//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// DXPlayer
// Copyright (c) 2000 Matthijs Vermeulen (MadIce XIII)
// MadIceXIII@hotmail.com
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// THIS DOCUMENT MUST BE INCLUDED WITH ANY DISTRIBUTION OF THE PLUGIN.
// DO NOT CHANGE THE CONTENTS OF THIS FILE.
// THERE IS NO NEED TO INCLUDE THE SOURCE CODE IN THE DISTRIBUTION.
// YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO USE THE PLUGIN FOR ANY COMMERCIAL PURPOSES.
// STARDOCK.NET IS ALLOWED TO DISTRIBUTE DXPlayer WITHOUT PERMISSION.
// THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE IS AT YOUR OWN RISK.
// I CANNOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGES CAUSED BY ITS USE.
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// Special thanks to the WBAmp beta-testers
// * Morphh (the originator of WBAmp)
// * d (for hosting WBAmp and DXPlayer at http://go.to/WBStuff)
// * dbqp
// * Dan Boldon
// * Philip Powell
// * Mercury
// * jef
// * Jafo
// * David K (ultimate CoolPlayer tester!)
// These people came up with a lot of ideas for WBAmp.
// Most of them are implemented in WBAmp and DXPlayer.
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// Thanks to the DXPlayer beta-testers
// * Martin Conroy
// * scratch
// * Philip Powell
// * Cartier Hung
// * David D'Antonio
// * Douglas Quebbeman
// * Ge0ph
// * Andrew Buzzo
// * Craig
// * Salvador R. Manzo
// * Jason Haag
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// Thanks to Alberto Riccio, Kris Kwilas, Ian Hanschen and Brad 
// Wardell for their support
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// Thanks to Lowell Heddings for publishing the source code of
// GeekAmp (a remote control for WinAmp in LiteStep)
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// Thanks to Niek Alberts (creator of CoolPlayer) for his support
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// Thanks to Paul Boyer for releasing the first DXPlayer
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// What is DXPlayer?
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

DXPlayer is a plugin which can be used to control CoolPlayer or WinAmp from within DesktopX objects.

The following commands are available:

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// DXPlayer Commands
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

 1 Play: Start playing a track.                                  CP WA
 2 PauseResume: Pause or resume playing a track.                 CP WA
 3 Stop: Stop playing a track.                                   CP WA  
 4 Close: Terminate player.                                      CP WA
 5 Previous: Play the previous track.                            CP WA
 6 Next: Play the next track.                                    CP WA
 7 Rewind: Fast rewind 5 seconds.                                CP WA
 8 Forward: Fast forward 5 seconds.                              CP WA
 9 First: Play the first track.                                     WA
10 Last: Play the last track.                                       WA
11 Lower10: Lower the volume by 10%.                             CP WA
12 Raise10: Raise the volume by 10%.                             CP WA
13 Lower5: Lower the volume by 5%.                               CP WA
14 Raise5: Raise the volume by 5%.                               CP WA
15 Lower1: Lower the volume by 1%.                               CP WA
16 Raise1: Raise the volume by 1%.                               CP WA
17 Hide: Hide player.                                            CP WA
18 Show: Show player.                                            CP WA
19 File: Play a file.                                            CP WA
20 Folder: Play a folder.                                           WA
21 URL: Play a URL.                                                 WA
22 Menu: Show the player's menu.                                    WA
23 Shuffle: Toggle shuffle mode.                                 CP WA
24 Repeat: Toggle repeat mode.                                   CP WA
25 Single: Stop after the current track.                            WA
26 VISStartStop: Start or stop the VIS plugin.                      WA
27 VISConfigure: Configure the VIS plugin.                          WA
28 VISSelect: Select a VIS plgin.                                   WA
29 VISOptions: VIS Preferences.                                     WA
30 Run: Start the player and minimize it.                        CP WA
31 CoolPlayer: Start CoolPlayer and minimize it.                 CP
32 WinAmp: Start WinAmp and minimize it.                            WA

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// How do I connect a plugin command to an object?
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

