nb development

CSLive 2.0: Virtual Earth in your Profile

Nick — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 21:25:37 GMT

Today, apart from applying to a few places for a job, I’ve been working on the Virtual Earth Control for CSLive 2.0.

Now this control, although 1 physical control, it will do mostly anything

These will hopefully include:

Your Location Map (Picks up on the current user’s location and displays a map accordingly). This is the version I’ve been working on today
My Friends Map. In the user’s profile, the user will have a tabbed sidebar box, one with a friends List, and one with a Friends Map.
The friends map will act much like the current User Location Map, but will show all of your friends.
Controls that can be placed anywhere in CS.
These controls will mainly just be a wrapper for the Virtual Earth control. It will eventually have children controls that can be added, these children controls will be <CSLive:MapPushPin /> controls and <CSLive:MapZone /> controls. You will supply coordinates to the VE control, and it will render it.
Post Viewers. Much like the File Viewers, the Map Viewers will be placed inside Posts, and will use the syntax [CSLive:Map Long=”xxx” Lat=”xxx” SearchFor=”xxx” ZoomLevel=”1-19” Collection=”xxx” Width=”xxx” Height=”xxx” Controls=”Full|Tiny|None”]
A limited version of the full mapping control.

So big things from this tiny little control, which we hope to release for RC1.

For more info visit http://communityserverlive.com

My New Laptop

Nick — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:02:37 GMT

Got my new laptop on Friday (18/7/08) and OMG this thing is soo cool.

I love tablet PC’s now.

Here’s some pics:

The laptop is really sweet, and runs really well. Because it’s a laptop, my documents folder is stored on my S:\ which is an encrypted drive, and requires my fingerprint, just an added bit of security when I’m away.

Hopefully, I’m gonna be traveling a fair bit over the next few months, Dallas in October, and Netherlands sometime before that. Hopefully I have enuf money for this, lol.

Anyhow, more soon

CS Media Manager now Supports full gallery download

Nick — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 23:41:28 GMT

CS media manager 1.2.0.0 now can get all of the stuff in a gallery, yes all of the posts. Now I’ve had to hack this a little to get it to work, ie stick a for loop in, but the end result is the same

Hehe, that’s 228 images loading, on a tag none the less.

Tags load up 2 images at a time, we as a gallery will load in 20 at a time, or what ever CS has defined as the default post list page size.

I might need to add a stop button on the loading of a big selection, tho I’m not quite sure how to do that, lol. Anyhow, it’s all good, shame CS don’t support the full loading of the gallery.

1.2.0.0 is now available via OneClick or the download page.

Note that for this to work your site needs to be running CS 2008 SP1

Busy Time for Me

Nick — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 20:59:59 GMT

Well it’s all hands to the pumps this month, I’ve started soo many free projects that I’m hopefully gonna get done soon. Then a load of paid theming work, so you’ll have to excuse me for not getting athena done.

Just an FYI.

Themes I’ll be doing:

Reperion
Bink (already done, just waiting on developer to finish converting the html template to a cs theme)
Extended64
Liveside.net

Free projects:

CSLive 2.0 (beta 1 expected end of the week)
Athena 2008
AddThis controls (released today)

Other Projects:

Help mum around the house
be taxi driver for brother
look for a job
maintain home network

so a lot of work on at the moment.

I’m now Nick Brown BSc MBCS

Nick — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 21:08:34 GMT

Just finished my final year of my BSc in Computing, passed with a 2:1, which is good considering I did really badly in my final exams. Anyhow, with this result, I can finally start looking for a job full time.

FYI MBCS = Member of the British Computing Society.

nb development gets updated to CS 2008 SP1

Nick — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 16:53:53 GMT

Just finished updating nb development to CS 2008 SP1. Took me about 2 hours to figure out why the site wasn’t working after the initial upgrade. Lol. Note to self, remember to run the upgrade SQL Script. lol.

Anyhow, you may of noticed in the new look athena theme, complete with header images, which change both randomly, and with your mouse movements. Click on the << paint pot to get the athena bar and then look at the header images.

The script that generates them takes a image and adds the gradient effects to the sides, so you’ll be able to use the new image packs that will be shipping with Athena 2008 for header images.

