Hex Blender (GUI Version) !!!!!!!

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by oBlazin, Jun 17, 2021.

  1. oBlazin

    oBlazin Veteran

    Unless you have a specific necessity for features only available in the Java version of BHB, please use the Web Application instead.

    Wow. Didn't expect to be posting anything about this any time soon, as I thought development would take a lot longer, but the port from C++ to Java didn't take that long, most of it was UI design- Anyways, onto the program itself (which will be referred to as BHB - standing for Blazin's Hex Blender).

    Downloads

    All downloads have been moved to my GitHub page:
    https://github.com/DavidArthurCole/bhb

    I will not be explicitly leaving VirusTotal links this time, as MediaFire now automatically scans via VT when files are uploaded. I will still leave the checksums.


    The .exe version (Windows only) Deprecated. Use GitHub link.

    SHA-256 checksum:
    Code:
    458570394cd3ac33a34ca87ab20406ab033db4b05b852e861e08ca5228928817


    The .jar version (use JRE 1.8.0_291, all operating systems supported)
    Deprecated. Use GitHub link.

    SHA-256 checksum:
    Code:
    409c0395270243739b79e8fbd047cb89294dff04614435bc1d99039360e39b41


    Source code can be found here, however you will need a Java dev environment and lot of specific SDKs to compile, mainly JavaFX.


    How do I use BHB?

    Unlike the C++ version, which required VC++ redistributables to work, this version has all required assets packed inside of the executable itself, so there should be no compatibility issues. Along with this, I will be providing both the .jar and the .exe file, so Mac/Linux users rejoice, you can now run my program :)


    To use the .JAR version, run:
    Code:
    java -jar BHB.jar


    The program looks like this:

    BlankUI.png

    And although there's a lot going on here, all will be explained in this thread.

    The first thing to talk about is the code boxes and their related items;

    CodeBox.png

    These boxes are used to enter hex codes (up to 6). Code boxes will only unlock if the previous box is filled with a valid hex code. The area to the right of the textbox will preview the color. Clicking on the text to the left of the box will generate a random hex code, and clicking on the color preview will clear the box. (There is also a "Clear all" button, which will remove the codes, as well the current nickname, and current color selection) If, however, you do not want to manually enter codes into the box, you can use the color picker;

    ColorPicker.png

    This section has two main components. The color chooser and the select button. By clicking on the "⬛ Black" menu, you will be prompted to choose a color:

    ColorPicker2.png

    Clicking on a color in this menu will select it, and the change will be reflected in the large circle above the menu. If you want a more specific color, clicking "Custom Color..." will give you a full RGB spectrum selector:

    ColorPicker3.png
    Once you have selected a color in this menu, be sure to hit save/use to confirm the selection.

    Once you have a color you are happy with, you have two choices for using that color in the program. The first is to manually copy the preview, as the menu will show you the hex code:

    ColorPicker4.png

    Copy only the six digit hex code, do not include the #. The second option is to utilize the "<<<" button to the left of the menu, which follows this logic:

    • If you have previously entered/typed into/selected multiple code boxes, the last one you entered will be filled.
    • If you have not previously selected a code box, the first empty code box will be filled.

    Next, we have the real functionality of this program, which is the nickname enter box, and the preview bar:

    EnterAndPreview.png

    The "Enter nickname:" field only supports valid Minecraft /nick characters. This means, ONLY A-Z, 1-9, and _. Enter your nickname, and once the name is long enough to support the codes (see the "minimum character table" here), a preview will be displayed:

    Preview.png

    Please note that, while hex codes are fairly universal, depending on resourcepacks, your OS font, and other factors, this preview may not be exactly what you will get in game, however it will always be at least incredibly close.

    Once you have a color scheme that you are happy with, utilize the "Tools -> Copy to clipboard" function, which I feel is pretty self explanatory:

    CopyToClipboard.png

    Finally, the feature I am most excited about is the saving/loading of code schemes:

    Save-Load.png

    If you have a scheme of colors you REALLY don't want to lose, or if you want to share it with others, you can click save, and you will be prompted to choose a filename. These files are stored as .txt documents, mainly so they can be shared in the SS Discord. Please note that while saving the file, you do not need to specify the type of the file, only the name.

    As for loading in schemes, press load, and navigate to where the file is stored. Loading a scheme will overwrite code boxes, so make sure you save anything you care about before loading.

    As always, reach out to me with any questions at all on Discord (Daveed#1234), or in PMs.

    A huge thank you goes out to @Kelpy and @Crange who, along with providing an incredible amount of help in designing the program, provided feedback and guided me along the process. I would also like to remember that this was originally a collaborative project between me and @Zamboozled and I would like to thank him very much as well.
     
    Last edited: Sep 7, 2022
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  2. Kelpy

    Kelpy Veteran

    o7 Already using it! Anytime :p