In the Object Properties dialog do the following: Press the "Relation" icon. In the "General plugin" combo box select "DXPlayer.dll". If the plugin is not found there then use the "Browse" button to locate the plugin. You can always download the latest version of the plugin at http://go.to/WBStuff. Now press the "General" icon. From the "Object class" combo box select "Command plugin". Press the "Configure" button. A dialog pops up. You can enter two parameters, but only one is used. Now look at the table above. You find there all the names of the commands. Type that name ("Play", "Raise10", "Show", etc.) in the edit box of "Parameter 1". You can add three commands if you like. The commands must be separated by spaces. The first one is used when no Shift or Alt key is pressed. The second one is used when Shift has been pressed. The third is used in combination with Alt.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// Song title display
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Sorry. Not implemented yet.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// Installing CoolPlayer
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The installation of CoolAmp is easy. Select "Options" from the menu, enable the "Scroll Songtitle" option. You may also want to disable the "Show on taskbar" option.

Whenever CoolPlayer is started it will show up on the system tray. DXPlayer tries to hide CoolPlayer by default. Some objects have an option to show it, but you can also double click the CoolPlayer icon.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// Installing WinAmp
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The installation of WinAmp in combination with DXPlayer is actually a matter of configuring WinAmp correctly. Use the following WinAmp setting: At the WinAmp menu select "Options". Then "Preferences". Click "Display" in the tree. In the "Show WinAmp in:" box select "System tray only". This will prevent WinAmp from showing its ugly skin... If you now minimize WinAmp then it ends up in the SystemTray and will not be seen on the TaskBar. To restore it just single click the WinAmp icon in the SystemTray. Right clicking the icon on the SystemTray will show the WinAmp menu.

"I did what you said, but now I don't see WinAmp anymore..."
Well, that is the idea. You should not see WinAmp, unless you want it to be shown. If you start WinAmp, you do not see it either. If you go and look for it, you will find it in the SystemTray.

"The title bar is too small for the song title. How can I make it scroll?"
This is just another WinAmp setting. Open the WinAmp menu. Select "Options". Then "Preferences". Click "Display" in the tree. Finally check "Scroll song title in the Windows task bar". That's it. The text will not only scroll in the task bar, it will also scroll in the song title display of the object.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// Starting the player
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

You can either start the player as you used to or you can push any DXPlayer button. Some objects might use another activation method. It takes a while for it to start. During startup it cannot execute the action attached to the button. So the initial click just resulted in the player being started. This is not an error. You have to live with it OR add the player to your Startup menu. This causes the player to start whenever Windows starts.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// Version
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

You can check what version of DXPlayer is installed by right clicking the DXPlayer.dll file, then select Properties from the menu and finally click the Version tab. You can also press the "Relation" icon in the "Object Properties" dialog of an object using DXPlayer and then pressing the "Information" button.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// WARNINGS
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

None at the moment :-)

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// WinAmp Menu
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Calling the WinAmp menu without showing WinAmp causes the menu to behave bad. Therefore WinAmp must be shown. Until there is a better solution WinAmp will be shown before the menu is opened.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// CoolPlayer versus WinAmp
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Although CoolPlayer has some limitations (it is a pure MP3 player and WinAmp supports CDs and other formats) it behaves better (and some people say it sounds better) than WinAmp. WinAmp has various problems when DXPlayer is calling its dialog boxes. CoolPlayer does not have these problems. Why? Niek Albers (programmer of CoolPlayer) did whatever he could to make this plugin work with his player. Again, thanks Niek! NullSoft (makers of WinAmp) did not even properly respond on the problems I had with their player. That reminds me. Sonique support is even worse. Next to that I had to drop support for Sonique altogether because of their limited command line interface.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// Version 0.0.1.1 release notes
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Initial release.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// Version 0.9.0.0 release notes
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Improved detection method.
Added the CoolPlayer and WinAmp commands.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// Version 0.9.0.1 release notes
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Commands can be specified for Shift en Alt.
Errors in the documentation made some commands unavailable. Fixed.
The volume could not be lowered or raise by 1%. Fixed.
The Show and Hide commands were swapped. Fixed.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// Version 0.9.0.2 release notes
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Minor changes.
From now on DXPlayer will be distributed by DX.
