The GSTAction program is easy to configure for your usage. First you use the GSTAction Markup Wizard to set it up and then you run the GSTAction program to see it work.

Here are the steps to create an AutoPlay or Menuing application with the GSTAction Markup Wizard.

Note 1: The GSTAction Kit is designed to work on multimedia equipped computers with a high performance graphics adapter and sound. Movies need either High Color (16 bit) or True Color (32 bit). 256 color is generally not good enough for movies. Most movies are made with greater than 256 colors and won't work right with the 256 color setting. Note that some graphics adapters won't go any higher than 256 color. If this describes your graphics adapter, you will be probably be unsuccessful playing most avi files. Make sure your target computers have multimedia capability if you plan on using the GSTAction Kit.

Note 2: In step 1 and 2 below it refers to having a normal bitmap for menu1.bmp and a highlighted one for menu2.bmp. If you need help editing graphics and highlighting first go through the graphics tutorial below.

Click here to go to the graphics tutorial on the Web. Whoa!! before you click understand there are some large graphics file that may be slow to load on a modem connection. You may prefer to download the zip file of the tutorial plus the GSTMenu program already configured to show all the graphics in action.

Click here to dowload the full Graphics Tutorial with example GSTMenu program

Figure 1A

1. Locate the graphic bitmap that you want to use, then add some text with your favorite graphics program to describe the main features of your program as shown in figure 1B. Save this bitmap as MENU1.BMP. Make sure you allow space for the avi file to play without interfering with the text if you are going to have an avi on this panel. There are a number of options for positioning the movie. See the Configure AVI Properties dialog later in this tutorial. You may want to configure the avi and see how much room it is going to take before you add the text. Figure 1A shows menu1 with just the avi before adding text. This lets you know the available areas to place text.

Figure 1B

2. Create a highlight bitmap by doing a saveas of MENU1.BMP to MENU1H.BMP. Carefully highlight the text areas by overwriting the text areas with a contrasting color as shown in figure 2. It is mandantory to select an existing color from MENU1.BMP to avoid pallete switching when the highlight bitmap is shown. Repeat steps 1 and 2 for as many graphic panels that you want to show. Advance the menu numbers in sequence as you go.

Figure 2

3. Replace the sample BMP and WAV files in the GSTACTN sub-directory that you created from the GSTACTN.ZIP file. You are ready to start marking the selection areas and configuring the action each area will have in your program. Now double click on the ACTNWZRD.EXE to get started. Figure 3 shows the GSTAction Markup Wizard menu. This is made visible by clicking the right mouse button. Here is a description of the Menu Functions:

Menu Functions

Figure 3

4. Figure 4 shows the dialog that will appear when you select Configure Title Bar and Sounds on the menu. This will allow you to create a title for your program and setup the sound for each action. Notice that there is a sound for when the mouse travels over a highlight area, when an executable is selected and when you change to a new menu.

Figure 4

5. Figure 5 shows the dialog that will appear when you select Configure AVI Properties on the menu. This will allow you to set up everything about the avi's that will play with each menu. Here is a description of the options:

Figure 5

6. Open the first bitmap by selecting Open Menu1h.bmp and mark your first area. Figure 6 shows the marking process. An area is marked by clicking the left upper corner of the rectangle you want to mark with the left mouse button, then dragging the rectangle to cover the area and releasing the left mouse button. The Configure Highlight Actions dialog appears. You can either type in an executable name or select a menu number to go to when this area is clicked in the GSTAction program. Figure 6 shows selecting menu2 as the action. When the GSTAction program runs and this area is clicked it will change to menu 2.

Note 1: If you drag the rectangle past the edge of the bitmap the dialog will automatically pop up as you touch the edge. You have the option of using this rectangle definition or hitting cancel if you accidentally hit the edge by mistake. If you drag so rapidly that the rectangle can't keep up and go off the edge it will pop up automatically at the spot where you come back in with the mouse.

Note 2: If have already marked an area and decide that you need to change it, go to the Open Specific bmp file for correction option and select the bitmap that needs to be changed. This option resets all previous configuration for that one bitmap and lets you start over. The configuration for other bitmaps will stay the same and not be affected.

Figure 6

7. Figure 7 shows the same dialog as in the previous step, but this time an executable has been typed in. When the GSTAction program runs and this area is clicked it will run myapp.exe in the bin sub-directory passing parm1 as parameter. The Quit after execute can be checked if you want GSTAction program to exit after the executable is run. It can also be checked by itself for an exit area as demonstrated in the right lower corner in figure 6.

The GSTAction Kit can invoke the proper application based on extension using the Win95 system association. Some example extensions are:

Some sample entries for the wizard dialog

In same sub-directory as GSTACTN.EXE

In sister level "test" sub-directory

Figure 7

8. Figure 8 shows Menu1h.bmp after all areas have been marked.The next step would be the Open Next bmp in sequence on the menu if there is more than one graphic.

Figure 8

8. Now use the Open Next bmp in sequence and mark all remaining bitmaps using the same technique. When you get to the last one select close and test out your configuration by running GSTACTN.EXE and see if everything works as expected.

Send mail to support@autorun-autoplay-tools.com with questions about autorun or any products on this web site - - but first check the (FAQ)Frequently Asked Questions page. Your question might be answered there.

GSTMenu Development kit, GSTAction Development Kit, GST Autoplay Easel, GST AutoFlash, GST AutoFlash Builder, GST AcroPDF Launch, GST Power Launch, GST DigiCardCD Builder,  GST Autoplay Pilot, GST MacEasel Menu, GST Mac Autoplay Pilot, GST Mac Power Launch and GST Mac AcroPDF Launch  Copyright © 2002 GS Technology Works LLC dba GS Technologies
Last modified: August 27, 2008