CSLive 2.0 Control Panel Preview

Nick — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 00:18:00 GMT

A quick preview webcast of the CSLive 2.0 Control Panel and Editor

(Please visit the site to view this media)

CSLive 2.0 – The Control Panel

Nick — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 23:33:01 GMT

Just a little blog about the new control panel, there will be a webcast on this later tonight, so keep an eye out.

Nice and simple, so far.

How to Have Blogs Outside of Blogs

Nick — Sat, 24 May 2008 18:34:00 GMT

In this webcast I explain how to move blogs outside of the blogs directory in community server, and to customize the look and feel using simple code.

(Please visit the site to view this media)

Download: http://www.nbdev.co.uk/media/p/3685.aspx

Source: http://www.nbdev.co.uk/cfs-file.ashx/__key/CommunityServer.Blogs.Components.WeblogFiles/webcasts/blogsoutsideofblogs.zip

How to Add a Custom Homepage but keep the user dashboard in Community Server 2008

Nick — Fri, 23 May 2008 18:24:00 GMT

In the 1st of 2 webcasts from today I show how to add a custom homepage to the site, and keep the original community server 2008 user dashboard.

(Please visit the site to view this media)

Download: http://www.nbdev.co.uk/media/p/3683.aspx

Source: http://www.nbdev.co.uk/cfs-file.ashx/__key/CommunityServer.Blogs.Components.WeblogFiles/webcasts/homepage.zip

CS Media Manager 1.1.0.2

Nick — Mon, 12 May 2008 23:03:43 GMT

Just released on www.nbdev.co.uk/Products/CS-Media-Manager.aspx is version 1.1.0.2.

Screenshots

The change log from version 1.0.0.5 is:

Changes in Media Manager 1.1.0.0:

Added Multiple Site Support
Improved the Shell Interface to use a treeview for gallery selection
Moved to Registry entries
More Threading
Image Icons show while the image is being loaded
Reload and Browse context options added to the site level

Changes in Media Manager 1.1.0.1:

Image Quality now fully works
Added Copy context menu's to Item Property dialog URLs
Coded the change button
- NOTE: the change button uploads a new attachment to the post attachment of the media item, however something isn't quite working in the API and the contents are not being updated. However I would like some confirmation on this, so if someone is brave enuf to set that registry value, I'll be very grateful.
- The button can be creating a REG_DWORD named "enableediting" with "1" as the value in
  HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\nb development\CS Media Manager\
Directory Upload will only resize images that are bigger than the specified sizes

Changes in Media Manager 1.1.0.2:

File Attachment Box actually closes after click "OK" if you've used the image editor (Problem Deleting the temp file)

Fixed in 1.1.0.2

Known bugs:

Change Button doesn't work in some cases
The images can timeout while loading, and require hitting the retry button on the popup message

Features to be added:

Gallery Properties
Group Refresh and Browse context Menu
More Effects
- Grayscaling
- etc...
More options on the Item Context Menu
any recommendations...

If you can think of anything I've missed contact me using www.nbdev.co.uk/learn-more/contact.aspx

CS Media Manager

Nick — Sat, 03 May 2008 17:17:00 GMT

Just a quick post about the new CS Media Manager that I've been developing over the past month.

View it at http://www.nbdev.co.uk/products/cs-media-manager.aspx

and watch the webcast on the 1st version at http://www.nbdev.co.uk/blogs/webcasts/archive/2008/04/12/cs-media-manager.aspx

A updated webcast will be uploaded tomorrow.

In version 1.0.0.6 (as found on the OneClick Page), most of the program is complete, with just a few little outstanding issues, which I'm hoping to mostly resolve next week. Mind some of the problems are REST API related, and can't be fixed.

For more information, visit Re: Anybody developing a Windows application to manage media? on CS.com

Some screenshots:

CS 2008, Athena 2008 + nb development

Nick — Sat, 03 May 2008 17:06:00 GMT

After a week of issues with the database, I've finally moved Virtual Servers on Digistic, and have upgraded to CS 2008. Athena 2008 will look something like nb development does at the moment, only with a lot more tweaks.

You may notice that the web site looks slightly different. The new theme is mostly Hawaii, but with some major improvements.

The 1st you will notice is a new home page. Yer, it's not much, but it does what I need it to. The 2nd should be the new menu bar. New tabs are products, and showcase, showcase has been merged into the main website, from it's sub domain.

