QooL Monitor Review

Print
Details
Category: Tips and Tricks
Hits: 31410

QooL GameQ Monitor V3 is a tool to inquiry the status of Your favorites game servers and on-line players. The program is highly customizable both in content and appearance.

In order to inquiry it uses latest PHP GameQ class. To be honest it can query not only quake 3 server but a long list of server how documentated in the Austin Bischoff Github.

The source code of QooL Monitor was written line by line using MS Visual Code editor and for also Notepad++: PHP,  Pure Javascript, HTML and CSS.

It is not full responsive but enoght for different screesize devices.

  

MAIN FEATURES

- Custom Servers List

- Connect to Quake 3

- Auto Refresh (see settigns)

- Skins

- Custom CSS or URL

- Different Boxes size 

- Search (Server, Player, Map 3)

- Filter for Humans Only

- Sort by Humans descending

Other features

- Backup and Restore Settings (V3.16 - 27-10-2019)

- Image Zoom

- ESC Key

 



 

CUSTOM SERVERS LIST

In order to use your favorite custom servers list, QooL Monitor offers there are 3 ways:

  1. Write a comma separated list in the textarea
  2. Type an url to a remote file that contains the comma separated list
  3. Use a url to a remote file as argument in the url
1# Comma Separated List

If you never customize the list, you will not see the default list of server...you can click on Load QooL Fav button to load an example. You can edit the list removing, adding, sorting. You can click on preview to show the new list before save or save to confirm.
Server type can be quake3 or quakelive. the list is a simple comma separated:

Description, Type, Server Address. Port

- EXAMPLE
QooL7,quake3,quakearea.com,27960
Starfish FFA,quakelive,213.136.94.235,27960

2# URL to a remote file in the textarea

Other way is to create a text file with inside the list and put it accessible via http or https (store in a webserver or share it wth your cloud). Put the url file in the textarea instead of the list some examples:

3# Argument Link in the URL

You can leave the list of server in the text area and use your file as argument in the url
Examples

 



 

 

 CONNECT TO THE SERVER

 Play Icon

In order to use the "Play Icon" to connect to a server you need:

URI Scheme Protocol

If you configure your pc as explained here, you will be able to click on the "Play Icon" and monitor will connect to the server quake 3 using your fav quake3 client.

Others games are not tested/supported.

QooL Monitor will use a custom URI Scheme, something like the well-known http:// ... or ftp://. In my case I created qool:// so to connect to the server qool7.quakearea.com, QooL Monitor will create in the "Play Icon" the link qool://qool7.quakearea.com

In order to create the URI SCHEME PROTOCOL in your PC you can run my QooLRun.exe,  maybe as administrator:

- Type "qool" in the URI Scheme field 

- Click on "Create URI Scheme"

QooLRun is my own vb net application created ad hoc for this scope.

QooLRun.exe has 2 main features:

  1. Initial setup (create the URI scheme protocol and set the quake3 client to run)
    QooL Run make easy the registration of a new URI Scheme.
  2. It will be the "bridge" between the monitor webpage and your quake3 client.
    When the uri scheme like qool://serveraddress:port is invoked, QooLRun.exe will be launched from windows and it will run the specified Quake3 client.


QooLRun will write in the Windows Registry something like this:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\qool]
@="URL:qool Protocol"
"URL Protocol"=""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\qool\DefaultIcon]
@="C:\\tools\\QooLRun\\QooLRun.exe"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\qool\shell]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\qool\shell\open]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\qool\shell\open\command]
@="\"C:\\tools\\QooLRun\\QooLRun.exe\"  \"%1\" \"%2\" \"%3\" \"%4\" \"%5\" \"%6\" \"%7\" \"%8\" \"%9\" "

 DOWNLOAD

 

 



 

 SKINS

Not sure if the right name is skin but it looks so. Some colors skins are ready to use. Just open the settings and choice one. Not always the resul is full visible, so a refresh page is suggest.

The skin is also selectable using the url argument s=skinname. The below link will open the monitor with the red skin.

https://www.quakearea.com/mon/#s=red 

https://www.quakearea.com/mon/#s=white

 

 



 

 CUSTOM CSS OR URL

In the settings there is a textare where you can add your custom css or a link to an external file css.

For example you could use a skin and change the background. the below example will set the background.

/*  Quake3 skin - background collections */
    .background {
        background-color: #000000;
        background-image: url(https://www.quakearea.com/site/templates/protostar/images/q3_bg_skin.png),radial-gradient(#ba0e19, #1c0202);
        background-image: url(https://www.quakearea.com/site/templates/protostar/images/q3_bg_skin.png),radial-gradient(#cac9c9, #000000);
        background-image: url(https://www.quakearea.com/site/templates/protostar/images/q3_bg_skin.png),linear-gradient(to right bottom, #43b581, #00b3a2, #00afc0, #00a7d7, #009ce1, #3d8ed1, #5280c0, #5e72ae, #51618e, #455170, #3a4152, #2f3136);
    background-image: url(https://www.quakearea.com/site/templates/protostar/images/q3_bg_skin.png),linear-gradient(to top, #43b581, #00b3a2, #00afc0, #00a7d7, #009ce1, #3d8ed1, #5280c0, #5e72ae, #51618e, #455170, #3a4152, #2f3136);
}

You can also use a link to a css file stored in your cloud or website but not both, I mean you can use css or link and NOT css and link.

