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Algodoo Changelog

What's new in Algodoo 2.0.2

Jun 15, 2012
  • NEW: Plot now calculates (and visualizes) the integral on mouse-over.
  • NEW: Added support for plotting acceleration and force for an object.
  • NEW: Drag tool options are now serialized to scene.
  • NEW: Entity info window now show position.
  • NEW: Added ability to bind analog joysticks to thrusters and hinge motors.
  • NEW: Replaced "Big buttons" checkbox with a slider to let the user choose any scale between 0.5 and 2.0.
  • NEW: Scene thumbnail preview in save window.
  • NEW: Paste images right into Algodoo.
  • NEW: Wind (available in air menu).
  • NEW: Direction picker for gravity, wind and object velocity.
  • NEW: pos/angle/vel/angvel scriptable attributes. e.g: "vel = {- pos}"
  • NEW: Thyme keyword 'entity' - get the owning entity of a scripted attribute (replaces 'owner' keyword).
  • NEW: Sim.scriptUpdatesEveryStep - if true, scripted attributes gets executed on every simulation step (rather than just once per frame). True by default.
  • NEW: Thyme functions: System.WriteToFile, System.ReadWholeFile, string.Split
  • IMP: Better file browser file selection (use arrow keys).
  • IMP: One can now delete the selected file in the file browser by pressing 'delete' button on keyboard.
  • IMP: One can go to the next page of scenes with PageUp/PageDown.
  • IMP: Larger scene browser and Algobox windows.
  • IMP: Large values in script menu will now collapse/expand on click.
  • IMP: Removed extra zeros from floating point values in console and script menu (e.g. 0.0000000 becomes 0.0).
  • IMP: Slight optimization of floating point parsing (and thus loading of scenes with lots of polygons).
  • IMP: Plot 'head' now drawn at current value.
  • IMP: Nicer drawing of Plot text (mouse over and legends).
  • IMP: Some issues with white skin now resolved.
  • IMP: Options->Skin->Color now does more to change the skin color.
  • IMP: The unlock menu will now automatically go and fetch unlock information from clipboard buffer (if available).
  • IMP: Less window-wobble.
  • IMP: Widget connector now fades with widget.
  • IMP: Made Algodoo slightly less eager to automatically generate geometry from dropped texture.
  • IMP: Air friction will now be applied to a more accurate position for polygons.
  • IMP: In the file browser F2 can now be used to rename the selected file.
  • IMP: Script menu readables now update their values.
  • IMP: Plot window now keeps clear button icon even when side bar is contracted.
  • IMP: Holding down SHIFT or ALT when clicking plot clear button or sidebar contract button will now apply it to all open plot windows.
  • IMP: Older plot lines now fade slightly to distinguish from newest measurement.
  • IMP: Dragging a slider will no longer show its tooltip.
  • IMP: On touch screens, it is now easier to hit nice round values when dragging a slider.
  • IMP: Widget visibility button now opens sub-menu instead of hiding windows right away.
  • IMP: Gravity/air/grid options now only opens on right-click, double-click and click-hold.
  • IMP: Reorganized axle menu.
