AGS 3.0 Final - it's been a long road

[Pumaman]

The final release of 3.0 is finally here!

What's AGS 3.0? Why has it been so long since 2.72?

The AGS Editor has been undergoing a complete rewrite, to make it much more user-friendly and easier to extend in future. Additionally, 3D hardware acceleration has been added to the game engine.

What does it look like?

There's a screenshot further down this post.

Does it have any system requirements?

Yes. The editor is now written using the .NET Framework 2.0, which is a free download from Microsoft, and it's also on Windows Update.
If you get an error about "mscoree.dll", then that means you are missing the framework.

WHAT??? Does this mean people will need .NET Framework to play my games?

Relax! No, only the editor uses the framework. You'll need it to make games, but the AGS Game Engine does not use .NET and so people will not need it in order to play your games.

What are the new features compared with 2.72?

There are various new features as a result of the new editor, such as the ability to have more than one script open at a time. Also, the new editor supports source control integration with systems like SourceSafe and Perforce.

Also, script Extender Functions and dynamic arrays have been added (see below).


What are the changes in 3.0 Final?
* Updated Close Tab icon and List All Tabs icon thanks to Klaus
* Fixed Preferences dialog crashing if you had set the Tab Size to 0 in 2.72


What are the changes in 3.0 RC 5?

* Added Quick Launch Bar option to Setup (off by default)
* Improved error message when two views have the same name
* Sprite Usage check now includes detecting if the sprite is used as a GUI Text Window edge
* Sprite Selector pop-up window now remembers its size for the next time
* Creating a view frame now automatically selects it in the property grid
* Right-click, "Edit Room" on a room now opens the editing pane, like double-clicking the "Edit room" sub-node does
* Changed editor to automatically create any missing loops in character views, rather than giving warning message
* Fixed exporting text window GUIs not including the edge images
* Fixed DrawingSurface.DrawImage interpreting the transparency parameter backwards
* Fixed corrupt EXE files sometimes being generated if you had Split Resources turned on
* Fixed mouse cursors so that setting cursor sprite to 0 makes the cursor invisible
* Fixed engine crash on startup if there was no acsetup.cfg file
* Fixed dialog options getting chopped off if you used a negative game.dialog_options_y setting
* Hopefully fixed intermittent crash when deleting room background


What are the changes in 3.0 RC 4?

* Changed to using Inno Setup installer, meaning more options to allow you to disable the start menu items, etc
* Embedded help file for SCUMM_GUI module in Verb Coin template
* Included v1.5 of Verb Coin template thanks to Electroshokker
* Added "Leave as-is" and "No transparency" sprite import options, and added a tooltip to explain what they do
* Added "Create In Folder" option to Start New Game wizard, now defaulting to My Documents rather than the AGS folder
* Added right-click "Copy co-ordinates to clipboard" feature to the "Nothing" mode of the room editor, as it was a regression against 2.72
* New icon is now used for the editor main window as well as for the exe file icon
* Renamed "BorderColor" to "TextColor" in text window properties pane
* Installer now puts the demo game in the Common Application Data folder to be compatible with Vista's security filters
* Fixed renaming a hotspot or object not updating the name in the property object list
* Fixed installer not overwriting some DLLs if you already had an older AGS installed in that folder
* Fixed the start menu demo shortcut's working directory to stop it giving plugin errors



Are there any outstanding issues?

* intermittent editor crash when loading room
* a crash has been reported starting the game when breakpoints have been added
* a bug has been reported where the editor uses 100% CPU if you exit from the welcome screen
* Alt+Tab stops working after you use PlayVideo when using the D3D driver.

If you can reproduce any of these, please let me know.

What feedback do you want?

General feedback is good, as are any bugs that you find that aren't on the Known Issues list above. Minor suggestions for improvements to the editor are also welcome.

In particular, I'd like the following things tested:
* Please make sure any multi-loop animations still work correctly.
* 256-colour support -- if you have a 256-colour game, please try it out and make sure it works ok.
* If you have a Source Control provider installed, please try out the source control integration feature and see if it works for you.

