SamLogic CD-Menu Creator 2010 - News

 
News and improvements in SamLogic CD-Menu Creator 2010
Below you find a list of some features that have been added to the new SamLogic CD-Menu Creator 2010:
 
  • Windows 7 is now fully supported. With CD-Menu Creator 2010 you can create menus that can be run in Windows 7 and the CD-Menu Creator editor can also be run in Windows 7.

  • Support for 64 bit Windows. Both the CD-Menu Creator editor and created menus can be run in 64 bit Windows, for example 64 bit versions of Windows Vista and Windows 7.

  • The menu interface program that is distributed is now code signed. This will make it easier to use the menu in restricted environments where all applications must be code signed to be able to start.

  • A menu can be partial transparent. The transparency level can be adjusted.

  • Fade effects have been added. A menu can "fade in" from nowhere on the screen. You can specify how fast the menu will fade in to the screen.

  • Files can be encrypted and protected with passwords. When a user clicks on a button linked to a protected file CD-Menu Creator will ask for a password. The user can only proceed if he/she enters a correct password. This new function in CD-Menu Creator 2010 can be used to protect programs, documents, spreadsheets, databases etc. Read more on this page.

  • A new variable, %ENTEREDPASSWORD, has been included. This variable co-operates with the password functions described above. The variable can for example be used to send the password to a program linked to a button as a command line parameter.

  • A user's guide in PDF format is included. A navigation tree and hyperlinks in the text makes it's easy to navigate among the pages in the manual. You can preview the user's guide by clicking here.

 
News and improvements in SamLogic CD-Menu Creator 2008
If your version of CD-Menu Creator is 2007 or older you can read below what was new in the 2008 version of the program:
 
  • Supports now Flash animations. Adobe Flash animations can be played in a window in CD-Menu Creator. No external program or web browser need to be run or distributed with the menu. Same Flash animation that is shown on the Internet can also be shown in a menu.

  • The size of the menu window can now be set to the size you wish by using the mouse. Buttons, pictures, logotype etc are automatically moved when you size the menu. So you can now find, quick and easy, the most appropriate menu window size.

  • A lot of new button styles has been added to the 2008 version of CD-Menu Creator. For example these:
    - Buttons with cylindrical color blend. Read more on this page.
    - Button with rounded corners that contains different kinds of color blends.
    The number of button styles has been increased from 14 to 24 since CD-Menu Creator 2007. Read more on this page.

  • Light effects can be used with buttons. By using this new effect you can create buttons that seems to be made of blank metal, for example gold and silver buttons.

  • Now you position a button, and a picture, where you want in a menu window.

  • Instead of a text title you can now have a graphical title (a picture as a title), if you want. You can for example create a cool title in a drawing program, with lot of effects, and then use it as a title in a menu created with CD-Menu Creator. You can also place a background picture behind a text title created with CD-Menu Creator.

  • Supports now Asian script languages like Japanese, Chinese etc.

  • Now you can choose if you want to play a movie in Windows Media Player or play it directly in a menu.

  • A new variable, %SRCDIR, has been included. This variable contains the full path to the folder where the menu shell program is run. This parameter can for example be used when calling another program and the path to the menu program folder must be passed to the program that is started.

 
News and improvements in SamLogic CD-Menu Creator 2007
If your version of CD-Menu Creator is 2006 or older you can read below what was new in the 2007 version of the program:
 
Adaptions to Windows Vista
  • Microsoft has removed the support for Word files (.DOC) in WordPad in Windows Vista. If you have linked a Word file to a menu button, CD-Menu Creator 2007 always tries to use Microsoft Word or compatible program in Vista to open the document, although you have instructed the menu shell to use WordPad. In Windows XP everything functions as before, the new behaviour only occurs in Windows Vista.

  • Some graphical effects as glass effects, shadows and transparent bitmaps didn't worked as expected in Windows Vista because of changes in Vistas graphical environment. CD-Menu Creator 2007 has been updated so these effects also function in Windows Vista without problem.

