#ToolManager_2.0
15 messages in this thread
I downloaded Toolman20.lha and the program look good. But I don't know how
to use it properly. I installed it and I'm trying to make it work but I
don't know how. The documentation is not very clear on that topic. Can you
help me please.
Michel,
Lots of us use ToolManager, and we'd be glad to help, but you need to ask
more specific questions. Exactly where do you run into problems, how far
do you get with it, and what error messages are you getting? We need to
know more about what is causing you trouble before we can answer.
—Betty
I just d/l-ed TM2 also. When you unlharc it, it makes its own directory,
called ToolManager. The install routine failed for me – it failed to move
the actual ToolManager-commodity-starter to the real WBStartup drawer on
my sys: partition. Instead it made a subdirectory somewhere on Work:
called WBStartup. Maybe this is what happened to you.
Anyway, in the Toolmanager directory are 4 crucial subdirectories: L,
Libs, Prefs, and WBStartup. These contain the meat of the program – the
files that must be moved to your sys: partition.
*Copy the file "WBStart-Handler" from the TM2 L directory to the L
directory on your sys: partition.
*Copy the file "toolmanager.library" from the TM2 libs directory to the
libs directory on your sys: partition.
*Copy the file "ToolManager" and its icon from the TM2 prefs directory to
the prefs directory on your sys: partition.
*Copy the file "ToolManager" and its icon (different from the prefs
files) from the TM2 WBStartup directory to the WBStartup directory on
your sys: partition.
These instructions are based on the normal hard-drive layout – the point
is to move these files from the ToolManager sub-directories to the _real_
system directories. Now double-click on the ToolManager icon in your
WBStartup directory. (Or reboot so that it is started automatically. It
is a commodity without a commodity interface, so you don't need to set a
CX_PopKey=NO tooltype in its icon.) Nothing obvious will have happened.
In order to configure and thus use TM2, open your prefs drawer – there is
a new prefs editor called ToolManager, though it might be hard to see
initially if it is on top of another icon. Open it.
I found the manual relatively clear once I got past installation problems.
(I also had another problem – the ToolManager prefs editor was corrupted
when I got it, so I could do nothing with the program until Sean Lally
cmailed it to me. Make sure none of the files were corrupted in
transmission. If you can't find them all – run lha with the command "t"
instead of "e".) However, I will try to briefly explain the program's
operation.
TM2 sees the world as a collection of objects. There are 6 kinds of TM2
objects – Exec, Sound, Image, Dock, Icon, and Menu. In order for TM2 to
do anything, you must define some objects. You do this by switching to
the kind of object you wish to define, using the "Object Type" gadget in
the "ToolManager Preferences" window you've just opened, and then clicking
the "New…" button. This will bring up the edit-window for that kind of
object.
If the relentless use of the word "object" is confusing, just think of
them as tables in a database – TM2 uses the tables, and tables of the
tables, to keep track of things.
Exec Objects are the most basic – they refer to programs, be they
WorkBench, Shell, or ARexx programs. The "Edit Exec Object" window is
pretty self-explanatory, I think – object name, program, path, etc. Fill
it out for some program that gives definite and obvious graphical results
when used – like "newshell" – for test purposes.
But defining an Exec Object is not enough: TM2 cannot show you an Exec
Object anymore than the WorkBench "shows" you a program – the WorkBench
shows you an icon (or a menu option, but I won't get into Menu Objects)
that refers to the program. TM2 simply enhances the WorkBench by giving
you more ways to represent programs. You must define an Image Object, and
then an Icon or Dock Object that refers to it both the Exec Object and the
Image Object. Since Icon objects are simpler, I'll explain how to use
them.
First, you must define an Image Object. Since TM2 comes with lots of
icons and brushes in subdirectories of its "Graphics" subdirectory, open
the "Edit Image Object" window (using the "New…" button) and find one of
the icon (.info) or brush (.brush) files that was shipped with it.
(Animbrushes (.anmb) only work with Dock Objects, so ignore them for
now.)
When you switch to the "Edit Icon Object" window, you must specify an Exec
Object and an Image Object. (Sound Objects are a pain – if you need help
with them ask me later.) You specify and Exec Object by picking one you
have already defined – you just pick from the list of those you have
defined. Likewise, the Image Object is picked from a list of those you
have defined. When you get back to the main ToolManager Prefs window,
click the "Test" button. This _should_ place an icon on your screen. The
icon should activate whatever program was linked to the Exec Object in the
"Edit Exec Object" window.
The interface is a little annoying, what with having to go back and forth
between so many windows, but if you've gotten this far, you should
understand the thing well enough to use it. If you don't, drop me a line
and I'll try again. (Or maybe I've just confused you so much that you
want to put a hit out on me… Oh well. I tried.)
Hope I've helped
Paul
For myself, the installation worked fine. There is one thing not clear
to me in the installation process. When it says: "Copy the file
'ToolManager' and its icon from TM2 prefs directory…" I'm not too
sure about what it means. Does it mean there is two files in the
prefs directory ? Because if it is that, I only found one file in
this directory. Anyway, the program seems to work good. With the
explanations you gave me, I managed to understand the basic
procedure. I tried the program with "NewShell" and it worked but
there is one thing annoying me. When I tried to get the information
from the icon menu in WB, I get a message saying: "Info failed". Is
it normal ?
