Hi All,

For those eager to check out the latest version, or which to make sure the next update is solid for your game making project, we have released the Public Preview build of the latest GameGuru update onto Steam. Let us know if this build creates any 'new' issues for you, and report them both in the GitHub issues tracker and directly here and by email if you feel its a showstopper. Below is a summary of what you will find in this update:

Overall, we have attended issues 641, 644, 640, 368, 470, 580, 268, 251, 599, 642, 648, 605, 604, 592 which takes the current bug count down to 65 with 224 closed.  Feel free to review the issues tracker to see if any bugs you reported have also been fixed in the process.  Here are some of the highlights we fixed along the way.

The Draw Call Optimizer which we introduced in September, a system of batching objects which in some cases saw performance doubled, has been further improved to support internal ArtFlags, so tangent generation and normal flipping can be passed to batched renders. 

The Save Standalone feature has seen several bug fixes and small improvements to ensure the game you are working is identical to the one you export for your end-users. More LUA scripts are picked up and copied over such as nested scripts, copying of .blob files to skip shader compiling, better draw call optimizer handling for standalone games, better scanning of untextured objects so more texture files can be copied over and LUA files are kept in their original state if they cannot be parsed during the save standalone process.

Some other noteworthy fixes include:

* TAB TAB changes now affect 'project changed' state
* Can now select CUSTOM only when in TAB TAB mode, with save prompt
* All animation playback speed is now independent of FPS
* Static entities can also animate using AnimSpeed per object
* When player starts in music zone, music now plays in all cases
* Can now change skybox inside LUA script code much faster
* Fixed issue of disappearing shadows when using the Freeze player functionalities
* The projectile system can now expand resources as more custom projectiles are created

As above, if you find anything you consider a showstopper, please post it here, thanks! We plan to release the full public version this week just before TGC closes down for the Christmas Break.

Yes !!
Thank you

* All animation playback speed is now independent of FPS
* Static entities can also animate using AnimSpeed per object

More explanation on the meaning of this would be nice.
Has there been a hard-coded animation speed modifier placed in the engine?

Fantastic !!
Thanks Guys

This is fantastic. Two of my game projects were being held by back a couple issues noted there now fixed. I really didn't expect these fixes this quick, honestly not even for within this year.

Thanks to all involved with these fixes

@Lee

Hi
Just checked out this Preview by creating a standalone for the maps supplied with the Abandoned Apartment Pack DLC and the Antiques In The Attic DLC this was how I found #592.
While checking if it was really fixed I discovered that in both cases no entity meshes (.dbo/.x files) were being copied over to the standalone.
Sort of a biggie that. Everything was there in the editor.
Just thought you would like to know.

ran a file verify this morning system replaced one of the exe's and now everything exporting OK!

Great update, looking forward to testing this one out very much. Thanks.

For those who don't want to read through GitHub to find out what these are:

#641 - Terrain type not being preserved on saving,
#644 - Breakables script not calling Quatlib as it should.
#640 - No prompt to save after editing in test mode and not doing anything in edit mode.
#368 - Galaxy Seed .fx issue.
#470 - Scripts accessed via the include command not copying over to standalone.
#580 - Trees animation speed is veryf ast and cannot be changed by animspeed.
#268 - Selected sounds for Player Start are not copying over to Standalone.
#251 - Separate Audio file in storyzone wont trigger when placed over start position marker.
#599 - Changing sky boxes will cause the terrain to momentarily turn off.
#642 - Using the freezeplayer command will turn off shadows.
#648 - P-LIST Projectile Cache is hardwired and shorts out.
#605 - Antiques In The Attic Pack\Rug 3b texture is not copied over standalone.
#604 - Buildings Pack inside textures are not copied over to standalone.
#592 - Erroneous folder structures being created by save standalone.

Wow Thx Lee , and PREBEN ....lots fixes in that package.

Thx also Belidos ... for looking up and showing all those fix numbers.

Unird12b

You can thank Preben, he's been on fire this year, an amazing member of the community and utterly tireless! I'm just the lad who makes the brews' by comparison

i misread something or now skybox can
be changed via lua?

This is possible since May 2018. Preben only fixed a bug with the texture cache.

Static entities ?

so can we have smoothed transitions from day to night to day again? with cutom weather skyboxes and so on?

assuming you can move the sun/shadows too yes, last i checked it wasn't possible yet?

Thought galaxy seed was removed.
Was using that shader, but DX11 broke it, and it is not in latest beta....

OldFlak....

Lee listed the numbers, i copied what was next to each number from github, so no idea tbh.

I must be missing something here ....
#638 Add a Sepia-Filter to the gameguru shaders

OldFlak....

Yup, your glasses, it's #368 not #638

(i typed in the wrong number when writing it out)

ɯǝןqoɹd ou - ןoן

Hehe should have checked that against Lee's post myself

Still can't see any of Galaxy Seed in the GG tho -

OldFlak....

i think it would be nice if Lee or anyone who can, show us how to use all these new functions, just so that we don't get lost in the wind. lol

What new functions? Its all fixes to functions we already have, some for years aad years.

@Belidos, yes, true but not all knows how to use these functions. , but yes some will know how to use it, and some will just have to spent to much time to figure it out.
Thanks any way.

Ps just tested the stand alone with the new beta update ( no error in making the stand alone ) but still GG crash at loading the second map. its like running into concrete wall all the time.


It was a privilege to be here among talented people for the last 3 years to try and make a dream come true.
no more.

Thank you Lee for a great product,

I just cant carry on
Pcs

Yeah, waiting to see what all the hype is next year myself....

See yah round PCS....

OldFlak....