  • IMP: Improved collision detection between polygons with circular outer shell vs polygons and circles. A circle and a circular polygon should now behave equally in all situations.
  • IMP: Added options to visualize force/velocity/momentum to velocity menu. Also added button for quick-access to right side bar options for these things.
  • IMP: Better scene thumbnail scaling.
  • IMP: Removed startup splashscreen for unlocked (bought) Algodoo.
  • IMP: Air friction force arrows are now shown even while scaling or rotating an object.
  • IMP: Scene scale indicator now has a subtle shadow for increased visibility.
  • IMP: You can now use a comma as decimal separator when entering numbers to sliders.
  • IMP: You can now use mathematical functions (sin, cos, pi etc) when entering numbers to sliders. (e.g. "atan(0.5)*180/pi")
  • IMP: Chain tool will preview when the created chain will bite its own tail.
  • FIX: Cloning of scripted attributes referencing geometries.
  • FIX: Scaling will no longer affect scripted attributes.
  • FIX: Checkboxes are now as wide as the containing menu (in most places).
  • FIX: Improper undo/serialization of spring impulse, sometimes leading to 'explosions' on undo.
  • FIX: Broken undo of hinge/laser/thruster/destroy/mirror button bindings.
  • FIX: Thumbnails not under the home folder are again shown.
  • FIX: Bug causing kinetic and potential energy calculations to be out of sync, making it appear in the plot as if the total energy was not constant.
  • FIX: Translation of "ReloadScene" button.
  • FIX: Error with scripted drawBorder attribute.
  • FIX: Potential and total energy calculations now take air buoyancy into account.
  • FIX: Issue with Ctrl-A selecting text instead of entities.
  • FIX: Controller widget options hiding.
  • FIX: Hinge tool will now try to connect selected objects first.
  • FIX: Fixed context menu will now also be hidden in Play Mode.
  • FIX: Blinking axle motor/brake indicator.
  • FIX: Sim.airFrictionVersion not being reset to default after closing old scene.
  • FIX: Better handling of the case when user switches on velocity/momentum arrows before anything moves.
  • FIX: Non-ASCII characters now work again when renaming files (scenes, components etc).
  • FIX: Load screen flicker on WinXP.
  • FIX: Bug causing the changing of default material to sometimes change the color of all objects in the scene.
  • FIX: Unnecessarily wide force view menu.
  • FIX: Changing skin in Welcome menu will now adjust (reset) window positions.
  • FIX: Hinge motor torque visualization.
  • FIX: Finite velocity lasers not going all the way to their fade distance.
  • FIX: Contact arrow force direction (I think).
  • FIX: Multi-touch support (Windows only).
  • FIX: Fixed some problems with finger-shifting on SMART boards.
  • FIX: Saving scenes with names containing new-line characters.
  • FIX: You can no longer save scenes without a title.
  • FIX: Dropping textures onto a plane will now wrap the texture.
  • FIX: Grid options not showing right number of axes.
  • FIX: Re-uploading a scene on Algobox will no longer reset the scene group or allow-comments/responses/ratings.
  • FIX: Bug causing rounding errors in body velocities on scene load and undo.