The last you may notice is the new footer, it contains quick links to most of the key points of the site. Hopefully making navigating nb dev a bit easier

It uses CS 2008 now, so it should be slightly quicker, and smoother. Hopefully.

The product's page is actually based on blogs, but a highly customized blog page. All using CS's Controls. I will be doing a web cast on how I did the showcase/product/learn more pages next week.

I hope you enjoy the new look nb development. Any problems, please report them, either as a comment to this post, or in the support forums.

Thanks, Nick.

Athena 2008 Preview 1

Nick — Thu, 01 May 2008 01:12:00 GMT

This Webcast gives you some more information on Athena 2008

(Please visit the site to view this media)

Dual Monitors

Nick — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 19:17:56 GMT

Got my second monitor today, and hehe, I don't have enuf room for both of them. :P But I managed.

O and if your wondering what that bottle is doing on top of the shuttle, that's my signal booster bottle. It improves the TV signal so it's watchable when not in full screen.

Athena 2008

Nick — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 15:10:34 GMT

It's coming....

The beta of Athena 2008 should be released in may, with the RTM planned for July 2008.

Athena 2008 will sport a huge amount of AJAX, almost 2x the amount of Athena. It will be for CS 2008 ONLY, and contain a semi update the theme.

The drop down menu's have been replaced with Drop line menu's, to take up less room. The next and previous buttons utilize JavaScript to scroll between the items in the drop line menu.

The athena bar will get a slight update, when you change tabs it will darken the rest of the page so you can focus on the part that your editing. And the styles tab will be implemented.

New to athena 2008 will be the REST API which will allow client side editing and changing of the athena style settings.

Also to come in athena 2008 will be a better Control Panel interface. An interface that will control the athena.config file.

Athena 2008 will also be the 1st theme to use CSLive v2, complete with it's own Control Panel Interface.

The search box will be AJAX'd to provide the 1st page of results instantly as you type, and a link to the full results.

A webcast will follow shortly with more information.

CS Media Manager

Nick — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 06:29:00 GMT

Ok, I got bored today and made this little application that uses the CS REST API to look at your media galleries.

Took me 5 hours or so to make it, it should work across the web. Hopefully over the summer I'll get round to releasing it with source code.

(Please visit the site to view this media)

NOTE: The picture in the screencast is better [:-)]

The Migrator Project - The WebWizForums Migration

Nick — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 13:08:00 GMT

I've just posted a new webcast showing off both the Migrator Wizard, the WebWizForums Provider and the Community Server Provider.

(Please visit the site to view this media)

It's taken a long time. But the migrator's 1st migration (test) was completed this afternoon, and was successful. If your luck the CS provider will have the blogs added to it, and a WordPress provider released by April 20th. If your lucky.

Anyhow, enjoy. The WebWiz Forums provider is one way at the moment, but that shouldn't been to hard to fix.

The source code and release dll's and exe's is available from CodePlex: http://www.codeplex.com/TheMigrator/SourceControl/DownloadSourceCode.aspx?changeSetId=31779

The magic of Antec Formula 5

Nick — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 16:54:59 GMT

OMFG, my processor's idle temp has dropped 10*C since applying Antec Formula 5.

Seriously.

Usually my CPU would be sitting idle (vista) @ 44*C. Now with Antec Formula 5 thermal grease, it's now idle @ 34*C. That's a huge difference.

Here's another amazing fact. From a cold start (PC powered down for 1/2 hour) the start temp was, wait for it, 26*C. I couldn't believe it, 26*C. Slowly that raised to 34*C, but still, 26*C from cold start is amazing.

I'm going to replace all of my computer's with this stuff over Easter, well all of the desktop computers.

Fixed: Heat Sink + CPU stuck together

Nick — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 19:08:00 GMT

Anyone got any idea's on how to remove a heat sink from the processor.

The processors a intel core 2 duo, so it's locked to the motherboard and the latch is under the heat sink.

I've tried a thin wire, twisting, and using boinc for an hour to heat the processor up. All failed.

The case is a shuttle SD37P2, so it's really small, and cramped so can't get in to do much.

~~Will try a hair dryer tomorrow, and if all fails will have to live with the E6400, and stick the E8200 into the new mail server~~

UPDATE [8pm 15/3/8]: Managed to get it unstuck. Played Crysis for 3 hours and twisted. That did the job. Turns out that my motherboard doesn't support the E8200 processor, so it's going back.

