MétEX Development Updates tag:metex.sblorgh.org,2009-02-26:/dev/2 2007-08-23T14:46:38Z News and updates on MétEX development. Movable Type Pro 4.23-en MétEX Version 1.0 Live tag:metex.sblorgh.org,2007:/dev//2.323 2007-04-20T21:31:04Z 2007-08-23T14:46:38Z The first public version of MétEX, my Paris Métro virtual tour, is now live! MétEX Version 1.0 This version is almost exactly the same as the version I submitted to my university tutors. This is just a conversion, I have... PkerUNO http://www.sblorgh.org/ The first public version of MétEX, my Paris Métro virtual tour, is now live!

MétEX Version 1.0

This version is almost exactly the same as the version I submitted to my university tutors. This is just a conversion, I have not added or improved any features. I also do not intend to add any more features to this version. If there is enough interest, I will commence working on Version 2.0.

Changes Made From Version 0.5
- ASP.net scripts converted to PHP.
- Access database converted to MySQL.
- Database and script character sets changed to UTF-8.
- Descriptions for Lines 6, 10 and 12 rewritten.

Lines Currently Covered By MétEX Version 1.0
- Paris Métro Lines 3, 3bis, 6, 7bis, 10, 12, 14.

Below is a list of known issues and bugs. Please do not contact me about them! If however, you do find a bug not listed here, please leave a comment on this post, or send me an email at metex (at) sblorgh (dot) org. If there is enough interest, I will start a public discussion forum to make commenting easier.

Known Issues and Bugs
* Flash Tour
- Ambient sounds may not automatically play. Press the play button to make them start.
- Station dropbox does not automatically update if the Previous/Next buttons are used.
- Lines of text which include accents are displayed in a different font.

* Flash Map
- Zoom feature may not re-centre properly.
- Some areas of the map may appear off-screen.

* Flash Journey
- When selecting a new journey after having finished one, previous slides may appear momentarily.
- Lines of text which include accents are displayed in a different font.

* Places Of Interest
- The entire feature is currently incomplete. I added it after my tutors suggested that the project should have a commercial stance. However, RATP permission for the project came on the condition that it remain non-commercial. Therefore, all Places Of Interest data is either missing or consists of dummy text for testing purposes.

* Text Tour
- There are no Previous/Next Station links.

* I-Mode Site
- The entire feature is currently broken. Emoji seem to differ between Japanese and European models, and accents similarly do not appear to work. There is also very little navigation.

That's about it. I started this project back in 2004, and I only just got around to releasing it to the public. I really hope you enjoy it and will want me to keep working on it in the future! All comments and criticisms are welcome!

]]> A Slight Delay tag:metex.sblorgh.org,2007:/dev//2.322 2007-04-15T21:50:03Z 2007-08-23T14:44:37Z I'm sorry to have to disappoint once again, but the launch of MétEX will have to wait a few more days. Last week, I noticed certain sections of the site had problems with charsets and encoding. The result is that... PkerUNO http://www.sblorgh.org/ I'm sorry to have to disappoint once again, but the launch of MétEX will have to wait a few more days. Last week, I noticed certain sections of the site had problems with charsets and encoding. The result is that accents are not displaying correctly, producing garbled text instead.

Obviously, I do not want to launch the site with such a big bug. Not to worry though, I am sorting things out with my host, and it should be a very quick fix.

See you again next week!

]]> Finishing Touches tag:metex.sblorgh.org,2007:/dev//2.321 2007-04-10T14:32:47Z 2007-04-10T14:39:01Z Well, that didn't take long. That's it! The site has been completely converted from ASP.net and Access to PHP and MySQL. Everything is functioning exactly the same as it was two years ago when I submitted it to my tutors.... PkerUNO http://www.sblorgh.org/ Well, that didn't take long.

That's it! The site has been completely converted from ASP.net and Access to PHP and MySQL. Everything is functioning exactly the same as it was two years ago when I submitted it to my tutors.

The only problem is the database. All of my backups contain the same version of the database - the one submitted at the deadline. However, it was still missing the descriptions of several (actually more than 30) stations, so over the next week, I finished researching all the stations and uploaded an updated database to the test server.

Unfortunately, I can't seem to find any backups of that final version of the database. This means that at this moment, almost half of the stations in MÈtEX are missing descriptions. While I could go ahead and open the site right now, I feel it would not give an accurate representation of my work.

Therefore, I will rewrite the station descriptions over the current week. If, by the weekend, I have not finished all of the descriptions, I will open the site anyway, but disabling the incomplete lines.

Of course, I hope I manage to find a copy of this elusive database!

]]> Almost There tag:metex.sblorgh.org,2007:/dev//2.320 2007-04-09T15:09:19Z 2007-08-23T14:42:26Z All of the Flash's PHP scripts have been converted. All of the photos and sounds have been uploaded. All of the Flash movies have been updated. All of this is live right now if you know where to look. The... PkerUNO http://www.sblorgh.org/ All of the Flash's PHP scripts have been converted. All of the photos and sounds have been uploaded. All of the Flash movies have been updated. All of this is live right now if you know where to look.

