Algodoo 1.9.9.9b released!
Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 2:50 pm
Algodoo keeps converging towards 2.0 - here's the latest beta, 1.9.9.9!
In this release two old features are missing - one is plots, the other is force/velocity/momentum visualization. Why?
We've tried to sell Algodoo to two markets - the recreational ("for fun") market, and the educational market. In order for us to be successful with this strategy, as well as providing each type of user with what they need, we realized that there is a requirement for two different versions of Algodoo: the standard "Algodoo" and the educationally targeted "Algodoo for Education". The latter will have features aimed specifically for learning, which includes built-in step-by-step lessons, interactive whiteboard support and yes - plots and force visualization. On the positive side, transferring these two features to Algodoo like this will enable us to charge less for the standard edition, bringing in even more recreational users!
I realize some of you are going to miss these two features, which is why, in time for the final release, we're gonna make sure you on the forum get your licenses upgraded to unlock the the educational edition too!
On another note: this will the last beta to add anything to the translation files. So for you translators, this will be the last thing to translate before Algodoo 2.0!
That being said - here's the change log for Algodoo 1.9.9.9b:
=== Algodoo 1.9.9.9 beta, 2011-09-07 ===
* NEW: Scenes can now be browsed without images.
* NEW: Added support for anisotropic filtering to improve quality of stretched textures (mainly springs). Control in Options->Rendering.
* NEW: Added optional smoothing to plots.
* IMP: Moving a spring endpoint will now only insta-move it if it is attached to background or other static body.
* IMP: Language is now changed in options rather than the file menu.
* IMP: Made the material icons slightly smaller.
* IMP: Entering negative speeds in velocity menu will now flip direction of movement.
* IMP: Changed drag tool's "center of mass" feature and added a "Disable rotation" checkbox.
* IMP: Cloning glued geometries will no longer glue the objects to the originals.
* IMP: Drawing of stretched axles.
* IMP: Larger tool text.
* IMP: Rope tool now draws total length so far.
* IMP: Rope tool now temporarily suspends the movement of bodies it is working on.
* IMP: Setting default material will now also reset texture and color, if a previous material had been set.
* IMP: Undo now only merges drag/move etc if less than 10 seconds between them.
* IMP: Better sizing of axles, fixates, thrusters, lacers and tracers when clicking small objects, or choosing "Add center X".
* IMP: ctrl-s will now save the scene right away if it has been saved previously. ctrl-shift-s brings up the save dialog.
* IMP: Optimized drawing of selections.
* IMP: Scenelets officially renamed 'components'.
* IMP: Translated welcome scene ("Quick tour").
* IMP: Windows installer no longer hassles you about existing Algodoo directory after you uninstall old version.
* IMP: Direct solver disabled for springs by default, for greater speed.
* IMP: One can now enable and disable the direct solver for individual hinges/springs in the script menu.
* IMP: Optimizations!
* FIX: Spring line end point colors.
* FIX: Overkill 17 decimals of precision in script menu, console and when serializing.
* FIX: Parsing of floats ending with the "." (e.g "10.").
* FIX: Force visualization was accidently on for all thrusters/springs when enabling it for just one geometry.
* FIX: The tutorial window can now be minimized without losing the current lesson.
* FIX: The prev. button in the lesson tutorials could sometimes be disabled when it shouldn't.
* FIX: The prev. button in the lesson tutorials now also scrolls the view.
* FIX: The highlighter is now removed when the help widget is closed when running a lesson.
* FIX: Box "textConstrained" attribute being ignored.
* FIX: Issue with drag-dropping scenelets with tracked group.
* FIX: Issue with line end points moving to front when-ever they where moved with mvoe tool.
* FIX: Annoyance where resizing a window would sometimes move it.
* FIX: Scene.my.* declarations are done at top of the scene file now so they can be referenced later on.
* FIX: Direction of spring force arrow.
* FIX: Made it easier to click text fields (like slider values).
* FIX: Bug causing growing context menu.
* FIX: Optimized circle shader.
* FIX: Resizing the inner hinge of a gear will no longer detach it.
* FIX: Removed "infinity" as the maximum hinge motor strength. You can still enter "+inf" manually.
* FIX: Issue with Thyme parsing which would sometimes cause string literals to be wrongfully regarded as languange identifiers, causing unparsable thyme files.
* FIX: "Vibrating" controller menu when resizing the controlled geometry.
* FIX: issues with button input (for motors, lasers etc). They will no longer be activated if ctrl is down (e.g. ctrl+z will not activate a laser bound to z, but pressing only z will activate it).
* FIX: Issue with "Stop following object" button.
* FIX: Renaming a scene was very slow when a lot of scenes was in the same folder.
* FIX: Bug causing wrong velocities for composite bodies when undoing or loading a scene.
* FIX: Problem causing different air friction depending on whether two object where hinges or fixated/glued together.
* FIX: Issue drag-dropping in old phunlets.
* FIX: Bug causing motored hinges to behave differently after an undo.
* FIX: Issue where rope tool would sometimes create ropes with "gaps" in it.
* FIX: Issue with fixates rotating when using drag-tool.
* FIX: Issue with blinking tooltip.
* FIX: Problem with per-geometry force/vel/momentum visualization on glued geometries.
* FIX: Sizes of springs and their endpoints when loading old scenes.
* FIX: Fixed issue with popup-menus closing even though a slider in them where being dragged.
* FIX: Fixed issue with move tool changing selecting but not including that change of selection in its undo.
* FIX: The Mac version can again open scenes from the install directory (e.g. Official, Games & Phun).
* FIX: Issues with auto fitting force, velocity and momentum arrows.
* FIX: Problem with opening the text menu for several boxes containing markup.