O well. The server will have to have a cheap Core 2 Duo.

CS Live Presents: Silverlight Live

Nick — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 22:25:49 GMT

Enjoy this sample Silverlight application on codeplex no, visit http://www.codeplex.com/CSLive and download the silverlight release. The release is under the releases tab

Athena

Nick — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 15:15:34 GMT

I'm proud to release Athena to you all. It's had styles and variants dropped due to lack of time on my part.

By all other aspects work, and it even works in Internet explorer 8 Beta 1. Mostly.

To download Athena: http://www.nbdev.co.uk/files/folders/athena/tags/Version+1/default.aspx

For more information:
http://showcase.nbdev.co.uk/Athena.aspx

Vista SP1 Faded Colors - Warning!!!

Nick — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 03:50:34 GMT

Just a word of warning, SP1 completely messes with the Colors with nvidia drivers, doesn't seem to effect my laptop. Compare the Pre and Post SP1 installation's blacks, look at the side of gorge W, and of the bank.

Lovely freeview's BBC news 24 in 16:9

Pre SP1:

Post SP1:

Notice the appalling black, in pre SP1 black was BLACK, but post SP1 black is slightly yellowy.

Because of this I'm going to refuse to install SP1 on my main PC until this is fixed. It's most prob a nvidia driver issue more than anything, but it's mighty annoying that the quality is so bad.

Loaded both images into photoshop and did the eye dropper, and here are the results:

Black: Post = #10100f; Pre = #000000
Red: Post = #810f0e; Pre = #800000
White: Post = #e6e6e6; Pre = #f5f5f5

Best Summed up with this:

It's mainly the black, but all of the colors are off.

And it doesn't just effect Live TV, it effects everything, playback and wat not.

And some more examples:

Watching an episode in window and the border is black, video is yellowy

In full screen the whole thing goes yellowy

Vista SP1 + Me

Nick — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 23:22:40 GMT

Thanks to my lovely technet subscription, I've legally gotten a copy of the SP1 installer. Here's some screens of the installation

All of the other screens are from a phone cause I can't take screenshots when vista is loading, lol.

Well only one cause I needed some food, but you get the picture.

And after wards, just some proof:

Hopefully things will work ok. Found maybe one bug, in media center. If you watch something in windowd mode, it can be juddery, works fine in full screen, don't know wat's causing that

The Migrator Wizard - Progress

Nick — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 03:38:44 GMT

Check this out on codeplex: http://www.codeplex.com/TheMigrator/SourceControl/DownloadSourceCode.aspx?changeSetId=30635

It has something cool on it. If you download and build the solution (Press F5) you'll get something cool, a pretty much fully working interface. Yes fully working.

TMP is working. It doesn't do much atm tho, just sleeps for 100ms and then updates the progress. Bug this is all going on Asynchronously, well almost, it's only a user provider so it can only work synchronously while that is done. Rule of the migrator core.

The core is becoming solid now, with only a few changes to the status and event classes to enable GUI sorting.

AS can be seen in this screenshot the migration is in progress, and the bars are being updated according to the status.

Along with the progress is the log viewer, which is basically a List View, lol. But that is updated when you click on View Log, inline.

Next to code up on the UI is if an error is detected to make the progress bar yellow or red depending on the error type.

After the migration has finished, you will be able to export a XML log file, the butting isn't on there yet, but it will be. When 100% on all actions is achieved then, the button will come out, asking if you would like to save a log file. It'll be XML based, so you can XPath it, basically it'll have all of the logs, and some extra exception info (if exists) in there.

As you can see at the top, the progress bar is full. I was going to add another page with the close button on it, but I've decided not to do that now.

After the UI is done, the CS provider will be coded up, and then a vBulletin provider. And if I get time, a WordPress provider. If everything goes to plan the project should have a Version 1 release in April. I hope you like what I've done so far, it's been a pleasure to code this up for you all.

I'm also debated on making the project completely open source with the UI on codeplex as well, at the moment it is, but with version 1 it will be removed. If I remove it or not is still up in the air at the moment.

Work will probably stall for the next 2 weeks as I have some presentations to give, but after that it'll be all hands to get the project done, and work begun on the API documentation