**Open external Application (from within AS)**

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synthsin75
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**Open external Application (from within AS)**

Post by synthsin75 »

Download it here.

This is a script that allows you to open external applications from within AS. You can use it as a button or menu script. I've included an icon for button use.

----------------------------------------------------
Installation:
Button: Drop both files in your AS 'tool' folder, and add 'button syn_x_app ...' anywhere you want in the _tool_list.txt.

On Windows, this script will try to run twice as a button. Just cancel the second run or assign it a shortcut key.


Menu: You can put this in any 'menu' folder you like. I use it directly from my 'menu' folder rather than a subfolder.
---------------------------------------------------

I have no way to test any of the Mac paths, and some of the apps I've included are for Windows only. The apps are:

Scene Selector
Papagayo
Papagayo Post
MoRen
Panel Saver
Panel Arranger
Color Cop
Color Swatch Maker

These are all free apps, but you'll have to hunt these up yourself. Color Cop is just the color picker I use.

Enjoy :wink:
chucky
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Post by chucky »

That's great Synth, a whole list of goodies.
ColorCop was an excellent addition, great tool that one.
I keep all these on my object dock too for fast access.
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synthsin75
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Post by synthsin75 »

Let me know if there are any other useful AS utilities like these that you'd like included. :wink:
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Víctor Paredes
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Post by Víctor Paredes »

Hi synth, thanks for this script, I works fine, but I would know if it is possible to have something simpler. I need a script which execute just one specific application.
this is my idea, I have installed two copies of Panel Arranger in different folders, in one I have saved my windows ordered for drawing and in the second I have them ordered for animating.

I want to have two buttons, one executes drawing panel arranger and the other one animating panel arranger, this way I can jump from one order to another. I suppose I could modify a simple script to add whatever specific program path.


pd: Do you know if it is possible, by scripting, to close or open windows? I mean the tools, style, timeline windows. It would be useful to have a button which open the panel arranger to order the windows for just draw, but that at the same time, it could close the timeline window. and for animating, it reorder and reopen the timeline.
but I'm being too pretentious and specific :oops: sorry, I just thought about this pd meanwhile wrote this message.
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synthsin75
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Post by synthsin75 »

Selgin, can't open/close panels with a script, but I could definitely do a couple of Panel Arranger/Saver buttons. I assume you just want buttons that don't open a dialog window?

If you don't mind the dialog, I could just add 'Alternate Panel Arranger' & 'Alternate Panel Saver' check boxes. Let me know how you'd prefer that to work.
:wink:
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Post by Víctor Paredes »

thanks for the quick answer!, oh, supposed anyway that open or close windows couldn't be done by script, but I wouldn't lose anything making the question (but it's terrible, just a couple clicks or commands more)

I just would prefer to have a script with no open dialog. I would like to have a script where I add the path in notepad and make this a button, no more than this. something like openwhateverprogram.lua :roll:

thanks again
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synthsin75
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Post by synthsin75 »

Here you go, Selgin!

You can use this for as many single application launch buttons as you like. You'll just need to do a few things to use more than one of these.

1) Rename the file to anything you like. (This is so you can add it as a button to the _tool_list.txt) I'd rename it for the app it opens (i.e. syn_moren.lua).

2) Add this new name to the tool list.

Code: Select all

button   syn_moren.lua   ...
Or just use it as a menu script.

3) Open the script in a text editor and change the path to the application you want to open.

4) Change the internal script name to what you renamed the file. For example, in this line:

Code: Select all

ScriptName = "Syn_AnyApp"
Select 'Syn_Any_App' without the quotes. Do find and replace, and replace it with your new name. (i.e. Syn_AnyApp would be changed to Syn_MoRen in my above example) Choose the option to 'replace all'.

5) Save these changes, and you should be good to go.

--------------------------------------------------------------

I changed it so you only need to double the '\' for the windows path, instead of having the '"\""' at the start and end. I also did this for Syn_X_App.

Enjoy
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Víctor Paredes
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Post by Víctor Paredes »

thank you very much synth!
I'm arriving home and it's 3.49 am and my computer is not here, I will try tomorrow (today) and tell you how it's going on.

thanks!!!
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Post by Víctor Paredes »

Sorry for the very very late answer, synth.
thanks for the tool, It works fine with any application, but for some reason now I can't make Panel Arranger work.
It's pretty mysterious for me (I wrote in the panel arranger topic to see if someone can help me there). Anyway, I will be trying over and over, it really would be cool to have shortcuts to order the panels any way you want.

thanks again!.
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Post by synthsin75 »

I was just wondering about how you were doing with that, today. Glad to hear it's working well (at least my part of it).

I'm not sure where Panel Saver writes the saved arrangement to. Perhaps changing the name of one of the Panel Saver.exe would make it save to a different location. But I'm not sure.
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Post by Víctor Paredes »

I'll try changing the name of one arranger, but anyway, it saves the windows position in one notepad file in the same folder than the program.

thanks again, and sorry again by my late.
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Post by synthsin75 »

Selgin,

I never actually used Panel Arranger before, so I thought I'd check it out to see if I could help. I did have some trouble getting it to work at first. Don't know why though.

I got it working for me, but on only one monitor. One set of Saver/Arranger exes are in my Program Files folder, and the other on my Desktop. The desktop ones I renamed.

I'm actually going to have to set this up with the script I wrote for you, since I really like your idea about having an 'animation' and a 'drawing' layout.
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synthsin75
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Post by synthsin75 »

http://www.mediafire.com/?jdngi11dlzd

Selgin,

I modified Panel Arranger/Saver so it has a different name, and writes a different text file. This will work from the same folder as the original. Seems to be working for me, but it sometimes has trouble. Keep trying. It seems to work well once you get it to work at all. :roll:
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Post by Víctor Paredes »

Thanks Synth! you are so nice.
I have discovered something. Panel Arranger doesn't save my windows positions because my AS is translated to Spanish, so it doesn't consider windows with names it doesn't know.
I have changed the names in the string file and works fine... relatively. I discovered I can even move and change the size of tools windows just editing the txt that Panel Arranger makes. It sounds great, I know almost all the shortcuts I have asigned to the tools so many times I don't need all the tool palette but 1/3. I could order it to let hide the tools I use most with shortcut, but without lose the shortcuts.

I have just one problem now, I can't move the timeline, panel arranger doesn't recognize it, even when I have changed its name.

PD: Ok, I get it now!. I don't know why, but now works. It's fantastic!.
Really thanks Synth for all your help :D
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Post by Víctor Paredes »

:oops: Ok, for some reason, the script doesn't open the panel arranger. It opens a black window, but by, let me see, one frame (to say it as an animator), I can read the window tittle in an instant and it says "cmd32.exe".

It is weird...
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