* FIX: Issue where dragging the ends of a HTML window would sometimes not resize it.
In this release two old features are missing - one is plots, the other is force/velocity/momentum visualization. Why?
We've tried to sell Algodoo to two markets - the recreational ("for fun") market, and the educational market. In order for us to be successful with this strategy, as well as providing each type of user with what they need, we realized that there is a requirement for two different versions of Algodoo: the standard "Algodoo" and the educationally targeted "Algodoo for Education". The latter will have features aimed specifically for learning, which includes built-in step-by-step lessons, interactive whiteboard support and yes - plots and force visualization. On the positive side, transferring these two features to Algodoo like this will enable us to charge less for the standard edition, bringing in even more recreational users!
I realize some of you are going to miss these two features, which is why, in time for the final release, we're gonna make sure you on the forum get your licenses upgraded to unlock the the educational edition too!
On another note: this will the last beta to add anything to the translation files. So for you translators, this will be the last thing to translate before Algodoo 2.0!
That being said - here's the change log for Algodoo 1.9.9.9b:
=== Algodoo 1.9.9.9 beta, 2011-09-07 ===
* NEW: Scenes can now be browsed without images.
* NEW: Added support for anisotropic filtering to improve quality of stretched textures (mainly springs). Control in Options->Rendering.
* NEW: Added optional smoothing to plots.
* IMP: Moving a spring endpoint will now only insta-move it if it is attached to background or other static body.
* IMP: Language is now changed in options rather than the file menu.
* IMP: Made the material icons slightly smaller.
* IMP: Entering negative speeds in velocity menu will now flip direction of movement.
* IMP: Changed drag tool's "center of mass" feature and added a "Disable rotation" checkbox.
* IMP: Cloning glued geometries will no longer glue the objects to the originals.
* IMP: Drawing of stretched axles.
* IMP: Larger tool text.
* IMP: Rope tool now draws total length so far.
* IMP: Rope tool now temporarily suspends the movement of bodies it is working on.
* IMP: Setting default material will now also reset texture and color, if a previous material had been set.
* IMP: Undo now only merges drag/move etc if less than 10 seconds between them.
* IMP: Better sizing of axles, fixates, thrusters, lacers and tracers when clicking small objects, or choosing "Add center X".
* IMP: ctrl-s will now save the scene right away if it has been saved previously. ctrl-shift-s brings up the save dialog.
* IMP: Optimized drawing of selections.
* IMP: Scenelets officially renamed 'components'.
* IMP: Translated welcome scene ("Quick tour").
* IMP: Windows installer no longer hassles you about existing Algodoo directory after you uninstall old version.
* IMP: Direct solver disabled for springs by default, for greater speed.
* IMP: One can now enable and disable the direct solver for individual hinges/springs in the script menu.
* IMP: Optimizations!
* FIX: Spring line end point colors.
* FIX: Overkill 17 decimals of precision in script menu, console and when serializing.
* FIX: Parsing of floats ending with the "." (e.g "10.").
* FIX: Force visualization was accidently on for all thrusters/springs when enabling it for just one geometry.
* FIX: The tutorial window can now be minimized without losing the current lesson.
* FIX: The prev. button in the lesson tutorials could sometimes be disabled when it shouldn't.
* FIX: The prev. button in the lesson tutorials now also scrolls the view.
* FIX: The highlighter is now removed when the help widget is closed when running a lesson.
* FIX: Box "textConstrained" attribute being ignored.
* FIX: Issue with drag-dropping scenelets with tracked group.
* FIX: Issue with line end points moving to front when-ever they where moved with mvoe tool.
* FIX: Annoyance where resizing a window would sometimes move it.
* FIX: Scene.my.* declarations are done at top of the scene file now so they can be referenced later on.
* FIX: Direction of spring force arrow.
* FIX: Made it easier to click text fields (like slider values).
* FIX: Bug causing growing context menu.
* FIX: Optimized circle shader.
* FIX: Resizing the inner hinge of a gear will no longer detach it.
* FIX: Removed "infinity" as the maximum hinge motor strength. You can still enter "+inf" manually.
* FIX: Issue with Thyme parsing which would sometimes cause string literals to be wrongfully regarded as languange identifiers, causing unparsable thyme files.
* FIX: "Vibrating" controller menu when resizing the controlled geometry.
* FIX: issues with button input (for motors, lasers etc). They will no longer be activated if ctrl is down (e.g. ctrl+z will not activate a laser bound to z, but pressing only z will activate it).
* FIX: Issue with "Stop following object" button.
* FIX: Renaming a scene was very slow when a lot of scenes was in the same folder.
* FIX: Bug causing wrong velocities for composite bodies when undoing or loading a scene.
* FIX: Problem causing different air friction depending on whether two object where hinges or fixated/glued together.
* FIX: Issue drag-dropping in old phunlets.
* FIX: Bug causing motored hinges to behave differently after an undo.
* FIX: Issue where rope tool would sometimes create ropes with "gaps" in it.
* FIX: Issue with fixates rotating when using drag-tool.
* FIX: Issue with blinking tooltip.
* FIX: Problem with per-geometry force/vel/momentum visualization on glued geometries.
* FIX: Sizes of springs and their endpoints when loading old scenes.
* FIX: Fixed issue with popup-menus closing even though a slider in them where being dragged.
* FIX: Fixed issue with move tool changing selecting but not including that change of selection in its undo.
* FIX: The Mac version can again open scenes from the install directory (e.g. Official, Games & Phun).
* FIX: Issues with auto fitting force, velocity and momentum arrows.
* FIX: Problem with opening the text menu for several boxes containing markup.
* FIX: Issue where dragging the ends of a HTML window would sometimes not resize it.