The following still needs to be done:
- Conversion of text-only tour to PHP;
- Conversion of I-Mode Index/Tour/POI pages to PHP;

Once I complete these last conversions, I will open up the site to the public.

Unfortunately I still have not found the final version of the database. Unless I can find this soon, it means that some of the stations (roughly 20) will be lacking descriptions. Also, I will be using this blog as a place to collect bug reports, but I am considering opening a forum for this purpose. It depends on the amount of traffic MétEX receives.

MétEX 1.0 will launch sometime this week. Keep your eyes peeled!

]]> PHP Conversion Complete tag:metex.sblorgh.org,2007:/dev//2.318 2007-04-06T19:54:59Z 2007-08-23T14:41:37Z After a year of silence, finally an update! I apologise for neglecting this project for so long. I hit a block last year when I simply couldn't figure out why the most basic of code wasn't working. I sat down... PkerUNO http://www.sblorgh.org/ After a year of silence, finally an update!

I apologise for neglecting this project for so long. I hit a block last year when I simply couldn't figure out why the most basic of code wasn't working. I sat down to look at it again yesterday... and it all just clicked.

Therefore, I am happy to announce that all of the original ASP.net scripts for collecting data from the database and handing it back to Flash as XML have been converted to PHP, and are working correctly.

This means that all that needs to be done now are a few minor modifications to the Flash files, uploading of media, and it'll be ready. I don't expect this should take more than a week, but as you well know I get side-tracked easily!

Watch this space!

]]> 13/3/05 Screenshot tag:metex.sblorgh.org,2006:/dev//2.260 2006-04-03T18:45:17Z 2007-08-23T14:40:38Z Old screenshot of MétEX. I apologise for the lack of updates, but I am currently working on another project and juggling between the two is proving difficult. However, a fair number of data retrieval scripts have been rewritten in PHP,... PkerUNO http://www.sblorgh.org/ Old screenshot of MétEX.

I apologise for the lack of updates, but I am currently working on another project and juggling between the two is proving difficult. However, a fair number of data retrieval scripts have been rewritten in PHP, so work is progressing. In the meantime, here is a screenshot of what MétEX used to look like two months before the project deadline. The design changed since then, but I hope this will serve to maintain interest in the meantime.

]]> Database Converted tag:metex.sblorgh.org,2005:/dev//2.235 2005-12-06T11:57:43Z 2005-12-06T12:08:27Z The old FYP version of the Microsoft Access database has successfuly been converted to MySQL. However, the version I had backed-up on CD is old, and does not contain all of the descriptions for the stations. I suspect I have... PkerUNO http://www.sblorgh.org/ The old FYP version of the Microsoft Access database has successfuly been converted to MySQL. However, the version I had backed-up on CD is old, and does not contain all of the descriptions for the stations. I suspect I have the latest version of the database on another computer, but it may take time to retrieve it. In the meantime, work can begin on rewriting the data retrieval scripts from ASP.net to PHP.

Remember that this version of the site will not contain any new information or functions - it will be exactly the same as the last Final Year Project version. New features and information will be added once the first public version 1.0 is up and running.

]]> FYP Down tag:metex.sblorgh.org,2005:/dev//2.220 2005-10-30T15:46:36Z 2007-08-23T14:35:54Z The Final Year Project version of MétEX has now been deleted by my University - I apologise for all visitors who have visited the site and have been unable to view it. I will try my best to upload a... PkerUNO http://www.sblorgh.org/ The Final Year Project version of MétEX has now been deleted by my University - I apologise for all visitors who have visited the site and have been unable to view it. I will try my best to upload a functioning version of the site as soon as possible.

]]> Public Version Underway tag:metex.sblorgh.org,2005:/dev//2.184 2005-06-29T19:01:53Z 2007-08-23T14:35:17Z Now that MétEX has been graded by the tutors at the University of Kent, it is now no longer my final-year project and I will therefore commence work on a public version. The FYP version, Version 0.5, is accessible at... PkerUNO http://www.sblorgh.org/ Now that MétEX has been graded by the tutors at the University of Kent, it is now no longer my final-year project and I will therefore commence work on a public version.

The FYP version, Version 0.5, is accessible at the following address: http://www.ee.kent.ac.uk/student/rw5/. I do not know how long the site will remain online, as my email and computer accounts will be deleted soon on account of me graduating.

The first public version, Version 1.0, and all further versions for the forseeable future will be hosted at the following address: http://metex.sblorgh.org/.

This Development Blog will serve to track updates, changes and new features implemented in the site. If you have an RSS reader, you can subscribe to the feed by clicking on the RSS button on the home page of this blog. Comments and Trackbacks will be activated only for certain posts - usually major updates, or requests for feedback. All other comments should be sent to metex(at)sblorgh(dot)org.

WHAT IS CURRENTLY BEING WORKED ON: The original site was written in ASP.net using an Access database. This was imposed by the University. Therefore the first task is to convert the database to MySQL and the data retrieval scripts to PHP. The second task will be to update the Flash movies to retrieve data from the new scripts. The first public version of the site will then go live and work on new features, improvements and bugfixes will commence.

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