Try to copy and paste the following url in the "Custom CSS or URL" field

https://www.quakearea.com/mon/css/skins/style-debug.css

 



 

 CUSTOM CSS EXAMPLES

 

Example 01
/* EXAMPLE 1# - Small Boxes */
#myListSearch {
min-height: calc(100% - 184px);
}
#serversStatus.boxes>div {
width: calc(15% - 56px);
}
#serversStatus.boxes>div:not(.emptyBox) {
margin-top: 40px;
margin-bottom: 0px;
}
#serversStatus.boxes>div,
.footer>.boxes>div {
font-size: 90%;
font-weight: 200;
}

  

Example 02
/* EXAMPLE 2# Dirty Background */
.background {
background-image:url(https://www.byman.it/downloads/Netshare/Images/Textures/dirt-png-43617.png), 
linear-gradient(to right bottom, #9b5d03, #6c5600, #454a06, #263b11, #112a15, #0f2410, #0e1f08, #091a00, #1b1c00, #2d1c00, #411600, #550202);
}

 

Eample03
/* EXAMPLE 3# Shtayga Background */
.background {
 background-image: url(https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Cii7JS0ZT9M/W8NisiKMUrI/AAAAAAAABdY/B_r9iV7WCLMkBNa6Wyj8tG3_MBFFjgZHQCK4BGAYYCw/w1600/idee3.jpg);
 background-size: cover;
 background-attachment: fixed;
}

 

Example 04
/* EXAMPLE 4# Fire background + gradient color red */
/* You should try removing filter and transform */
/* https://mycolor.space/gradient3?ori=to+bottom&hex=%231A0000&hex2=%23370000&hex3=%23622600&submit=submit */
.background {
    background-color: #5d0401;
    background-image:url(../../images/bg_fire.png),url(../../images/bg_fire.png), linear-gradient(to bottom, #1a0000, #200100, #260200, #2b0200, #300200, #360402, #3d0503, #430603, #4b0d04, #531503, #5b1e02, #622600);
    filter: blur(6px);
    transform: scale(1.1);
}
Example 05
/* EXAMPLE 5# - URL to css file 
For a better result you should set the Box to Horizontal
This example is real nice, the background will be changed automatically. 
A random levelshot will be used as a blur background. TRY IT!
*/

https://www.quakearea.com/mon/css/customcss/custom-backgroundauto.css

 



 

 BOX SIZE

In the left menu there is a section that allow to change the box size:

You can also set it using the url argument b=NameOfBoxHere

EXAMPLES

 



 

 OTHER FEATURES

 

 

Backup and Restore

Starting from version 3.16 you can make a backup of your settings for a safe restore or just to apply the same settings to another browser or to an another pc.

BACKUP
Just click on Backup button, copy the settings that will be appear in the textarea.

RESTORE
Just paste the settings and click on Restore button

 

Image Zoom

Clicking on the image to frame will be scale of 1.3, To unzoom just click again in the the image zoomed or press the ESC key.

 

ESC Key

You can use ESC key to close the settings panel, the side menu panel, to unzoom, to reset the search. It use an history and go back 1 action at time.

 



 

 SCREENSHOTS

Here you will find some screenshots useful to see how Monitor works or how configure it.

Note: some screenshotes may different from the current version.

 

GENERAL

Images : 8
Folder : /site/images/lightbox/QooL_Monitor

 

SKIN

  

Images : 16
Folder : /site/images/lightbox/QooL_Monitor/Skin

 

CUSTOMCSS

  

Images : 5
Folder : /site/images/lightbox/QooL_Monitor/CustomCSS

 

BOXES SIZE

  

Images : 8
Folder : /site/images/lightbox/QooL_Monitor/BoxesSize

 

    


 

 Heartfelt thanks

A very special thanks to all developers of some software used on Monitor, and also to all resources available online like tutorials, snippets, forum, blogs, wallpapers and so on. 

Here some codes used  as php classes, javascript plug-in
Here some great resources
Special thanks to Testers

 


   

 

 CHANGES

Here you will find a list of changes done starting from version 3.1.6. They could not be reported in the above documentation.

 

3.1.6 - 27-10-2019
3.1.7 - 25-01-2020
3.1.8 - 31-01-2020
3.1.9 - 12-02-2020
3.2.0 - 16-02-2020
3.2.1 - 27-02-2020
3.2.2 - 29-02-2020
3.2.3 - 07-03-2020

 

3.2.4 - 28-08-2020

 

3.2.5 - 05-09-2020

 

3.2.6 - 28-10-2020

 

3.2.7 - 15-01-2021
3.2.8 - 06-03-2021

 

- have fun - 

 


Simple Disqus Comments

Don't have an account yet? Register Now!

Sign in to your account