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Entropia Tracker Mapper addon

Starfinder

Starfinder

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Joined
Jan 31, 2005
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Denmark
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Planet Express
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Ms. Kazzza 'Starfinder' Milla
Hello.
After GeorgeSkywalker asked me to include "timestamps" in the screenshots I have started to take the idea a bit further....

First of all - I can not add timestamps or location stamps to screenshots without sending commands (to windows) to press the keyboard. This is something that could be looked upon as a violation of the EULA and cause your account to get locked/banned -- and I dont want to be responsible for that. Hence I have opened a support case at MindArk asking if I can do this, explaining exactly how I will do it.
(I know other screenshot programs and other utilities offer this functionality - but I dont want to add it to the ET client until I am sure you guys do not end up getting banned for using my software... hope you understand..)


Anyways. The support case has been "escalated" to their legal department (i hope they at least will ask a tech guy before making up their mind as Im mearly sending the command to windows - and not EU - that EU listens for the keystrokes through windows is not my fault :laugh::laugh: )

As a lot of other programs offer the features I have however the feeling that they will be ok with it - or they will have to start banning people...

So... I have already programmed the "location / timestamp" functionality into the client im sitting with here - I just havent released it yet...

But.. Since I can now - if they allow it - send keystrokes to EU I can start doing all sorts of nice stuff.
For instance get the coords each time you find a resource, find no resources, get a global, or just at a timed interval.

This opens up for a very very nice addon to Entropia Tracker.

I present to you - The Entropia Tracker Mapper.

The Entropia Tracker Mapper (ET-mapper) can be used to mark points of interest, your globals, where you are (so your friends can find you, or if you are a merchant - so your customers can find you).. Share your mining locations/patterns/times with your soc - no point in mining the same area twice within 10 minutes.

There will obviously be a lot of privacy settings in this program.
Right now you have 5 settings.
1 - only your self can see your "locations".
2 - only you and your friends can see your locations.
3 - only you and your soc can see your locations.
4 - only you, your soc and your friends can see your locations.
5 - "sharing people" can see your locations. (You will also share if you select this option)

If you set it so "shareing people" can see your locations, it will be interesting to see if there is a "flow" in the patterns of when/where the globals occur as Legion speaks so much about. :)

Below is a couple of screenshots after a couple of hours of code.

[br]Click to enlarge[/br]
Please note im "hoovering" over the yellow circle with my mouse on this screenshot to get the info in the "marker info" box. The curser just disappears when taking the screenshot.


[br]Click to enlarge[/br]
Here you can see a "manually added location with a label".. This can be used for points of interrest (Prehaps I should make it so you can draw a freehand circle on the map and make that a location - not quite sure yet, but it at least gives you the option to add locations maunally.


Furthermore will "automatically added locations" to your ingame map, also be added automatically to this map. ("A new location has been added to your map"-messages ingame will trigger the program to figure out the coords, and label the location whatever the Entropia Universe client said the location were named)


There are several other features planned for this addon - but this must be enough to begin with. :)

Thanks for supporting Entropia Tracker



EDIT:
Newest screenshot:
[br]Click to enlarge[/br]

Red dots = No resources found
Green dots = Claim found
Blue dot = TP
Yellow dots = Globals / HoF's
Orange dots = Outpost

[br]Click to enlarge[/br]


[br]Click to enlarge[/br]


DOWNLOAD THE TEST CLIENT HERE:

http://entropiatracker.com/client.rar

If it ask you to update it once you have installed it - please dont, as it will "update" to the old version!
 
Last edited:
Woohoo and i say screw MA and just release the thing :D
 
:eek: lookiung forward to this i agree with Legion on this lol
 
Nice work Starfinder :)

Can you make a feature to automatically type "/s EAT MY HOF!" every time I hit one? :D
 
I planned something like that for my tracker, too, and there is a way i'd've dealt with MAs policy, maybe it helps you now:

Make it optional, so everybody uses these functions "at own risk" - a single checkbox or something, that will be only activate "risky" features after displaying a modal dialog.


