I have been experimenting with the different ways images (bmp, png & jpg) can be downloaded in real time to the TSU9400 (Thanks Barry for the VB6 code to grab the image data for my TCP Listener service).

The primary reason for this post is to see if there is any interest in information on setting up a local web server to handle dynamic image requests (or anything else for that matter). For those of you running Windows XP Pro, IIS (Internet Information Services) is an option that can be installed to provide web server functionality on your local machine. I have a successful test environment setup whereby the IIS web server holds an image library that the Pronto can retrieve images from based on the IP address of the local machine. Other uses for the local web server could be as a 'redirect' or 'cache' for items used frequently by the Pronto. Not sure at this point if that would provide the ability to simplify certain types of web requests. If there are interested parties out there, please post and I will gladly write up a short blurb on how to get IIS up and running on an XP machine.

I did get the 'non-web' image transfer to partially work in VB.NET, however there are either some encoding issues I haven't quite gotten around on the VB.NET side or there's an issue lurking below the waterline that I haven't found yet. VB.NET has some core differences in how it stores / handles strings compared to VB6, so I'm thinking that is where the problem lies. Although it could be a simple substring issue on the ProntoScript side.... For those that are interested or have the need, I've included my VB.NET version of Barry's original VB6 image retrieval code below. There are a number of other methods that you can use that achieve the same result (Memory Streams and File Streams work quite well and are more true to .NET).

Public Function RetrieveArtwork() As String
Dim FileLength As Long
Dim f As Short
Dim Data As String

f = FreeFile()
FileLength = FileLen("F:\TuneArt\TestArt.png")
Data = Space(FileLength)
FileOpen(f, "F:\TuneArt\TestArt.png", OpenMode.Binary, OpenAccess.Read)
FileGet(f, Data, )
FileClose(f)
RetrieveArtwork = "imagesize:" & CStr(FileLength) & "blocksize:" & Format(Len("imagesize:") + _
Len("blocksize:") + Len(" image:") + FileLength + 7, "0000000") + " image:" & Data
End Function

The Pronto PAL is basically a program that does what you want. It is used for my Pronto Photo frame program among other things. It hase thability to do many things with the pronto that I have foiund handy. It runs 24/7 on a PC. It does not use an http interface but straight forward TCPIP.

Hi Barry,
is Pronto PAL something that you are distributing as freeware/shareware or is it a commerical product that you are selling?

Although I only got the 'non-http' flavor to partially work, it looks as though the round trip processing times are marginally better via straight TCP transfers. Have you found this to be true with your Pronto PAL implementation?

Not wishing to get too greedy: Does Pronto PAL have an API that would allow it to be integrated into other programming solutions?

Cheers // Jason

The pronto PAL has information on my web site www.the-gordons.net. The docs are a little out of date but do refelect the intent and concepts.

When you read the docs you will see that the PAL is the base units and takes plugins in the form of API's that are written in amy WIndows dialect that can make a dll.

There are some vista issues but I now know what they are but have no Vista platform to test the fixes on. All the Vista issues have to do with UAC since the PAL uses RegSvr32 to dynamically register a plugin and that requires the PAL to run as an admin or start Rgsvr32 at an admin level. The simplest solution is when adding new plugins, you start the PAL with a right click and tell it to run as admin. That should work, but as I said no Vista in my house. On an XP you do not have to ever stop the PAL to add a plugin. It does it dynamically. I need to test out how to do that on VISTA as I believe I know how, but no Vista ....

I believe it is not free/shareware.