My very first request for Igor O:-)

[S.Z.Craftec]

Hello everybody, and hello Igor !

This is my first request ever, so I hope you'll find some spare time to respond to it... I'm not sure are you the right person for this issue, but I believe you are.

I'm talking about my beloved ashSkPck.exe file (actually little application). As you know I'm using it quite often and I found little issue (it's NOT a bug, but sometimes it's little bit annoying). Every single time when I open avast! skin packer and I click on SELECT FILES button, SELECT THE AREAS window pops out (which is great, hehe   ), but it won't remember the last used location... for example my default avast! skins directory C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\DATA\Skin\

As you know, I spend so much time making/fixing/compressing skin files and sometimes I have to reopen the SELECT THE AREAS window so many times (like for example, last week when I fixed all available avast! skins that were affected with "cursor changing issue"), and choose my default skin location all over again. It's quite time consuming process, and it would be great if you can change something in code of ashSkPck.exe, so it would "remember" last used location every single time I have to choose some skin file.

Again, don't loose your precious time on this if you don't have enough time, but if you can do that, I would be sooooooo happy... and I would kiss you       (psssst, my wife is comming... )

Thanks in advance !

Sasha

[a61_a61]

Sasha,

I don't have the program you have but I was just curious to know if you have a key in your registry such as "FileSaveAsMru", or something similar. If not adding the key, with the path to your directory may do it.  Not sure...just a question.

a61

[S.Z.Craftec]

No I don't have that key, but all other programs works just great. This issue is directly connected to the way how ashSkPck.exe is coded. Something should be changed inside the code to force the application remembers last visited folder. Changing the registry is not the best idea in cases like this. Everything works perfect in here, except that little issue. Actually, nothing is wrong with that program, but that's just the way Alwil programmers made it. I just asked Igor to change some parts of code, so we wouldn't have to use workarounds...

And, btw... yes, you have that program. It's inside your avast! folder. Everybody have that application, but just rare (skin makers and designers) use it.

[igor]

One question: do you mean the folder is not remembered through one program session (when you click the "Select files" button multiple times), or when the ashSkPck.exe is closed and then started again?

[S.Z.Craftec]

Sorry, Igor... I didn't make myself quite clear in my first post... sorry again...

Here is the situation... When I'm in one session, next time I click on SELECT FILES button, it remembers last used folder by showing me greyed boxes with checkmark in front of each subfolder (see attachment), but all those subfolders are closed... sorry, I mean folder tree is closed, it's not expanded, so I always have to go through the same long process of clicking on those little pluses in front of each subfolder. It would be great if folder tree can show "open" each time you press SELECT FILES button.

Also, it would be great if program can "remember" last used subfolder next time we start ashSkPck.exe, I mean next session, and of course, expand the folder tree the same way... (I mean, how often we change skin folder location ? It's always there where we left it last time...)

Cheers !

[Vlk]

If you're using the Skin Packer on a regular basis (which would probably make you the only person with this attribute in the entire universe you may consider using ashSkPcc.exe - its command-line version. It can be used e.g. from a batch file for fast, batch processing.

Of course this requires some degree of familiarity with the command-line...


Cheers
Vlk

[S.Z.Craftec]

I'm not using skin packer on a regular basis, but as I said, sometimes there is need to do a lot of compressing like it was the case with "fixing" cursor changing issue in all those skins. It makes that process very painful...

Command line is not a problem at all, but I don't wanna go back to DOS typing.

I guess this is for compressing:
ashSkPcc.exe "C:\program files\Alwil Software\avast4\data\skin\Bionic_by_SZCraftec.aswcs" /c="C:\program files\Alwil Software\avast4\data\skin\Bionic by SZCraftec.asws

Is that right ? Isn't it little too much job to type everything each time ?

Batch file is not a bad idea, but I have oportunity to see it with great help of GUI, so why not using it ? I don't believe it's a very big problem just to "force" the program to leave folder tree open every single time when we click on SELECT FILES button...

I mean, if it's such a big deal, than just leave it like it is... no big deal. I was just trying to get something little simplified if possible.

[igor]

Sasha, I would really like to modify the skin packer as you suggested (I think it's a reasonable suggestion), but it seems that it's not as simple as I expected. I tried, but unless I'm overlooking something obvious, it seems that the "Select area" component doesn't support this feature (i.e. open the dialog with the tree already expanded).

I'm not familiar with this piece of code, so I would rather avoid experimenting with it right now, shortly before the update release (since it's a shared component - any possible error would affect the whole avast!, not just the skin packer).

I'll try to do something about it later, but I'm not promissing anything  

[S.Z.Craftec]

No problem Igor, you guys already did a great job in general. I appreciate all your efforts and to me it already looks like you changed that piece of code. Your trying is what counts...

Anyway, it's not such a big deal, I'll continue to use it my old way. Most important thing is that skin packer does it's primary job and it does it wonderful.

It's just... it wasn't my intention to complain about anything, it was just my little request or advice how to improove activity of that part of skin packer...

Thanks guys !

Cheers !