Program Guide(Sneak Prevue) Simulator: v.0.79a 7/25/14

[tilsleysolutions]

This is a pretty cool simulator you put together. Kudos, man.

I hope you don't mind if I leave a couple of suggestions to make the simulator better..

1.) Include the ability to upload audio for segments (ex: voiceovers from the laser discs)

2.) Not sure if you programmed it in the current or past version, perhaps a countdown clock when scheduled events are close to the starting time. Same when events while "in progress".

All in all, I'm glad someone took the time to put this together.

[dreamer]

Small update. I have fixed the bug where event data wasn't being loaded into the app properly. Events now load at their specified times and dates for the right segments! A new build containing this fix will be uploaded this week.

I hope you don't mind if I leave a couple of suggestions to make the simulator better..
1.) Include the ability to upload audio for segments (ex: voiceovers from the laser discs)
2.) Not sure if you programmed it in the current or past version, perhaps a countdown clock when scheduled events are close to the starting time. Same when events while "in progress".

Thank you for the praise!

For suggestion #1, there's already a feature to upload audio files for segments, but only one at a time at the moment. If you want to upload audio, select the "BGM -> Set Segment BGM..." option in the app's main menu at the top. Keep in mind the month/year you set the BGM to before you save it into the app's records! Go ahead and check out the readme.txt file for more details on how to manage the app's graphic and audio assets.

For suggestion #2, I know what feature you're asking for. However, I was planning on implementing this when I get video displays in, which is down the road.

[dreamer]

Uploaded a fixed version of PGS in the OP. Don't worry as there will be more updates down the line. Thanks for your feedback and praise.

[ScrippsONEDetroit]

As technical and feature-rich as you made it, I'm still having a hard time... No offense and with all do respect... I wish the simulator could be run the same way as the TaigaNet WeatherSTAR 4000 Simulator... http://www.taiganet.com http://www.taiganet.com/forum/index.php?act=idx In which case, a separate configuration UI program accompanying the main simulator can help me enter the data by searching channels, providers, etc... As well as customizing channel names and listings... I love your idea, but it's hard to memorize or even come up with something to make it work for it... My apologies for any inconvenience!!!

[dreamer]

My app was designed to be easy to install, easy to use and require no dependencies except what came with the package. OTOH, I'd never run that app you linked to. Personally, I would not make users jump through so many hoops for my app, which is why I went with Blitzmax - low-level access to most Win32 GUI functions and the typical game-related libraries, which is perfect for a program guide simulator. No base dependencies required.

Now, I'm sure my simulator could use some work... so what would you suggest? Completely changing the program structure will require some serious work and may be unnecessary. If you could describe what you're having trouble while using the PGS, I'll be glad to help!

[dreamer]

Hello everyone! I hope you're all doing well. I have some good AND bad news regarding the Program Guide Simulator.

Let's get the bad news out of the way. Video support using the current PGS is not possible, at least with sound. Quite a bummer! I can get MPEG videos to play, but unfortunately the sound within those videos cannot be processed properly. MPEG was the only option I had regarding the current incarnation of PGS. So big changes must be made if I wish to continue updating this program, PGS as we know it will cease to exist...

Now for the good news. I've found a development library that allows AVI, GIF AND MPEG playback! I've tested this and all videos play with sound. It requires DirectShow, so please make sure you have all the correct drivers and codecs installed. However, the current incarnation is still very useful and I don't wanna write PGS from scratch again with this new library.

So now, the PGS package will have to be split into 2 programs - the configurator, and the player. The current incarnation will be the configurator and the new program will be the player module.

That's all for now. Expect some more news soon!

[tbbyolumbatobby]

UPDATE 7/25/14: Events now work again! I forgot to add, that you can also add music to your segments. I uploaded this so I'll have a backup if I fudge anything else. I will now separate all versions of the program.

Hi to all Prevue Guide Forum community members. I've been a long time fan of Sneak Prevue, from when it first premiered, taking over my local public access channel 3 in 1993. I lived in SE Michigan, USA at the time, and we had MediaOne as our cable provider. It was a sad day when Sneak Prevue was finally brought off the air in 2008, but I'm grateful there are still many people who want to hold onto a treasured piece of the past!

Not one to just sit back and watch, I decided that a simulation app would be a great way to enjoy Sneak Prevue again! I've developed one as a result.

You can download the current version release of the app, v.0.79a here:
http://www.mediafire.com/download/w8otz ... .79a-+.rar

Please read the change log, and the readme.txt files included in the .rar carefully before using the program. This was really developed for Sneak Prevue enthusiasts and was named "Sneak Prevue Simulator" during development, but it was named differently to avoid potential legal issues during distribution.

HOW TO USE IT:
Basically, you add events(channel listings) and enable/disable features in the program. As you do this, you'll notice the program picking up the new input, and automatically changing and expanding itself to your preferences. Events are added in the program, and saved into a text file for later use. You shouldn't have to venture outside the program to fully enjoy its features, it's all offline.

