gpmGUI version 1 by RAF_Roy , spring or so, 2007

(note: gpmTpc2Pcx.exe included with this .zip)

gpmGUI is a simple Gui selector for gpmTpc2Pcx.exe.the gpmTpc2Pcx.exe program must be included in this programs folder.
gpmGUI can browse to any folder and and runs the gpmTpc2Pcx.exe from there.
Its a nice feature I think.

You can select any type of file or extension, and gpmTpc2Pcx will try to process it,and you'll find the end product named as a .pcx But of course it won't be a real.pcx if it was .cdf,etc. or anything gpmTpc2Pcx cannot convert.. lol!





-------- Program settings : ----- The program's .ini file -------

(see .jpg pics included for examples)

The program makes its own .ini in its folder, the setgpm.ini
use the setgpmGUi.exe program to make settings changes to the .ini , don't do it by hand because any mistake and gpmGUI will make errors or refuse to run.


2 basic option buttons for setgpmGUi: "set new" or "restore defaults": use "set new" button to make settings options.

~ ~ ~ The default settings ~ ~ ~ 

- The first settings, output:
same_as_input

=that means the finished .pcx files will be made in the same folder where your source files; .ter or .tpc or whatever are.


- the next settings, input:
browse_allways 

=it means the "Browse for Folder" box will open at top or root of all your drives.Browse from there to the folder your source files in.


* * * the other settings * * *
- Output folder:
if you choose:
special_folder 

=that means after converted your output .pcx files will be copied to the folder you set here to be your special_folder

- input folder:
if you choose:
browse_myfolder

=it means where the "Browse for Folder" box will open highlighted at.Chose O.K. and the program runs using that folder as the source.
If you not wish to use that folder change your .ini settings!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *






----------------- The Cardinal Rule you must remember at all times --------------------------
The cardinal rule is Don't Ever think of the folders used by this program as working folders for your EAW editing!!!

Because .pcx files that are in these folders,whether input or output or pcxbak will get deleted or overwritten sooner or later.Probaly sooner than you think!




Even the pcxbak folders are only a temporary save for the program convenience, not your convenience.
They are last ditch effort to save you from losing .pcx files from your input folder.
 
Once you convert your files to .pcx I urge to put them elsewhere ASAP.

This double true if you use the output setting "special_folder".

"special_folder" files are never backed up, they are deleted next time the program runs if you have set in your .ini the special_folder setting.
they are not backed up to any \ pcxbak folder ever.

In fact I should not even call the pcxbak folders that, they are not for backups, both "pcxbak" folders are simple there to get .pcx's the **ll out of the input folder when gpmGUI runs gpmTpc2Pcx.exe again.

Remember; pcxbak either in you input folder or you output folder is only for files from your input folder.
It is never for files from "special_folder".They are never saved.They are deleted each time.

You are warned!






---------- Understanding the Mindset of the 2 main ways of program use -------------------


-->> It is imperative you understand the avoid mixups or overwriting your .pcx files <<--


Basically there are 2 main mindsets/ways to use the program.It depends on which Output folder setting you prefer.This affects also what end results happen in your input folder.

1. The first way, like default output folder, the outputs .pcx's are made and left when done in the input folder.
This is similar to if you used gpmTpc2Pcx.exe the old way.But the difference is my program clears any existing .pcx files out of this folder every time when it is run (no matter what the new files names will be) the pcxbak folder is where they get dumped, and they may overwrite files there.There is no warnings.


2. The second way, using "special_folder" for output is more for production and more ruthless.
I made because this way with this Mindset: always put inputs into the input folder,and get output to use from your output folder.
Once you get it, do something to save it elsewhere if you want it, else it will be deleted next time you run the program.No matter what .pcx filename you process.its not a matter of overwriting I specifically delete the files.

If you use this method and don't make mistakes it works nice.

But it does not allow the lapse or pause and save like the other way.

The other way is safer but more work.You always have to be looking in and out of the input folder with its mixed files.But then again if you forget a file is in there it might get saved to pcxbak 
long enough for you to realize it.

So anyway a good system is open the .pcx from output with your graphics program, if you like it save it somewhere else.Do not start editing it from here!
Because if you run gpmGUI again and it finds the file locked by OS or any Program in "Read_Deny mode" you will get errors or mistakes. 
If not leave it to be destroyed next time you gpmGUI something.



---------------------Tricks:---------------------------------------------------------

You can always just cut either of the whole pcxbak folders away to put elsewhere, the gpmGUI will make a new folder same name in its place next time it runs.


By changing your .ini you can temporary stave off the onslaught of .pcxs output.. lol!
But this is only like using a bomber crater for a foxhole.
The next time or the next the shelling starts you likely get toasted.. sad but true!! 

make some Dos batch files or some program to do whatever with your .pcx's
gpmGUI is bound to save hours of work in the long run if you do.

Tip:
Get PicPacGUI , its not made by me, but it works great!


I wish I had made this or better years ago.To think I made so many dir /b /ogne >list.txt commands and batch files and then replace extensions etc. for every time to convert with gpmTpc2Pcx.exe .. urghhh!


I finally had enough and made this program.There might be another one made somewhere by someone but I never could find it.I used "the-Gui" for awhile, which is not bad,  but it stopped working for me on XP after some upgrade.Probaly a Security update, but I don't care.This is better.

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That's all..(except the Tech  notes.. lol!).... GoodLuck!

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My best wishes to gmpwalp who I never met, who made the program in the first place, which we use all the time and would not have done so much without him.
We truly him a great thanks for it!



-S!

RAF_Roy
Spring or so, 2007



-----------------------------
Tech Notes... AD Nauseum...
-----------------------------

gpmTpc2Pcx.exe must be present in this programs folder

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gpmGUI or setgpmGui can recreate setgpm.ini with default settings if you delete the .ini.

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gpmGUI caveats:

if two files you want to process exist in the input folder with the same name but different extentions only one will remain as a .pcx after processed.i.e. grass.tpc and grass.ter,that is because gpmTpc2Pcx overwrote the other.I did not make any fix for that.
..Just process the other file later by itself.
Watch for this because it may confound you some day! 


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

gpmGUI limitations:

Due to limits of Winbatch program coding, the program has a limit of files it can process from the input folder at one time.If it exceeds these limits the box that asks for the input files will show again after you have selected all the files.At that point if ever you see happen,just cancel, or the program will error.There is no way around it, you will simply have to select less files to process at once.
I'm not sure what the limit is exactly..
 I have processed about 200 files at a time without any error, so that's enough for me!
According to Winbatch the limit is .."AskFileText support multiple selection up to 32,767 items,AskFileText uses the line length set by IntControl(65) (4096 characters by default)" whatever that means exactly is cryptic.. seems to mean you can do 32,767 files, but I doubt it.. probaly the limit is a few hundred files due to the text string method I used..at any rate, that's all I know about it..


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byproducts of in the gpmGUI program folder left by the program after it runs, these files will be deleted and replaced at the beginning of the next time gpmGui runs:

mygpmitemz.txt ;
a txt list of all the files that in the input folder after the program moved out any prexisting .pcx files.

my.bat ;
a text list of last the commands sent to gpmTpc2Pcx

The files may have some for own your purposes? if you want to say them remove them from gpmGUI folder.


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Like all my Winbatch programs
WBDCG34I.DLL
wilx34i.dll
are self extracted from the .exe if not present
-----------------------
Winbatch programs like this work on all windows versions 16 or 32 bit since Win 3 and probaly on Vista and whatever comes after that too.


-S!