Hi everyone,
A new version (beta 2a) is available :
Version Standard
Version Developer
TGF2
Some important changes have been made, so I expect some bugs specific to this version. If so, I'll fix them and will quickly release another beta version.
The files saved with previous beta versions should be compatible except for the layer effects, they are ignored when you load old MFA files.
Also, this version *should* be able to save Java applications (to avoid you to install both the build 248 and MMF2 HWA). There might be compatibility issues between the file format generated by MMF2/TGF2 HWA and the Java runtime though, this has not been tested. Report any issue please.
Fixes and changes in this version
- Active System Box and Background System Box objects with images should be faster in this version.
- Animation object was displayed in transparent mode even when the transparent option was unselected.
- Quick backdrop object : should be faster (except for the ellipse style).
- Runtime : display glitches in standard graphic mode especially with scrolling applications. This issue was speeding up games in standard mode, unfortunately I had to fix it.
- Runtime : crash when running applications in Direct3D mode on some video cards.
- Runtime : the low quality mode was identical to the high quality mode when scaling active objects.
- Effets : new action / expression Effect menu, allows you to change the effect at runtime, as well as the effect parameters, the alpha-blending coefficient and the RGB coefficient.
- Effect list :
+ the list of effects is now displayed in a tree that reflects the content of the MMF2/TGF2 Effects folder, i.e. effects can be organized into folders.
+ a new column displays the minimum version of pixel shaders required by the effects.
+ the Hardware (Hw) column shows the required version of DirectX (DX8 or above, DX9 or above)
+ the displayed effect is now immediately refreshed in the object when you click the Refresh button and exit the dialog box (no need to select another effect and reselect the effect anymore).
- Effects : when the Invert effect was used on an object, is was applied to all the objects above it.
- Effects : alpha-blending and RGB coefficients now work with standard effects (except for the old Semi-Transparency effect, kept for compatibility reasons with old applications - or if for example you want to build CCN files played by Vitalize or an old version of the runtime).
- Effects : Invert and Monochrome effects now work with DirectX8.
- Effects : new <author>, <company>, <copyright>, <website>, <email> tags in the XML files, displayed in the Effect list when you select an effect.
- Effects : new <PSVersion> tag, that allows you to specify the minimum version number of the pixel shaders required by an effect if the program was not able to retrieve it from the .fx file (for example for Direct3D 8 shaders). Format: <PSVersion>1.4</PSVersion>.
- Effects : new <dx8> tag, that allows you to specify if the effect is compatible with DirectX8. E.g. <dx8>yes</dx8>.
- Effects : you can now use the SPIN property type for floating point parameters (you need to define the min, max and delta values).
- Effects : you can use the <variable> tag instead of <code> to define the variable name of a parameter.
- Effects : bug when the CHECKBOX property type was used with float parameters.
- Effects : object not always refreshed in the frame editor when an effect parameter was modified in the properties.
Just for info, what doesn't work or will be improved :
- full screen (doesn't work).
- transitions (don't work).
- some graphical extensions don't work (Screen Capture, Lens, Viewport, Get Pixel, Flame, etc).
- others work but are not optimized (text blitter, speech bubble, etc).
- fine collisions between rotated or stretched sprites are slow.
- the quick backdrop object in ellipse mode is slow.
- there are still problems when you resize the frame window.
- effects on layers will be optimized in a future version.
- an option to prevent resampling when the "resize to fill screen" option is used will be added.
- a few options are still missing in the effects, to read the background surface behind the objects.
- the background behind dialog boxes is not correctly refreshed.
Let me know if any specific issue in this build.
Yves.