Then, use low level calls (NOT keybd_event !) to send the keystrokes.

This way, nobody can exactly if you use the "bad bad" feature.


IMHO, as long as you do not gain an unfair advantage ("gold farming") over others by using a "virtual keyboard device" there is nothing against it - i mean, there are a lot worse things an experienced and motivated coder can do, they shouldn't worry about keystrokes, really...
 
sounds realy good to me.

as allways good work
 
nice work starfinder that sure looks inviting :yay:


However, seeing the results like that i wonder if MA will disallow it on the grounds that it's just too damn good in helping us with our loot theories :D
 
awesome work m8!
 
GeorgeSkywalker said:
nice work starfinder that sure looks inviting :yay:


However, seeing the results like that i wonder if MA will disallow it on the grounds that it's just too damn good in helping us with our loot theories :D
Click to expand...

and they cant do anything about it as it doesnt interfere with EU :)
 
wizzszz said:
I planned something like that for my tracker, too, and there is a way i'd've dealt with MAs policy, maybe it helps you now:

Make it optional, so everybody uses these functions "at own risk" - a single checkbox or something, that will be only activate "risky" features after displaying a modal dialog.
Click to expand...
Yes.. It will be optional.. but I'd still not like to even offer something that _could_ be against the EULA...



And someone asked in a PM if the data would be stored in the central database. Yes, it will. Privacy issues are def. a concern of mine, and you are right I _can_ read all your global locations even tho you might have set them to "only my self can see my global locations". Its the same with avatar privacy.

You also asked if it will be free - yes it will. Sharing is caring. I offer the system - you guys, by running it once its done, will make the system what it can be. If no one use it or set everything to private, it wont be that good. But if an entire mining soc use it to share mining locations - who knows, prehaps they can take turns mining an area "keeping other miners out" once they find the pattern (if there is one)... And prehaps that will lead to increased (or just plain old) profits for those miners...

Thats the thought anyways. :)
 
If they don't allow it. Maybe they should employ starfinder and use this app ...it's just brilliant work. Or possibly buy the app of starfinder ....Darn we should see this somehow. Would make it so much easier to record data. Also if they are worried about everyone sharing data could make it so that it's obly personal i.e. you can only see your own data and no one elses.
 
I want this :)
 
Nice work starfinder. I think this is a tool I would use:D
 
Excellent work!!! :yay: Now its up to MA and its affiliates to sign off on this masterpiece!! :D
 
After another day of coding:

I have completed the integration into the existing tracker software.
Added the "keyboard" features to the tracker client.
Added disclaimers
Added so you can insert your own "points of interrest".
Added automated tagging of mining finds.
Changed the "draw style" for POI's on the map from a "pencil drawing" to a fixed size bullet. (Makes it look better at all zoom levels)


Made a little mining run and all the blue dots are mining finds.

Zoomed out:
[br]Click to enlarge[/br]



Zoomed in:
[br]Click to enlarge[/br]


Hoovering over one of the claims with the mouse:
[br]Click to enlarge[/br]


Disclaimer:
[br]Click to enlarge[/br]


I dont quite know how to log the "no resources found" automatically - i thought it would say that you had found no resources in the chat as it does with creatures you kill which has no loot. Perhaps add a "special" button like pause or F12 or something you can click to indicate "no resources found".



Comments, suggestions, requests?
 
Added pressing "Pause" will cause it to trigger a "NRF" marker.
Added different markers (colors)
Added Amethera map.

Preparing code for data transmission/receiving of coords via XML (perhaps make it so the XML feeds are public - via the API so you can make your own mapping software using ET coords (security policies will still apply to the XML feeds - ie you can hide YOUR coords from everyone - alltho the coords are anonymous)

Image:
[br]Click to enlarge[/br]
 
I want i want i want :yay:
 
Its getting to the stage where I need some beta testers ......

