[ANN] MissionComputer 3.3.3 Now Released

Okay, I have a couple of requests for the system editor:
1. Click and drag on the background to scroll around.
2. Double click on a spob in the list to center on that spob.
3. The swirly galaxy inside the radar is a bit distracting.
4. I'll agree about loading spob graphics from other data/plug-in files. If you're working on a plug-in, your planet sprites must be somewhere. If it's a TC then you'll have replaced the data files with your own so they'll now contain your own sprites, if it's a large plug-in then they'll be in some other plug-in file *, else you're just using stock Nova sprites (or sprites in the current file).

  • Some suggestions for the special items:
    1. Add the Nova Plug-ins folder as one of the built-in items.
    2. Files in folders you add yourself don't appear in the resource selectors.
    3. Maybe allow custom names for folders you add yourself? If I add two folders with the same name I can tell them apart in the preferences because it shows the parent folder, but I can't tell them apart in the special menu.

And a very minor bug report: When you have a vertical fuel bar in an intf, the partial colour appears on the bottom instead of the top.

This post has been edited by Guy : 24 April 2007 - 08:51 PM

@aelran, on Apr 24 2007, 06:50 PM, said in [ANN] MissionComputer 3.3.3 Now Released:

As it looks like the buttons in question will open other windows, it might be reasonable to integrate these into a single effective editor - this might be technically difficult, but I can't tell.

They open standard PICT and dësc editors — it would be counterproductive to create a separate editor for these standard resources.

@guy, on Apr 24 2007, 09:50 PM, said in [ANN] MissionComputer 3.3.3 Now Released:

Okay, I have a couple of requests for the system editor:
1. Click and drag on the background to scroll around.
2. Double click on a spob in the list to center on that spob.
3. The swirly galaxy inside the radar is a bit distracting.

I’ll look into the first, the second should be easy enough, and the third I plan to redesign anyway.

@aelran, on Apr 24 2007, 06:50 PM, said in [ANN] MissionComputer 3.3.3 Now Released:

Could it simply be a preference that is disabled by default? Optimally, I'd like the ability to select which files the program was drawing from for these purposes, but I can completely understand if such things were not incorporated in Crusoe.

@guy, on Apr 24 2007, 09:50 PM, said in [ANN] MissionComputer 3.3.3 Now Released:

4. I'll agree about loading spob graphics from other data/plug-in files. If you're working on a plug-in, your planet sprites must be somewhere. If it's a TC then you'll have replaced the data files with your own so they'll now contain your own sprites, if it's a large plug-in then they'll be in some other plug-in file *, else you're just using stock Nova sprites (or sprites in the current file).

When I’ve explored this sort of thing before, I haven’t been able to find a satisfactory way of handling it — I don’t like any of the ways I’ve seen it done in other editors — but I’ll give it another look.

@guy, on Apr 24 2007, 09:50 PM, said in [ANN] MissionComputer 3.3.3 Now Released:

1. Add the Nova Plug-ins folder as one of the built-in items.
2. Files in folders you add yourself don't appear in the resource selectors.
3. Maybe allow custom names for folders you add yourself? If I add two folders with the same name I can tell them apart in the preferences because it shows the parent folder, but I can't tell them apart in the special menu.

I’ll see about adding the plug-ins and finding a way to identify duplicates. I intend to implement something like no. 2 — there’s even a hidden (and non-functional) check box for it in 3.3.3’s preferences.

@guy, on Apr 24 2007, 09:50 PM, said in [ANN] MissionComputer 3.3.3 Now Released:

When you have a vertical fuel bar in an intf, the partial colour appears on the bottom instead of the top.

Fixed, thanks.

@aelran, on Apr 24 2007, 06:50 PM, said in [ANN] MissionComputer 3.3.3 Now Released:

The government control seems a bit long - I understand that government names may be long, but that seems excessive. Is there some way of handling labels that exceed the menubar length?

The pop-up menu for the inherent government is exactly long enough that it can display the string 'Use for both AI combat and attributes'.

Attached File(s)

Something inspired by efforts to debug SFA resources (misns, actually, though this applies to the ship editor, too): It would be nice if your desc, pict, and ncb "Edit..." buttons indicated whether or not the linked resource existed in the plug (or whether the field was empty, for ncbs). This would save on mindless clicking (or trips to other apps) while looking for errors of omission.

@dr--trowel, on Apr 25 2007, 12:11 PM, said in [ANN] MissionComputer 3.3.3 Now Released:

Something inspired by efforts to debug SFA resources (misns, actually, though this applies to the ship editor, too): It would be nice if your desc, pict, and ncb "Edit..." buttons indicated whether or not the linked resource existed in the plug (or whether the field was empty, for ncbs). This would save on mindless clicking (or trips to other apps) while looking for errors of omission.

I really like this idea — I’ve begun implementing it in the shďp editor, and will add it elsewhere as well.

Attached File(s)

Just out of curiosity and a big long shot question. Any hopes of adding a search engine? You know, something ideal if one is searching for a particular desc or the name of a mission.

@coraxus, on Apr 30 2007, 01:22 AM, said in [ANN] MissionComputer 3.3.3 Now Released:

Any hopes of adding a search engine?

Again, it’s outside the scope of the editor, but I’ll consider it as a utility.