HD3, OSX and your Dock

[ghost-angel]

Since Appl doesn't recognize JAR files as executables they can't be placed in the Application portion of the Doc. So I wrote an application, which can be placed there.

It makes a few assumptions:
1) You have not renamed the install folder of Hero Designer. It must be named "Hero Designer" to work.
2) You installed Hero Designer in your Applications folder.
3) You didn't rename the JAR file from "HDv3.jar"

If you've renamed or placed the HD JAR anywhere else you can edit the Application Script with the Script Editor software provided by Apple. If you don't know how PM me.

Written in 30 seconds, distribute as necessary, have fun.

[Markdoc]

Question - I'd like to get HD3, but.... is java5 supported in OSX 10.3.9? All the indications I can find suggest 10.4 only and although I have a copy of 10.4 I'm reluctant to upgrade since it doesn't play nice with two pieces of software I use a lot.

cheers, Mark

[ghost-angel]

I don't believe Java5 is supported in 10.3.9 at all.

What two peices of software are you having trouble with?

[Derek Hiemforth]

Coolness! Thanks, g-a! :)

[John Desmarais]

Since Appl doesn't recognize JAR files as executables they can't be placed in the Application portion of the Doc. So I wrote an application, which can be placed there.

It makes a few assumptions:
1) You have not renamed the install folder of Hero Designer. It must be named "Hero Designer" to work.
2) You installed Hero Designer in your Applications folder.
3) You didn't rename the JAR file from "HDv3.jar"

If you've renamed or placed the HD JAR anywhere else you can edit the Application Script with the Script Editor software provided by Apple. If you don't know how PM me.

Written in 30 seconds, distribute as necessary, have fun.

Way cool. Once I updated it to reflect the folder I had installed Hero Designer into it worked like a charm. :cheers:

[buzz]

This makes my 10.4.5 system want to start Classic.

[ghost-angel]

That's bizarre. Doesn't do that for me.

Anyone else having that issue?

[buzz]

Is this an AppleScript? I could probably figure out how to do that.

[ghost-angel]

Yep, that's all it is.

I built it using the Script Editor that comes with OSX and told it to make an application out of the script.

[ghost-angel]

Dan,

would this little package be an appropriate thing to place on the HeroDesigner support site somewhere?

[Simon]

Potentially...what I'd sooner do would be to have a parsable file in the installer (which the installer would update with the appropriate path to HDv3.jar, etc.). I should be able to target it to only go onto OSX platforms....i'll need to play around a bit with the installer software first.

[ghost-angel]

Cool. sounds better than my 30 second hack job.

[Flames]

I was bummed that there was no custom icon on HD3 so I copied and pasted the HD log from herodesigner.com and at least I have an icon on my Mac.

Also, I'm hoping that I can make it so that I can use the script to open files up directly into HD3, rather than having to open HD3 first and then browse to the files.

[ghost-angel]

the Icon is in the .ico file included in the install.

It's there, just doesn't do anything on the Mac. To get it, open it in the Priview program, then Edit->Copy, get Info on the JAR App (or whatever you want) and Edit->Paste into the icon field.

I think I can get it to associate the files with the mini-app, and possibly make the mini-app less strict in the path to launch HD. I'll work on some stuff this week.

[Kabluey]

Question - I'd like to get HD3, but.... is java5 supported in OSX 10.3.9? All the indications I can find suggest 10.4 only and although I have a copy of 10.4 I'm reluctant to upgrade since it doesn't play nice with two pieces of software I use a lot.

It's been a little while since I ran 10.3, but as I recall if you could actually find the download for Java 5, it would run on 10.3. Apple just doesn't say so and doesn't support it, of course. I forget now how I found a link to Java 5 on Apple's site, so maybe it's not even there any longer, but I did run it for a little while under 10.3.

Obviously another clunky solution would be to run Java 5 under Win in one of the Win emulators such as Virtual PC. I've never tried it, but you could use Bochs, an open source Intel emulator. On Bochs site, it looks like they just have Linux/BSD packages, but I found a site that sells a bundle for Mac that looks like it includes Bochs. The link is http://openosx.com/wintel/. I've never run it, so obviously I'm not endorsing it. But it at least would be a cheap route (cheaper than Virtual PC or the like, at least), assuming you have a Win license sitting around doing nothing.

