PictureLoKiT V1.0 Released

[LoKiT]

The testers say its good to go

Its only taken about 14 months but the final version has arrived. The program is a testament to the fact that Backup plans don't always work. For a while it was completely lost as new multiple replacement hard drives entrusted with precise code all died with in a 5 days. Meanwhile backups were all so lost on the project site and the whole thing lay in tatters. A chance find on a drive garbage collection revealed a tar file with a broken but usable copy of the source and the final version was born.

Whats New
Visually it appears and operates the same as the beta. The differences are under the bonnet. There are numerous changes and fixes learned from problems with the beta. Things like window handling and installation is much better with a single executable file replacing all the tatty support file that needed to be installed. This in plain English means you have one simple tidy file that can run from anywhere you have permission to run code. The fundamental change is the ability to extend the function with scripts to incorporate other toys or commands you may with to run. So you can extend the functionality to include for example, external release, remote control, USB only storage and so on. All these options I will put as howto's in subsequent posts.

Getting Started

Warning: Sadly computers and programs fail, never trust a computer with your life or put yourself at risk. And always work with a backup plan in the event that things should go wrong. This program is written for novelty value for your entertainment fun. Play safe and have fun.

Okay so let lets get started. You will need a to download and run a copy of PictureLoKiT from Sourceforge from the projects files section at http://sourceforge.net/projects/picturelokit/files

FAQ's

Q.What happens if the computer resets or switches off?
A. If restart PictureLoKiT the session should resume. It the session has completed then it will jump to the restore sequence.

Q. what happens if PictureLoKiT is minimized and the session ends?
A. The file will restore normally and the window will automatically unminimize to display the release picture.

Q. What happens if the folder from which the picture was stored from has been deleted?
A. When all else fails and the picture can no be saved back, then it is saved to the c:\Document and Settings\username\piclok folder.

Q. What happens if I mess with the system clock while its running?
A. The program ignores it (But you might mess up your computers scheduled events and updates)

Q. Sometimes its a little slow starting, is this normal?
A. The program does a lot of checks and tests before deciding to run or recover a session before it appears.

Have fun

[anna]

Congratulations to you LoKiT for releasing an excellent piece of software!

Congratulations to the community for receiving such a generous gift. Like most other software it is the result of a lot of hard work so please treat it with the respect it deserves.

[bound_jenny]

I echo Anna's praise and add my own in pointing out your genius and perseverance in creating a good piece of kinky software for the members of this community.

Everyone should pitch in to encourage LoKiT in his endeavors, even if it's just to say thanks.

Jenny.

[qwerty212]

Thank you very much for your work LoKiT, always a reference to me.

Can wait to test FileLoKiT Greets from Barcelona

[Audrey_CD]

Very good Lockit!

I particularly like the fact that I don't need the data directory in the All Users area any more - I was always worried that might raise difficult questions from other users of the PC!!!!

Now for some work on the feature rich version

Audrey

[JacobSteinfeld]

I want also say congratulations, and thank you for your gift to the community, LoKit, thanks I say from the bottom of my heart!

Great work!

Best greetings!

[Firebird12]

Thanks for the new software version. I'm currently testing it. However I had a "crash" on my first use. I opened the vault, put an image in it, then saved it by entering my password. I then clicked the "Main Menu" button and the software exited Oo I had to start it again. I doubt it's the expected behavior, isn't it?

Thanks again and congratulation for the good work!!

[LoKiT]

Thanks for the new software version. I'm currently testing it. However I had a "crash" on my first use. I opened the vault, put an image in it, then saved it by entering my password. I then clicked the "Main Menu" button and the software exited Oo I had to start it again. I doubt it's the expected behavior, isn't it?

Not expected behavior, no one has experienced that before Sorry but I can't replicated the problem on Win7 or XP? A Crash as in BSOD, or nothing happened? It does take about 15 to 30 secs to startup on first boot. Without knowing the Windows version and setup its hard to determine why that happened. On first startup it do some checks and then ask windows were your user data folders are. Then some files are uncompressed in RAM and copied down to that area. But I guessing some protection software or a firewall may have stopped or locked a setup file when it was initialised for the first time. Or windows ran out resources? If that is the case once restarted and a vault is setup the problem goes away?

A Big thanks to everyone for your kind comments. My thanks go to the Testers who made it possible, some more would have been nice but this is a small interest group I have put the new source code (all 3000 lines) on to the project site for those interested. I've used Epydoc to create a browsable version with indexes, and makes finding elements easier to find.

Cheers everyone

[The Slinky]

Congrats Sir,

Thank you for doing this for us all. thought a thank you not would be nice

[slave_w]

First of all, thanks for the software. Did a quick test and it works really well.