Skype or messenger... PM me if you want to help testing it...
(You need to global to test it fully - or at least get a mining claim on Eudoria or Amethera)
 
uau very sweet addon
 
If you can record the kind of resource found (narc, lyst etc.), this will be a nearly perfect replacement for NRF.

Can you do it?

I started a fund for the person to replace that program. If so, I'll nominate you to receive it!
 
mandu said:
If you can record the kind of resource found (narc, lyst etc.), this will be a nearly perfect replacement for NRF.

Can you do it?

I started a fund for the person to replace that program. If so, I'll nominate you to receive it!
Click to expand...

For globals it does it already (obviously).. for regular claims.. I will need to OCR the claim deed... can be done.. not coded yet..
 
mandu said:
If you can record the kind of resource found (narc, lyst etc.), this will be a nearly perfect replacement for NRF.

Can you do it?

I started a fund for the person to replace that program. If so, I'll nominate you to receive it!
Click to expand...

well to be nrf replacement it needs to to more but it's a good start.. ido u got competition i guess :p
 
With the help of a few guys.. The mapper add-on now works with hunting globals as well.
It will now send the location of the global to the server, so when you restart your ET suite, the coords are fetched from the server.

Changed the way you can select to see which "markers" you want.

Added a lot of TP's to "public locations" which everyone can see.


[br]Click to enlarge[/br]


[br]Click to enlarge[/br]
 
I have been trying out the mapper addon and it works great. Nice to keep track of all claims, nrf's and globals. +rep to ya :D
 
roughrider said:
I have been trying out the mapper addon and it works great. Nice to keep track of all claims, nrf's and globals. +rep to ya :D
Click to expand...

Thanks... I think it will be ready for release some time next week.. perhaps thursday.. (got a few very long days at work planned for next week)...
 
Current project status:
Seems some older machines have issues with the current way I do the keyboard hook - I think I need to make the hook (and the data transmissions) live in its own process, otherwise it lags from time to time.
Issue has been noticed on E6600 CPU with (1-3 sec lag from time to time)
I have - if i really stress the system (zoom in/out using keyboard) - noticed a 0.1 sec lag from time to time (E8500 CPU)...

So, I will be working on a fix for that.


I am also looking into adding OCR so you can scan your claim deeds to get type / size. I have found a free OCR dll which seems allright.
 
Just got an answer from MA in relation to the legality of using the keyboard hook to send "location" and "timestamp" commands to windows.. which EU reads..

Their reply is as follows:
Hi,

I apologize for the slow coming back on this, the matter has been up for some discussion.

This is how it works: 3rd party programs that collects information from Entropia Universe (such as for example screenshots or logs of ingame activity) are in principal forbidden in accordance with the EULA section 3.1. However, MindArk reserves the right to revoke this limitation either generally or in specific cases.

If you confirm to me that the email address stated in your account is up to date, I can send you an email with the required form, including inquiries regarding your tool, that you must reply to and later submit directly to MindArk (instructions on this will come together with the form). After we have reviewed your replies, you will receive a final answer on this issue.

Please note that in some cases you will be required to provide the software/tool to MindArk in order for it to be examined.

If you wish to proceed with the request to expand the functionality of Entropia Tracker, please confirm your e-mail address and I will send you the form and further instructions.
Click to expand...

So.. guess its moving in some direction now.. hard to tell what they say.. but at least it wasent a "blank no"...

"Will ET be the first (that I know of) officially supported 3rd party tool by MindArk?"...
 
Starfinder said:
Just got an answer from MA in relation to the legality of using the keyboard hook to send "location" and "timestamp" commands to windows.. which EU reads..

Their reply is as follows:


So.. guess its moving in some direction now.. hard to tell what they say.. but at least it wasent a "blank no"...

"Will ET be the first (that I know of) officially supported 3rd party tool by MindArk?"...
Click to expand...

You have my support!! Gl and let MA see the potential in this as many others here do!! :yay:
 
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