First Project

SiGriffin · 07-17-06, 04:52 AM

I have recently started playing Angband on my PPC (ftp://ftp.thangorodrim.net/pub/angband/WindowsCE/). This port was last updated back in 2001. I found a bug in it which I managed to track down in the supplied c source code. Finding references to eVC3.0 in the source I downloaded eVT3.0 from Microsoft and managed to rebuild the .exe having corrected the offending code. This then launched an emulator on my desktop which complained that the .exe could not be run on a certain chip number (?). However to my surprise after copying it to my x51v the application worked.

I have been using the landscape mode of the device and also the .mui trick to force the app into VGA mode which finally gives me enough pixels to make the game playable. I now have a raft of newbie questions...

1) I don't really understand what part the SDK plays. All I have so far is the SDK for Pocket PC 2002 which came with eVT3.0. I would like to keep the app backwards compatible, so is this what I should be using or should it be the SDK for WM5? Also should I actually be using eVC4?

2) Why would the .exe run on my device but appear to be not supported on the supplied emulator?

3) I'd like to make the app choose to run in VGA mode on compatible devices rather than having to use the .mui trick. Can I do this, if so how?

4) Similarly, I'd like to be able to change the screen orientation from within the app, rather than doing that manually first.

5) The SIP keyboard is essential in playing games like this, however in landscape mode there is a lot of wasted screen real estate at both sides of it. Can I make use of this space at all?

If anyone can answer any of these questions or point me in the direction of where I can find the answers, I would greatly appreciate it.

Many thanks,
Si

SiGriffin · 07-18-06, 03:30 AM

It's a bit lonely in here! Can anyone recommend a more active forum for newbie developers perhaps?

Cheers!
Si

DoDoubleGeo · 07-18-06, 09:40 AM

Check the sticky at the top of this forum. It should have some links to resources.

SiGriffin · 07-18-06, 10:50 AM

Many thanks for replying, however I had already visited the sticky thread in order to download the compiler.

Cheers,
Si

SiGriffin · 07-18-06, 05:31 PM

Originally Posted by SiGriffin

3) I'd like to make the app choose to run in VGA mode on compatible devices rather than having to use the .mui trick. Can I do this, if so how?

I've found out how to do this from the Microsoft site. For anyone else interested, you need to do this from eVC:

To add the HI_RES_AWARE resource item to your program
From the Insert menu, select Resource.
Click the Custom button.
Enter CEUX for the resource type.
Set the resource data to 01 00.
Click the Properties tab.
Rename the item to "HI_RES_AWARE", including quotes. (If the quotes are omitted, HI_RES_AWARE will be incorrectly defined as a numeric value in resource.h, and you will need to go back and delete the line from resource.h.)
Deselect the external file checkbox.

It works a treat! My other questions are still open to answers, though I will keep hunting!

Si

Pocketbrain · 07-19-06, 03:57 AM

Originally Posted by SiGriffin

....
5) The SIP keyboard is essential in playing games like this, however in landscape mode there is a lot of wasted screen real estate at both sides of it. Can I make use of this space at all?

If anyone can answer any of these questions or point me in the direction of where I can find the answers, I would greatly appreciate it.

Many thanks,
Si

I agree about the SIP keyboard, that's a big dropped ball by MS. You would figure that they could move the numeric keys off to the side, like the num keypad on a desktop keyboard. I investigated this as a jumpboard mod, since jumpboard uses a markup file (looks like HTML) to define keyboard/keys, but it's only within the normal bounds of a SIP keyboard. Maybe we need to start an open-source SIP project.

SiGriffin · 07-19-06, 04:33 AM

Originally Posted by PocketBrain

I agree about the SIP keyboard, that's a big dropped ball by MS. You would figure that they could move the numeric keys off to the side, like the num keypad on a desktop keyboard. I investigated this as a jumpboard mod, since jumpboard uses a markup file (looks like HTML) to define keyboard/keys, but it's only within the normal bounds of a SIP keyboard. Maybe we need to start an open-source SIP project.

I think you should be able to do this with ripboard as its default landscape keyboard is full width. The keyboard layout is in a customisable ini file (not the easiest interface!), but I haven't tried to edit it yet. I'd rather be able to do something in my own app really.

Si

greytrev · 07-19-06, 02:05 PM

Originally Posted by SiGriffin

1) I don't really understand what part the SDK plays. All I have so far is the SDK for Pocket PC 2002 which came with eVT3.0. I would like to keep the app backwards compatible, so is this what I should be using or should it be the SDK for WM5? Also should I actually be using eVC4?

the SDK is what provides the compiler and linker, as well as debugging tools. you can get the 2003 sdk, which supports 2002 and 2003, and if you want to build WM5 apps, download the wm5 sdk. although i've found writing in .net works on pretty much every platform.