What is an extender method?

It's a feature that people have been asking for for quite a while; the easiest way is to give an example:

function SayHello(this Character*)
{
this.Say("Hello");
}

and then later on in the script you can do:
player.SayHello();
character[EGO].SayHello();
etc

Basically, it allows module authors to add extra methods to the built-in types like Character.

What are dynamic arrays?

With the move towards removing system limits, it will no longer possible for module authors to declare things like:
int characterStatus[AGS_MAX_CHARACTERS];

Dynamic arrays allow you to specify at run-time how large the array needs to be. You declare one like this:

int characterStatus[];
GUI *guisToUpdate[];

and then, in your script code, you can do:

characterStatus = new int[Game.CharacterCount];
guisToUpdate = new GUI[Game.GUICount];
etc

Currently dynamic array are supported as global and local variables, but you can't currently put one inside a struct.
Also, at present you can create arrays of basic types (int, char, etc) and of built-in types (String, Character, etc) but not of custom structs.

Where can I get it?

Here, but BE CAREFUL. It's not yet a final official release, so keep a backup copy of your game before trying it out.

http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/AGS-3.0.0.exe



Enjoy!

[Rui 'Trovatore' Pires]

Hmmm, opening "Edit this.AGSGame" with the new editor no longer automatically loads the game in question? Is it per design, or has it simply not been coded in yet?

Also, it might be just me, but the new AGS seems to be significantly faster.

EDIT - Hmm, this can't be right.

I have 38 templates in my main AGS directory (I like to have all possible templates close at hand).

Only 4 of them show up when I'm making a new game, though. The Empty Game, the Default Game, and two other templates of mine.

[Lt. Smash]

I've found a bug when trying to create a new translation file after saving there occured this error message(and also when updating it):

---------------------------
Adventure Game Studio
---------------------------
An unexpected error occurred. Please note down the following information and contact CJ.



System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object. ---> System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.

   at AGS.Editor.GameSpeechProcessor.ProcessText(String text, GameTextType textType, Int32 characterID)

   at AGS.Editor.TextProcessingHelper.ProcessAllGameText(IGameTextProcessor processor, Game game, List`1 errors)

   at AGS.Editor.Components.TranslationsComponent.UpdateTranslationsProcess(Object translationList)

   at AGS.Editor.BusyDialog.RunHandlerOnThread()

   --- End of inner exception stack trace ---

   at AGS.Editor.BusyDialog.Show(String message, ProcessingHandler handler, Object parameter)

   at AGS.Editor.Components.TranslationsComponent.DoTranslationUpdate(List`1 translations)

   at AGS.Editor.Components.TranslationsComponent._timer_Tick(Object sender, EventArgs e)

   at System.Windows.Forms.Timer.OnTick(EventArgs e)

   at System.Windows.Forms.Timer.TimerNativeWindow.WndProc(Message& m)

   at System.Windows.Forms.NativeWindow.Callback(IntPtr hWnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wparam, IntPtr lparam)
---------------------------
OK   
---------------------------


I've also found something annoying in the editor.
I must tell in an example otherwise I cant explain:

When doubleclicking on field "Colours" the options menu to the bottom right(Apperance, Colour,....) opens normally. But when I click once on another field like "Sprites" the whole options menu gets blank.


Keep on that good work CJ! 

[Pumaman]

Hmmm, opening "Edit this.AGSGame" with the new editor no longer automatically loads the game in question? Is it per design, or has it simply not been coded in yet?

Interesting question. The new editor doesn't actually generate that file any more, or support it in any way. Did anybody else actually use that feature?

I have 38 templates in my main AGS directory (I like to have all possible templates close at hand).
Only 4 of them show up when I'm making a new game, though.

The new editor is only able to open games and templates made in 2.8 and 2.72. If the templates were compiled with a version older than 2.72, it won't be able to see them. Could this be the case with your templates?

