www.algodoo.com

With further improvements to Algodoo a second release candidate is now available for download. Containing several fixes, it will also test our new license system.

This new license system will require you to be connected to the Internet when unlocking your key for the first time, or the first time you use Algodoo 2.0 or a later version.

vcredist_x86.exe has also been updated to Service Pack 1, meaning that except for enhanced support, no longer will files be placed under C: after installation.

Download here

The changes then:

=== Algodoo 2.0.0 RC2, 2011-10-05 ===
* NEW: Added button in plot window to hide the left side bar, giving more screen space to the actual graph.
* NEW: The right hand side appearance and material menus can now be detached.
* NEW: Licence system.
** All older licenses will unlock Algodoo for Education.
** Support for subscription licenses.

* IMP: Color samples always have borders (looks nicer!)
* IMP: Better mac touch-pad support:
** A zoom threshold makes it easier to pan without accidently zooming.
** Pressing down the trackpad will disable two-finger pan/zoom.
* IMP: Algodoo will now lower GUI.scale if the window gets too small, allowing all windows to fit nicely even on the small screens of netbooks.
* IMP: Algodoo will now use less video memory for textures, allowing it to run on older hardware.
* IMP: Algodoo will now start even faster.
* IMP: If shaders aren't supported (or turned off), Algodoo will now use gluBuild2DMipmaps over GL_GENERATE_MIPMAP/glGenerateMipmapEXT to increase compatibility with older hardware.
* IMP: Window resizing.
* IMP: The scene browser now has pages if there are too many scene in a folder (over 48 at the moment).
* IMP: Selecting 'No images' is now remembered in the scene browser.
* IMP: To scroll on touch screens you now simply drag the component with your finger.
* IMP: Added small threshold making moving windows by mistake less likely.

* FIX: F11 fullscreen.
* FIX: Hinge motor selection size.
* FIX: Null polygons (e.g. "scene.addpolygon{surfaces := [[[0,0],[0,0],[0,0]]]}") hanging Algodoo.
* FIX: A thyme-related memory leak.
* FIX: Hinge/laser keys activating even if simulation was paused.
* FIX: Fixed problem that would cause slowdown when moving the mouse a lot.
* FIX: Problem with force/velocity arrow scales from scenes made before 1.7.9
* FIX: Problem where font size in open scene/phunlet/texture menu would be unrelated to global font size.
* FIX: Planes now snap to the grid correctly again.
* FIX: Lingering mouse-over effects when mouse was not over Algodoo window.
* FIX: Selecting tracers would sometimes make whole scene black.

Like always, better than before :)

I got 3 messages when unlocking:
Message 1: "unlock succesful"
Message 2: "unlock succesful"
Message 3: "licence key is blocked"

So, I think the new licence system keeps unlocking Algodoo.
It won't stop unlocking.

And then the limit has been reached.

Same as the above post, I get 2 successful messages, then one failure message. And Algodoo then remains locked.

I can't unlock Algodoo with my old serial key.

What is the problem?

... waiting for RC3 %-)

The unlocking problem should be fixed now. Sorry for any inconvinience. There is no need to download another version, just run Algodoo again and you should get a message telling you that it is unlocked once more.

Thanks Joel, all is good now!

It works!!!!

And everything is just perfect!
Everything works.

And I have to be fair, the plots got ten times better than before.
They are smooth, beautiful and I like the new look of the plot windows.
Also the force arrows got better, way much better and have now more functions (like rotation).
I like it!

Except there is one problem with the force arrows:
If the force arrows are enabled and the drag tool settings are set to standard, and you drag an object.
The force arrows go crazy, they get enormously!!!
Okay, it might be useful if the force arrows are displayed while dragging.

But maybe you can program them so, that the scale of the arrows automatically adjusts.
The bigger the arrows get, the smaller the scale will be.
The arrows have a maximum (top, bottom or sides of the screen), and if the arrow reaches the maximum the scale is automatically adjusted so that the arrows never get bigger than the screen (and thus the values are always readable).
So that if you drag a lot of objects at the same time, your screen will not consist out of arrows instead of the things you drag. And because if they are smaller it is easier to read the values.

It is just an suggestion!
You can also put this function in Algodoo, but in the form of a tickbox.
So that it can be turned on and off (for the users whom don't want this).

Why are the physics different when the 'arrow improvement' is on?

And I like the performance improvement.
It might not be visible on newer computers, but it is on older computers.
So, I saw a slight increasement in performance (especially in with starting Algodoo).
Also big scenes with textures got faster!

Also the pages in the scene browser are good, because now it doesn't get slower when you have a lot of scenes.
And thus you don't have to make a lot of folders to store your scenes anymore.

By the way, I got one last suggestion:
In the plots there is a menubar that you can retract (or however you call the disappearing).
This effect is nice and smooth.

In the scenebrowser there is no such effect when going to the next page.
So, maybe you could add a slide effect for going to the next page.

I was thinking about an effect like you see on smartphones and Apple stuff,
because it looks nice and also can be very cool in combination with a touchscreen!
Students (whom work with touchscreen computers) just slide to the next page like they do on their smartphones.

For them it is easy, recognisible and cool!
And for us it is just a nice effect to make it all look smooth.


If anyone has comments about my ideas for improvements, I would love to hear them.
Because I think that everybody is free to give his/her opinion!

If you disagree with something, please let me know why!
If you want to add something to my ideas, feel free to do that!

Regards,
Banjerboef

Hi, Banjerboef.
Could you post suggestions into suggestions forum instead of posting them here?
I liked your suggestion ("add a slide effect for going to the next page."), btw.

Regards,
Tatt

Unfortunately we still have overkill on decimal places in Script menu...

Sorry Tatt61880,
I don't have an account yet and I didn't want to create one for one suggestion only.