[FTC]: Teleop Catalyst for RobotC makes writing teleop code a breeze

[techappetite]

Hello everyone,

I have just released a free program for RobotC called Teleop Catalyst that lets users "click together" pretty robust teleop programs using a simple, "click, command, create" workflow. While the user still needs to know how to write simple code such as motor[ballSweeper] = 100;, all the complexities of handling button presses, determining toggle states, driving, etc. are handled by my program and abstracted away from the user. I have included a couple screenshots below to help give you a better idea of what the catalyst does:






It is my hope that Teleop Catalyst will make the programming aspect of the FTC competition as painless as possible. Also, since the RobotC code generated by the catalyst is fully commented and formatted, it is a great way for those new to the RobotC programming language to learn about how the teleop code works.

To learn more about Teleop Catalyst, and/or give it a spin, visit it's website at: http://ftc.kcastromechs.org/catalyst/

I hope you like it, and I can't wait to hear what you think!

~Titus

[jasonbrooks]

We tried it! It works nicely. We had one problem, maybe you have a solution:

Our school blocks us installing new software on our computers. So we can't get Adobe Air to run. Are there any plans to create a "portable" version of this program that can either be installed on a USB stick, or something that just runs without needing to be installed?

[techappetite]

It's very encouraging to hear from you!
Sadly, I don't think it is quite possible to make Teleop Catalyst portable in the way you describe. However, since the app is Flash based, I can, in theory, port the code to target the web browser. However, a web version would no longer be able to access your file system directly. Also, I would have to do a lot of work to make that happen, with the way I have written the code. Unfortunately, the best "solution" for you now would be to a) get the admins to install the app or b) run it from a personal computer.
With that said, however, a web version of Teleop Catalyst is definitely on my radar. I'll let you know if and when it becomes available!

[jasonbrooks]

Ah I see...yes I do think we will be able to get the tech guys to put it on our computers. They don't hate us that much...yet

Let me know when a web version does come out. We are definitely looking forward to using it in our future endeavors!

[techappetite]

I have good news for you!
I was digging around and I found a way to let you install Teleop Catalyst without having administrative privileges. That means you should be able to install and run it on your school computers.
I'm hoping I can pull this off by tomorrow evening and post it on my website so you and everyone else in your predicament can enjoy the Catalyst without any hassle

I'll keep you posted!

[jasonbrooks]

Yay! That would be awesome.

I look forward to using the new version!

[techappetite]

As promised, I have created a "self contained" version of the Teleop Catalyst for you. You will need to extract it from the ZIP archive (link below).

A few notes: I decided not to make the self-contained version (it uses the new AIR Captive Runtime) a default download for teams because it does not support automatic updates (and the file size is bigger). Also, I haven't packaged it with an installer, which might throw off some people.

However, when I release a "final" version of Teleop Catalyst, I do plan on eventually making the ZIP version available for teams who cannot get their admins to install the software on their computers, or are unable to use/install AIR for some reason.

Basically, if you can get your admins to install the normal AIR version of Teleop Catalyst, you would be doing yourself a favor

In any case, here's the download link: ftc.kcastromechs.org/catalyst/deploy/Teleop Catalyst For RobotC.zip

Enjoy!

[jasonbrooks]

Works PERFECTLY!!! This is a fun program for us to play around with now, and compare our written code with the generated code

Thanks so much!!! We greatly appreciate all of your help, and will let you know if we run into any problem.

[electron]

Woah, this is awesome. You are a programming God amongst us mere mortals!

[techappetite]

@jasonbrooks: Thank you! I'm glad my program is of help to you and your team... have fun!

@electron: I'm glad you like my app! Your comment totally made my day!
However, I must say... I'm far from "programming God" status. I'm merely a passionate coder who wants to make the world a better place
All the same, thanks!

[techappetite]

Hi Guys,

I just released Teleop Catalyst for RobotC Version 1.3 beta!
It includes some really useful new features (short summary below), bug fixes,
improved performance, and a new "update complete" screen.

Main new features:

1. All buttons with code in them are now highlighted in green
2. The button currently being edited is highlighted in yellow, and the tooltip has a "(editing)" suffix.
3. Added a new "update complete" dialog which appears after each update.

For the entire changelog, see the changelog.txt file in your Teleop Catalyst install directory.

If you already have Teleop Catalyst installed, you should get a prompt to download the new version when you run it.

For those of you who don't have administrative privileges, and/or are using the "portable" version of Teleop Catalyst, you will have to manually download the program from the following URL: http://ftc.kcastromechs.org/catalyst...r%20RobotC.zip
Then simply unzip the archive and double click the Teleop Catalyst executable.

Enjoy!

[techappetite]

Here are some updated screenshots of Teleop Catalyst v1.3.1 (the forum software won't let me edit my original post):



The buttons with the green border are buttons that contain code.
The button with the yellow border is the button that is currently being edited.

Pragmas & Motor screen:


Functions & Initialization Code:


Export Options:


Teleop Catalyst download page: http://ftc.kcastromechs.org/catalyst/

[techappetite]

Teleop Catalyst for RobotC now has a Facebook page!

Teleop Catalyst for RobotC official Facebook page

[techappetite]

If you like Teleop Catalyst, please help spread the word by becoming a fan on its Facebook page!

[techappetite]

UPDATE: Tele-op Catalyst for ROBOTC has a new home!
Here's its new website: http://tituswoo.com/project/catalyst