Custom widgets

It's not too difficult already for simple things. For example a window to the weather widget could just be a VB app that changes an image on BumpTop such as "Weather.jpg". BumpTop automatically re-loads an image when it is changed. Some more complex interfaces would be nice though would probably take a while to put together without going completely open source.

OK, so why not ( even for those of us that have windows xp ) put up vista type sidebar thingy on one of the walls? or maybe a mini control panel type thingy for the wall?

Ronjie

check out this thread
http://getsatisfaction.com/bumptop/to...

Its not too difficult for simple things, but it'd be nice if people without programming experience could make their own too.

Let's actually look at this one for a min.
Here is the general outline for How to do widgets in Bumptop.

First we will have to create a "Widgets" directory in : C:\Users\Your Name\AppData\Roaming\Bump Technologies, Inc\BumpTop
I have all Vista and Win 7 machines and this is where I find it. It might be different for XP. Been too long, Can't remember...
Anyway. Here in the "Widgets" directory you will create your widget's directory.(Try explaining that one to an idiot :) ). We will give an example of "Clock.widget" The widget's directory name must end with ".widget" or Bumptop will not recognize it as a widget.

Now in the "Clock.Widget" directory, you will need to have three things.
1) a "widget.json" file that will contain the data for bumptop to piect together as a widget. This will look like this:
{
// Widget header block
"header" : {
"version" : "0.1",
"name" : "Clock 1",
"author" : "Indakind Designs, Inc.",
"description" : "Gives Bumptop a clock",
"url" : "http://widgets.indakind.com/",

// NOTE: This represents the schema from which this widget file will be validated
// against. This allows BumpTop to add and modify default widget changes as
// time progresses, and allows theme developers to ensure that their widgets
// work on the latest compatible versions of BumpTop. Do not change this
// value, unless your widget conforms to the specified in the value.
// Please see the widget docs for more information.
"schema" : "widget/0.1"
},

"widget" : {

"relativeWorkingDirectory" : "data/",

// application to load on startup, and has the same lifetime as the BumpTop process itself
"startupApplication" : {
"path" : "Clock.exe",
"args" : ""
},

"icons" : [
{
"relativeWorkingDirectory" : "data/",
"filename" : "clock.png",
"label" : "Clock",
"launchApplication" : {
"path" : "Clock.exe",
"args" : "-edit"
}
}
]
}
}

and this brings us to our second point.

2) you will need a working directory within "Clock.widget" to contain any and all icons/pictures you want to show on the desktop. For a clock we will only have one picture that is updated every min. So we have the "relativeWorkingDirectory" assigned as "data/" :
C:\Users\Your Name\AppData\Roaming\Bump Technologies, Inc\BumpTop\Widgets\Clock.widget\data

Which brings us to our third point. The picture.

3) The way Bumptop uses images to make 3D icons is different. But if you think about it, it is good and we can use that. We Have a choice of different filetypes to choose from in Bumptop: jpg, bmp, gif, animated .gif (Still Buggy), and my personal favorite, .png. I ALWAYS use .png for the Alpha Transparency factor. I recomend that you use it as well.
Anyway. this image that goes in the "Data" folder will be the only icon in this widget.

When you are making widgets for Bumptop, I tend to make the shortcut load up a dialog from my .exe in order to edit the settings. ergo the lines:
"launchApplication" : {
"path" : "Clock.exe",
"args" : "-edit"
}
You must also include the lines to start up the application:
"startupApplication" : {
"path" : "Clock.exe",
"args" : ""
}

Well, That should about cover it. Yes it would be nice to have an actual API to work from. But HEY, They are doing us all a favor by doing this much. We should say Thank You.

Thank You Bumptop :)

L8r

Jon