[keithcurtis]

It's been a little while since I ran 10.3, but as I recall if you could actually find the download for Java 5, it would run on 10.3. Apple just doesn't say so and doesn't support it, of course. I forget now how I found a link to Java 5 on Apple's site, so maybe it's not even there any longer, but I did run it for a little while under 10.3.




I posted this a while back. The instructions are here (http://herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=40780), and the Java5 link is here (http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/java2se50release3.html). It doesn't say anything about compatibility with 10.3.

Keith "Java Helper" Curtis

[Kabluey]

I posted this a while back. The instructions are here (http://herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=40780), and the Java5 link is here (http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/java2se50release3.html). It doesn't say anything about compatibility with 10.3.

As I said with the rest of my response that you didn't quote, 10.3 compatibility wasn't something that Apple advertised or supported. I think, more specifically, it was just that Java 5 didn't check the OS version it was running on. It's entirely possible that it's not 100% compatible. But I do remember running it under 10.3 (as did a friend of mine) and I never ran into any problems. I'd suggest downloading it and giving it a try, but that's up to you, of course.

[keithcurtis]

I was just re-iterating that it was an unsupported installation. If it works, cool.

Keith "Didn't mean to mis-quote, just saving space" Curtis

[Kabluey]

I was just re-iterating that it was an unsupported installation. If it works, cool.

Keith "Didn't mean to mis-quote, just saving space" Curtis

Sorry if my response came off a little snippy. That wasn't my intention. Just haven't had any caffeine for the last hour or so. Not that I'm addicted, mind you. I can quit any time. I just choose not to.

[keithcurtis]

:)

Keith ":)" Curtis

[keithcurtis]

That's bizarre. Doesn't do that for me.

Anyone else having that issue?
Does the same thing here. Under Kind, it's listed as Application (Classic).
There's no option to change where to run it.


Keith "???" Curtis

[keithcurtis]

Question: Can you edit the little doodad that v2 used in a text editor to point to HDv3?

Basically change


<array>
<string>/Applications/HeroDesigner v2/update.jar</string>
<string>/Applications/HeroDesigner v2/Hero Designer.jar</string>
<string>$JAVAROOT/lax.jar</string>
</array>

to


<array>
<string>/Applications/Hero Designer/HDv3.jar</string>
<string>$JAVAROOT/lax.jar</string>
</array>

Keith "Not a programmer" Curtis

[ghost-angel]

hmm... mine says Application (PowerPC).

weird.

Anyways, looking into trying to make it path independant now, I'll see what's up with the Application type if I can.

[nlubofsky]

...Under Kind, it's listed as Application (Classic).
There's no option to change where to run it...

Hey, Ghost-Angel,

It's an "Application (Classic)" for me too.

I'm hoping it shouldn't be too hard to figure out why, because I'd really like this to work for me! What do you get when you do the "file" command? This is what I get:


Nicholas-Lubofskys-Computer:/Applications/HeroDesignerApp nlubofsky$ file Hero\ Designer.app
Hero Designer.app: MacBinary III data with surprising version number

Thanks,
Nick

[ghost-angel]

tell application "Finder"
open document file "HDv3.jar" of folder "Hero Designer" of folder "Applications" of startup disk
end tell

is the script in it's total. I have never figured out why it's listed as a "Classic" app for you guys. It may be that I'm running and created it under 10.4, but i wouldn't think that would be an issue.

[nlubofsky]

I'm running 10.4.6 (which maps to Darwin 8.6.0, I guess):

Nicholas-Lubofskys-Computer:/Applications nlubofsky$ uname -a
Darwin Nicholas-Lubofskys-Computer.local 8.6.0 Darwin Kernel Version 8.6.0: Tue Mar 7 16:58:48 PST 2006; root:xnu-792.6.70.obj~1/RELEASE_PPC Power Macintosh powerpc

[keithcurtis]

Thanks, GA. I was able to compile from your posted script. It works fine. I must admit I'm at a bit of a loss now that I see it in action. If I place the script in the applications portion of the doc, once HD is running I have two icons (script and app). If I place the .jar in the documents portion of the dock, once HD is running I have two icons (app and .jar). Either way I have two icons and one of them is useless once HD is running.
Am I missing something?

