Status: Release/Final
Language: Visual Basic .NET, C++
Platform: Win9x, WinNT, Win2000/XP, Win Vista/7
Downloads: 3005

Cursor Lock is a utility program that confines the mouse cursor to a selected area on the screen. This is most useful in multi-monitor setups, addressing a common oversight in some applications (mostly games) whereby they allow the mouse cursor to drift into other unwanted screens. In video games, this can also lead to minimizing the game window ...

Cursor Lock is a utility program that confines the mouse cursor to a selected area on the screen. This is most useful in multi-monitor setups, addressing a common oversight in some applications (mostly games) whereby they allow the mouse cursor to drift into other unwanted screens. In video games, this can also lead to minimizing the game window if the cursor has drifted into another screen and the mouse is clicked accidentally. Cursor Lock can also overcome cursor drifting problems in windowed applications and games.

Features:

• Locking only when focused--requires no special user interaction, nor does it interfere with task switching between screens
• Uses a superior method of capturing the cursor compared to other solutions (i.e. MouseTrap)
• Ability to open one program and lock another allows Cursor Lock to work well with launcher programs
• Can confine the cursor to window borders, in addition to a whole screen
• Customizable hotkeys allow for complete control of locking in any situation
• Alternate locking modes that run in the background for full user control and special circumstances
• Intuitive GUI support program for quick setup of Cursor Lock shortcuts
• Integrated help system for shortcut setup program
• Highly optimized and efficient locking program that uses practically no memory or CPU

2.5.1
=Lock(1.2.1)
-fixed a bug with argument passing where the program executable wasn't given as the first argument

2.5:
=Lock(1.2)
-added user and strict user modes
-added window and window interior lock regions
-code cleanup
-minor bug fixes
=GUI(1.5)
-redesigned layout to be more intuitive
-added settings for the new switches
-added about tab
-added test and self-test functions

2.11:
=GUI(1.21)
-fixed a rare bug that occured when creating shortcuts to some programs with invalid filename characters in their program name

2.1:
=Lock(1.1)
-Optimized the polling code to reduce the CPU usage to inpercievably small amounts while the program to lock still has focus
    -at least 10x less CPU

2.0:
=GUI(1.2)
-removed the lock code and set shortcut targets to the new lock app
-made sure any shortcut arguments with spaces have quotes around them. \" escapes
-added the /s switch
-removed memory minimize (/m) switch, since the new lock app doesn't support it
=Lock(1.0)
-initial release - complete C++ rewrite of the command-line driven lock monitor

1.1:
-added the /s argument, which locks the cursor to the current screen

1.0:
-added hotkeys for toggling lock and exiting the lock program; should work with most keys except F10, Tab, and PrintScreen. Non-standard US keys will probably appear as a number.
-added arguments parameter for opening programs.
-added lock program parameter, allows for opening a program and locking another and locking without opening.
-added hotkey override parameter.
-better checking for valid text parameters.
-better log formatting for time.
-added help text for new elements

0.9: Initial Release

Cursor Lock 2.5.1 3005 Downloads	Download

Status: Beta/Abandoned
Game: Unreal Tournament
Downloads: 148

In my first attempt to get into UT mapping, I thought I'd convert a familar favorite of mine to the engine and give it a new style of my own. Obviously, that favorite was 2fort (Two Fortresses) from TFC. I was making good progress and probably would have finished if it weren't for a comment I read in PCG about everybody making 2fort over again in UT. I never thought to look if someone had ...

In my first attempt to get into UT mapping, I thought I'd convert a familar favorite of mine to the engine and give it a new style of my own. Obviously, that favorite was 2fort (Two Fortresses) from TFC. I was making good progress and probably would have finished if it weren't for a comment I read in PCG about everybody making 2fort over again in UT. I never thought to look if someone had already done it, but I stopped working on it nonetheless. But here it is at about 40% completion. The bridge, battlements, and battlement respawns are all done. The flag has been placed in the little entry area for testing. I spent a lot of time doing the bot pathing, so that works really well, except if they go in the water with the flag (didn't do a water exit). And like I'd wanted, the style is sorta unique while maintaining the layout closely.