  • If you tried to start a program that requires administrator privileges (as most installation program requires) an error information box with the message "The program can not be run..." was often showed. The reason to this was that CD-Menu Creator couldn't handle the new User Access Control dialog box that is shown in Windows Vista when a program must be started with administrator privileges. The new CD-Menu Creator 2007 now handles this in a proper way. An other method is used when programs are executed.

  • Non-standard fonts that was used to text in menus couldn't be shown in Windows Vista. The reason was that CD-Menu Creator didn't had necessary rights to install the fonts. The CD-Menu Creator menu shell runs with standard privileges and installing fonts requires administrator privileges. In the CD-Menu Creator 2007 an alternative method is used, the fonts are installed temporary and only local. This is allowed in Windows Vista also for programs running with standard privileges. So with the new CD-Menu Creator 2007 you can use your own fonts also in Vista.

  • The Show a menu only one time option (chosen via Window - Advanced button) has been updated to co-operate with programs that is run with standard privileges in Windows Vista.

  • A manifest file is always placed in same folder as a menu. The manifest tells Windows Vista to run the menu with correct privileges and prevents Windows Vista from believing that the menu shell program is a setup program. The manifest also gives some of the controls that is used in a menu a "Vista look".

  • If the VirtualStore handling was turned off in Windows Vista some of the features in CD-Menu Creator 2006 or older didn't worked. For example, preview of menus didn't worked and options couldn't be remembered to next program start. The new CD-Menu Creator 2007 has been updated so all features function also when VirtualStore handling is turned off in Windows Vista.

  • You can add your own action item (your own text row) to the AutoPlay dialog box in Windows Vista. If the user chooses your item, the menu is launched. It is also possible to add your own title to the AutoPlay dialog box.

  • The help documentation in CD-Menu Creator 2006, and older, didn't function in Windows Vista. The reason to this is that Microsoft has removed the support for the WinHelp system that was used in CD-Menu Creator before. In CD-Menu Creator 2007 a new format is used: compiled HTML help. All help documentation in CD-Menu Creator 2007 now uses this new system. Compiled HTML help can also be shown in Windows XP and older Windows versions. 

General

  • A new button style, with the name Windows Button, has been added. It replaces the old Gray Button, that has been removed. This new button is painted using a graphical design that is typical for the Windows were the menu is shown. For example, in Windows Vista the active graphical effects that is typical for Vista buttons is used. In Windows XP, the buttons is painted using the smooth color blend that is typical for Windows XP buttons.

  • Five new variables have been added. They can, for example, be used in titles and sub titles:
    %DATECREATED : Outputs the date when the menu was created.
    %COMPANY : Outputs company name (the text is retrieved from the Version tab).
    %PRODUCTNAME : Outputs product name (the text is retrieved from the Version tab).
    %PRODUCTDESCRIPTION : Outputs product description (the text is retrieved from the Version tab).
    %VERSION : Outputs version number (the text is retrieved from the Version tab).

  • A menu for a USB flash drive can now be created. It works in similar way as menus for CD/DVD. When the user inserts the USB flash drive in a USB port the menu is shown immediately after that the user has confirmed a start by pressing OK or Enter. In Windows Vista it is possible to have the USB drive menu completely autostarting.
    Read more about this new feature on this page.

  • CD-Menu Creator 2007 is adapted to function in systems where Internet Explorer 7.0 is installed. The new Internet Explored 7.0 affected some functions in CD-Menu Creator in a negative way, for example the character interspace function, but the new CD-Menu Creator 2007 has been updated so it can co-exists without problem also when Internet Explorer 7.0 is installed in a computer.

  • The help documentation is now in the HTML format. A tree based index makes it very easy to find a specific chapter or page in the documentation. But the local help (press F1 to get help in a dialog box etc) is still there, as before.

 
A list of features that was added to CD-Menu Creator 2006 and earlier can be read on this page.
 
 
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