And does anyone have an answer to my earlier question about altering the code in doodad that used to execute HD2?

Keith "double vision" Curtis

[Aroooo]

as to the dock icons, you're not missing anything. I have the same 'problem.' Don't know if there is any way to 'fix' that.

as to the doodad, no idea :(

Aroooo

[ghost-angel]

You're not missing a thing Keith.

The only reason I even made this little tiny app is to have the ability to Launch HD from the Dock. Once launched HD itself becomes the Executable and appears in your Dock as a running Java App.

Nothing to do 'bout that really. Until Apple recognizes Executable JARs as Apps that can be placed in the App Portion of the Doc instead of the Document Portion of the Dock.

I personally don't put Documents in my Dock so I made this...

The only way to "fix" is to package the JAR code inside an actual APP.

[keithcurtis]

OK, I just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something blindingly obvious. I'll put an alias in the Apps folder I keep in the dock. I can rename that.

Keith "Everyone's got their favorite way of working" Curtis

[ghost-angel]

Keith "Everyone's got their favorite way of working" Curtis
For sure.

I ended up running HD from a Flash Drive so i can take it to work and home or wherever I have access to a USB port and Java5 to work on characters. So my own APP isn't even used anymore.... :p

[nlubofsky]

Keith,

Did you try this? If so, did you get the same error I do? This is what I get:


Unable to locate the application's 'main' class. The class 'com.hero.HeroDesigner' must be public and have a 'public static void main(String[])' method. (LAX)


Nick


Question: Can you edit the little doodad that v2 used in a text editor to point to HDv3?

Basically change


<array>
<string>/Applications/HeroDesigner v2/update.jar</string>
<string>/Applications/HeroDesigner v2/Hero Designer.jar</string>
<string>$JAVAROOT/lax.jar</string>
</array>

to


<array>
<string>/Applications/Hero Designer/HDv3.jar</string>
<string>$JAVAROOT/lax.jar</string>
</array>

Keith "Not a programmer" Curtis

[keithcurtis]

No I didn't try. Unlike Dr. Frankenstein, I have a good sense of when not to Dabble with Things Best Left Undisturbed. That's why I asked, instead of just doing it.

Keith "Mucho thanks for being my Guinea pig, though. :)" Curtis

[nlubofsky]

Mucho thanks for being my Guinea pig, though. :)

You are most welcome. It is an honor to do a favor for the "Mapmaker to the Heroes"! :D

Nick

[Tasha]

you can also try this new version of the Application shell someone wrote waaaay back in the HD1 days. I fiddled around with it enough to get it working even with v3.

FYI there is no real .jar file included with the attachment. You MUST use your own. The one that you see in the package is a Placeholder alias!

So what you Mac people must do is unzip the file. Then ctrl-click (right click) the file and choose "Show Package Contents". Place YOUR HDv3.jar in the Java subdirectory. It replaces the Red colored alias with the same file name (just a placeholder so you can see where your HD file goes). Close the HeroDesigner Package window. Double click the application to start.

Now you have an app that will put a correct icon in the dock.

Tasha

[Aroooo]

Sweet. I'll give this a try. Does the app have to be in the same folder as the rest of the HD3 stuff?

Aroooo

[Shike019]

Tasha, You are a Mac Goddess. :)

[keithcurtis]

Coolness! Will you need to place all future updates in the package as well?

Keith "bowing and scraping" Curtis

[Dr.Device]

you can also try this new version of the Application shell someone wrote waaaay back in the HD1 days. I fiddled around with it enough to get it working even with v3.

Now you have an app that will put a correct icon in the dock.

Tasha

Thanks for updating this. I'd been meaning to get around to updating it myself, but life's been busy lately.

[Tasha]

Coolness! Will you need to place all future updates in the package as well?

Keith "bowing and scraping" Curtis

Yes all updates will replace the HDv3.jar file inside the package. Also if Dan ever goes back to using an "update.jar" file like v2 that goes in the same place.

Tasha :D

Woooo! Glad it's working for you all!!!

[Tasha]

Thanks for updating this. I'd been meaning to get around to updating it myself, but life's been busy lately.

Dr.Device you totally rock! If it wasn't for your original work on the package I wouldn't be using HD right now!

Tasha :D