: Create playlists that automatically update based on criteria you set.
* Album Art: Read, write and display album artwork. Theres a new Album Art Display Pane in the bottom of the Service Pane that shows the artwork associated with currently playing track. In the Metadata Editor, you can add, remove, cut, copy and paste artwork to a track - changes will be saved to the file(s) you edit.
FAQ:
1.What is Songbird?
I don't get it. What is Songbird, and what can it do. Is it just another media player?
Songbird plays the Media Web. Play MP3s without leaving the page. Songbird views Web pages as dynamic playlists to play, save, download or subscribe to.
Songbird plays your music too with all the features you’d expect in a desktop media player. Like Firefox, Songbird's features may be improved with user installed and contributed cross-platform extensions.
Soon, Web page authors will be able to publish playlists and transfer MP3s into Songbird to build digital music stores like eMusic, music subscription services like Yahoo! Music Unlimited, virtual jamming services like Ninjam, playlist sharing services like WebJay and more.
Does songbird play video's from my iTunes/iPod? I'm sick of the fact that iTunes is crash happy, and I want to give up on it.
How large of a library does Songbird work with (mine is only about 20,000 tracks)?
Also, I have AirTunes speakers set up, are you planning on having those work in the future?
2.What digital music formats will Songbird play?
What music formats does Songbird support?
With the QuickTime Playback and Window Media Playback add-ons installed, Songbird can play all the popular music formats including MPEG Audio (mpga), MPEG Layer 3 (mp3), MPEG4 family including FairPlay (m4a, m4v, mp4, m4p, m4b), Ogg Vorbis, Speex, AAC, WMA, WMADRM, FLAC, and less important: LPCM, ADPCM, AMR. If you're a developer, teach Songbird how to play your favorite format!
3.Will Songbird work with my favorite portable music device?
I've got a portable MP3 player - will Songbird support it and allow me to sync with it?
Yes! There are two popular extensions to add support for USB Mass Storage capable players, as well as iPods
4.What are Songbird's system requirements?
What system requirements does Songbird have for the various OS/platforms it supports?
Windows
* Windows XP, Windows Vista
Minimum Hardware:
* 733 MHz Pentium III CPU (Recommended: 1.5 GHz Pentium IV or comparable)
* At least 256 MB of physical RAM (Recommended: 512 MB)
* At least 40 MB of available space on your hard drive
* 16 bit sound card (Recommended: 32 bit Sound Card)
* Speakers or headphones
Linux
Please note that Linux distributors may provide packages for your distribution which have different requirements.
* Linux kernel - 2.2.14 or later with the following libraries or packages:
o glibc 2.3.2 or later
o XFree86-3.3.6 or later
o gtk+2.0 or later
o fontconfig (also known as xft)
o libstdc++6
# Songbird has been tested on Fedora Core 5 and Ubuntu Dapper 6.06.
Minimum Hardware:
* 233 MHz Intel Pentium II or AMD K6-III+ CPU (Recommended: 500 MHz or greater)
* At least 64 MB of physical RAM (Recommended: 128 MB or greater)
* At least 52 MB of available space on your hard drive
* 16 bit sound card (Recommended: 32 bit sound card)
* Speakers or headphones
Mac
* Mac OS X 10.4 or later
Minimum Hardware:
* Macintosh computer with an Intel x86 or a PowerPC G3, G4, or G5 processor
* At least 256 MB of physical RAM
* At least 61 MB of available space on your hard drive
5.How are Songbird and Qtrax related?
Glad you asked. :) Songbird (our company name is POTI, Inc.) makes a desktop media player called the Songbird Player. Qtrax licensed the Songbird Player, added the Qtrax brand, changed the look, and then integrated the Qtrax advertising supported music download service. If you speak geek, Songbird is a software platform providing open API's to allow seamless integration of devices and services into a desktop media player using markup, Javascript, CSS and other Web developer tools.
Songbird doesn't own or operate the Qtrax music service, and we're sorry to report that we can't fix your problems. If you have issues with the Qtrax service or the Qtrax player, you'll need to chat with Qtrax.
More on songbird faq
Monday, August 4, 2008
How to Increase the Java Applet Memory Limit
1. First, make sure that you are running the most recent version of Sun's Java (1.6), which has memory improvemements (and security updates) over prior Java versions. Visit the Java Help web page to view your current version of Java. Installing Java 1.6 along may fix your out of memory errors. How to install Java 1.6 now.