New in Algodoo 2.0.1 (Dec 22, 2011)

  • NEW: Object can now have custom script variables that are properly serialized and cloned (they must start with an underscore, e.g. "_size := 15").
  • NEW: Both "color" and "colorHSVA" now serialized, making both scriptable.
  • NEW: Move selected objects half a pixel at the time using the arrow keys (only when simulation is paused).
  • NEW: Move selected objects to front/back with SHIFT + down/up arrow keys.
  • NEW: Improved script menu with readables and cmd result.
  • NEW: Thyme command Scene.entityByID, (e.g. (Scene.entityByID(21)).color)
  • NEW: Thyme command Scene.entityByGeomID
  • NEW: Thyme functions Math.log10 and Math.log (natural base).
  • NEW: Geometry generation from opaque images (background removal). Works best with clip-art like images.
  • NEW: Added check/uncheck all buttons to options->layers as well as to the force visualization menu.
  • NEW: Added helpful Thyme command "Scene.MakeModern" to update a scene:s settings to the modern Algodoo version. Will change simulation settings and legacyMode:s.
  • NEW: Algodoo now uses CrashRpt (Windows only) to catch most crashes and ask the user to send in a crash report to Algoryx.
  • NEW: Ctrl-D now deselects everything in the scene.
  • NEW: TAB now toggles hide/show windows.
  • NEW: Play mode, accessible with button in menu-bar, or SHIFT-space.
  • NEW: When loading a scene, a popup will show the scene description, if any.
  • IMP: A polygon with a circular outer shell will now roll much smoother on planes and boxes.
  • IMP: Positioning of long undo/redo lists.
  • IMP: Loading screen no longer stays on top of all other windows.
  • IMP: Spring end-points can now be behind the geometry it is connected to (by popular request).
  • IMP: Improved support for drag-and-drop of images from web browser into Algodoo. It now works with Chrome, Firefox and Safari (but NOT Internet Explorer) on both Windows and Mac.
  • IMP: Added popup message when failing to rename a file in the file browser.
  • IMP: Algodoo now always starts full screen after first install.
  • IMP: User textures will now be copied to Algodoo/textures/ directory.
  • IMP: Improved culling of small force/velocity/momentum arrows.
  • IMP: Sim.positionsLast now true by default, fixing issue where the force arrows of moving objects would be wrong when simulation was paused.
  • IMP: Re-enabled undo-merging of certain actions (drag, move, slider, texture, palette) when done within 10 seconds of last action of same type. Control with App.enableUndoMerge.
  • IMP: Nicer splash screen/about window with links to algodoo.com/algoryx.se
  • FIX: Loading screen translucency now disabled on Windows XP.
  • FIX: Turning a circle into a polygon (for instance by scaling or doing CSG) will now conserve its area (used to be off by about 0.1%).
  • FIX: Bug causing rotate not to be undoable.
  • FIX: Bug where moving a spring would sometimes change it's strength and/or damping.
  • FIX: Popups will now steal focus (from e.g. text boxes).
  • FIX: Can't drag windows with right mouse button.
  • FIX: Some instances where the file browser could crash Algodoo.
  • FIX: Loading files with non-ascii letters.
  • FIX: Thyme command "readable" now works properly when loading and cloning objects.
  • FIX: Sim.targetPenetration for old Phun scenes.
  • FIX: Chain tool now previews length when holding down SHIFT.
  • FIX: Chain tool now build chain as soon as SHIFT is up.
  • FIX: Rare corner-case issue where a laser would pass right through the diagonal of a box or box-like polygon.
  • FIX: Better handling of lasers at shallow angle of incidence.
  • FIX: Correct preview of laser beam when cloning a laser pen.
  • FIX: Random laser pen color will now always be visible against the sky.
  • FIX: Bug when calculating rotational kinetic energy for bodies that made it appear as if energy was increasing when in fact it was not.
  • FIX: Scene save overwrite dialog's "Save as foo_0000.phz" not working.
  • FIX: Chain tool drawing in white even on white background.
  • FIX: Some start up issues.
  • FIX: Rare source of crash that could occur when unlocking Algodoo on Windows.
  • FIX: Entering a bad serial key temporarily re-locking an already unlocked Algodoo.
  • FIX: Total force arrow color (once again it is red).
  • FIX: Issue with drag-and-drop of components from the component browser.
  • FIX: Issue with Algodoo claiming no Internet connection when browsing own scenes/components (caused by failure of finding "My Documents" for whatever reason).
  • FIX: When a tutorial highlights a button in the GUI, the window containing the button will be moved on top of other windows.
  • FIX: Saving a scene as alternative file name (e.g. "foo_0000.phz") will now change the scene title.
  • FIX: Premature culling of hinge force arrows.
  • FIX: Issue with invalid characters in scene file name.
  • FIX: Issue with expanding force description fields.
  • FIX: Rare issue with large text fields not drawing top part.
  • FIX: Added ellipsis (...) to large "surface" script menu attribute for polygons.
  • FIX: A bug that would sometimes cause Algodoo to crash on startup.
  • FIX: Issue where some bad polygons would make Algodoo hang.
  • FIX: Startup crash involving http://www.algodoo.com/algobox/details.php?id=59214
  • FIX: Issue with fullscreen toggle moving the window outside the monitor.
  • FIX: Only one of: Splash, Welcome and About windows will be shown at startup.
  • FIX: Issue with clicking a folder in the scene browser when the view has been scrolled down a bit.
  • FIX: Opening a sidebar widget will now give keyboard focus to the component (allowing, for instance, selecting the new scene template with arrow keys/enter).
  • FIX: Issue with incorrect undo of attraction falloff (and possibly other attributes).
  • FIX: Rotating an object around a hinge will no longer re-attach the hinge (or fixate).
  • FIX: Bug where using scale tool would change selection after scaling was completed.

