Projectile Lite
[Current version 0.98u Delta]
[Download Zip 99kb]

Description:
It starts Lightwave. I know, sounds korny. What's wrong with just
doubleclicking the icons? Nothing I suppose. But that doesn't
allow you to setup different configs for different clients.
Well it does, IF you have time to spend on messing around with
the windows shortcuts and know how. The advantage with
Projectile Lite is mainly that it allows you to have multiple
installs and multiple config sets for each install and all
is easily managed. You can even use a systray icon to start
both Layout and Modeler with just one selection. There is
also an option to use or not to use the hub.

Features:
· Config sets allow the user to choose and create different
  environments.
· Config sets allow multiple users share the same computer and
  lightwave installation but with their own environment.
· It handles up to four different Lightwave installations each with
  their different config sets.
· Tabs can also be used to setup different projects.
· Checkmarks on the buttons allow the user to select which apps are
  available in the systray menu.
· Hub checkbox allows user to select wether they want to use the
  hub or not.
· People having trouble with Lightwave starting slow due to
  firewall interference will not have to have the hub
  continuesly running anymore. This is solved by
  prestarting the hub for the user.
· For users beta testing and have multiple installs of Lightwave
  they can setup a tab for each install.
· Developers can setup a tab for Lscript and a seperate one for
  Lightwave.
· Both layout and modeler can be started simultaneously.
· Both interface designer and editor can be started simultaneously.

· There are probably more ways to use it, but that is all I can
  think of for now.

How to:
First thing that happens when you run Projectile Lite is that
you are placed in the 'About' tab of the program. Start off by activating
a tab by checking one of the project checkboxes. Projectile Lite now asks
for the folder where it can find the Lightwave executables, for example:
C:\Program Files\NewTek\Lightwave8\Programs

Once this is setup it will ask for a folder where you want to place
the config files. But as the Tip states, selecting 'No' here will set it
up for you. So just select 'No' for now and the 'Configs' folder will be
created at (following the example above):
C:\Program Files\NewTek\Lightwave8\Configs

In case you would already have this folder made at this location
Projectile Lite will make you aware of this fact and make the already
existing folder the config folder.

In the textfield in the Name column for the project you selected, just
type in an appropriate name for the tab. I prefer to give it the name
of the Lightwave version it is dedicated to. Others prefer to dedicate
the tabs to different projects. Just type a name that you feel is
descriptive enough.

Now go to the activated tab and in the combobox named 'Config
sets:' type in a name for the your new Config set. Next click the
'Add new set' button.

Now we are going to personalize the Systray icon a bit.
If you rightclick it now you will notice that there is a submenu
with the same name you gave the tab. If you click it you'll notice
that all available programs are there. But you might not need
access to the developer tools. So in the activated tab on the
buttons in Projectile Lite's interface you can uncheck the checkboxes
for the last three buttons. You can probably uncheck the hub checkbox
as well since there is rarerly any need to activate the hub seperatley
(can't think of a single reason actually). Now if you rightclick the
systray icon and go to your submenu you will notice that those are
now gone from there. Next you can select if you want or don't want
to use the Hub by unchecking or checking the 'Use the Hub' checkbox.

If you close Projectile Lite with the 'Use the systray icon' (About tab)
it will just minimize Projectile Lite to the systray. You will have to
close it via the systray icon menu. But if the systray icon is not used
then Projectile Lite will behave as any normal windows application.

Now that Projectile Lite is setup and running you can start Lightwave
applications by just clicking the button in the Projectile Lite
interface or via the systray menu.

Requirements:
· Microsoft Framework 2.0 is required for this delta* version.
· Microsoft Windows98/Me/2000/XP (or any other OS with a working
  installed version of MS Framework 2.0 installed).
· At least one installed version of Lightwave.

- Patrik Westlin

*delta is for Design. This means in our case that it is written in Visual Basic .net. It is fully
functional it is just not optimized and rewritten in C++ yet. We are also looking into plattform
independent options.

Screenshots:

Here you can see how easy it is to setup your Lightwave in multiple
ways and how easy it is to create new environments. Just type a
new name and hit the 'Add new set' button and you have a new
environment ready for configuration within Lightwave. And if you
select one then that is the configuration that will be loaded.

The checkboxes in the buttons with the Lightwave icons lets you
choose which apps should be available in the systray menu.

This is the configuration and about tab. Here you can make the
settings you want for the general purposes. You can activate tabs
and name them. You can also choose to kill Projectile Lite once a
Lightwave application has been activated via Projectile Lite.
You can also select to use the neat Systray icon which let's you
start Lightwave components directly from the systray. Start
minimized lets you hide Projectile Lite if you start it with
windows. If Systray icon is used Projectile Lite minimizes to
systray.

In this example you can see the systray menu and how it shows all
the selected options. It will only show the activated tabs and in
those submenus the activated apps. You can also choose the
Config set you need for the current project.

Doubleclicking the systray icon opens the Projectile Lite interface.

I only took this snapshot to show that a tab can even be setup for
Lscript developers to easily access the Lscript apps.

PS: This software is currently in Delta stage meaning it is
in Design stage of development. What this means in our case is that the
program is currently written in Visual Basic .net and therefore requires
Microsoft Framework 2.0 or later. With the framework installed the program
is fully functional (with the reservation for a bug or two that I haven't
yet discovered perhaps). We are currently working on converting it to C++
code to make it undependent of the Framework. This will also allow us to
perhaps convert it to MacOSX eventually if demands is high enough and
sales goes well for our other upcomming apps so we can afford a MacOSX
develop plattform.

Thanks for taking the time to look through this document.