New tool from Demicron SA eases applet installation on Web
+ADw-strong+AD4-London +ADw-/strong+AD4- (07/31/97) — Demicron SA, a Swedish software developer, has come up with a tool to make installing Java applets on World Wide Web pages a less painstaking experience.
Called Applet FX, the developer tool is made up of a series of pure Java applets itself and walks nontechnical users through the configuration, setup, and implementation of Java applets on Web pages.
Applet FX works via a series of predesigned +ACI-special effect+ACI- Java applets that users can configure for their own use. The developer tool includes graphical-image and text-presentation tools that let users change the color, text, images, and sounds of the premade applets to suit their own needs.
Each special effect applet offers a different function — such as a spinning image or a ticker tape — as well as fancy ways to display titles, headers, and buttons. One example is the +ACI-pouring watering can+ACI- that lets text chosen by the user look as if it is being filled with water from a watercan, complete with 3-D bubbles. Another applet lets users put a moving spotlight on an image by scrolling the mouse across it.
In addition, the package includes the Visual Applet Configurator, a visual development tool that lets users change the technical parameters of the special-effect applets. The Configurator also automatically transfers HTML files, Java applets, images, and sounds to and from the Web server once all configuration is complete, officials said.
The freeware edition includes 20 applets, while the commercial edition includes 60. A +ACI-copy protection+ACI- system is included in the commercial edition to prevent Web site visitors from copying the applets.
Applet FX is available for Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.0 and requires a PC with 16M bytes of RAM, 20M bytes of hard disk space and 486 processor or better. The freeware version is available on the Internet at +ADw-a href+AD0AIg-http://www.demicron.se/applications/appletfx.html+ACIAPg-http://www.demicron.se/applications/appletfx.html+ADw-/a+AD4-. The commercial version, available Aug. 8 at +ADw-a href+AD0AIg-http://www.buydirect.com+ACIAPg-http://www.buydirect.com+ADw-/a+AD4-, will cost US+ACQ-69 and will include one license for one person to publish the applets on a site belonging to him or her.
Examples of the applets included in Applet FX can be found at +ADw-a href+AD0AIg-http://www.demicron.se/gallery/+ACIAPg-http://www.demicron.se/gallery/+ADw-/a+AD4-.
Demicron, based in Norsborg, Sweden, can be reached at 8-531-742-66 or at +ADw-a href+AD0AIg-http://www.demicron.se/+ACIAPg-http://www.demicron.se/+ADw-/a+AD4-.
