AGS 2.56 Pre-final - Mittens edition

[Pumaman]

This is the final version of 2.56, pending any bugs that may be found. If no bugs are found in the next few days, it will become 2.56 Final.

NO REQUESTS IN THIS THREAD PLEASE, COMMENTS AND BUGS WITH THE BETA ONLY

Changes since RC 2:
* Added SetRegionTint text script command.
* Added options to translation files, to allow changing font and text direction on a per-translation basis.
* Fixed buttons in default inventory screen being drawn without transparency.
* Fixed dialog bullet getting set even if you pressed ESC.
* Fixed problem with translations where \" had been used in a string.
* Added teh MAEK MY GAYME!!1111 option (to the Help menu).


Changes since RC 1:
* Text parser now accepts ' and - characters, and automatically accepts plurals of all words (ie. an 's' on the end).
* Changed the way right-to-left line breaks are done, hopefully it should be correct this time.
* Fixed set-speech-view dialog command not working.
* Fixed NewRoomEx not working properly if a scaled character was moving at the time.
* Fixed RC1 bug with dialog request script not returning properly.
* Fixed possible crash with scaled character movement.
* Fixed GUI button text not being translated if the button also had an image.

Changes since beta 4:
* Increased max dialog topics to 500.
* Added SetGUIObjectPosition text script function.
* Added option to display multiple inventory items multiple times.
* Added ability to export/import the text parser word list.
* Added lose-inv dialog script command.
* Fixed thinking and blinking views not being exported with character.
* Fixed the way right-to-left text writing works.
* Fixed scaled walking speeds when anti-glide mode was off.
* Fixed normal mouse cursor flashing up in between messages when Always Display As Speech was being used.
* Fixed erroneous crash in SetPlayerCharacter.
* Fixed text window GUI being used for dialog options instead of the specified Dialog Options GUI.
* Fixed lots of things with the new parser-within-dialog.
* Fixed a couple of problems with GetGameParameter's return values.

Changes since beta 3:
* Added preliminary support for right-to-left text writing. As I'm not totally sure how it's supposed to look, your feedback is needed (in this thread please) as to whether it's being done the correct way.
(You probably want to set   game.text_align = ALIGN_RIGHT  in your game_start to use this).
* Added "Update translation file" option, to add new lines from the game to the translation source, whilst leaving currently translated bits intact.
* Added option to have the text parser with dialog options, so that the player can either select an option or type something in.
* Fixed animated backgrounds sharing the palette, even when you told them not to. You'll need to re-import the main background in any problem rooms for this fix to take effect.
* Fixed Enters Screen Before Fadein not being run if the NewRoom was launched from an inventory interaction.

Changes since beta 2:
* Added Custom Properties to allow you to easily specify options for hotspots, characters, rooms, objects and inventory. See below for more info.
* Added GetCharacterProperty, GetCharacterPropertyText, GetHotspotProperty, GetHotspotPropertyText, GetInvProperty, GetInvPropertyText, GetObjectProperty, GetObjectPropertyText, GetRoomProperty and GetRoomPropertyText text script functions.
* Added option for characters speed to be adjusted in line with their scaling level. (Yes, now you can all shut up about it   )
* Added ability to change sprite numbers in the Sprite Manager.
* Added cross-fade screen transition.
* Fixed SetSoundVolume not taking effect with footstep sounds.
* Fixed Box Out transition in 256-colour games.
* Fixed blink view crash with "Run next loop" loops (but they're not supported here yet).
* Editor now writes on splash screen if it's a beta version.

WHAT ARE CUSTOM PROPERTIES?

Are you working on a Lucasarts-style game, and wish there was an easy way to specify the default action on room objects?
Are you writing a QFG-style game, where in some rooms monsters can randomly attack you, but in others they can't?
Want a way of easily having a brief description of each room?

Don't you wish there was an easier way than writing hundreds of "if" statements? Well now there is!

Basically, custom properties allow you to define your own settings, which you can then set values for every character, inventory item, room, hotspot and object.

So, for example the following code:
if ((player.room == 14) || (player.room == 27) || (player.room == 33) || (player.room == 64))

now becomes:
if (GetRoomProperty("CanBeAttackedHere") == 1)

Hope some of you find it useful.

Changes since beta 1:
* Added SetCharacterBlinkView and SetGUISize text script functions.
* Added "Lock objects in position" checkbox to the GUI editor, to stop you accidentally moving objects when trying to select them.
* Added extra "Blinking" view to draw an extra animation on top of the character's speech animation intermittently while they are talking. Currently Sierra-style speech only.
* Added 'goto-previous' dialog script command to return to previous topic.
* Added new "Box out" screen transition, which uses an expanding black box from the centre of the screen.
* Script editor is no longer a modal window (but only if it's not opened from the interaction editor).
* Sierra-style speech now shrinks the width of the text window if the text is narrower than the screen width.
* Changing a hotspot name now correctly marks the room as modified.
* You are now always prompted to save changes to a room when loading another one - the Preferences setting only affects the prompt when you choose the "Save Room" option on the menu.
* SetPlayerCharacter now leaves the cursor mode as Use Inv if the new character has an active inventory item.
* Fixed Sierra-style speech box overrunning the face if it had wide borders.
* Fixed SetPlayerCharacter crashing if called from game_start.
* Fixed RunAGSGame not working if mode was passed as 1.
* Fixed dialog options moving across the screen in non-GUI mode.
* Fixed editor crash typing >200 characters into a label.
* Fixed dividing by zero in the script causing a fatal exception.

