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[-Bill- (of wgjohns.com)]

*** FINALLY!  BVC is released! ***

BVC is basically a "more Windows like" version of BXVC

BVC includes "standard" Windows features like:

• Installs to the "Program Fiiles" folder.
• Creates Desktop, Start Menu and Quick Launch icons (optionally).
• Creates an uninstall entry in Control Panel's "Add or Remove Programs" list.
• Drop-down menus.
• Configuration settings grouped by function under separate "tabs".
• "Browsing" for files instead of having to type in a file name and / or path.

Other changes include:

• Backup and restore of "User Settings", including configuration settings, Device List, Custom Command List, Listener List, user imported Audio Files, user imported Face Graphic sets, etc.
• Imports "User Settings" from BXVC, including configuration settings, Device List, Custom Command List, Listener List, user imported Audio Files, user imported Face Graphic sets, etc.
• Face Graphic sets can be easily "imported" from within BVC instead of "manually" copying and pasting files and folders.

It has taken much longer than I expected to translate, but that is partially because I am such a "perfectionist" and want everything to work even better than the original BXVC!  So, it hasn't been just a matter of translation, but more like "translate and improve".  Yes, I could have released BVC a while ago, and most users wouldn't have minded some "manual importing" of files, however, me being me, I want to get it "right" the first time!

While I have had some success getting basic IR functions working in Visual BASIC Express, there are a number of things I need to add to BVC before IR will be usable.  A big one is "command sequences" (more or less "simple MACRO's") as each IR command that requires more than one keypress on the remote (like change to channel 244) will have to send a sequence of IR commands.

Oh, yeah, you can find BVC at:  http://www.wgjohns.com/bvc.htm


[TTA Edit: Top scrolling marquee needed a bit more PIZAZZ! ]

[Puck]

AWESOME Job on BVC Bill.... Thank You!

[HA Dave]

Finally!  BVC is released!
Oh, yeah, you can find BVC at:  http://www.wgjohns.com/bvc.htm

I got to alpha/beta test the new BVC.

It was rock-solid from day one!

A great program with all the looks, use and feel of a corporate edition.

[KDR]

Great job on BVC
Thanks!

^{----------------KDR}

[Tuicemen]

Keep up the great work Bill!
This truly brings ones home into the star trek era!

[azzar0]

Great product, excellent upgrade from BXVC. Keep up the good work Bill.

On a slightly separate note, I wanted to give you all a quick update. I purchased 3 SHURE AMS22 microphones and a SHURE AMS8000 microphone mixer. The AMS line of microphones has special circuitry, having technically 2 microphones in one. The logic of the microphone only listens to the front of the microphone, at a 120 degree angle. Everything else is ignored (actually it constantly compares sounds received from the front to the ones received from the back, etc). If there is silence, the mic turns itself off. I set it up today for a test drive, to see how it works. I hooked up the 3 microphones - one in my office, one in the family room, and one in the kitchen.

Then I hooked it all up to the computer. All I can say is W O W ! I used to have to repeat every other command - now BVC understands and executes the first time, everytime (well, lets say 95% success rate). Of course, you are limited to how far away from the microphone you can be, but I setup one of the mics on the coffee table, which is only a few feet from the couch. Then I turned the TV up (pretty loud) and started talking to 'James'. I wasn't even able to hear him talk back to me (because the TV was so loud) but James executed almost every command. In my office it is very easy to talk to James, because the mic sits on my desk and it picks up everything very clearly (success rate here is 99.99%). The kitchen one has to be in a certain spot, at a certain angle for it to pick up more, but if you are in range it works just as well, regardless of how much noise is behind the mic. SO - I invested about $175 in equipment that has an MSRP price of around $2500 and have a pretty decent voice activation system. BVC is a great tool and it works OK with a regular mic. But add to it professional quality microphones and you have a KILLER system. BVC really shines with good mics.
So again, THANK YOU BILL, and keep up the great work.
(OK, now I have to go and hide the wires. I just got the mixer and wanted to test, so I don't have the system hooked up permanently - I just ran wires all over the house to see how it works. Now I have to make it more or less invisible)

[azzar0]

Oh, I forgot to ask - do I have to download and reinstall BVC or is it the same as the version I am using?
Thanks!

[HA Dave]

Great product, excellent upgrade from BXVC. Keep up the good work Bill.

On a slightly separate note, I wanted to give you all a quick update. I purchased 3 SHURE AMS22 microphones and a SHURE AMS8000 microphone mixer.....

GREAT POST azzar0! Valuable information anyone interested in BVC should want to read. You should share this at www.wgjohns.com.

[-Bill- (of wgjohns.com)]

Oh, I forgot to ask - do I have to download and reinstall BVC or is it the same as the version I am using?
Thanks!

Only major difference "alpha testers" will notice is that under "help" "about" there is now a credits listing. 

Those mics sound awesome!  May have to invest in some myself!  How about a link?

[-Bill- (of wgjohns.com)]

Thanks guys!   

I tried hard to make it an effortless (or at least easy) upgrade from BXVC.  I'm glad to hear it is working well for everyone so far!   

[x10customer]

Great product, excellent upgrade from BXVC. Keep up the good work Bill.

