How do i make a command executable in Windows XP

[Ral-Clan]

Note: I've posted this in the "alternative operating systems" forum.  The question is Amiga related (read below).

I downloaded a little command line executable program that can run in windows and will play Amiga .anim files.

You have to run it from the Windows command line.

No problem, it runs fine.  But I constantly have to move the little executable player utility into each folder where the animation is so that I can do:

c: iffplayanim animationname.anim -loop

Of course if the executable (iffplayanim) is not in the folder, the command line interface cannot find it.

So....HOW can I make this little executable executable no matter what folder I am in?  I.e. I want to put it in one place where Windows CLI will always be able to find the utility, instead of having it only looking in the folder I am currently in.

From reading online, apparently I have to put it in some sort of PATH.  But there are no clear instructions on how to do this.

If this were an Amiga, I would simply drop the executable into the C/ folder of the Workbench partition.

I'm running Windows XP.

Thanks.

[Ral-Clan]

I have tried putting the .exe file in BOTH the C:\Windows\ and the C:\Windows\System32\ folder and I just get the message "iffanimplay is not recognized as and internal or external command, operable program or batch file".

Both these paths are specified in the Windows XP environment variables.

But when I drop iffanimplay.exe into the folder where I am currently viewing in command line, it works.

Strange...I can't figure out why it won't work.

[Ral-Clan]

Figured it out....

it said %SystemRoot%\windows\ etc.

I had to add C:\Windows\.....etc. to the PATH.

[Ral-Clan]

Why not just put the executable where ever you want then right-click on your .anim file and select "Open With..." and browse to your executable and check the checkbox that says "Always use the selected program to open this kind of file" ?

This way just double-clicking any .anim file will run that player...

This is an executable that can only run from the command line and requires several parameters in the command line.  If there is some way of running that from the GUI it would be nice, too.

[Ral-Clan]

Is this something you wrote?

No.  I found it on the web a few years ago:

http://www.amiga.org/forums/showthread.php?t=50985

But the original author's website (for the Windows port) seems to be offline now (I still have a copy of the executable).

It's an excellent little command line anim player for Windows that has played everything I've thrown at it, AND it can export the animation as bitmap frames for re-compilation as and AVI or other video file.

I think it's been ported to AROS, OS4.0 and MorphOS too:
http://ftp://ftp.club.cc.cmu.edu/pub/aminet/gfx/show/iffanimplay.readme

Anyway, I've got it all sorted now.  I can make anims using Alladin4d or DPaint in UAE and pop over to the Windows side of the computer in a second and still view them.