AGS 2.71 Final 2 - Politically Correct Edition

[Pumaman]

Perhaps it would be better to just say "Syntax error" rather than an error message that is inaccurate or misleading.
Then users won't think there's something wrong with the compiler.

That might be a good idea actually, I'll have a think about it.


Anyway, RC 1 is now up. It should fix up a few remaining bits and bobs -- the "this" pointer should now work with member pointers (SSH's problem).

The reason I think it's time to go to Release Candidate stage now rather than add any more features is that the new Strings are so useful that I'd like to get them out there as soon as possible.

I am still a bit cautious about releasing this though after a couple of reports of sprite file corruption, so if you get any errors like that with this version, please do report them immediately.

[GarageGothic]

* Added Character.Scaling property; renamed IgnoreScaling to ManualScaling to reflect its new functionality.
* Added DynamicSprite.SaveToFile function.
* Arrays and structs are now officially supported, and are documented in the manual.
* Fixed CreateFromBackground not using the X & Y co-ordinates correctly.

Awesomeness! I can't believe how much 2.71  has improved the overall quality of Shadowplay. All hail CJ!

Edit 3: Removed two other edits. Never mind, it seems to work now.

[strazer]

* Added GP_ISFRAMEFLIPPED option to GetGameParameter.

Thank you!

The reason I think it's time to go to Release Candidate stage now rather than add any more features is that the new Strings are so useful that I'd like to get them out there as soon as possible.

How about fixing a couple of minor bugs then? I'm thinking of

- Label doesn't display if shorter than word
- Room edges don't trigger when overlapping
- Sierra-speech and dialog options display

[Superman95]

Hey CJ,

I wouldn't really call it a bug, but I thought it might be something you'd want to know.

I have an NVIDIA Quadro card.  When I turn off Hardware Acceleration, the AGS runtime engine stops working.  I turned it off to make another game work.  I forgot I turned it off and it took me awhile to figure out why AGS stopped working.  I wouldn't call it a bug, but if you didn't know, I thought I would give you a heads up.

[monkey0506]

Nice work.  Unfortunately I'm looking at being without power for a month.  So unless I start coming to work with my mom every day (like I did today) I probably won't have computer access, nevermind the internet.

[Pumaman]

How about fixing a couple of minor bugs then? I'm thinking of

Yeah, it is about time I looked at those, I'll consider it.

I have an NVIDIA Quadro card.  When I turn off Hardware Acceleration, the AGS runtime engine stops working.  I turned it off to make another game work.  I forgot I turned it off and it took me awhile to figure out why AGS stopped working.  I wouldn't call it a bug, but if you didn't know, I thought I would give you a heads up.

Care to expand on "stops working"? Do you get an error message?

[Superman95]

no, the main window gets created but no content is drawn in it.  Honestly, it seems more like a DirectX or Allegro issue.  But, I just thought i would mention it.

[strazer]

Yeah, it is about time I looked at those, I'll consider it.

Thanks!
Another thing I forgot to mention (again) is repeatedly_execute in room scripts. I think it's a bit inconsistent and sounds so easy to do, seeing as repeatedly_execute_always already works.
Wasn't it supposed to be fixed already?

[Pumaman]

no, the main window gets created but no content is drawn in it.  Honestly, it seems more like a DirectX or Allegro issue.  But, I just thought i would mention it.

Ah, ok. Thanks for mentioning it, it would be handy if AGS could detect the problem and display a message -- at least that would help anyone who had the problem.

Another thing I forgot to mention (again) is repeatedly_execute in room scripts. I think it's a bit inconsistent and sounds so easy to do, seeing as repeatedly_execute_always already works.

It's more to do with the fact that there's already an interaction for it, so it would effectively allow two Repeatedly Execute scripts in a room (the one named repeatedly_execute and the interaction script), which is why I'm cautious.

[Superman95]

I don't understand why you would need both, if you can do it with an interaction.  What would you gain from that?

[SSH]

Not having to use the interaction editor!

[Gilbert]

I don't understand why you would need both, if you can do it with an interaction.Ã,  What would you gain from that?

Actually the problem is inconsistency, I'd rather both re and re_always handled in the same way in rooms, i.e. either both in interaction or both user manually created.
IMO I prefer the latter as the script will be more readible, opposed to having function names liek room_b().

[Rui 'Trovatore' Pires]

My two cents: I like using the interaction editor for it. For consistency. Everything ELSE uses the interaction editor.

[RickJ]

I'm with SSH on this one.  In general I prefer not using the interaction editor whenever possible.   Perhaps at some point in the future the script language could be extended so that interactions could be defined in the room script.  The new OO way of things presents some interesting posibilities for this and perhaps interaction functions could have useful names such as...

Object.LookAt()
Room.PlayerLeaves()
Room.RepeatedlyExecute()
:
etc

The interaction editor or the script editor could then be used to define/modify such interaction functions.

I realize this probably won't make the cut for RC2  , but it's something interesting to consider for the future, IMHO.   

[Rui 'Trovatore' Pires]

A thought about RickJ's suggestion - that COULD raise the number of responses for each cursor mode (instead of the current limit of ten) to whatever the user wanted to, provided there WAS an existing cursor with a matching name.

[TheMagician]

Just one question:

now that we have those nice "Music" and "Speech" subfolders, how about a "Sound" subfolder?

I think it would make things more organizable.

Apart from that: many thanks CJ for the features of the new Release Candidate!! 

[Colxfile]

I've hit a small thing when testing a game. If I click on the room-script edit button in the room-settings editor (and then do whatever I like and finish and save or whatever happens), then the button is selected and can be 'clicked' by hitting the enter key. If I then go on to test the game, and hit enter while the whole thing is being compiled, then room-script editor pops-up. Then the game runs.
Not sure how much of a biggie this is, but thought you'd like to know anyway.

[edmundito]

Possible bug, my good man:

I had something like this on the script header for a module

/*
struct CommentedStruct {
};
*/

Yet when I typed it on the script editor, it would appear on the little list that pops up. What does that mean?  :o

[SSH]

It's a well-known "feature" that the autocompleter ignores comments when populating. It can be handy sometime, e.g. having autocompletion for #defines by making a commented-out declaration of the same name

[edmundito]

Is it also a feature for ags to confuse me a whole lot while I'm scripting?