--- The following instructions assume Java 1.6 is already installed ---
2. Optional: To view your current Java applet 'Max Mem', visit the Java Help web page
3. Click on 'Start'
Start
4. Click on 'Control Panel'
Control Panel
5. Double click on the 'Java Plug-in' icon (which may be under 'Other Control Panel Options').
Java Plug-in Other Options
6. Select the 'Java' tab and click on the 'View...' button, under the 'Java Applet Runtime Settings' section.
Java Control Panel
7. Find the most recent 'Version' Java runtime line (below: 1.5.0_06 is more recent than 1.5.0_05) and double click on the 'Java Runtime Parameters' box and add "-Xmx300m" (set Java maximum heap size to 300 MB) as you see below. For some unknown reason, some computers with large amounts of installed memory are limited to how much memory they can assign to their Java VM. If you experience problems, just reduce the "300" to some smaller number (like 250, 200, 150, etc)
Java Runtime Settings
8. Click 'OK' to exit all dialogs. Close the control panel window.
9. Important: Exit ALL web browser windows.
10. Optional: Visit the Java Help web page to confirm that 'Max Mem' now approaches 300 MB.
More about Java Applet Memory Limit
--- The following instructions assume Java 1.6 is already installed ---
2. Optional: To view your current Java applet 'Max Mem', visit the Java Help web page
3. Click on 'Start'
Start
4. Click on 'Control Panel'
Control Panel
5. Double click on the 'Java Plug-in' icon (which may be under 'Other Control Panel Options').
Java Plug-in Other Options
6. Select the 'Java' tab and click on the 'View...' button, under the 'Java Applet Runtime Settings' section.
Java Control Panel
7. Find the most recent 'Version' Java runtime line (below: 1.5.0_06 is more recent than 1.5.0_05) and double click on the 'Java Runtime Parameters' box and add "-Xmx300m" (set Java maximum heap size to 300 MB) as you see below. For some unknown reason, some computers with large amounts of installed memory are limited to how much memory they can assign to their Java VM. If you experience problems, just reduce the "300" to some smaller number (like 250, 200, 150, etc)
Java Runtime Settings
8. Click 'OK' to exit all dialogs. Close the control panel window.
9. Important: Exit ALL web browser windows.
10. Optional: Visit the Java Help web page to confirm that 'Max Mem' now approaches 300 MB.
More about Java Applet Memory Limit
Friday, August 1, 2008
Build Your Own YouTube Site The Easy Way
Do you like watching videos on the web? Apparently a LOT of people do. Google thought the phenomenon important enough to dish out $1.65 billion to acquire YouTube and guarantee its position as a number one provider of video feeds.
But is there really any reason the average webmaster could not build their own video or audio based portal? Would that not be a difficult thing to attempt? Well, that used to be the case, but it is not true any more.
Now, based on the fact that you are currently reading this article, I would hazard a guess that the following is true: At some point in the past, possibly even just recently, it occurred to you that building a YouTube-like site might be a fun thing to do. But then you tossed the idea out the window once you discovered that adding audio and video clips to your site can be time-consuming and tedious. Not to mention technically intimidating. But like I said, that no longer has to be the case. In fact, if you are prepared to fork out a few hundred dollars for the software to power your site, you can be up and running in no time flat.
In all likelihood you do not truly want to compete with YouTube for visitors. But maybe that real estate site you had been thinking about could benefit from audio and video feeds. Or perhaps that restaurant guide, or model plane construction website--short how-to videos on the best way to build remotely-controlled planes might be just the thing you need...
Are the ideas starting to bubble up? If so, read on to find out how you can set up a video or audio site painlessly.
So what are the barriers to us as webmasters wanting to set up such a site? Well, you have probably already investigated several multimedia-related web sites to see how they go about presenting audio and video clips to their visitors. Most of these sites now offer streamed content, which is to say the music or the video feed starts playing just a few seconds after you hit the play button. No waiting for a full download to occur. Visitors, even those with high speed connections, simply do not have that kind of patience. So, you must serve the content immediately.
There are two basic ways you can do this. One, you can install a special server that is optimized to stream audio and video files. However, this can cost you an arm and a leg, depending on the server you choose. It is also just one more thing you do not want to have to deal with if you can avoid it. The second option is to go with a simpler method, called progressive streaming, wherein you make a request to your regular web server to stream the file in such a way that it can be played almost as soon as the first batch of bytes is received. This is not as efficient as a dedicated streaming server, but unless you are running a very highly-trafficked site, the results are virtually indistinguishable. This is the option discussed in detail in this article.
Several applications exist on the market to handle progressive, or psuedo, streaming. The difficulty in using them lies in the amount of work it can take to add HTML code to individual pages on your site in order to call the application which will then stream your audio or video content. What you really need is an automated solution of some type. An application that will allow you, or your visitors, to simply upload the content that is to be streamed, and then have all the file storage and HTML link-formatting done for you, behind the scenes.
Fortunately there is at least one application that does all this for you (this is mentioned in the resource box below). In this case the application makes use of a Flash-based client named Wimpy, which exists in several different incarnations. The best known of the Wimpy players is the Wimpy MP3 Player which allows MP3s to be played from a fancy Flash-based jukebox. The appearance of this player is controlled by a skin, and there are literally dozens to choose from--some of which contain rotating dials, flickering volume bars, and so on. An alternative to placing a jukebox on your pages is to simply place a button that allows an MP3 track to be played or paused. This is the Wimpy Button Player. It is useful for pages where you are going for simplicity, or page real estate is at a premium.
