Anyone have ideas for how I should create a smooth install of my script program? It would also be very coold id I could set it up so that it can automatically look for new versions at regular intervals.
Some ideas I have, please comment
Installation:
- User Download file from internet
- User either Run the InstallScript.mzp with Scripts/Run or drag and drop it into max.
2.5) the InstallScript automatically cleans out old versions and installs into script/name folder
Check for updates and install of new versions:
Checking for new versions is far trickier. I’m thinking about having and ActiveX controller from 3dsmax that checks something on my homepage. Possibly check with a database if a new file/value exist.
Auto Install:
Not sure how I should automatically download it (if the user clicks yes on update) and then run it. In fact I don’t know how to download files “automatically”. Another way that is easier to do is to use the i-drop feature of max. This way the user can only drag the program icon from the web browser into max and it will automatically download and install.
Have anyone done anything like this before, and/or have any ideas? Feels like I’m reinventing the wheel again and again…
/Andreas
hmmm…sounds like a tricky one, u could use a Free install creator rather than *.mzp such as Install creator this way menus in the start menu to place help files etc. with regards to updates maybe this option presents an easy solution to this. u could then create a *.exe in c++ that user can select from a menu in the start menu that checks from update, or maybe if poss (not sure if it is) use the script to invoke the *.exe file.
Thanks for the tip.
Aha, yea install creator may be nice. hmm, but the bonus with mzp is that it’s so connected to 3dsmax, it has alot of functions to help you there. Yea I thought about using some kind of exe file, this is possible in max script. Hmm, I haven’t done something like this in c++ before though.
/Andreas
i have some prev. experience with c++ but more with VB and this is poss with VB as well, have it connect to the the http, have a txt file with the name of the curr. ver and check that against a ver. number passed over to the exe by the script.
if you wish to go with activex control for direct access from a script again you can make activex in vb!!!
Yea, I’ve done my fair share of VB programming too, but ActiveX is pretty transparent in VB.
You know that you can use ActiveX in MaxScript, right?
I’ve been browsing through the help files in maxScript about this, i’m not sure exactly what ActiveX is capable of in these situations. But it should work for a situation like this, right? But he, you are right, it would be possible to do in VB instead of c++ actually, and execution time is not a concern in this case.
Don’t you think I may have trouble with firewires? I mean won’t they feel that I try to connect a webpage and try to block the communication?
Thanks for the help, I hadn’t thought about VB for this case.
You wouldn’t have any vb examples of a program that does something similar, or to a link with some info about this? the vb help is pretty pitiful I think.
/Andreas
what i was trying to say is that you could make ure own activex with vb, i know you can use activex in maxscript, but neva actually look at it. but def. look at making your own, may save alot of hard work
If you want to create an install, you must certainly use nsis.
http://nsis.sourceforge.net/home/
look at the user : http://nsis.sourceforge.net/users/
thats pretty damn kewl, neva knew that existed, i shall take alook when i get home
Wow! thanks alot.
It looks like it has some kind of automatic upgrade to. reading
/Andreas
I think having a software program automaticly connect to the internet without the user’s knowledge and download stuff behind their backs is close to being spyware’s younger brother. I don’t think most people would appreciate stuff like that. Plus most people like to keep their system resources under their own control. Nothing would be more bothersome that in the middle of a long rendering to have some application fire up to connect to the internet thus taking up lots of resources…
I have some HP products that have done that, which I don’t appreciate at all, especially since it didn’t ask me during the install. It went ahead and did it on it’s own.
Just my $.02
Chris Johnson
Well, I could ask before downloading of course. Should be easy to include a setting to disable it too. Myself I prefere not going to the website and check for updates once a week or so, I prefere the program to check if there is anything new; then point out that there is a new version, do you want to download it? With an option to “Never ask/check again”
That should hopefully keep our older brothers happy too I hope.
edit: Probably best to have a setting during install then.
/Andreas
man dont bother much,
the best way is the manual way.
zip the package and make people download it. just like on many scripts in scriptspot. dont worry if the script is good, no one will complain. better than mzp mystery or install programs.
Yea, perhaps you are right. However the mzp I don’t think is a mystery from what I’ve seen. You just well run it or drop it in max, and it installs everything. Then install would be 1 step. Otherwise with zips it’s like 5 steps or so. You found any problems with mzp files, I haven’t used them that much myself?
/Andreas
hey man,
yeah not a complete mystery but man the annoying thing (for me) is that, when mzp runs and extracts files, I dont know where the files are created and when I want to remove it, it would be a real challenge. And I think zip is better, coz if someone says to put x files to a position and y files to b position, no one should have problems, if they have, then I dont think they can use the script at all.
But man, yeah for speed mzp is faster. But I prefer to see what goes into max. any way man, choose which method you want, eventually we will test it.
But for mzp, I generally use winrar to extract it to a place and then put files myself.
See yaThat is true. One good thing with the mzp is that you can let it run scripts for it. But I guess with a normal zip file I can just put a script named RUN. This is the way I do it now actually.
so you just unzip it in the scripts folder and then press PolySpeed_RUNFIRST.ms.
Hmm, I wonder how i should do the uninstall. in maxscript you can easily do this but then they must have max started to run the script.
/Andreas