One thing I'm struggling with though: when I'm running the program, I'd like to have no control at all over the laptop I'm using.

While I'm running the program, I can still: Alt-Tab, run programs and press Ctrl+Alt+Del to reboot. Then I can go into the folder with my 'release image' and take a peek prematurely. I don't know if it's possible to provide a complete 'keyboard lock-out' until the timer gets to 0%.

I know we're probably not meant to be able to reach the keyboard, but I would like to run the program while still being able to walk around. E.g. hands cuffed behind my back with a 4-digit padlock and a 'failsafe' release key in a place where I have to cross a public area.

Setting it to full-screen helps, but I can still reboot the computer and run programs: because of my resolution, there's a small bar at the top where the desktop shows. And I can also quit the program right-cliking the icon in the taskbar and selection 'close'. Strangely, when I quit the program then run it again, it occupies the entire screen.

Any ideas?

[ponylady]

While I'm running the program, I can still: Alt-Tab, run programs and press Ctrl+Alt+Del to reboot. Then I can go into the folder with my 'release image' and take a peek prematurely. I don't know if it's possible to provide a complete 'keyboard lock-out' until the timer gets to 0%.

Any ideas?

yup, that can be done with onboard windows admining.

set up a special user when you want to run that proggie. you can than remove the rights for that user to run the taskmanager.

and even if p-lokit would block that access you can still disconnect the powersource for 30 seconds & than reboot your comp.
there just isn't any way for you to lock you completely out of your comp, unless especially setup.

[LoKiT]

I don't know if it's possible to provide a complete 'keyboard lock-out' until the timer gets to 0%.

The ALT-TAB was deliberate to provide access to pesky upgrade restart messages and any other pop that could spoil your fun.

You could try using the Hardware profile on startup which has an external keyboard and mouse enabled and the laptops internal keyboard and mouse disables and make that profile default. Then you could start PictureLokit, unplug and stash the keyboard and mouse in an inaccessible place until the end of the session?

[MKu]

Whenever i start PictureLoKiT it opens a new window without content and after some time it closes.

Running PictureLoKiT with checktrue does nothing. Running it with checkfalse starts the program.

Has anyone an idea what can be done to make PictureLoKiT work?

[LoKiT]

MKu, some answers to your questions...

Whenever i start PictureLoKiT it opens a new window without content and after some time it closes.

There is no reason for this to happen in a default set ie; "Out of the box". Unless a session is already in progress or some misconfiguration has occurred with additional BAT's or changes in the startup icon. Once a session is started no amount of open and closing the program or rebooting the machine will reset the session. The program will respond only after the time set has been reached.

However, if you are trying to do a check for a session in progress please see viewtopic.php?f=28&t=4862 on how this configuration works. Adding additional bat scripts are intended to support user defined custom event on the release, startup or exit signal by executing other files.

Running PictureLoKiT with checktrue does nothing. Running it with checkfalse starts the program.

CHECKFALSE is part of the a set of advanced commands to allow the PictureLoKiT executable to be used as a support utility within DOS bat scripts. I f you are just try to test if a session has completed yet please see article viewtopic.php?f=28&t=4860 on "Howto - Startup Check".

If you are looking to experment with using PictureLoKiT with scripts please see post viewtopic.php?f=28&t=4864 "Howto - Using LokPic commands"

Has anyone an idea what can be done to make PictureLoKiT work?

Work normally or in a certain way with scripts?

From the limited information you have given I will make a guss that you have installed, had a play and now can not seem to get it to work. If that is true your short path to sanity is to reset everything back to default. The easiest was is delete any auto startup shortcuts if you have created any from the windows "starup" folder. Then uninstall PictureLoKiT using the uninstall icon. Then look for a folder in your user folder called "piclokt" and delete it and its contents. Now you are back to a clean machine. Reboot and reinstall PictureLoKiT.

How to do a simple test... Open PictureLoKiT. Click on Setup. Advance the time by say 2 minutes. Were it says "Select a release pic", navigate to a spare picture you can use stored in an area that you have read and write permissions. Now press save and ok. In the main screen the START button should be un hashed, click it and the session starts. Note that no amount of closing or opening the program will reset the session. If the program is running after 2 minutes (the time set) the release picture will appear and the picture file restored to its original location. The start button is ghosted and the Setup button is now available to setup a new session.

I hope this helps, if not please tell us your Windows version and what is failing so we can help you further. Cheers, LoKiT

[MKu]

Uninstalled PictureLoKiT, deleted piclocit-folder, rebooted, installed PictureLoKiT anew.

Still not working (cant remember it ever did).
After launching "C:\Programme\PictureLoKiT\PictureLoKiT.exe" i get this window for around 5 to 10 sec

and then the program ends itself.

Here is my systeminfo