ESG 1.6 - Autoupload screenshots to EF & smudge tool!

Announcing Entropia Screen grabber v1.6 with new and updated functionality:

• Take screenshots from inside EU with a preset hotkey of your choice
• Organize your screenshots automatically in subfolders
• Automatically screenshot after a global or hof with your name, including timestamp and coordinates (PS: Requires main chat log enabled ingame)
• Smudge ped balance, chats or the area of your choice before upload.
• Select and upload screenshots directly to EF from within the program.
• Help tracking globals for public statistics on entropiauniverse.info (coming soon)

Never before has screenshotting been easier nor faster!

For windows vista and windows 7: When running in fullscreen mode ESG is not compatible with accellerated desktop themes like aero unless you use the experimental dx9 screenshot method available under advanced options. See the bottom of this post for ways to fix this.

Global logging is completely voluntary and all functionality except for AutoScreen is available both with and without it. When active only direct global information like name, size, type etc is uploaded. No chats, no other information.

When specifying the location of your log file keep in mind MindArk moved this to my documents/Entropia Universe. If you select the file in your entropia folder it will not be updated when you global, and so the auto SS will not work. In most cases this folder should be detected automatically.

To verify your log file is working correctly write down one letter in the character name box and then wait for someone starting on that letter to global. The program will then save a screenshot if you set it up correctly.

Downloads available at:
Version 1.7.1 : http://entropiauniverse.info/tracker/ESG1.7.1.zip

Version 2.0.0 alpha :
package: http://entropiauniverse.info/tracker/esg2.0.06a.zip
installer: http://entropiauniverse.info/tracker/esg2.0.06a_installer.zip

No installation required. Just unzip it to a folder and run it.

(Remeber to unpack it though before running or it might cause an error)




If you are using Vista or Windows 7 together with accellerated desktop then normal screenshotting will produce black screenshots when playing entropia in fullscreen.

To get around the problem you need to do one of the following:
1. Inactivate the accelerated desktop somehow, either by completely changing to classic theme, or as sunny wrote, "inactivate visual themes", and "inactivate desktop-composition/assembly" (loosely translated).. I personally don't have windows 7, so maybe someone else could explain exactly how to do this.

2. Reactivate the "advanced" screenshot functionality in ESG. This mode is disabled by default. To do this you should first make sure entropia is running, then activate it (you find it under advanced settings). Then toggle between entropia and ESG a couple of times until ESG changes title to "ESG 1.7.X (Connected to entropia)". You might also have to restart Entropia to get it to work. See the screenshot below:
[br]Click to enlarge[/br]
This mode is experimental, but once you get it to work it should capture screenshots like a charm, and it will acctually capture screenshots of entropia even if it's in the background of other programs (ie if youre watching a movie while say crafting), but only if it is in the background, not when minimized.


Should you have any feedback or suggestions for improvement please reply in this thread or send me a PM.

Thanks to Butch C, CozMoDan, jod, cindywood and all the other betatesters so far that helped me evolve this product so far.

I understand that it gets your global info from the chat file. Does this require you to have the view globals selected ingame? I don't know if that affects what is logged or not. Also it looks like you will automatically be hitting the P and U keys for position and time? It does this automatically for you when it senses your global?

This is something I would really like to have, but really don't know much about it and how it would work for me and the way I like to play.

Also how much system resources would this take up? I am running at mostly all low settings in order to be able to play (10-35fps depending on location) will I notice much of a drop from running this program?

I probably not enable auto-upload, but im not sure.

nice work!

narfi

I am not able to download it from the link you provided -

Johned said:

I am not able to download it from the link you provided -

Click to expand...

My host just went down... I'll come back with an update once I find out what's up :\

The host is now back up and the DL should once again be available.

narfi said:

I understand that it gets your global info from the chat file. Does this require you to have the view globals selected ingame?

Click to expand...

Correct, and no. Entropia logs all globals to your logfile regardless of your settings, so you don't need to have globals visible ingame to use this. All you need is to have main chat logging enabled from options.

narfi said:

Also it looks like you will automatically be hitting the P and U keys for position and time? It does this automatically for you when it senses your global?

Click to expand...

If you choose it to. There's a checbox where you can enable/disable this option, or three more under advanced if you want to specify what keys to press.

narfi said:

Also how much system resources would this take up? I am running at mostly all low settings in order to be able to play (10-35fps depending on location) will I notice much of a drop from running this program?

Click to expand...

It should be really negligible. Comparable to running a low tech IRC client in the background.

narfi said:

I probably not enable auto-upload, but im not sure.

nice work!

narfi

Click to expand...

Thank you

Update(1.6.2): Removed dependency on VB powerpacks.

great update, i cant wait to try it

heineken said:

great update, i cant wait to try it

Click to expand...

You can try it outside of EU too if you like by using the hotkey.
The screenshot function will if Entropia is active try to screenshot the Entropia window (For instance if you have two screens and watch a movie in one while crafting in the other). If no Entropia window is open it will screenshot the active window.

As of when will it become a paying tool / service ?

well done, this software answers a lot of peoples wishes. And during WOF i think this will be well handy.

good job was a pleasure to see it progress to what it is now.

AtamiKiangola said:

As of when will it become a paying tool / service ?

Click to expand...

If you feel an overwhelming desire to pay, there's always the donate efd button
There's no plans to charge for this service, nor the upcoming statistics provided, in any way...

I had to do a minor change in the code to fetch the teamhunting globals, and therefor need everyone to DL the new version.
I am sorry for the inconvenience... (yes.. I could work at ma support!)

Akoz said:

If you feel an overwhelming desire to pay, there's always the donate efd button
There's no plans to charge for this service, nor the upcoming statistics provided, in any way...