Changes in beta 1 from 2.55:
* Added ListBoxRemove and StrContains script functions.
* Added RGB tint option for regions as an alternative to light level.
* Added "Quick Import FLC frames" to import all frames from a FLC file in one go to the current sprite folder.
* Implemented multiple select for dragging and deleting sprites in the sprite manager.
* Added ability to delete sprite folders (USE WITH CARE!!)
* Added option for characters to turn to face their new direction when using FaceLocation/FaceCharacter.
* Added "Persistent" GUI display option, to not remove it during a cutscene with "GUIs turn off when disabled".
* Added "Auto number speech lines" to automatically give a number  to all speech lines in the game.
* Added feature to detect hung scripts and abort the game (for example, scripts like  while (1) { }  )
* Added MIDI controller event support, so that MIDI commands such as sustain will now work.
* Increased max sprite folders to 500.
* Increased max sprites to 15000.
* Increased max cursors to 20 (though the new ones will only activate the Any Click event at present).
* Sprite manager now remembers which folder you were in before when selecting new item graphics.
* SetPlayerCharacter now changes the mouse cursor if an inventory item of the old character was active.
* Disabled auto-complete in the dialog script editor.
* Fixed RunAGSGame not resetting game paused flags.
* Fixed Rebuild VOX Files to delete the music.vox if there were previously music files, but no longer are any.
* Fixed editor crash if "function" was the last word in a script.
* Fixed "player.inv[index]--;" also decrementing inv[index+1]

NOTE: BETA VERSION, ALWAYS BACK UP YOUR GAME BEFORE TRYING IT, AS IT MAY IRREPERABLY DAMAGE YOUR GAME

http://www.agsforums.com/ags256prefinal.zip

[Archangel (aka SoupDragon)]

We wuv yuu cj

[Privateer Puddin']

weeee new stuff

[Barcik]

Go CJ!

Added option for characters to turn to face their new direction when using FaceLocation/FaceCharacter.

What does that mean?

[DragonRose]

Yikes. I haven't even had a chance to download the last version, and he's already working on a new one!  Looks good!

[scotch]

Barcik, I would guess it means that they turn through their direcional views like they do when you turn when walking.  That instead of facing the direction instantly.

Nice feature additions CJ

[edmundito]

wow, you must really like Roger Moore. Well, he is a roger...

Anyway, Barcik: The characters turn thing, means that when you uses FaceCharacter or Face location, the character actually does a little turn (like with the "characters turn before walking" option) so it looks more animated.

Hey, cj, any chance of jibbling with the font display?

[Ben]

Sprite manager now remembers which folder you were in before when selecting new item graphics.

Woo!

[deltamatrix]

CJ strikes again!

[TerranRich]

* Disabled auto-complete in the dialog script editor.

Why, what was the problem with it? I found it very useful and handy.  

BtW, good lord, Chris! You update AGS faster than a fat lady at a prom with no clothes on! Weehaw!!!

[scotch]

I asked that, it's so it doesn't autocomplete script commands that aren't supposed to go into dialog scripts.  It's still in the normal script editor.

[auhsor]

Heaps good CJ. I also havnt had time to try out the last version. Stupid school, takin up all my time...

[Scummbuddy]

Thank you very much for these.

* Implemented multiple select for dragging and deleting sprites in the sprite manager.
* Added ability to delete sprite folders (USE WITH CARE!!)
* Increased max sprite folders to 500.
* Sprite manager now remembers which folder you were in before when selecting new item graphics.

* Added "Auto number speech lines" to automatically give a number  to all speech lines in the game.

Wasn't this already added, or does this now work if you are using a bullet pic for dialogs? I remember asking awhile back if you could add the ability to just push a number to get the dialogs lines to work, and you did, so I'm guessing that it works with bullets now?

Edit * And holy crap, that was a fast update since the last version.  You rock Chris, I hope to someday meet you at a Mitteneer event of some sort.  I'm not promising sex, but hey, its on the table.... wait, what?

[Vel]

Hurrrrrrrrrraaaaaaaay!

[Spyros]

Who gives a S**t about Roger Moore.
Knight CJ now.

[Alex Lowes]

when we think sire Cj   is really resting and won't make a new version untill two months later(as he usually says so to calm us down and we respect him.
we allways get a new version two days later :o
or two weeks tops.
wohooo.

[Dave Gilbert]

Holy crow.

Dude, I just got used to all the nifty features that debued in the LAST version, and now you've got more?

You're an animal, man!  An animal!

Never change!

[PeaceMan]

* Added RGB tint option for regions as an alternative to light level.

Great. Does this mean I can use different coloured lighting effects such as a neon sign shining on the character?

[AJA]

 :o

Already? You're fast...
Btw, CJ that AGS 2.55 mirror is up. I haven't got the chance to email you.
http://koti.mbnet.fi/dima/downloads/ags_255.zip

[yeknomten]

* Disabled auto-complete in the dialog script editor.

Why, what was the problem with it? I found it very useful and handy.  

BtW, good lord, Chris! You update AGS faster than a fat lady at a prom with no clothes on! Weehaw!!!

He means the DIALOG script editor, not the script editor. otherwise when you type stop or something, it would try to complete it with a StopCharacter function or whatever, and it was just annoying.