omi

Quick Update Post #2

 Code, Steam Utility  1 Response »
Aug 202012
 

I have noticed a fair bit of feedback lately on my app which is amazing really, makes me pretty happy to see it being used out there. Although I will say I am not so pleased that some of you are either having trouble finding your games / the app seems not to load up games from your list correctly.

While I do my best on this front, it is a bit hit or miss whether the app will be able to find your full games listing in the file it uses to save back the category data to be used by Steam.

Now, this is where I ask for your help. I need to collate more data basically. I believe my test base is too small to figure out what is actually going on. So I need anyone who is interested to send me a particular file from their Steam directory so that I can compare what is going across a range of sources. If you are interested in this, please send it to: omi@omiblog.com

The file in question is ‘sharedconfig.vdf’ and is located in the following default location for a Steam install.

c:\Program Files\Steam\userdata\userid\7\remote

userid will clearly be replaced with some number unique to you.

Thanks for your help and hopefully I will have a new more improved version out in the next few weeks.

edit: You do not need to run my application in the slightest. This is just an exercise for me to understand better what is going on.

Steam Category Utility – Quick Update

 Code, Games, Steam Utility  9 Responses »
Jul 182012
 

Just a quick post that I have re-uploaded a new version again after it was found that there was a small bug in there for new users that prevented their games showing up correctly in their list. This should now be fixed and is ready to use!

Just visit the downloads page for the latest build I have uploaded to the server.

Thanks to megadrive off NeoGAF for finding the bug. :D

Steam Utility – An Update – Beta #2

 Code, Games, Steam Utility  3 Responses »
Jul 172012
 

Ok, with the Steam sale in full swing, it was time to get this all re-packaged and uploaded ready to go.

Everything has been streamlined slightly with the UI, the number of settings the user is required to enter and I am overall much happier with the whole thing.

To install please uninstall the previous version, download the latest msi package from the downloads page and install. Everything should be ready to go from that point forth.

Your previously entered user settings + backups should not be removed during the uninstall / reinstall process.

Have fun and hopefully it helps with categorising all those new games.

A screenshot while I am at it:

 

Quick Update: Utility Beta #2 & VS2012

 Code, Games, Steam Utility  No Responses »
Jun 222012
 

From the lack of updates, it would appear I have abondoned the piece of software I have written. But that is actually far from the truth, I have just been incredibly busy with work and the desire to actually do my own little projects on the side has been lacking in the extreme.

Thankfully that pressure is coming off a little so I have been getting into things a little again. As well as checking out the recently released Visual Studio 2012 RC. Along with that is potentially having a look around to see what joys Metro development holds and how much my knowledge of WPF translates.

As for the Utility, the following are planned upgrades in the next build:

  • Improve the upgrade dialog / process
  • Implement a better install package
  • Upgrade the look and feel of the application
  • Fully implement users being able to apply any game from the Steam catalogue
I think that is largely it for now, update coming later I imagine when I discover I dropped something off the list.

Omikron Steam Category Utility – Beta #1

 Code, Games, Steam Utility  7 Responses »
Feb 022012
 

So, I think I am done, at least for now. There are plenty of minor UI changes I would love to make as well as some usability things, but I think it might be time to just put it out there and let people try it out and see what feedback I get. (oh and by feedback, useful stuff please. I will listen to all reasonable ideas.)

First a little bit of a disclaimer. This software was developed by me, without input by Valve, so, be careful. I have tested it fairly heavily and even employed some others to make sure to the best of our knowledge you can’t break things, but you never know. There is a restore feature if things g o wrong. So, don’t panic!

So once you have downloaded the install package and installed it. You will be presented with the following screen:

As you can see, it is fairly self explanatory, all you will likely need to do is select the User you are attempting to edit the categories for and click save. If for some reason your Icon sub path appears to be incorrect. Just remove all the text from that box. It is not currently required.

After that, the application will load your data from the Steam files and you will be presented with the following:

This is the screen you will perform most of your editing actions, the actions that can be done are:

  • Move a game from one category to another via drag drop.
  • Add a game to a category from the side list via drag drop.
  • Edit a category name via double click and entering a new name in the box.
  • Removing a game via right clicking on the game and selecting the menu item.
  • Adding a new category by right clicking the background and selecting the menu item.

