Key Articles
Stardraw.com announces official release of Stardraw Control 2010
 Following its initial preview at InfoComm 2009, Stardraw.com has announced the official release of its latest system control application, Stardraw Control 2010. Control 2010 is a significant step up from the previous 2007 version, offering users greater flexibility, even sexier User Interfaces (UIs) and the ability to exploit the ever-increasing processing power of modern hardware.
Control 2010 is, however, fully compatible with 2007 meaning that all current projects can easily be transferred to the new platform and benefit from its improved features and capabilities.
Stardraw Control 2010 is a
free upgrade for all users of Stardraw
Control 2007.
An important addition in the Control 2010 platform is the inclusion of a generic HTTP, or WebServices driver. This means that anything that talks HTTP can talk to any system controlled by Stardraw Control, anywhere. For example, you can use any browser on any device anywhere on the planet as a UI
- that includes Smartphones of any kind, including, but not limited to, the ubiquitous iPhone; PDAs, tablet PCs or indeed any device capable of running a web browser, and you can still have all of the advanced graphical features in your UI that you would have on a full-blown PC running a dedicated application.
Key to this is support of Ajax (asynchronous JavaScript and XML). With Ajax, web applications can retrieve data from the server asynchronously in the background without interfering with the display and behavior of the existing page
- in other words, when you transmit and/or receive new data, the browser does not have to reload the whole page. It is also browser-independent, which means that Control 2010 users can now enjoy exceptionally smooth and fluid UIs deployed through the web browser of their choice.
Another new feature is event logging: deployed projects write all events to a self-contained log file (.txt file) during use so that the installer can review any and all events over any timeframe to analyze and diagnose system activity remotely. In this way, if the client encounters a problem, all he has to do is email the log file to the installer who will be able to identify exactly what happened and when in order to take the appropriate action.
Also new to Control 2010 is the ability to write and debug drivers using Microsoft Visual Studio 2008, (including the free Express edition). This is a superb tool for developers wishing to create their own drivers for Control 2010 as it enables them to exploit all of the professional development tools within Visual Studio, such as IntelliSense (Microsoft's implementation of autocompletion), and references to external assemblies, classes etc. Visual Studio can also be used to debug the control program while it is running, allowing serious developers to set breakpoints, examine and set values, and use the full arsenal of professional developers' techniques.
Stardraw Control 2010 also includes a wealth of low-level technological advantages derived from its use of the Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5: firstly, the support of both 32- and 64-bit platforms, which means that the software can exploit whatever hardware it is running on to the maximum. The selfsame generated executable will run as a native 32-bit application on a 32-bit machine and as a native 64-bit application on a 64-bit machine, thus maximizing performance. In a similar vein, support of Parallel Extensions means that the application is able to exploit the full number of CPU cores in any machine.
Stardraw.com CEO, David Snipp, commented, "Stardraw Control 2010 uses the very latest technology to provide stunning UIs, blazingly fast performance with scalability, reliability and integration with the very latest development tools from Microsoft that makes writing sophisticated drivers even easier - in any .net programming language you choose. This, together with the ability to be controlled from any type of device means that there are no limits to the level of customization and integration that an installer can provide to their customers"
Recognition for Stardraw.com in CEPro Best Awards 2009
 Software provider Stardraw.com is proud to announce that two of their products have been selected as finalists in the 2009 CEPro BEST Awards to be presented at a special awards ceremony on September 10th the forthcoming CEDIA show in Atlanta, GA.
Stardraw's award-winning design and documentation package Stardraw A/V 2007 has been named as a finalist in the Business Operations category which recognizes improvement in, or development of a back-office software system designed to assist dealers and systems integrators in creating proposals, ordering equipment, general accounting, system design or CRM.
The second finalist is the all-new system control application, Stardraw Control 2010, which has been nominated in the Control and Automation category. Control 2010 is the latest version of the multi-award-winning universal control platform from Stardraw.com that can control anything, over anything (any protocol), anywhere. It is, quite simply, the most powerful control software available today.
Stardraw.com marketing director, Rob Robinson, is delighted to note industry recognition for both products, but particularly for Control 2010 so soon after its launch. "We truly believe that there is nothing that can even come close to the power, flexibility and functionality of Control 2010 on the market today. However, it's what the market believes that counts, and being nominated as a finalist for these prestigious awards - for both products, not just Control 2010 - is proof that perhaps the market agrees with us!"
Stardraw.com announces Windows Media Center integration for Stardraw Control 2010
 The very latest feature to be delivered as part of the all new control application, Stardraw Control 2010 from software suppliers Stardraw.com, is Windows Media Center integration. Especially relevant for the home automation market, this new functionality means that you can now run Control 2010 from within the Windows Media Center environment.
Delivered as standard with all Control 2010 software, Stardraw's Media Center integration is actually a stand-alone utility that is activated merely by clicking a checkbox in the "properties" tab of the project that you wish to run within MCE (Media Center Editions). Once checked, you can then compile your .exe which will then run within the MCE interface, appearing as a separate MCE menu item alongside the standard TV, Music, Video and other controls already provided within the MCE interface.
MCE relies heavily on the use of a standard infra-red remote control handset to navigate around screens and functions, which is often more practical for users than a keyboard and a mouse. Stardraw Control's MCE integration makes control programs similarly accessible using the Windows remote controller, allowing you to navigate around and click on buttons etc. by using the up/down/left/right/select buttons on the remote handset.
"Control 2010 has been designed to control anything, over anything, from anything, anywhere." noted Stardraw's marketing director, Rob Robinson. "If you're running a MCE machine anyway, why not use it to host your control system, and provide a control user interface as well? It's cheap, it's powerful, it's already there and, with Stardraw, you've now got integrated control over anything."
Stardraw.com announces Windows 7 certification
 Software provider Stardraw.com is proud to announce that their multi-award-winning applications Stardraw Control 2010 and Stardraw A/V 2007 have been certified
as compatible with Microsoft's all-new operating system, Windows 7 which is scheduled for launch on October 22nd 2009. RackTools 3.5, an OEM solution that is powered by a Stardraw engine, has also received Windows 7 certification.
According to Stardraw marketing director Rob Robinson, accreditations such as these are an important way for Stardraw to add value to and indeed enhance the functionality of their product range. "In addition to Vista and now Windows 7 certification for our products, Stardraw.com is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner and an Autodesk Authorized Developer," said Robinson. "As well as recognizing our technical competence as a software developer, partnership programs like these give us access to a rich set of benefits such as training and support, all of which help to extend our competitive edge in the market and better serve our licensed user base which now amounts to nearly 30,000 individuals in 68 countries."
Upcoming Events
 |
Show: |
CEDIA |
Venue: |
Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, GA, USA |
Dates: |
September 10-13 |
Booth: |
3055 |
Symbols Updates
In August the following libraries were updated
in one or more of Stardraw's design/documentation
applications (Stardraw Audio 2007, Stardraw AV 2007 and Stardraw AV Lite 2007). Click
on a manufacturer name to see full details of that library.
To update your Offline Libraries, select Options | Synchronize Offline Libraries in
your Stardraw application.
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