If you are targeting Windows platform, I suggest using Visual Studio Express 2008. To make it fully function, you will need also Windows SDK (for Windows Server 2008 and .NET Framework 3.5). Both are very large files. If you want to download for offline installation, I suggest using a download manager, and use only one thread, do not use multi-segmented (or multi-thread) to download the file.

Unlike Windows Server 2003 SP1 Platform SDK, the Windows SDK (version 6.1) provides the project solution of DirectShow BaseClasses. So, you can compile the DirectShow using Visual Studio C++ Express 2008. Besides that, you can also download DirectX SDK.

Since recently, because of Beijing Olympic, China topic is very hot. Just want to share some freeware from China.

Maxthon, a web browser. Which can used as the replacement of IE, but don’t uninstall IE, since it is still based on IE. Has a built-in download manager. Move your mouse to the image, it will pop up a float bar, and you can grab the image. Besides that, it has also a file sniffer, can download the flv and wma files. Very good.

When I wanted to find a free offline browser (or website copier, website grabber, website ripper), what I found is HTTrack. They said it is the best offline browser. I tried to use it many times, and found that very useless. But finally, I found it really useful, as they said, it is the best offline browser.

Why I said it was poor before?
Actually, the problem was, the website I wanted to grab was a very large site, with a lot of links. HTTrack always parses the links then download. Since there are too many links (about 18,000 files), the parsing used a lot of time. HTTrack unlike Teleport Pro, will not download the webpages immediately, so you cannot view the webpages immediately during parsing. That is why, I thought HTTrack didn’t download anything.

[Posted 18/7/2007 in http://allencch.multiply.com]

After a long time doing about DirectShow, finally I can grasp what is going on in DirectShow.

For me, the purpose of DirectShow is to get the multimedia input then display the output, eg: *.avi file and video capture device such as webcam. And everything is dealt with “filter” (Please read the documentation for detailed information). And the filters are written in COM (Component Object Module).

To deal with DirectShow, you must download DirectX 9 SDK from MSDN, or download Windows Platform SDK from MSDN, because the DirectShow SDK has removed from DirectX newer SDK. I suggest DirectX 9 SDK, but I don’t know whether one can download it or not.

終於開完畫廊全部的圖畫了。最難拿的，大概就是呂布的道具。因為吳國外傳終章，士兵實在少。而且要在9分鐘內千人斬。真是難上加難。有人介紹說玩雙人，加起來一千，就可以了。但是我想到，士兵那么少，而且如果一人玩雙人，也挺麻煩的。結果用了他們所說的SL大法（Save-Load大法）。終於在快要用完九分鐘內，千人斬了。
Finally, all the images in the gallery are opened. The most difficult image, should be the image that needs Lubu’s item. Because, Wu’s final chapter extra, the soldiers are too few. Even more, we need to use Lubu to kill 1000 men within 9 minutes. It is too difficult. Some people suggest use 2 players, the sum of both players killing number is 1000 can invoke the item. However, I think that the soldiers are too few, if 1 person play 2 players more, also trouble some. So, I use the other way, that is “save-load technique” (SL technique). Finally, almost finish using 9 minutes, I killed 1000 men.

Just installed AVG 8.0 recently. The interface has a great change. Besides that, a feature I like most, which AVG 7 doesn’t have, that is “Exceptions”. That is a feature, which you can add in the path or files, that you know there are threats, but you still want them remain in your computer.

This feature is very good. Because sometimes, I want to run a program, but AVG 7 Resident Shield will protect the computer to run the program. In order to continue running the program, I need to turn off Resident Shield. However, doing this is dangerous, because the whole Resident Shield is turned off. With this “exceptions” feature, Resident Shield is still running and protection is still going on, and I can run the program I want.

KOEI’s Musou games are my favourites. Easy to play, a lot of secrets can be unlocked.

There are Dynasty Warriors (Shin Sangoku Musou), Samurai Warriors (Sengoku Musou), Dynasty Warriors: Gundam (Gundam Musou), Warriors Orochi (Musou Orochi).

Shin Sangoku Musou and Sengoku Musou both contains the historical characters. And Musou Orochi is combination of Shin Sangoku Musou and Sengoku Musou’s characters, with extra legendary characters. And Gundam Musou, is using Gundam characters. KOEI games is always related to the history.