I've found a bug when trying to create a new translation file after saving there occured this error message(and also when updating it):

Interesting, thanks for spotting that. Did you create a new game or import a game from 2.72? This is certainly a bug -- it's probably caused by having a dialog option or an inventory item description with no text in it. I'll look into it.

I've also found something annoying in the editor.
I must tell in an example otherwise I cant explain:

When doubleclicking on field "Colours" the options menu to the bottom right(Apperance, Colour,....) opens normally. But when I click once on another field like "Sprites" the whole options menu gets blank.

This is actually deliberate. The properties window shows you the properties of the currently selected window, so when you click "Sprites" it de-selects the main pane on the left, and there are no properties for the right hand tree-view.

[Rui 'Trovatore' Pires]

The new editor is only able to open games and templates made in 2.8 and 2.72. If the templates were compiled with a version older than 2.72, it won't be able to see them. Could this be the case with your templates?

Ah, that's probably it. That should probably be announced/documented, especially since, as I understand it, about 100% of the available templates around pre-date 2.72. Well, expect for the 2.72 version of the MI template, which is around somewhere.

Maybe I'll re-compile them all in 2.72 myself, in a couple of days.

EDIT - The plot thickens. Now I have 5 templates in the list (said templates are the ones which I've just re-compiled with 2.72, so all is well)... but none of them is the Default Game or the Empty Game. I've even tried re-downloading, several times. Neither 2.72 nor 2.8 now seem to read those two templates.

EDIT - Hey, is "Undo" gone from the walkable areas drawing options?

EDIT - ANd has "F2 -> Display Stats" gone the way of "Undo"? Also, now I've noticed we've lost all those handy shortcuts for going directly to game_start, on_event, on_mouse_click, repeatedly_execute, etc... I'll really miss those. :'(

EDIT - Finally, in the Game Settings thingy, many of the options are in bold, and many of the options are in regular font (I mean the ones the go "True" and "False"). Is there a reason for this? Or is this "boldening" random?

[MrColossal]

I imported my 256 colour game and it went in smoothly with no problems.

I must say that I prefer how scrolling rooms were handled in the older editor as opposed to this one. Feels so claustrophobic, especially on my huge monitor.

Edit: I found a problem. It seems to happen randomly but I can't view the settings for my player character [character 1 in the list] unless I open another character too and click from it to the ego. Then most times after when I open a room to edit I can no longer edit the ego's settings. Instead of the ego settings it shows me the settings for the last room I opened.

[Ghost]

Adding a room and then saving the game doesn't save the room (or even asks me if I want to save it) , or am I doing something wrong here?
Also, I'd like to ask again if a support for 800x600 screen resolution could be done.

Apart from that, great work. Call me a big child, but I just love the random quotes in the logo screen 

[DavidCB]

Accented characters don't work in GUI interfaces buttons. In the previous version 2.72 this didn't happen.
Excuse my English

Thank you

[joelphilippage]

Ive got a problem. When I tried turning on the Smooth Scaled Sprites option, all the blurred parts on the edges are turned black.

[deadsuperhero]

Is it Linux and Mac compatible yet?
If not, I suppose I'll have to still use WINE for the time being.

[Misj']

(minor 'bug')

I assume LucasArts-speech still doesn't support (Pamela) lipsync (as stated in the helpfile)...I didn't test it, but I'm sure you would have told us. So I don't think I should be able to set both the speechstyle to "Lucasarts", and the LipSync-type to "Voice (Pamela sync files)" at the same time.

Maybe the latter option should be grayed-out if the former was selected (and if already selected when the person changes from Sierra- to Lucasarts-speech, automatically swapped for "Text (automatic)"). This will make things clearer to those using the editor.

Misj'

[SupSuper]

EDIT - Finally, in the Game Settings thingy, many of the options are in bold, and many of the options are in regular font (I mean the ones the go "True" and "False"). Is there a reason for this? Or is this "boldening" random?