CTF-2fort 148 Downloads	Download

Status: Release/Final
Game: Counter-Strike: Condition Zero
Language: Visual Basic 6
Platform: Win9x, WinNT, Win2000/XP
Downloads: 916

I made this app to compare the skeletons in two decompiled Half-Life models and then upgrade the skeleton of the older model to that of the newer. I'm sure there's probably tons of bugs in this app as I rapidly developed it over a couple days to fix a problem with Counter-Strike: Condition Zero ...

I made this app to compare the skeletons in two decompiled Half-Life models and then upgrade the skeleton of the older model to that of the newer. I'm sure there's probably tons of bugs in this app as I rapidly developed it over a couple days to fix a problem with Counter-Strike: Condition Zero models. I don't guarantee results with any other models except when upgrading a CS 1.0-1.5 model to Condition Zero usable model; but, if it does work for other purposes, then all the better.

For detailed, step-by-step info on how to use this app, see the following Column: www.snakebytestudios.com/columns/guides/csmodel

CS to CZ Model Convertor 916 Downloads	Download

Status: Release/Final
Language: C++
Platform: Linux
Downloads: 333

Raptor is a program that I had to write for my Object-Oriented Programming class. It was difficult because we had to write it on a Linux server over telnet. It was supposedly a group project, but (and I'm not trying to have too great an ego here) I knew my skills and ambition would exceed that of most of my classmates. Besides, the majority of ...

Raptor is a program that I had to write for my Object-Oriented Programming class. It was difficult because we had to write it on a Linux server over telnet. It was supposedly a group project, but (and I'm not trying to have too great an ego here) I knew my skills and ambition would exceed that of most of my classmates. Besides, the majority of them were too busy playing World of Warcraft to write a week's worth of code. As the due date grew near and the slacker groups began to scramble to get some code done, I heard that they found my nearly finished program and were floored by my use of colors and grids (courtesy of the ncurses lib) and the fact that it actually worked. At the due date, my program was the only one completed.

The program is meant to simulate five prey and five raptors moving around a 20x20 grid. The raptors are obviously trying to eat the prey, but if they don't feed before 20 turns are up, then they will starve. The prey can see raptors in a 10x10 square around them; raptors can see infinitely horizontally, vertically, and diagonally (like a queen in chess). They all get to move in groups by one square per turn. All the prey on a square are eaten if a raptor lands on that square.

The AI is very simple. Still, for the simplicity of the rules, they do rather well. Thus, the prey will almost always get eaten in the corners. I only had time to make the prey move from multiple raptors, but they can still get sandwiched between two raptors or a raptor and a wall (I was still working on the math to avoid that). Raptors will move to the closest prey that they see and will continue in the direction they last saw a prey if it moves out of sight (unless they see another prey).

Since this program is just a skills demo and not a lot of people have a Linux machine just lying around, I provided a demo video done in DivX VBR. But the source and compiled program are also available. It needs all the standard C libraries as well as ncurses. The program has two debug command line arguments. Use /d to display prey coordinates on the info line. Use /d and /r to do the same thing but for raptors.

Raptor Program/Source 174 Downloads	Download

Raptor Demo Video 159 Downloads	Download

Status: Release/Final
Language: Visual Basic 6
Platform: Win9x, WinNT, Win2000/XP
Downloads: 179

Bitwise Operations is an app I created to assist in programming, particularly when using API function calls. As you may or may not know, many Windows API functions return or have parameters that are merely binary. The first byte might contain a virtual keycode while the next could hold the state of the key modifiers in single bits. Even if you ...

Bitwise Operations is an app I created to assist in programming, particularly when using API function calls. As you may or may not know, many Windows API functions return or have parameters that are merely binary. The first byte might contain a virtual keycode while the next could hold the state of the key modifiers in single bits. Even if you know how to use bitwise operators and what bits hold which information, it's hard to visualize the bits and convert them to the required hexadecimal or decimal number formats. This program allows you to convert between binary, hex, and decimal by allowing you to toggle each bit in 4 bytes or enter the number in the decimal and hex boxes. Then, through the use of my carefully crafted GUI, it's easy to take numbers you've entered and come up with a formula for extracting certain bits from function returns.