ToolManager creates AppIcons, not normal icons. Normal icons come from a
".info" file, while AppIcons are generated by applications for specific
purposes. As of now, the Amiga OS is unable to return information on
AppIcons.
As to two files, if you copied the Prefs program from the ToolManager
prefs directory to the system prefs directory via the WorkBench – i.e. by
dragging and dropping the icon – then you are fine. If you copied it with
the Shell, you would have had to make sure to copy the file "ToolManager"
and the file "ToolManager.info" which is the icon file. Personally, I
think it's very stupid for the prefs program to have the same name as the
program, but that's just my HO.
So there you go. Try using docks – they're great!
(He says in a cartoon tiger voice)
Paul
Thank you for your help Paul.
By the way, I tried using dock too and it is very interesting. I ceated
a dock for DPaintIV and it is working well. The only thing is that the
dock opens on the screen and I also get the icon I created for it in
another location of the WB window. Do you know How I can get rid of the
icon wich is not in the dock ?
Also, I tried to use TM2 with LHA. I created an Exec object, then an
Image object and an icon. This is just fine. But, when I try to execute
the program, I receive a message telling me there is a software failure,
with an error: 8000 0004 and a task: 002AC2B8. The screen goes all black
and I have to push the left mouse button to reset the computer. Can you
tell me why I run in this error and how I can fix it if possible?
Also, does the .info file to represent an icon can be copy to icons
created with TM2?
Have a nice day ;>)
Michel Lavigne
Well, you probably still have an icon object set up with the image object
that you used to represent DPaint. So kill the icon object. But the best
part of docks (for me) is that many different things can be put on them,
even animbrushes.
As to lha, I have no idea what's wrong. Maybe -no, I don't know why it's
crashing. There's another problem you're likely having or going to have
though with lha – it needs parameters.
If I understand you correctly about the .info file, not exactly. You
don't create anything with TM2. It uses either icons (.info files) or
brushes for its own icons. If it's using a .info file, you already have
the icon. If it's using a brush, you have to load the brush into some
program like IconEdit (load image) and then save it as an icon after maybe
making a "selected" image for it.
Maybe if you explained your set-up better
Paul
Now you've got me curious, Paul. How would one use an animbrush via a dock
icon? To load a paint program with a certain animbrush in place or what?
I'm not quite sure I understand your question. The image-object of
an element of a dock can be a brush (in which case TM just inverts
the colors when it's selected – ugh) or an icon (a real .info file)
or an animbrush of any number of frames. The last frame of the
anim-brush is displayed for one second before the dock element is
reset. Basically, at this point, the use of an anim-brush is just to
create eye-candy I guess. But it doesn't take up much overhead, so I
enjoy it. And hopefully in the future, TM (or some system-level
implementation of TM or something like it – preferable, to me) will
allow for more sophisticated use of anims. For example, now I can
create an ARexx script activated by a dock element which will say or
play different things to me depending on what happens as a result of
its activation; but what about a dock element that shows different
branches of an animation in response to results of its acivation?
The list of ideas can go on and on and on and you get the picture.
Btw I noticed your experience with Saxon in Amazing – any updates? Are
they gone for good?
Paul
Re Saxon, who knows? The program is now being actively marketed in the
U.K., but I've heard no more from them in Canada and I've given up. Too
bad; the DTP system is really pretty good. If I could just get it out to a
non-Postscript printer!
Your answer re dock brushes was what I was looking for.
Given your interest in what the dock program can do, you may also want to
play with ARQ, a replacement system information window system that offers
animated graphics — e.g., if there's a call to the system for a floppy,
ARQ puts up a window with an anim of a diskette sliding into a floppy
drive. With the UPD "sound daemon" utility that links to ARQ, you can also
attach digitized sounds to various system functions. Fun to play with, and
it doesn't seem to affect overhead much.
You mean ARQ uses UPD also? As in the same UPD that TM2 uses?
Interesting.
Paul
Ron,
There's a program in the libraries here called Post that will translate
PostScript code to graphics and dump it to a non-PostScript printer so you
can use your program if you reroute your program output to a file (with
CMD) and then use Post on the file.
-Sean
Sean:
Just wanted to tell you that with most DTP programs like ProPage,
PageStream, and even Saxon there's no need to use the CMD program to
capture the output to a file, you can just tell the programs to save
directly to a file. Also, supposedly Saxon Publisher comes with a program
called SaxonScript which is a program very similiar to Post, with one
major difference. Saxonscript allows you to mount a device that you can
output PS files to that automatically processes the PS file, and prints it
onto your preferences printer, and therefore eliminating the need to make
it a multi step process. I have an early version of Saxon Publisher ,
before Saxonscript was included with the program, and I was supposed to be
mailed the upgrade, but it never came. As it is, I generally use ProPage,
so it was no major loss to me.
// -Mike Schiller
\X/ AMIGA! On AutoPilot in sunny Fort Lauderdale