Properties Editors show in bold any properties that have been changed (non-default).

Is it Linux and Mac compatible yet?
If not, I suppose I'll have to still use WINE for the time being.

That's up to the Mono team, you'll have to test it yourself: http://www.mono-project.com/

[Pumaman]

EDIT - The plot thickens. Now I have 5 templates in the list (said templates are the ones which I've just re-compiled with 2.72, so all is well)... but none of them is the Default Game or the Empty Game. I've even tried re-downloading, several times. Neither 2.72 nor 2.8 now seem to read those two templates.

Are you using the Default & Empty Game templates from the 2.8 Beta zip file, or from 2.72? I think the ones included with 2.72 were actually compiled with 2.70 or something so they wouldn't work, but there are new versions provided in the 2.8 distribution.

EDIT - Hey, is "Undo" gone from the walkable areas drawing options?

Hmm good point, forgot about that. I'd better add it back

EDIT - ANd has "F2 -> Display Stats" gone the way of "Undo"? Also, now I've noticed we've lost all those handy shortcuts for going directly to game_start, on_event, on_mouse_click, repeatedly_execute, etc... I'll really miss those.

Is the F2 Stats thing useful? I can add it back if you guys think it's worthwhile having.

I must say that I prefer how scrolling rooms were handled in the older editor as opposed to this one. Feels so claustrophobic, especially on my huge monitor.

Also, I'd like to ask again if a support for 800x600 screen resolution could be done.

Ok, I think I need to take another look at the layout of the room editing window.

Edit: I found a problem. It seems to happen randomly but I can't view the settings for my player character [character 1 in the list] unless I open another character too and click from it to the ego. Then most times after when I open a room to edit I can no longer edit the ego's settings. Instead of the ego settings it shows me the settings for the last room I opened.

Hmm well spotted, I think there's a problem with the room editor whereby when you open a room it will link its properties window to the previously open window as well as its own. I'll look into it.

Adding a room and then saving the game doesn't save the room (or even asks me if I want to save it) , or am I doing something wrong here?

Can you clarify what you did here? If you just create a room and then save the game, there won't be any changes to save?

Accented characters don't work in GUI interfaces buttons. In the previous version 2.72 this didn't happen.

Interesting, thanks for reporting this. I'll look into it.

Ive got a problem. When I tried turning on the Smooth Scaled Sprites option, all the blurred parts on the edges are turned black.

I take it you're referring to in the game itself and not in the editor? I think this might be a result of me messing with AASTR2, I'll look into it.

Is it Linux and Mac compatible yet?
If not, I suppose I'll have to still use WINE for the time being.

No, and we heard you the first time. As SupSuper says, it's in the hands of the Mono guys.

I assume LucasArts-speech still doesn't support (Pamela) lipsync (as stated in the helpfile)...I didn't test it, but I'm sure you would have told us. So I don't think I should be able to set both the speechstyle to "Lucasarts", and the LipSync-type to "Voice (Pamela sync files)" at the same time.

Good point, I'll do that. I think the easiest way will be an error when you try to save the game, if you have both these settings set.

[Kweepa]

If I quit the editor from the "Welcome To AGS!" dialog, it stays in memory using 100% of the CPU core. I ran it four times (to see the different splash tag lines) and my quad-core machine slowed to a crawl.

[Rui 'Trovatore' Pires]

Are you using the Default & Empty Game templates from the 2.8 Beta zip file, or from 2.72? I think the ones included with 2.72 were actually compiled with 2.70 or something so they wouldn't work, but there are new versions provided in the 2.8 distribution.

From the new 2.8 beta zip file. Which at first it read, but now it doesn't read anymore.

[monkey0506]

There's a screenshot further down this post.

I wanted to ask about that seeing as protected static functions are inaccessible. Then I realized that technically they can be accessed. Just they can't be accessed statically. So basically they have the same access privileges as protected functions.

Also, script Extender Functions have been added

I've found that these can also be used on custom data-types. In my own modules I can now use extender methods (in AGS 2.8+) for things like initialization and updating functions (where it is handled internally anyway yet I simply needed access to protected data).

Also regarding the unsupported method I found for implementing member attributes (which can be used to mimic static properties, vector-based arrays, and control what happens when the data is changed), extender methods can be used for the get/set functions.

What are the new features compared with 2.8 Alpha 8?

* Added option to export scripts, import/export characters and GUIs, and import rooms

Hooray! Finally I can port scripts between my 2.8 games! Thanks Chris!

Are there any known issues?
Yes:
* if you change a room script, you need to open and save the room itself before the script changes will take effect

These will be resolved in a future beta release.

Good to know. I look forward to it.

Hmmm, opening "Edit this.AGSGame" with the new editor no longer automatically loads the game in question? Is it per design, or has it simply not been coded in yet?

Interesting question. The new editor doesn't actually generate that file any more, or support it in any way. Did anybody else actually use that feature?

YES! This is one feature I've been waiting to see come back. It's not something that I couldn't live without, but it's something I find convenient, and I've really grown to love it.

[Ghost]

Can you clarify what you did here? If you just create a room and then save the game, there won't be any changes to save?

Aw, now I feel really stupid. Yes, I just created a new room and didn't even set a background. Stupid me. No, it all works fine if you know what you do 

[Pumaman]

If I quit the editor from the "Welcome To AGS!" dialog, it stays in memory using 100% of the CPU core. I ran it four times (to see the different splash tag lines) and my quad-core machine slowed to a crawl.

This works fine for me, what version of windows are you running?

From the new 2.8 beta zip file. Which at first it read, but now it doesn't read anymore.

Strange ... out of interest, if you delete all the other templates from the editor folder and just leave the default/empty game templates there, does it work then?

* Added option to export scripts, import/export characters and GUIs, and import rooms

Hooray! Finally I can port scripts between my 2.8 games!  Thanks Chris!

Just a note about this -- expored scripts and characters are compatible with 2.72, but GUIs are not. The amount of work it would have required to import/export 2.72-style GUE files would have been extensive, so this editor uses a new .GUF format.

[Rui 'Trovatore' Pires]

Hmm, further testing showed me that no, even if I remove all others those 2 still don't show up... BUT unzipping the zip file, as is, and moving them all into the NEW folder recently created and booting AGS from therein, DOES acknowledge the existence of Empty and Default Games. The most templates I can still see is 5, but then again, most of them pre-date 2.72 (can there not be made a concession here? Practically *all* templates predate 2.72).

What I think is, I've always unzipped AGS to the same folder. ANd I did the same with this new version. But I didn't delete the old files, just overwrote some and moved others into a folder called "Old AGS" (mind you, I didn't move any files which the new AGS needs). Possibly, some older file which has not been overwritten is conflicting. It's all, therefore, just a matter of tydiying up on my part.

Probably.

[Alynn]

EDIT - ANd has "F2 -> Display Stats" gone the way of "Undo"? Also, now I've noticed we've lost all those handy shortcuts for going directly to game_start, on_event, on_mouse_click, repeatedly_execute, etc... I'll really miss those.

Is the F2 Stats thing useful? I can add it back if you guys think it's worthwhile having.

Well, if there is no longer any hard coded limits (crosses fingers) it really doesn't need to be added back. However, if there are some limits, and you have a large game, it would be nice to see how close you are to those limits.

In addition (not sure how easy this would be) could you add something at the end that gives you your current compiled exe file size, you give out all sorts of other information. And instead of having to use explorer to go through your file system to your compiled folder, you can just check in the stats.

I'm sure a lot of people have their folder open anyway, but some like me, start AGS from a shortcut on the desktop.

In summary, Stats are nice to know if their are still limits on what you can have. The small addition to stats if there are limits is minor and not important, but if it's something easy to add, might as well right?