1. In order to see results quickly, go to "Events>Manage Event Listings" and add your desired events.
Buttons of interest
a. "Add To Event List" button: Click this to add an event with the specified information. Remember to fill out all textfields above this button before clicking it.
b. "Execute Search" button: Click this to search in the events list, using any criteria typed in the textfield to the left of the button. If you want to use multiple criteria, separate each criteria with semicolons. For example, "Sports;PM" without the quotes will search for any event contaning "Sports" AND "PM".
c. "Remove Event" button: Click this to remove the selected event in the event list box to the left.

2. Now, go to "Time/Date>Set Time and Date" to manage your app's clock. You'll want to set it to the same date and time your events have, so you can see them. Click the "Confirm" button at the bottom of the options window.

3. Then, go to "Segments>Manage Segments" to edit your segments. In the upper left corner, you'll see a combobox with the label "Movie" to the left of it. Select this and choose "Enabled". Make sure at least one of your events has "Movie" as their event type! Leave all other options as is. Click the "Confirm" button at the bottom of the options window.

4. Go to "Background>Set Backgrounds" to set your graphic data. These are what wil display as the background for each segment. Locate the first textfield, with the label "Movie" to the left. Click the "Browse" button at the opposite side. Now, find the graphic file you want to use as your background for the movie segment. Once this is done, set the month and year right below the textfield with the path to your background in it. Once the month+year is correct, click "Add".

Now, simply wait. Your events/background should show up, once the correct segment has displayed.

Once you start the program for the first time, you won't see a whole lot on-screen:

pgs001.png

However, you can start adding events and other data into the program:

pgs002.png

You can event adjust the time and date!

And you can also add graphic backgrounds:

pgs004.png

And eventually, you can come pretty close to simulating Sneak Prevue on your desktop!

I have developed this application as a labor of love and a token of friendship to all fans of Sneak Prevue young and old.

Please enjoy, and let me know if there are any features/bug fixes you guys would like in the next version release!

If I could download this, and get the support, then I'll try it.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[tbbyolumbatobby]

UPDATE 7/25/14: Events now work again! I forgot to add, that you can also add music to your segments. I uploaded this so I'll have a backup if I fudge anything else. I will now separate all versions of the program.

Hi to all Prevue Guide Forum community members. I've been a long time fan of Sneak Prevue, from when it first premiered, taking over my local public access channel 3 in 1993. I lived in SE Michigan, USA at the time, and we had MediaOne as our cable provider. It was a sad day when Sneak Prevue was finally brought off the air in 2008, but I'm grateful there are still many people who want to hold onto a treasured piece of the past!

Not one to just sit back and watch, I decided that a simulation app would be a great way to enjoy Sneak Prevue again! I've developed one as a result.

You can download the current version release of the app, v.0.79a here:
http://www.mediafire.com/download/w8otz ... .79a-+.rar

Please read the change log, and the readme.txt files included in the .rar carefully before using the program. This was really developed for Sneak Prevue enthusiasts and was named "Sneak Prevue Simulator" during development, but it was named differently to avoid potential legal issues during distribution.

HOW TO USE IT:
Basically, you add events(channel listings) and enable/disable features in the program. As you do this, you'll notice the program picking up the new input, and automatically changing and expanding itself to your preferences. Events are added in the program, and saved into a text file for later use. You shouldn't have to venture outside the program to fully enjoy its features, it's all offline.

1. In order to see results quickly, go to "Events>Manage Event Listings" and add your desired events.
Buttons of interest
a. "Add To Event List" button: Click this to add an event with the specified information. Remember to fill out all textfields above this button before clicking it.
b. "Execute Search" button: Click this to search in the events list, using any criteria typed in the textfield to the left of the button. If you want to use multiple criteria, separate each criteria with semicolons. For example, "Sports;PM" without the quotes will search for any event contaning "Sports" AND "PM".
c. "Remove Event" button: Click this to remove the selected event in the event list box to the left.

2. Now, go to "Time/Date>Set Time and Date" to manage your app's clock. You'll want to set it to the same date and time your events have, so you can see them. Click the "Confirm" button at the bottom of the options window.

3. Then, go to "Segments>Manage Segments" to edit your segments. In the upper left corner, you'll see a combobox with the label "Movie" to the left of it. Select this and choose "Enabled". Make sure at least one of your events has "Movie" as their event type! Leave all other options as is. Click the "Confirm" button at the bottom of the options window.

4. Go to "Background>Set Backgrounds" to set your graphic data. These are what wil display as the background for each segment. Locate the first textfield, with the label "Movie" to the left. Click the "Browse" button at the opposite side. Now, find the graphic file you want to use as your background for the movie segment. Once this is done, set the month and year right below the textfield with the path to your background in it. Once the month+year is correct, click "Add".

Now, simply wait. Your events/background should show up, once the correct segment has displayed.

Once you start the program for the first time, you won't see a whole lot on-screen:

pgs001.png

However, you can start adding events and other data into the program:

pgs002.png

You can event adjust the time and date!

And you can also add graphic backgrounds:

pgs004.png

And eventually, you can come pretty close to simulating Sneak Prevue on your desktop!

I have developed this application as a labor of love and a token of friendship to all fans of Sneak Prevue young and old.

Please enjoy, and let me know if there are any features/bug fixes you guys would like in the next version release!

How to use event editing?

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