KM-CODEX

Codex desktop will mash up some of my more popular flash apps into one Adobe Air 2 based interface. Once the app is released it will replace many sections here at my WordPress site. It already contains a bulletin board system, a download section, a YaYa Youtube module, a site activity monitor and a contact area. The BBS is a new version of my old Power Windows forum with new things like YouTube video insertion into posts,  Callout Boxes (HTML text with colored background and drop shadow) and Glow Boxes (HTML text with colored background and pulsing glow) as new post components.

 This mashup has been created to make it easier for me to add modules to it as updates and in 2010 you will find me more and more on the desktop and less and less on the web.

 One of the planned modules I want to add later is something to allow users to view/submit/download Koolmoves AS3 scripts for their script libraries. From reading posts in the Koolmoves forum this is something that users would like as there are not many scripts included in the default script library and IMO it’s a pretty cool feature of KM. Hopefully I can set something up that lets users save any script they see right into their Koolmoves Script subfolder. We’ll see.

This desktop application should be available soon.

The 7.4.2 release of Koolmoves cleans up nearly every problem utilizing the new TweenMax 11 package from Greensock. For a list of all the changes to this build click here.

Koolmoves is having some trouble compiling if you are using the newest TweenMax package from Greensock (v11). Fall back to version 10 until further notice (it’s still found here and there). The Koolmoves developers are aware of the situation and working on it.

Adobe Air 2 is nearly out of beta and I was just as curious as the next person to see what has changed. As it turns out, quite a lot has changed and it is worlds better than AIR 1.5 and brings some very cool new tools to the table.

Click here to read about some of the new features

I’ve already begun playing around with it and have some AIR 2 applications ready for public use. The first mashes up a Koolmoves class by Wilbert Brants with Flex 3 and is called “Droppic”. Droppic shows off the new File Promises ability of AIR 2 and allows you to search Picasa and drag any picture in the app to your desktop to be instantly downloaded. The second also uses the new File Promises of AIR 2 and is called “KM-CODEX FileGrabber”. This application contains all my available downloads and again allows you to simply drag an item listed in it to your operating system and drop it to instantly download it. All download counts are updated at runtime.

KM-CODEX FileGrabber can be downloaded using the link below, once you have it installed you can download Droppic or any of my other downloads by using it. There is also a link to get the Adobe AIR Runtime Installer which is required to install FileGrabber. Nearly all code I create with Adobe AIR from here out will be AIR 2 based and when the Adobe Showcase allows AIR 2 submissions it will be housed there as well.

Click here to get the Adobe Air 2 Runtime

Click here to download the KM-CODEX FileGrabber Application

In the next few months I will be leaving Flex 3 behind for Flex 4. Time really flies when you are having fun!

I’m releasing a second version of my KM-CODEX Desktop app today.

The newest version (Power Windows) now supports Video Objects. Users can insert a video object (remotely hosted FLV path) into any post and set it’s size and alignment. Like all other objects, the video object can be re-edited at anytime (all users can edit their own posts) or removed completely from the list of objects that define that post. It’s hierarchy in the post can also be adjusted (like all other objects) by simply dragging it in the Object Outline and dropping it where you want it placed.  If the stored path to the FLV is valid, other users can download any video posted. If for some reason the path is not valid (either on purpose or because the hosted server is down) the user attempting to download it is informed that the video is no longer available.

What I am trying to do is get users to add or obtain videos that interest them, be they video tutorials or any other type of video. Since all valid videos ever posted in the desktop app are ones that can be downloaded, they can be shared and hopefully spread around to whoever has need of them.

Only the Power Windows version supports video. If you feel like taking part and have videos worth posting, myself and all users would appreciate anything you can submit.

Nearly all my website content will be migrated into this desktop app in 2010 (for instance all my downloads are inside there now) and it is an ongoing effort.

You can find Power Windows in my sidebar. It’s free, has no advertisements and is offered in good faith. These apps are also available from the Adobe Showcase and if you do not have the Adobe AIR runtime installed, the desktop forum installers in my sidebar (and at Adobe) will install it for you.

Screenshots follow: