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Visual Installer 2014: New variables and new script commands

We have added 3 new variables and 2 new script command to Visual Installer 2014. The variables can be used to handle shared files and shared settings, and the script commands can be used to change permissions for folders on the hard disk during the installation process.

THREE NEW VARIABLES
Three new variables were added to Visual Installer 2014. Below they are described briefly:

%SHAREDDOCUMENTS : Can be used to install shared documents.
%PUBLICDIR : Can be used to install shared files (documetns, images, videos etc.).
%APPDATADIR_ALLUSERS : Can be used to install shared settings.

TWO NEW SCRIPT COMMANDS
We have also added two new script commands to Visual Installer 2014. They can be used to change permissions for hard disk folders. Below are the script commands described briefly:

SETPERM : Changes permissions for an existing folder on the hard disk.
XCREATEDIR : Creates a folder on the hard disk with specified permissions.

More detailed information about the script commands is available on this information page and on this blog post. The picture below shows how the SETPERM command can be used to set read, write and execute permissions for a hard disk folder during the setup:

SETPERM

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New version: SamLogic Visual Installer 2014

Visual Installer 2014We have now released a new version of our easy-to-use setup tool SamLogic Visual Installer. The name of the new version is SamLogic Visual Installer 2014 and the version number is 10.0. Some new features in the new version are:

– Support for Microsoft Windows 8.1.
– Support for Microsoft Office 2013.
– Support for AutoCAD 2013 and AutoCAD 2014.
– Updated user interface.
– Permission settings can be changed for hard disk folders during the setup process.
– Installed programs can be set to run with administrator privileges.
– New variables that handles shared files and shared settings are included.
– Support for Twitter (you can send tweets directly to Twitter).
– The ‘Create setup package’ dialog box has been improved (e.g. better support for USB drives).
– New pictures for the setup wizard (installation dialog boxes) has been added.

A detailed list with new features in Visual Installer 2014 is available on this web page.

In the following blog posts we will describe some of the new features in SamLogic Visual Installer 2014 in detail.

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SamLogic MultiMailer 2013 has now been released

SamLogic MultiMailer 2013

We have now released a new version of our newsletter tool SamLogic MultiMailer. Some new features in the latest version are:

SamLogic MultiMailer 2013 – New Features
– Full support for Microsoft Windows 8 and Microsoft Windows 8.1.
– Better support for international characters. Unicode is now fully supported.
– Support for Twitter. You can now send tweets directly from MultiMailer.
– Support for Dropbox and SkyDrive.
– Support Outlook 2013 and Excel 2013.
– Better support for smartphones and tablet computers.
– New statistics & analysis functions. You can now see when newsletters are opened.
– A new powerful filtering function in the Statistics tab.
– Better handling of e-mail bounces.

More Information
A more detailed description of the new features are available on this webpage:
> SamLogic MultiMailer 2013 – News

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How to use SamLogic Image Resizer – Video

In this video, that is published on YouTube, you will get a short demonstration of how to use our image resizer / converter application SamLogic Image Resizer.

SamLogic Image Resizer is used to resize and convert images (for example photos) so they can be used in web sites, blogs, e-mail newsletters, and with applications. The tool makes images smaller in size, optimizes the images resolution (DPI) for best quality on screens, and can also convert CMYK color images to RGB color images.

Download SamLogic Image Resizer
SamLogic Image Resizer is installed together with our other software, but you can also download it separately from the following web page:

> Download SamLogic Image Resizer

It is free to use SamLogic Image Resizer. You can also distribute it to other users, if you think they will have use of the program.

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Visual Installer: Prime number based license keys

One important key feature in Visual Installer is the ability to create and handle license keys (installation keys). Visual Installer can handle both static license keys and prime number based license keys.

Prime number based license keys
Prime number based license keys are license keys that are created by using a formula that includes prime numbers. By combining this with a checksum, Visual Installer can very easy check that an entered license key is correct or wrong. You don’t need to include your license keys with the installation; pure mathematics is used to verify the license key.

It is also very difficult for a person to manipulate the license key and create false license keys. Not all combinations are allowed and besides that, also the checksum must be correct. So a “cracker” must consider two things in the same time, which makes it difficult to “crack” the key.

