So now that I've finished re-writing the Copy and Paste commands to support multiple resources, MissionComputer 4.0 is now feature-complete, which means that it's time to call the new pre-release version a beta rather than an alpha.

For those of you who haven't been following the alpha process, MissionComputer 4 ‘Crusoe’ add the ability to select/open/edit/copy/paste multiple resources at the same time, editors for the shďp and wëap resources, a revised star-map editor with a more intuitive interface based on direct manipulation, Intel-native code (while still supporting PowerPC), substantial increases in speed and stability, and numerous smaller features and bug fixes. It still supports all three Escape Velocity games (though some new features work only for EV Nova ). After 20 months of development and more than a year of testing, it now has all the features I planned when beginning (though there's still plenty left for 4.1 :)) and is ready for a somewhat broader audience.

For those of you who have been using the pre-release versions already, the changes since alpha 9 are:

• You can now copy and paste multiple resources at once.

• Number fields no longer reject negative numbers anywhere in MissionComputer, just in case someone finds a useful undocumented behaviour. They also no longer beep when an invalid key is pressed (at Qaanol's request).

• Opening a DITL with no items no longer produces an infinite loop (thanks, Guy). The DITL framework now correctly loads picture/icon/control items with negative IDs (there was no problem with saving them).

• Added a leeway of five pixels to the left for selections in the starmap editor, so that clicking the leftmost half of a system's circle produces the same result as clicking the rightmost half or the name (thanks, Consul Bob). The star map now uses the first PICT when rendering a nebula, if the third is missing.

• The wëap editor's AmmoType field no longer displays a decimal point without a value after it (thanks, 0101181920), and its help tag varies according to the selection.

• The shďp editor's 'Disabled at' pop-up menu is now a pair of radio buttons, and it correctly updates the window's unsaved status (thanks, JacaByte).

• There is now a check box to control availability of mass expansions (thanks, Guy), and Inherent AI and AI skill variation have moved into the AI behaviour tab.

• If you open a file that is already in use, MissionComputer will switch to its window rather than giving an error message.

• Turned Make RLE and the Resource Copier back into normal, non-metal windows, and made the Resource Copier horizontally resizable.

• Updated 512x512 icons for Mac OS 10.5.

• Updated help content.

MissionComputer 4 requires Mac OS 10.3 or higher, and is now available as a 13.1 MB disk image. Since this is still a pre-release version, please be sure to keep backups (a good idea at any time), and report any problems you discover.

Sounds good, especially the first item :). Any resolution to the cmd+Q issue yet?

The funny thing with having a checkbox for negative numbers is you can still enter a negative number in the field. Would it be possible to automatically set the checkbox if the user does this?

@guy, on Aug 18 2008, 03:52 PM, said in MissionComputer 4 is feature-complete and ready for beta testing:

Any resolution to the cmd+Q issue yet?

If you're referring to Command-Q while an editor is open, I haven't yet decided whether to consider that a bug or not, or what the appropriate solution would be if it is one.

@guy, on Aug 18 2008, 03:52 PM, said in MissionComputer 4 is feature-complete and ready for beta testing:

The funny thing with having a checkbox for negative numbers is you can still enter a negative number in the field. Would it be possible to automatically set the checkbox if the user does this?

I thought about that, but generally such interfaces cause more trouble than they fix. As it is, it always saves the data appropriately (the two negatives never cancel each other out or anything).

Alright! Cool! Thanks for all of your hard work on this, in your own time.

I'm SO downloading this.

I've just noticed something interesting. Some people probably already knew this but I'm sure it's not common knowledge.
The bible's description of a particular spob flag is "Stellar is always dominated". This is slightly misleading. The stellar isn't so much 'dominated' as 'owned' and it will indicate as such when you hail it. Owned stellars will not cause the bounty hunter to show up. Anyway, my point is I'd suggest changing the flag in MC to read something like "Stellar is owned by the player" (btw, I think it would be better if 'stellar' was used instead of 'planet' everywhere in the spob editor).
There's also a bug with this in the game: When you hail it the middle button in the comm dialog will be disabled and read 'Leave'. You can still click it to evoke a "No response" from the stellar.

This post has been edited by Guy : 19 August 2008 - 04:52 AM

@guy, on Aug 19 2008, 05:50 AM, said in MissionComputer 4 is feature-complete and ready for beta testing:

Anyway, my point is I'd suggest changing the flag in MC to read something like "Stellar is owned by the player"

I don't think I'll rename the flag (after all, 'dominated' is exactly what's going on), but I'll add more information to the help tag.