Click to expand...

sounds great, I hope you are in good health
Pitty about the aero theme though.

log files

Remember when specifying the location of your log file keep in mind MindArk moved this to my documents/Entropia Universe. If you select the old logfile in your entropia folder it will not be updated when you global, and so the auto SS will not work.

To verify your log file is working correctly write down one letter in the character name box and then wait for someone starting on that letter to global. The program will then save a screenshot if you set it up correctly.

AtamiKiangola said:

Pitty about the aero theme though.

Click to expand...

I'll let you know as soon as I find a way around it.

I downloaded 1.6.5 and it worked flawlessly in windowed mode for Win7 Ultimate tonight. I enabled the AutoSS option and it worked great. It grabbed a mining hof and global on CND. It printed the time and location before it snapped the pic just as it is supposed to. I did a few manual SS's as well and they worked just as well. I utilized the autoupload to EF function and it worked flawlessly as well. I logged into EF and my SS's were in my gallery spot. Perfect.

You asked about cleaning up the interface, maybe add a 'Help' box with each item linked to a help window instead of having a question mark next to each item. I think that'd help. Persnally though, I think the interface is pretty clean and easy to use. I'll keep testing it.

twitchie said:

I downloaded 1.6.5 and it worked flawlessly in windowed mode for Win7 Ultimate tonight. I enabled the AutoSS option and it worked great. It grabbed a mining hof and global on CND. It printed the time and location before it snapped the pic just as it is supposed to. I did a few manual SS's as well and they worked just as well. I utilized the autoupload to EF function and it worked flawlessly as well. I logged into EF and my SS's were in my gallery spot. Perfect.

You asked about cleaning up the interface, maybe add a 'Help' box with each item linked to a help window instead of having a question mark next to each item. I think that'd help. Persnally though, I think the interface is pretty clean and easy to use. I'll keep testing it.

Click to expand...

Thank you, and I'll certainly consider that.

Regarding aero theme and fullscreen: I have found a way around this, but it would require quite a lot of delicate programming on my part in areas I'm all but familiar with. Can anyone convince me it'll be worth it?

Akoz said:

Thank you, and I'll certainly consider that.

Regarding aero theme and fullscreen: I have found a way around this, but it would require quite a lot of delicate programming on my part in areas I'm all but familiar with. Can anyone convince me it'll be worth it?

Click to expand...

Well, personally, I always use windowed mode. However, there seem to be a good amount of people who use full screen mode. With Win7 and Vista being the most recent 2 OS's out there, having full screen comptiability would make your app much more accepted for more folks.

Great work!

But... I only get the black screenshot.
I have tried to run as admin but no luck.
Any other suggestions?

After the last vu, I now have a new log file called mylog that only records globals. Looks like MA is trying to help out the situation a bit.

Mack Ka An said:

Great work!

But... I only get the black screenshot.
I have tried to run as admin but no luck.
Any other suggestions?

Click to expand...

Taking this in swedish so it gets right

Inaktivera visuella teman
Inaktivera skrivbordssammansättning

That should get it to work

Very useful tool. Thanks for sharing it.

seems like nice program but there is one thing

I am not going to allow it to send any data through internet (its not the question if I trust this software or not, I am not going to risk ) and without allowing it this program is not going to start work

so useless for me and for sure for a lot of ppl

Hetman said:

seems like nice program but there is one thing

I am not going to allow it to send any data through internet (its not the question if I trust this software or not, I am not going to risk ) and without allowing it this program is not going to start work

so useless for me and for sure for a lot of ppl

Click to expand...

That would be the downside of enabling global logging. You should still be able to use the program for taking screenshots, and some preprocessing (smudging tool, selecting which to keep etc) without connecting it to the internet though.

I try to check "Allow logging of globals" option, which I had unchecked after starting program first time, then ESG tries to connect to the internet, which i block on firewall (ZoneAlarm) and then program is not responding, probably it waits for internet connection few secs, when it starts responding i still cant check "Allow logging of globals" option as its unchecking itself each time

Hetman said:

I try to check "Allow logging of globals" option, which I had unchecked after starting program first time, then ESG tries to connect to the internet, which i block on firewall (ZoneAlarm) and then program is not responding, probably it waits for internet connection few secs, when it starts responding i still cant check "Allow logging of globals" option as its unchecking itself each time

Click to expand...

Why are you trying to enable it if you don't want it on? You can't log globals without letting the program send them.

Akoz said:

Why are you trying to enable it if you don't want it on? You can't log globals without letting the program send them.

Click to expand...

ah, ok, I thought this program will work similar to old AutoScreen, which would be able to take screens of my globals without sending them anywhere ty anyway for answers, and gl

Hetman said:

ah, ok, I thought this program will work similar to old AutoScreen, which would be able to take screens of my globals without sending them anywhere ty anyway for answers, and gl

Click to expand...

It does

That is the Auto Screenshot function. Global Loggin function is the one that sends the globals to Akoz's secret server where he does read them all and wonders why he never see his name

Will try it out tonight, so pls give me a global so I can see if it works

Arkonen said:

It does

That is the Auto Screenshot function. Global Loggin function is the one that sends the globals to Akoz's secret server where he does read them all and wonders why he never see his name

Click to expand...

thx for info, i obviously messed logging globals and making auto screens functions cheers

EDIT: well, but without enabling sending global data i am not able to use this program for making auto screens

Global logging is completely voluntary and all functionality except for AutoScreen is available both with and without it.

Click to expand...

After a few minutes running EU it was ok to select "allow logging of globals" and then the autoSS worked too. Tried it with just a letter to see if it worked when someone on S globaled and it worked great, location/time stamp and just the EU window was taken

And as said, cant enable autoSS without "allow logging..." d'oh should have read the poll too