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Introduction
   Program Overview
   List of Features
   What's New

Creating software without scripting
   Getting Started Tutorials
   Some Techniques and Tips
   Creating puzzles without scripting

   Creating third person games
   Creating interactive 360-degree panoramas
   Creating software for
PSP
   Creating software for iPhone and iPod touch

Creating software with VBScript
(Full Edition only)

   Introduction to VBScript
   Language Reference
   Objects Reference
   VBScript Techniques and Tips

   Sample Source Code

Pictures, sounds and music
   => Creating Pictures
   Music Maker help
   Creative Painter quick help
   Sounds and Music
   Videos, Icons, Cursors

Plugins (Full Edition only)
   Overview of the Plugins System
   Downloading/Uploading Plugins
   The Plugin Properties window
   About the Flash Plugin

Tips
   User Interface Tips
   Reducing the project size
   End-User System Requirements

Advanced tutorials
(Full Edition only)

   Creating a custom startup menu
   Using ActiveX components (ocx)

Troubleshooting
   Common issues and solutions
   Known bugs and limitations

About us
   Credits
   Website
   Contacting us
   Helping out

"iPhone" and "iPod" are trademarks or registered trademarks of Apple Inc. "PSP" is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

As of the release date of this version, Adventure Maker is NOT affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Apple Inc., Sony Corporation, SCEI, or any Apple or Sony subsidiary.

   

 

OVERVIEW OF THE PLUGINS SYSTEM (FULL EDITION ONLY)

1. What is a plugin?
2. Where can I find them?
3. How to install a plugin?
4. How to use a plugin?
5. How to uninstall a plugin?
6. How to create a plugin?
7. How to distribute a plugin?
8. I want to distribute a plugin, but I want to prevent people from being able to view its source code. How can I do that?

 

1. What is a plugin?

A plugin is a group of files that allow expanding the possibilities offered by Adventure Maker.

Some of the things that the plugins can do include:
1. Add more options to the "Hotspot Properties" window
2. Add more options to the "Frame Properties" window
3. Create new global variables
4. Make something happen when the project is launched
5. Make something happen when the end-user moves from one frame to another
6. Add ActiveX controls to the project window (like Flash movies, animations, interactive components, and much more)
7. Interact with external executables to implement new functions
8. Include OCX components in the distribution package of a project

 

2. Where can I find them?

You can download plugins for Adventure Maker from the following location:
http://www.adventuremaker.com/plugins.htm

 

3. How to install a plugin?

To install a plugin, just follow these steps:

1. Copy the plugin files into the "Plugins" sub-folder that is inside the Adventure Maker folder (if the plugin files are compressed, you must extract them),

2. Go to the "Project Properties" window and enable the plugin from the "Plugins" tab.

 
 

4. How to use a plugin?

The instructions for using a plugin will vary depending on the plugin. The author of the plugin has probably included the instructions in the "Plugin Description" text. To view the "Plugin Description" text, simply go to the "Project Properties", select the plugin under the "Plugins" tab, and then click "View the description of the selected plugin..." (or double-click on the plugin name).

Some plugins do also have a configuration utility that allows changing some general settings. To lauch the configuration utility, simply go to the "Project Properties", select the plugin under the "Plugins" tab, and then click "Configure the selected plugin...".

 

5. How to uninstall a plugin?

To uninstall a plugin, simply go to the "Project Properties" and uncheck the plugin from the "Plugins" tab.

If you wish to COMPLETELY and PERMANENTLY remove the plugin from your computer, you can also delete the files that correspond to the plugin and that are located inside the "Plugins" sub-folder of the Adventure Maker.

 

6. How to create a plugin?

To create a new plugin, launch Adventure Maker, click "Create/Modify Plugins...", and then click "Create New Plugin". The Plugin Properties window will appear. Go to the "Plugin Properties window Help" page for a description of each field. When you have finished filling the Plugin Properties window, click OK to confirm. A new file with the "PL1" extension (or "PL2" or "PL3" depending on the Plugins System version) is created inside the "Plugins" sub-folder of the Adventure Maker folder.

One of the best ways to learn how to create plugins is to edit the plugins that are created by other people. Most of the plugins that are available from the Adventure Maker website (click here) are open-source, meaning that you can view and modify the source code.

You will notice that some plugins do only contain files with the PL1 extension, while others do also include files with the .OCX extension.

The plugins that only contain files with the PL1 extension are plugins that only contain native code for the VBScript engine of Adventure Maker. They are the easiest to create. They mainly allow executing some VBScript code when the project starts, when a frame is loaded, when a hotspot is clicked, or when an inventory item is used.

The second kind of plugins (the kind that also includes OCX files) makes use of custom ActiveX components (OCX), which are basically executables that can run inside other executables. In our case they will run inside the Adventure Maker window. For example, the Flash plugin makes use of the Flash.OCX component, which allows running the Flash Player inside the Adventure Maker window.

To create plugins that include OCX files, in addition to following the steps described in the first paragraph of this section, you also need to create the OCX files. Most object-oriented programming languages for the Windows environment allow doing so (Borland C++ Builder, Microsoft Visual C++, Microsoft Visual Basic, Borland Delphi...). We particularly recommend using Visual Basic 6, which is very easy to learn and to use, and which is particularly suited for use in conjunction with the scripting engine of Adventure Maker.

Once you have created the OCX files, you must use the appropriate instructions to load them into the Adventure Maker window. For help, please refer to the "Using ActiveX components (ocx)" page of this help document.

 

7. How to distribute a plugin?

Once you have filled all the fields of the Plugin Properties window and you have clicked OK, a file is created inside the "Plugins" folder of the Adventure Maker folder. The extension of the file is ".PL1", ".PL2" or ".PL3"... depending on the version of the plugin system.

To distribute the plugin, simply distribute the file with the ".PL1" extension. If you make use of custom ActiveX components (ocx), make sure to also distribute them with your plugin. If you have created a configuration utility for your plugin, make sure to also distribute it. You may pack all these files into a single ZIP archive, so that the user can easily download it and extract it into the "Plugins" sub-folder that is inside the Adventure Maker folder.

If you want your plugin to appear on the Adventure Maker Plugins web page, send a copy of your plugin to the authors of Adventure Maker (click here to contact them).

 

8. I want to distribute a plugin, but I want to prevent people from being able to view its source code. How can I do that?

To do that, simply create an "encrypted" plugin, which is a plugin that can be used in a project but cannot be edited. Here are the steps to do that:

1. Launch Adventure Maker
2. Click "Create/Modify Plugins..."
3. Select the plugin in question
4. Click "Create Encrypted Copy..."
5. Click OK to continue
6. Give a name to the encrypted version of the plugin and select the location where you want to save it. Then click Save.

Warning! Do not replace the original non-encrypted copy of the plugin, otherwise you may be permanently unable to edit your own plugin!

Note(1): Unless you want to create commercial plugins, it is recommended that you keep the plugins open-source, so that everybody can improve them or slightly modify them to make them work better with their particular projects.

Note(2): Encrypting a plugin does not encrypt the associated ActiveX components (ocx). However, the ActiveX components are compiled files, and therefore people cannot view their source code anyway.