Re: MainLobby Ver 2.0

["mcascio1979 <mario@xxxxxxx>" <mario@xxxxxxx>]

Hi Everyone,

It's good to see my Lobby software made it all the way to the UK. :)

All of my products are a constant work-in-progress and I have a 
pretty big vision of where they are going so they will probably never 
actually be completed per se.  

Up until now, everything has been handled by me personally.  Which
has been pretty challenging handling all aspects of the business. 
But you'll also notice that for any of you who saw the first version 
of MainLobby, MainLobby 2.18 has come a long way in a very short 
time.  The first version had one button style layed on a 2 x 4 grid
(8 buttons) that not only you couldn't move them, but you had to edit 
a text file to modify their label and only consisted of one Scene. :)

Now you can drag and drop buttons (250+ to choose from), change 
background skins (50+ to choose from), link between scenes, Girder 
and SLinke support, turn on/off X10 devices, etc.

And this is really only just the beginning of what this software will 
really be able to do.  Imagine MainLobby reacting to information 
coming in, multiple clients, option to synchronize between 2 
instances of MainLobby, macro controls, displaying a light bulb lit 
based on if the light is actually on, moveable dials and dimmers, 
digital displays read from your thermostat, and the list goes on and 
on.

Not only will you have the best looking graphical user interface, 
custom by you using my supplied graphics/buttons, but you'll also 
have the most affordable and still have the features that compete 
with the big dogs.

I'm looking forward to developing the Lobby Software in 2003.  I will
be bringing in more talent, better documentation, more updates to the 
website, marketing, etc.

I certainly appreciate Paul's unbiased comments and welcome them. 
That's how the software becomes more polished.  I did release 2.18
earlier than I anticipated due to the high demand from the current 
user base.  So some bugs are inevitable. Their is a PDF manual 
included with MainLobby that I would recommend everyone reading.

The trial version will shut down after 60 minutes of use without 
warning.

You can delete any button in any order.  The remove button from the
Menu removes the last button.  The 'Delete' button is located in the
Edit Button Properties panel.

The button Library does display text if the button has text on it. 
This was actually left in there last minute because I thought it 
would benefit the user to some degree.  Say you have a label with the
number 1 on the button.  When you go into the library it will show
how the 1 looks on each button.  Currently, I've predetermined where
the text gets positioned on the buttons.  So some buttons have the
text off to the right, top or bottom of the button which makes it 
looks like a bug.  I can put a mask around each button which will 
solve this problem.  Again, I released this latest version sooner 
than I would have liked. :)

Some buttons are invisible when  no mouse is over them.  Again
this 
is intentional for now.  But I think because of confusion I may make
them visible when in Edit or Design mode, but then disappear when in 
Launch mode - this probably only makes sense for someone who has used 
the software.  Basically each button has several states and some 
users who are utilizing remote controls and not mouses, this makes 
the system respond more accurately.

Like Paul mentioned, it is easy to create interfaces fast and furious 
and with an uncomparable look to anything else out there.

I've also been contemplating a ProntoLobby which will allow you to 
use MainLobby for creating Pronto interfaces - the software would 
then automatically export quandrants out in BMP format for use with 
the Pronto software.  This allows the user to design a common looking
interface for all components.  You can currently do create Pronto 
screens, but you would need to break up and export the images your 
self. 

You'll also be seeing other exciting products like TVLobby and 
possible integration with players as we begin to develop more 
relationships with other companies.

I hope everyone can see the vision as I do and feel confident about 
the development and my determination to see this product through.

Sincerely,

Mario Cascio
Cinemar
http://www.cinemaronline.com

Lobby Software Creator and Developer

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