In the example screenshot, I have copied the decimal return from a function. Then, since I know that the data I'm looking for is in the third byte only, I show how to use the bitwise in hex to return only that byte and divide out the lower bytes. Then the final box shows the output of 30. There's also an option for using Or bitwise operations, but I haven't found a use for that yet.

The way you code bitwise operations in VB6 is to take the return and binary compare it to the value after the And operator, like this: (ret And &HFF0000)
If you want a bit, series of bits, or byte that is higher than the first bit, then you want to then divide by the lowest bit you have included in the last part, which would be like so: ret = ((ret And &HFF0000) / &H10000)

Hopefully, intermediate to advanced VB programmers like myself will find this program useful. It certainly saves much time doing calculations and conversions.

Bitwise Operations 179 Downloads	Download

Status: Release/Final
Game: Age of Empires 3
Downloads: 256

I was always turned off by the Chinese civ because it forced the player to create units in mixed groups (Banner Armies). So, this mod allows you to train Chinese units individually as with the other civs. In addition, all Home City cards affecting Banner Armies have been modified to affect their respective individual units. The Summer Palace wonder still trains units in Banner Armies, though--I ...

I was always turned off by the Chinese civ because it forced the player to create units in mixed groups (Banner Armies). So, this mod allows you to train Chinese units individually as with the other civs. In addition, all Home City cards affecting Banner Armies have been modified to affect their respective individual units. The Summer Palace wonder still trains units in Banner Armies, though--I could have changed this, but decided against it.

Banner Army Reforms AOE3 Mod 256 Downloads	Download

Status: Release/Final
Game: Rise of Nations
Downloads: 202

This scenario originally began in hopes that it could be entered into the RoN Heaven "Napoleonic Era Scenario Design Contest" of Feb. 2004. I spent many days just setting up the scenario based on historical records and maps. Everything was as historically accurate as is possible in RoN. But then I realized that the AI could not handle the scenario nearly effective enough, and I didn't have enough ...

This scenario originally began in hopes that it could be entered into the RoN Heaven "Napoleonic Era Scenario Design Contest" of Feb. 2004. I spent many days just setting up the scenario based on historical records and maps. Everything was as historically accurate as is possible in RoN. But then I realized that the AI could not handle the scenario nearly effective enough, and I didn't have enough time left in the contest to do my own AI script.

I decided to finish up the scenario for multiplayer. I spent another few days working on the script and order of battle. Then, when the scenario was finally looking complete, I went to test it in multiplayer. But to my dismay, many of the script features that made the singleplayer experience unique didn't work at all in multiplayer. Totally pissed off, I gave up.

I shouldn't have given up, though, because the scenario is still excellent. The version presented here is a revival of the scenario with a reworked script so that maybe a few people can see what could have been.

After you've extracted the script to your scenario directory, you'll notice that there are two scenario files. Austerlitz is the original scenario with the full script and AusterlitzMP is a multiplayer version with all the defunct scripting disabled.

The singleplayer version has no AI. It is basically a sandbox for you to try out the scenario's features. However, you can play against yourself if you like. To switch sides, just click a unit or building controlled by the opposite player.

The multiplayer version will allow you to play against one person (or the AI, but I wouldn't recommend it). The host will be French (Napoleon) and the other player will be Russian (Allies).

See the Readme for more specific details on the features.

Austerlitz 202 Downloads	Download

Status: Release/Final
Language: Visual Basic 6
Platform: Win9x, WinNT, Win2000/XP
Downloads: 353

This program is useful for fixing out-of-sync audio in video files. It does the math to find out what framerate will bring the audio back into sync. You will still need a program like VirtualDub to fix the video file. The Readme includes a complete tutorial on how to fix audio sync issues with Media Player Classic, VirtualDubMod, and this program.

Audio Delay Calculator 353 Downloads	Download