How to create prime number based license keys?
If you want to use prime number based license keys in your installation, follow the steps below to create the keys:

1. Start Visual Installer
2. Open the Dialog boxes tab in the editor
3. Click on the ”…” button to the right of the License key option
4. Click the Prime number based license keys button
5. In the dialog box that is shown you can create prime number based license keys

You can create prime number based license keys with Visual Installer

When does Visual Installer ask for the prime number based license key?
Before the actual installation of files starts, a setup wizard with dialog boxes is shown for the end-user. Among these dialog boxes there is one dialog box that asks for a license key. In the picture below you can see how the dialog box looks like:

The 'License Key' dialog box

The installation will not continue until correct license key has been entered. If the end-user enters wrong license key too many times the installation is stopped.

Note
Handling of prime number based license keys is only included in the Professional version of Visual Installer, not in the Standard version. If you have the Standard version and want to change to the Professional version, read this blog post.

See Also
> Visual Installer can show visually when a license key is correct
> How to block a license key when using Visual Installer
> The setup wizard in Visual Installer

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Free HTML editor from Microsoft: Expression Web

Microsoft Expression Web is a powerful and feature-rich HTML editor from Microsoft. The first version came in 2006 as a successor to the very popular and widely spread HTML tool Microsoft FrontPage. Expression Web is aimed for more experienced web developers. It is a competitor to Adobe DreamWeaver and just like DreamWeaver it is a HTML tool that is primarily designed to develop more sophisticated websites. HTML tools can also be used to create newsletters if you have a good knowledge of HTML and you know what works for e-mail.

Download Microsoft Expression Web for free
In December 2012 stopped Microsoft with further development of Expression Web and as a result they decided to release he program for free. It is therefore possible to download it for free from Microsoft website. However, Microsoft will continue to maintain the product and release possible security updates up until 2015. The program can be downloaded through this website:
> Microsoft Expression Web 4 – Free Version

More information about Microsoft Expression Web
> Microsoft Expression Web – Wikipedia

Templates that can be used together with Microsoft Expression Web
> Expression Templates | REVIEWED Expression Web Template Resources
> Over 20,000 Professional Business Templates for Microsoft Expression Web & WebMatrix
> Expression Web Tutorials / Expression Web Free Templates

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Visual Installer supports PFX (Personal Information Exchange) files

We have updated Visual Installer so you can choose a PFX file (Personal Information Exchange file) directly from the Visual Installer editor, when you want to code sign a setup package. You don’t need to split the PFX file in a SPC file and a PVK file as before.

The Code Signing tab in the Setup options dialog box in the Visual Installer editor has been updated. In the picture above you can see how the new updated Code Signing tab looks like.

In the Code Signing tab there is now two sub tabs: PFX and SPC / PVK. In these tabs you can choose if you want to use a PFX file or a SPC and a PVK file during the code signing process. If you have specified a PFX file you don’t need to to specify a SPC and a PVK file. And vice versa.

More information about code signing in Visual Installer
More general information about code signing in Visual Installer is available on this web page:

> Visual Installer – Can create a code signed setup package

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ActiveX Component for Twitter

Twitter is a popular social networking and microblogging service on the Web that let users send and read short text-based messages (up to 140 characters), also known as a “tweets”. We have now created an ActiveX component (Active control) that can be used to send messages (tweets) directly from desktop applications.

URL shortener
We have also inluded a URL shortering function in the Twitter ActiveX. The function uses the Bitly service to shorten URLs, but it is also possible to the let Twitter shorten the URLs. Both systems are supported by the Twitter component.

More information
You can read more about the Twitter ActiveX component on this web page on our web site:
> SamLogic’s Twitter Component: SLTwitCtrl ActiveX Control

Other news: Also our desktop applications will support Twitter soon
We will also add support for Twitter in our other software. We will first add support to our e-mail marketing tool MultiMailer. You will soon be able to send tweets directly from the program. You can for example tweet about your latest newsletter that you just sent out, or currently is delivering! We will also add this functionality to Visual Installer, so you can tweet about new versions of your software directly from Visual Installer. Same function will be added to CD-Menu Creator.

More information about this new feature in our desktop applications will be coming soon.

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Visual Installer: You can set a relative size for the setup window

We have updated Visual Installer with a new function; you can now set a relative size for the setup window. The size is specified with a percent value, so the setup window will always cover a specified percentage of the screen. The percentage is easily specified using a visual slider (as shown in the picture to the right).

Below is a picture that shows how a setup window can cover a part of the screen.

Where to find the slider?
You can open the dialog box with the slider from two places in the program:

– Via the Object – Setup window menu item. Press the Change button to the right of the Percentage size option in the dialog box that is shown.

– When you choose a New project. Press the Settings button and Change size button.

(This function is available in Visual Installer version 9.5.20 and later.)