New in Algodoo 2.0.0 (Oct 19, 2011)

  • Thrusters:
  • Controlled by keys, or always on, these rocket-like objects give a constant force in any direct. Lunar lander anyone?
  • Ropes:
  • Set a brake-limit to get ropes that can snap under a load.
  • Set a strength factor to get anything from elastic bands or robust ropes, carrying tonnes without stretching!
  • The in-house world leading SABRE technology for constraint solving:
  • Enables ropes that remain stable and don’t stretch even under the heaviest of loads.
  • A completely re-designed user interface making Algodoo easier to use both for beginners and experts!
  • Integrated Algobox:
  • Share scenes with the the world right from inside Algodoo - just a click away!
  • Download, rate and comment other peoples scenes from inside Algodoo!
  • Improved support for palettes:
  • Set the mood for new scene right when you create it!
  • Speed improvements:
  • Algodoo starts quicker.
  • Scenes run smoother.
  • Scene loads many times faster.
  • Drag-and drop integration:
  • Drag-and-drop images into Algodoo from your desktop or Internet browser.
  • Drag-and-drop scene components to and from the new components tab!
  • Added support for Mac touch-pads:
  • Use two-fingers for panning and zooming.
  • Swipe with three fingers to undo, redo, play/pause and minimize/maximize windows, or go back/forwards in a browser.
  • Other:
  • A greatly improved color picker!
  • A new menu to select the material used for new objects.
  • Improved air friction settings.
  • Much improved scene browser with thumbnail previews and renaming.
  • New pan and zoom tools in the simulation bar - great for touch screens!
  • And details:
  • Added support for anisotropic filtering to improve quality of stretched springs.
  • Move the spring attachments individually!
  • Cursor changes depending on what tool is selected
  • More collision layers!
  • More responsive panning, with support for kinetic panning (“camera throwing”)
  • Slider values now use a nicer form of scientific notation for large numbers. "12000000" will now display as "1.2 10^7" (instead of "1.200000000e+007").
  • A lot of fixes and tweaks!

New in Algodoo 1.9.8 Beta (Jul 21, 2011)