最近在玩無雙大蛇。非常好~

練功心得：

個人覺得，蜀國是練技能的絕佳場所。若是練一個或兩個武將，可以選擇蜀國外傳第二章“南中突破戰”，因為只有一顆星。難度當然是選“容易”。

若要練三個武將的技能，尤其是需要在有限的時間內，擊破6名武將和很多的士兵，那么，蜀國第三章“成都之戰”很好。因為會有很多的士兵，和很多的武將，尤其是讓傳令到達地點，將會有伏兵出現，這樣又會有更多的武將出現。

武將心得：

目前，個人覺得最容易使用，殺傷力最強的，就是“周泰”了。他的R1（類型招式）根本無話可說。殺武將，雖然不能秒殺，但可以算是很快了。尤其是他的移動+R1，個人特別喜歡。因為動作比普通的R1快，普通的R1要收刀，而且敵人會躺在地上，若有很多士兵在後面，就會被打。但是，他是速度型的，所以只要跳跳，就可以逃走。而且，要開啟“周泰”，只要在吳國第六章破關，就可以使用了。

“凌統”是個人認為的第二強者。用他來殺士兵，簡直是無話可說。又快，範圍又廣。只要一直按普通攻擊就可以了。當然，如果用他來殺武將，還是輸給周泰。還有，凌統可以跑得很快，而且也可以跳跳。用他來開啟武將，特別是那些需要時間的關卡，或是要滅掉所有的傳令或工作兵等等，用他很好。因為用他來追人，殺傳令或工作兵，很快搞定。而且，要開啟“凌統”，只要在戰國第五章破關就行了。

“宮本武藏”，馬上高手。（本人因為先玩蜀國外傳，所以，暫時還沒遇到在馬上比宮本武藏更厲害的。）當他騎馬的時候，可以殺很多的士兵，甚至武將（如果馬術很高的話）。雖然他騎馬攻擊是左右兩邊，不過很快，而且好像還可以打到前面，所以就算武將在前面，也是可以幹掉的（難度“容易”）。

開啟武將心得：

“寧寧”。有點麻煩，因為不知道真正的條件。有的說四分鐘內殺掉寧寧的兩個分身。不過，我也沒注意時間。只是，在“女忍”出現前，快快殺掉寧寧的兩個分身。所以，個人認為，條件是女忍出現前殺掉寧寧的分身。

“前田慶次”，這個超麻煩。要保護武將，要擊鼓，要殺兵，要趕時間。所以，我用了個人認為的最強組合：宮本武藏、凌統、周泰。而且馬術要相當高。用宮本，放第一位，因為要用他來騎馬殺敵。而且這關需要騎馬，因為要跑去擊鼓。用宮本可以一邊騎馬，可以一邊殺很多士兵，不用下馬打。萬一被打下馬，就換凌統，把士兵們打散。周泰是爲了殺前田慶次才用的。
儘量講據點封掉，不然有很多士兵，那些士兵會阻礙到己方武將的前進。所以，士兵也需要殺掉。
敵方援軍會出現，幹掉敵方援軍後，就要回去預備擊鼓。所以，在滅敵方援軍前，儘量幹掉其他武將和封據點。小心打，應該可以在20分鐘前趕到。

4級武器心得：

難度“困難”，地點蜀國第五章外傳“街亭之戰”。第一次的時候，用周泰和凌統。兩位等級最好99，不然，被人秒殺。技能裝備需要“運氣”，而且“運氣”要相當高，才會有好的武器。
街亭之戰非常好，不用跑來跑去。只要跑到中間，殺掉武將，封掉據點，就可以等敵人自己送上門。周泰是一定要有的。因為可以用他來殺武將。這關可以得到4把武器。所以，能夠得到4級武器的幾率非常高。不只如此，保護己方武將，到時還可以讓他們來幫助打伊達政宗。
周泰夠強的時候，用他來殺兵殺將，是沒問題的。所以，可以幫助另外兩個武將拿4級武器。

I like to read articles online. And I will save the webpages to my computer, especially programming tutorial. Sometimes I don’t have time to categorise what I have downloaded. So, I just drop them to some of the folders. But, when I want to search the file, there will be the problem.

We can search the content of a text file by using built-in “find” function of Windows. However, the searching will always slow because it searches file by file. Therefore, the files need to be indexed first. To do the indexing service, we just need to install desktop search software.

If you are editing image, what software you use? MS Paint? Adobe Photoshop? For me, MS Paint is fast, and only fast. Nothing special. Photoshop, is not free. If you want to install, it requires a lot of space.

So, I use 2 image editors, Paint.NET and GIMP Portable. Both of them support layer editing. Very nice. Actually, I prefer using Paint.NET. Because it is more usable (easier to be used) compare to GIMP. The interface is easy to understand. However, it does not as powerful as GIMP.