Lightning Brain FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
What are Scripted Plug-Ins?Scripted Plug-Ins are essentially JavaScripts (a.k.a ExtendScripts). What makes them different from 'regular' JavaScripts which reside in the InDesign Presets - Scripts folder is what makes our Scripted Plug-Ins 'tick'. Regular JavaScripts only run when a user explicitly activates them - these JavaScripts are 'passive' entities that cannot react to outside events. Scripted Plug-ins rely on the presence of a special Plug-In (the APID ToolAssistant) that we've developed. It elevates properly constructed JavaScripts to 'active' entities - they are able to observe and respond to external events. The API menu stays empty.That's perfectly normal - our scripted plug-ins are loaded dynamically on an as-needed basis. That means that the API menu will only populate after you open or create a document. Try creating or opening a document - the menu items you were expecting should now appear. I cannot see the plug-in in the About Plug-Ins list in InDesignMost of our freebies are what we call 'scripted plug-ins'. They are not 'real' plug-ins - they are nothing more than ExtendScript/JavaScript in disguise. That also means they are not listed in the About Plug-Ins lists in InDesign. Instead, you should look in the API menu (which is created by Active Page Item Runtime or one of its supersets). Select the APID ToolAssistant... menu item to invoke the APID ToolAssistant 'About' window. This window shows a list of any currently installed scripted plug-ins. I don't like the user-interface of your Scripted Plug-Ins.Yep, we know - you can say that a number of our Scripted Plug-Ins have a rather odd user interface when compared to 'normal' Plug-Ins. For example - no palettes yet. That is because we're still hard at work on our Active Page Item system - we're not finished. So, we had to choose between either - release nothing until the Active Page Item system is absolutely perfect, and then release a number of freebies based on this system. - release useful Scripted Plug-Ins and live with the less than smooth user interface. We chose the latter... As time goes, you will probably see some updated versions of our Scripted Plug-Ins with nicer user interfaces. Why can't I see the JavaScript source code of your Plug-Ins?The Active Page Item development system allows us to protect our JavaScript source code - users of our Scripted Plug-Ins have no access to it. We're not intent on giving indiscriminate access. If you have good reason to want to see our source code, talk to us - send us an e-mail at pluginsupport@rorohiko.com - a lot depends on what you need, and what you need it for. Those Sudokus are too easyIf you have some ideas (good or bad) about our free Sudoku generator, please, send us an e-mail at pluginsupport@rorohiko.com! You can also post questions to our message board. We also have a more advanced version of the generator for sale called Lightning Brain Sudoku for InDesign - this commercial version generates more polished Sudoku puzzles (for example with various forms of visual symmetry). You can try out a fully functional, time limited demo for free here. We're not Sudoku fanatics ourselves; we simply designed a simple algorithm that would generate Sudokus in such a way that they remain 'humanly solvable'. We've mobilized friends, family and neighbors to check out some of our Sudoku - but they're getting a bit sick and tired of solving Sudokus. However, we have no idea where the Sudokus that come out of our generator fit in. Are they too easy? Too hard? Too boring? Let us know if you'd like to see anything different. Depending on the feedback we might adjust the generator. What will be your next Plug-In?You tell us! We do have some cool ideas, but our supply is not unlimited. If you have a cool idea or a pressing need, e-mail us at pluginsupport@rorohiko.com. You can also post questions to our message board. We can discuss it, and depending on what's involved, we might - make a freebie that fills your need You cannot go wrong by at least talking to us! I want to develop my own JavaScript solutions. Can I get hold of this Active Page Item environment?.Yes, you can. We have a product called Active Page Item Developer which allows you to develop your own scripted plug-ins. Active Page Item Developer doubles as a runtime and as a development environment - every deployed machine needs a copy of Active Page Item Developer installed. We also have a product called Active Page Item Enterprise, which is used in case you need to deploy to a very large amount of machines. The difference is that plug-ins created with Active Page Item Enterprise can run with an unlicensed version of APID ToolAssistant, whereas plug-ins created with Active Page Item Developer necessitate a licensed version of APID ToolAssistant on every targeted machine. If you're interested in Active Page Item Enterprise please send an e-mail to sales@rorohiko.com to inquire. |
|