But Wimpy can do more than just play MP3s. If you want to serve video files from your site you can elect to use the Wimpy AV Player. This version allows you to load an entire video playlist, just as the Wimpy MP3 Player does. But my preference for video presentation is the Wimpy WASP Player. This client will play just one video at a time, but it can be controlled with javascript commands, so it offers more in the way of programmable and presentation options. You can embed the videos right into your web pages, or you can elect to have them pop up when a visitor clicks on a link.
By using a solution that combines all these Wimpy clients into a single transparent application, and which also allows visitors to review the uploaded audio or video files, you have at your disposal just the tool you need to create a YouTube-like site complete with visitor reviews. Hopefully I have managed to convey the idea that creating such a site is fairly straightforward. With the right tools in hand, the only remaining ingredient you need to make it happen is dedication and passion. But if you have read this far, you likely have that in spades. Good luck!
Freeware and Shareware Download Portal - www.DownloadToo.com
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But is there really any reason the average webmaster could not build their own video or audio based portal? Would that not be a difficult thing to attempt? Well, that used to be the case, but it is not true any more.
Now, based on the fact that you are currently reading this article, I would hazard a guess that the following is true: At some point in the past, possibly even just recently, it occurred to you that building a YouTube-like site might be a fun thing to do. But then you tossed the idea out the window once you discovered that adding audio and video clips to your site can be time-consuming and tedious. Not to mention technically intimidating. But like I said, that no longer has to be the case. In fact, if you are prepared to fork out a few hundred dollars for the software to power your site, you can be up and running in no time flat.
In all likelihood you do not truly want to compete with YouTube for visitors. But maybe that real estate site you had been thinking about could benefit from audio and video feeds. Or perhaps that restaurant guide, or model plane construction website--short how-to videos on the best way to build remotely-controlled planes might be just the thing you need...
Are the ideas starting to bubble up? If so, read on to find out how you can set up a video or audio site painlessly.
So what are the barriers to us as webmasters wanting to set up such a site? Well, you have probably already investigated several multimedia-related web sites to see how they go about presenting audio and video clips to their visitors. Most of these sites now offer streamed content, which is to say the music or the video feed starts playing just a few seconds after you hit the play button. No waiting for a full download to occur. Visitors, even those with high speed connections, simply do not have that kind of patience. So, you must serve the content immediately.
There are two basic ways you can do this. One, you can install a special server that is optimized to stream audio and video files. However, this can cost you an arm and a leg, depending on the server you choose. It is also just one more thing you do not want to have to deal with if you can avoid it. The second option is to go with a simpler method, called progressive streaming, wherein you make a request to your regular web server to stream the file in such a way that it can be played almost as soon as the first batch of bytes is received. This is not as efficient as a dedicated streaming server, but unless you are running a very highly-trafficked site, the results are virtually indistinguishable. This is the option discussed in detail in this article.
Several applications exist on the market to handle progressive, or psuedo, streaming. The difficulty in using them lies in the amount of work it can take to add HTML code to individual pages on your site in order to call the application which will then stream your audio or video content. What you really need is an automated solution of some type. An application that will allow you, or your visitors, to simply upload the content that is to be streamed, and then have all the file storage and HTML link-formatting done for you, behind the scenes.
Fortunately there is at least one application that does all this for you (this is mentioned in the resource box below). In this case the application makes use of a Flash-based client named Wimpy, which exists in several different incarnations. The best known of the Wimpy players is the Wimpy MP3 Player which allows MP3s to be played from a fancy Flash-based jukebox. The appearance of this player is controlled by a skin, and there are literally dozens to choose from--some of which contain rotating dials, flickering volume bars, and so on. An alternative to placing a jukebox on your pages is to simply place a button that allows an MP3 track to be played or paused. This is the Wimpy Button Player. It is useful for pages where you are going for simplicity, or page real estate is at a premium.
But Wimpy can do more than just play MP3s. If you want to serve video files from your site you can elect to use the Wimpy AV Player. This version allows you to load an entire video playlist, just as the Wimpy MP3 Player does. But my preference for video presentation is the Wimpy WASP Player. This client will play just one video at a time, but it can be controlled with javascript commands, so it offers more in the way of programmable and presentation options. You can embed the videos right into your web pages, or you can elect to have them pop up when a visitor clicks on a link.
By using a solution that combines all these Wimpy clients into a single transparent application, and which also allows visitors to review the uploaded audio or video files, you have at your disposal just the tool you need to create a YouTube-like site complete with visitor reviews. Hopefully I have managed to convey the idea that creating such a site is fairly straightforward. With the right tools in hand, the only remaining ingredient you need to make it happen is dedication and passion. But if you have read this far, you likely have that in spades. Good luck!
Freeware and Shareware Download Portal - www.DownloadToo.com
More
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