Originally Posted by SiGriffin

2) Why would the .exe run on my device but appear to be not supported on the supplied emulator?

that's a simple one. the emulator in the 2002 sdk is buggy. the one in the 2003 sdk is better, but still has weird issues. i always test everything i write on my handheld.

you've already got answers (mostly) on the last 3, so i won't answer them. and if you're looking for a "more active" development forum, i'd recommend the forums at devbuzz.com

SiGriffin · 07-20-06, 03:41 AM

Many thanks for the answers greytrev :approve:

I will download the 2003 SDK for now then - glad to hear that that is backwards compatible (do I take it that the WM5 one is not?).

I am still interested in knowing if there is a way of utilising the wasted space on the landscape SIP, but it doesn't look promising so far

Cheers,
Si

greytrev · 07-20-06, 09:03 AM

Originally Posted by SiGriffin

Many thanks for the answers greytrev :approve:

I will download the 2003 SDK for now then - glad to hear that that is backwards compatible (do I take it that the WM5 one is not?).

I am still interested in knowing if there is a way of utilising the wasted space on the landscape SIP, but it doesn't look promising so far

Cheers,
Si

i'm not sure about the wm5 sdk. i haven't used it, but logic states it should be backwards compatible. but then, logic doesn't apply much to microsoft products ;)

i don't believe there's any way of utilizing the wasted space on the SIP, unless you build your own (a daunting task) to completely cover the unused space.

Pocketbrain · 07-21-06, 02:41 AM

Originally Posted by SiGriffin

I think you should be able to do this with ripboard as its default landscape keyboard is full width. The keyboard layout is in a customisable ini file (not the easiest interface!), but I haven't tried to edit it yet. I'd rather be able to do something in my own app really.

Si

Well, I must have an older version of Ripboard, since it does the same thing in landscape that the MS SIP does. Still, it might be impossible to pull that top line down. I shortened the buttons in the top row, and it just leaves the space between the tops of the keys and the keyboard boundary empty.
Edit: I just checked and played with RipBoard a little, and I can get it to come up squashed/stretched. Have to start landscape with NOT ripboard, then switch to ripboard. I might whip up an .ini for a more-fitting wide layout.

(X)
.

SiGriffin · 07-21-06, 03:36 AM

Originally Posted by PocketBrain

Edit: I just checked and played with RipBoard a little, and I can get it to come up squashed/stretched. Have to start landscape with NOT ripboard, then switch to ripboard. I might whip up an .ini for a more-fitting wide layout.

Be interesting to see. Is it skinnable at all? It would be nice to have it looking a little prettier!

Si

Pocketbrain · 07-21-06, 05:07 AM

Okay, here is the brand-new Ripboardini.txt file (zipped) optimized for landscape. Note that I modified the FITALY jumpboard kbd, but you can cut and paste the Landscape piece into the normal ripboardini.txt. Note also that there is space for an additional 4 keys betweenthe Num and Alpha key blocks.

To install, first install RipBoard, then simply copy the ripboardini.txt file into your PDA's root. If RipBoard is already installed, just copy the ripboardini.txt file over the old one.
RipBoard can be found in this thread.

I think it looks much better than the stretched version of the normal keyboard. The keys have the same dimensions as the standard keyboard in portrait layout. Took me 2 hrs. and a lot of Excel work to make this. Much shorter than if I had manually adjusted the numbers, though. I think I'll drop this into a standard ripboard in a 3-way with Landscape, Portrait, and Special Characters.
I sure wish RipBoard would support gestures.

What do you think?

SiGriffin · 07-21-06, 05:28 AM

Nice work! That looks a *lot* better. I will download it when I am back at home.

With RipBoard, it is a shame the way the characters on the keys overwrite the dividing lines above them when you start the keyboard in landscape mode (this doesn't happen if you switch orientation from portrait mode) - thinking about it, if the keys were a pixel higher would that be avoided (and is that something that is customisable?).

Si

Pocketbrain · 07-21-06, 05:44 AM

Originally Posted by SiGriffin

Nice work! That looks a *lot* better. I will download it when I am back at home.

With RipBoard, it is a shame the way the characters on the keys overwrite the dividing lines above them when you start the keyboard in landscape mode (this doesn't happen if you switch orientation from portrait mode) - thinking about it, if the keys were a pixel higher would that be avoided (and is that something that is customisable?).

Si

Can't adjust the height of the keyboard itself with the current version of RipBoard. With the standard layout, they overlap because RipBoard tries to center the letters on a key that is too small (because RipBoard has compressed the keys vertically and stretched them horizontally) to accomodate them. And that's why I whipped up the landscape kbd!

I think I'll move the D-keys to the right and stack them like they are on a desktop keyboard, move the ` key and the Jump (switch keyboards) key under Enter, and place some mathematics functions next to the number keys.... oh, the fun!

Hmmm... I have to look at the project status on SourceForge.

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