@guy, on Aug 19 2008, 05:50 AM, said in MissionComputer 4 is feature-complete and ready for beta testing:

(btw, I think it would be better if 'stellar' was used instead of 'planet' everywhere in the spob editor)

To my mind, 'stellar' is less clear, since it's a variation on the word for 'star'. Anyone who's played the game knows that it doesn't make any real distinction between planets, moons, and stations.

@david-arthur, on Aug 20 2008, 01:56 AM, said in MissionComputer 4 is feature-complete and ready for beta testing:

after all, 'dominated' is exactly what's going on

That's the point though, that isn't really what's going on. You haven't demanded tribute and obliterated a defense fleet, the planet isn't unhappy with you, bounty hunters won't be sent after you and the planet actually says 'owned' rather than 'dominated'. The planet is owned by you for whatever reason the developer decides. You still get income from it because, well, it is your planet.

Alright! I'm liking it. I've had a feature in mind forever, but every time I had the chance to suggest it I forgot: anything similar to a NovaTools shan resource method would be great in some future release (for weapon exit points, mostly, but also just because it looks cool to be able to see a ship with weapon, shield, engine, alt, etcetera graphics).

As for this release, it looks good so-far. No crashes on my end, or anything bad like that.

@crusader-alpha, on Aug 20 2008, 07:21 PM, said in MissionComputer 4 is feature-complete and ready for beta testing:

anything similar to a NovaTools shan resource method would be great in some future release (for weapon exit points, mostly, but also just because it looks cool to be able to see a ship with weapon, shield, engine, alt, etcetera graphics).

Definitely - it'll be tricky, though, with a good bit of reverse-engineering needed to make sure I'm getting the display right. A shän editor that didn't match the game's own behaviour perfectly would be counterproductive.

Probably what will happen is that I'll do it in stages: first, I'll create a basic editor that edits the fields numerically, and then I'll slowly add the graphical previews in a subsequent version.

Assuming NovaTools does it perfectly, you could take a look at the source.

When I created a new desc from within a mission resource previously, it was assigned a name like "Briefing: On the Run" (or whatever the mission name is). Now it isn't. Is there a reason for that?

@lindley, on Aug 22 2008, 06:03 PM, said in MissionComputer 4 is feature-complete and ready for beta testing:

When I created a new desc from within a mission resource previously, it was assigned a name like "Briefing: On the Run" (or whatever the mission name is). Now it isn't. Is there a reason for that?

Oh, yes, that's another of the things that broke with the switch to allowing multiple resources at a time. I'll see if I can restore it for b2.

Its soooo nice to finally be rid of the old MC's long lists of doom (the ship editor for instance). David, you are my hero for the day.

As I'm trying out this beta version, I was wondering if you could make it so that when I am tinkering in a particular resource, when I quit, I mean really quit instead of having to close that resource window and then quit out of the app.

@coraxus, on Aug 23 2008, 01:25 PM, said in MissionComputer 4 is feature-complete and ready for beta testing:

I was wondering if you could make it so that when I am tinkering in a particular resource, when I quit, I mean really quit instead of having to close that resource window and then quit out of the app.

Yes, that's the Command-Q issue to which Guy was referring, and which I've fixed for b2, by modifying the way in which the editor windows intercept their Close command in order to save their contents.

Ragashingo: Glad you like it.

The file type pull-down and the "Options" button are just a smidgen too close together in the "Export Image As" dialog reachable from the "Export Sprite" button.

I like the wide range of export formats that that pull-down provides, by the way! It's not at all critical, but it would be nice to have those choices for PICT and rleD single-frame exports too.

@dr--trowel, on Aug 24 2008, 08:28 AM, said in MissionComputer 4 is feature-complete and ready for beta testing:

The file type pull-down and the "Options" button are just a smidgen too close together in the "Export Image As" dialog reachable from the "Export Sprite" button.

This annoys me too, but it's not my department, I'm afraid; that dialogue box is supplied by REALbasic, and there's no way to get the wide range of export formats without it.

@dr--trowel, on Aug 24 2008, 08:28 AM, said in MissionComputer 4 is feature-complete and ready for beta testing:

It's not at all critical, but it would be nice to have those choices for PICT and rleD single-frame exports too.

Yes, I'm planning a revision of PICT and RLE exporting for the next version - it's more efficient to do it all in one bit than to tack a simple one on now and then rewrite it again for 4.1.

I have a question, will there be a feature(s) to export sounds from plugins in the future?

@coraxus, on Aug 26 2008, 03:23 PM, said in MissionComputer 4 is feature-complete and ready for beta testing:

I have a question, will there be a feature(s) to export sounds from plugins in the future?

I've always been on the lookout for a good way to handle this, but unfortunately handling the snd format is increasingly difficult, and I don't yet have a workable model for such a feature.