  • NEW: Removed "cute clouds" feature.
  • NEW: The text for the lessons have been moved to the translation files and can therefor be translated.
  • NEW: The zoom factor can now be set in the options (especially useful for users with a Magic Mouse).
  • NEW: The fade out of the clouds can now be turned off (App.Background.fadeCloudsOnSimStop).
  • NEW: Added a button to file browser to show the current folder in the OS file browser.
  • NEW: Kinetic panning (scrolling) - throw the camera to quickly pan.
  • NEW: Added support for Mac touch-pads
  • Use two-fingers for panning and zooming.
  • Swipe with three fingers to undo, redo, play/pause and minimize/maximize windows, or go back/forwards in a browser.
  • NEW: Home dir button in scene save dialog.
  • NEW: The Windows installer will now ask to uninstall the previous version of Algodoo first.
  • NEW: When deleting files from within Algodoo, they will now be moved to the recycle bin.
  • When you overwrite a scene on save, the old version will be moved to the recycle bin, unless you set App.moveToTrashOnOverwrite to false.
  • NEW: The Algobox browser now shows the URL for easy sharing of scene url:s.
  • NEW: You can now use back/forward button on your mouse or keyboard to undo/redo in algodoo, as well as navigate the browsers.
  • NEW: Added selected tool icon to cursor - congratulations, tatt
  • IMP: Algodoo once again uses single precision float math (it was double during the earlier betas). This will speed up most things.
  • IMP: More responsive panning.
  • IMP: Reduced the size of the tool options widget.
  • IMP: Moved the lessons into the help widget and they are dynamically added.
  • IMP: Nicer slider rendering using customizable borders.
  • IMP: Algodoo now loads (much) quicker.
  • IMP: Smoother load screen with version number.
  • IMP: Moved "Use as chain" up to the first part of the context menu.
  • IMP: Made rope texture power-of-two for greater speed, quality and compatibility.
  • IMP: Chain tool will now extend existing chain starting at the point where user drags rather than the edge of that geometry.
  • IMP: Pressing the "Show scene on Algobox" will now open the scene in the Algobox browser
  • IMP: Back/forward buttons will now gray out when not applicable.
  • IMP: Better image scaling in scene, scenelet and texture browser, improving both image quality and load times.
  • IMP: The thumbnail folder created by the file browser is now hidden in Windows Explorer.
  • IMP: For clarity, stretched hinges are now blurred along the axis of elongation. Thanks for the idea, Kilinich!
  • IMP: Much nicer selections for all non-geometries.
  • IMP: Plot now has a helpful grid as well as guide-lines to the axes on mouse-over.
  • IMP: Drag tool is now stronger when you zoom out. Control with Tools.DragTool.strength.
  • IMP: Slightly better GUI responsiveness.
  • IMP: Fixate and hinge tools now adjusts the size of the fixate/hinge based on the size of the involved object(s).
  • IMP: Turned off font anti-aliasing, making text more readable on macs.
  • IMP: Lowered default chain/rope strength from 1e7 to 1e6 N/m, which should solve most of the "exploding ropes" bugs.
  • FIX: Air friction multiplier sometimes getting ignored for rotational air friction.
  • FIX: Bug which would cause over-streched hinges to mess up the conservation of angular momentum, causing things like unrotatable objects.
  • FIX: Black text on the background now has a white shadow.
  • FIX: The Mac version draws the graphics more smoothly again.
  • FIX: The global scenes (located in the install directory) should now be reachable through the file browser.
  • FIX: The direction of the chain (and rope) is now always created the same way (so it doesn't look weird).
  • FIX: Some fixes to how the endpoints are drawn.
  • FIX: Misaligned planes snaps to the grid again.
  • FIX: Small, low-density objects would sometimes get a rotation out of nowhere.
  • FIX: Unintentional auto-brake on all hinges. Hinges will no longer auto-brake unless they are created by the chain tool.
  • FIX: The resolution is now saved correctly.
  • FIX: Fixed first welcome scene showing up in weird maximized-but-not-really mode on Windows.
  • FIX: Opening the contect menu for a spring will now open the spring sub-menu again.
  • FIX: Removed "clone" and "mirror" buttons for the end points of springs.
  • FIX: Infinite inertia multiplier will no longer erase objects.
  • FIX: The "show file" button (when saving plots) is working as it should again.
  • FIX: Material velocity re-enabled for geom-geom contacts.
  • FIX: Erasing of non-.phz files from file browser.
  • FIX: Better snapping when moving thrusters, lasers, hinges, fixates and springs.
  • FIX: Minor issue with closing polygons.
  • FIX: Undo list order (bottom-up now).
  • FIX: Fixed bug where the simulation would pause when moving something on top of a window.
  • FIX: Legacy border width.
  • FIX: Issues with rope (extra hinges and groups).
  • FIX: Issues with selecting just the end-points of a chain: you can now always select just the end lumps of a chain to tug it or attach it somewhere else.
  • FIX: Issue with tooltip positioning.
  • FIX: Backing up Algodoo with Time Machine on the Mac should be working now.

New in Algodoo 1.8.0 (Sep 18, 2010)

  • This version has a complete rewrite of the text handling and rendering to add full Unicode support! This means you can now translate Algodoo to any language. It also has some much needed bug fixes as well as some small treats.