Once you have completed the edits, all that needs to happen is select Save to Steam from the File menu and restart your Steam application. On restarting Steam should inherit all the changes.

In the next post I will cover off on some extra features in the Utility including Restore functionality as well as Adding a game outside of the list provided.

Also, please read the About window. This little application may not have been completed without the help of some rather nice people as well as Valve for providing what I believe is the premier digital distribution platform for games.

NB. This Application is not at all associated with Valve Software. So use at your own risk. Thanks! 

Steam Category Utility / Manager: Closed Beta Version Ready

 Code, Games  No Responses »
Jan 302012
 

So, I think I have managed to get a build ready that is pretty much ready for beta testing. As you can see in the image below, things have come a fair way since the very first proof of concept type image a couple weeks back.

 Next post will be a bit of a run down on usage / how it works and also what needs to be completed before an official ‘release’ can be put out to the public.

Steam Category Utility: Update #4

 Code, Games  No Responses »
Jan 242012
 

Quick update (brought to your by Becks beer!) on what I managed to get through this evening based on some small amounts of feedback and my own observations.

  • Settings/Install Path registry load added
  • Username lookup added, user no longer needs to lookup their UserID from the steam directory, the list is populated with found values based on install path setting.
  • Improved performance of Steam App Data load significantly.
  • Search of lists added.
  • Auto load if previous saved settings still validate correctly.

Pretty sure that is it for now, but an explanatory image below for those not wanting to read text. ;) Also anyone testing it out, previous path provided should contain this build.

Steam Category Utility: Testers Required!

 Games  No Responses »
Jan 232012
 

Ok, so I have a basic form of the application running to a standard I am mostly happy with, but what I do need is some volunteers to run said application and return back to me a saved XML log file so I can do a bit of verification that things are running as expected.

If anyone is interested in doing so, could you please send me an email -> omi@omiblog.com and I will get back to you ASAP with download details!

Meanwhile here is a run down on what would be required…

.NET Framework 4.0

Once you have that downloaded and installed and have my app downloaded and extracted to a folder. Run the exe provided. You should be presented with the following screen.

It is fairly self explanatory, basically input your Steam installation path and your UserID (which is found in your Steam installation path, then the UserData folder) and then click Save. Provided all the settings are valid of course.

Once you have done that,  all that is required is to press the Reload Appinfo Data button on the main window that appears.

This should load the various lists with data, including the right hand most, which is the log I am interested in at the moment. To save this, press the Save Log to XML button and it will save a data stamped file to the location you rant he exe from.

Simple matter of then emailing me this file and hopefully I will have more next time!

Edit: I have made a couple minor tweeks to make the setup step a hell of a lot easier. Code now detects Steam installation path from registry as well as preloads a list of UserID’s detected in the Steam installation folder. All you have to do is pick the correct one from the list. It is likely that there is only one, so easy enough. If the application can’t find the icon path, just remove that entry, the code isn’t using the icons yet anyway, so you won’t create any problems.

 Posted by at 21:27

Steam Utility: Update #3 (short)

 Code, Games  No Responses »
Jan 172012
 

So today, I had some success. Major success.As you can see from the small image of the Steam Library, I have managed to  successfully, load, edit and then save the correct file that Steam then uses when it loads to find the categories for each ‘game’. Happy days. Now I need to tidy up some editing functionality and then some sucker  useful warm testing monkey, to hit it with a bit of  a hammer. A good day all around and I shall now head home and have a cider. Today it is Bulmers Pear.

 Edit: Small minor, but important, update. You will be pleased to know that these changes sync to the cloud. :)

Steam Utility: Update #2

 Code  No Responses »
Jan 162012
 

I spent some time over the weekend fixing up some infrastructure problems (mainly due to me attempting to rapidly prototype the Utility) to get it in a state to actually potentially release to people who would be interested in it. These involved moving more towards an MVVM approach as well as a bit of multi-threading. The later was to avoid locking up the UI which is never a particularly good look for an application. ;)

Now that that has been completed, plus some tidy up work to existing class structures so they actually make sense (Steam Game, Owned Game, Category etc), work can begin on getting some nice interactive things completed. Mainly in how the user can set an individual ‘game’ to a category.

Tonight, I promise I won’t be distracted by Skyrim. No. Really. I won’t.

Edit: Have a Skyrim screenshot.

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