On a slightly separate note, I wanted to give you all a quick update. I purchased 3 SHURE AMS22 microphones and a SHURE AMS8000 microphone mixer.....

GREAT POST azzar0! Valuable information anyone interested in BVC should want to read. You should share this at www.wgjohns.com.

This is the best add on to AHP of them all! And it's free? Are you crazy?

Anyway, Thanks a lot!

Dave: You linked to a BXVC page in the above post instead of the BVC page , which was confusing. Possibly you meant: http://www.wgjohns.com/bvc.htm

[Tuicemen]

Dave: You linked to a BXVC page in the above post instead of the BVC page , which was confusing. Possibly you meant: http://www.wgjohns.com/bvc.htm

I think Dave_x10_L meant the forums for BXVC and BVC

[azzar0]

Those mics sound awesome!  May have to invest in some myself!  How about a link?

Hi Bill,
I got mine from eBay. This auction lists the same mixer I got: http://cgi.ebay.com/Shure-AMS-8000-Mixer_W0QQitemZ200121023816QQihZ010QQcategoryZ3278QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

You can also try the 4 channel version. It's the exact same thing, except it takes 4 inputs instead of 8: http://cgi.ebay.com/Shure-AMS-4000-4-Channel-Microphone-Mixer-Bid-Now-Win_W0QQitemZ280124880373QQihZ018QQcategoryZ23785QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem

I found the microphones on eBay as well, but I don't see any available today (I just won another auction for the only one listed), but I am sure you can get them if you keep checking.
The other option is to go with Crown equipment, as one of the other members said in one of the BVXC posts. They also seem to be good from what he said. I wouldn't mind trying Crown, but I have enough invested for the time being

[-Bill- (of wgjohns.com)]

This is the best add on to AHP of them all! And it's free? Are you crazy?

Anyway, Thanks a lot!

Yes, some people have told me I am crazy and should make it "hobbled" shareware at least and require payment for the "full version".   
Thus far, I am sticking by the "Please Donate" model.  However, if the number of donations keeps lagging drasticly behind the number of downloads, I may have to change my mind about relying on people's "better nature" and stop "giving it away".  For now, the jury is still out.   

To ALL BXVC / BVC users:
        To put it bluntly, BXVC and BVC represent a great deal of work on my part.  If you are using either of them regularly and haven't donated, then "shame on you!"  As I have said before, I have bills to pay just like everyone else, and the fewer donations people make, the more time I have to spend at my "day job" to pay the bills and the less time I have to spend on improving BVC!  So, the more donations, the faster BVC "evolves".

        I have so many ideas (mine and yours) that I would like to build in, but as there are only so many hours in the day and I have to spend most of them at my "day job" just to make ends meet, progress is slow.

        If you like BVC and you want to see it do more, sooner rather than later, you know what to do...  Make a donation for BVC!  If you don't have or want a PayPal account, just fill in the amount then scroll down and click the "continue" button under the credit card logos.

Thanks to those few who have donated, and thanks in advance to those of you who do!   

[essp2003]

This is the best add on to AHP of them all! And it's free? Are you crazy?

Anyway, Thanks a lot!

Yes, some people have told me I am crazy and should make it "hobbled" shareware at least and require payment for the "full version".   
Thus far, I am sticking by the "Please Donate" model.  However, if the number of donations keeps lagging drasticly behind the number of downloads, I may have to change my mind about relying on people's "better nature" and stop "giving it away".  For now, the jury is still out.   

To ALL BXVC / BVC users:
        To put it bluntly, BXVC and BVC represent a great deal of work on my part.  If you are using either of them regularly and haven't donated, then "shame on you!"  As I have said before, I have bills to pay just like everyone else, and the fewer donations people make, the more time I have to spend at my "day job" to pay the bills and the less time I have to spend on improving BVC!  So, the more donations, the faster BVC "evolves".

        I have so many ideas (mine and yours) that I would like to build in, but as there are only so many hours in the day and I have to spend most of them at my "day job" just to make ends meet, progress is slow.

        If you like BVC and you want to see it do more, sooner rather than later, you know what to do...  Make a donation for BVC!  If you don't have or want a PayPal account, just fill in the amount then scroll down and click the "continue" button under the credit card logos.

Thanks to those few who have donated, and thanks in advance to those of you who do!   

Bill,

Just charge a reasonable price. You will do fine. Its more work, but more return as well.
Remember record tracking and paperwork overhead costs are not free, which is an added benefit for your customers.
Free updates for one year, and keep in database so you can email back and show latest improvements made.
And just use this site as your help line  

Or I can be your business manager and set a price with you and design/maintain support and costing centers.

Oh yeah Bill, Power Basic may be a good alternative since its closer to machine language efficiency and simpler coding as well
(once you get the correct structures down). But there was one communication flaw I don't yet remember what it was.
It may be its an internal language and can interface with almost any language internally; but it doesn't communicate with external
devices due to too many complexities (or something like that - you probably know). They have a good help site, but no one shares anything too useful.
Mostly ex IT's crying about Indians taking their jobs and trying to get you to hire them.

If you can use Power Basic, its a good deal. And its uniqueness is kind of like a copy protection, although they have many other ways.
You do need pretty good 'vision' to program with it. VB would qualify since its harder I think.

But that's only if you are feeling frisky I guess   


Good Luck!!