Creator 1.24 Hotfix is now available for Mac and Windows

Hopscotch

@Bitvork said:
GS is so close to be a professional software also for advanced appreneurs.

I fully agree with you, and with all the new changes I think the general impression will slowly change, drawing professional developers in. I know there are quite a few anyhow. The speed of development is to me the most important feature, beating every other tool by a factor of 10.

@Bitvork said:
ANALYTICS (@Hopscotch) - I have to admit I have overshot an importance of Analytics. iTunes Connect has good analytics and I see that GPlay Developer Console too (that is pretty new). Some numbers also could be extracted from Chartboost dashboard. I just see analytics in every webpage, “every” app, every product so I though it could be helpful to integrate GA or Flurry to GS. As you said… everyone should understand their players. Yes, APPFORMATIVE is very useful for many things.

Analytics is not analytics! What you get from the app store/chartboost analytics is only number of users and how often they played and how many stopped playing.

It will not tell you why. APPFormative can.

It can show you that level 10 has a problem and users can't finish the game.
It will tell you that level 3 is exceptionally hard and turns players off.
It can tell you that there is something wrong with your IAPs as everyone goes to the shop scene but nobody converts.
And many many more...

Analytics from the app stores is the house doctor, APPFormative is the surgeon.

@Bitvork said:
After all I think that Flurry or GA both don’t want money for data points. Don’t they charging for a special features or more events to track only?

Again, these only show you rudimentary symptoms. Every thing else costs REAL money.

@Bitvork said:
LONG LOADING TIMES - I think it will always depend on the particular project or programmer skills. Some tips I always try to integrate… 1) Turn off “Preload Art” if the object changes images during session. 2) Use tile rendering with small textures whenever is possible. 3) Do not use huge textures at the landing scene. 4) Do not let GS load anything unnecessary. Use your own black screen (object) over the scene on the beginning and constrain its Alpha to 0 after everything is OK (it takes mili-seconds then). 5) Be prudent with Change Scene and Pause Scene behaviors (use 4000 pixels scene size and just switch the camera between Main Menu, Options, Store when it is necessary etc.). Working with GS usually requires some workaround job. And last tip… have awesome splash screen to attract eyeballs - do not let them quit your game.

Very good tips!

May I add to your nr.4:

Also, if a button press initiates the scene transition, make sure that the button gives good feed back when it is pressed, letting the user know it responded to the touch. Then overlay a loading scene or fade to black. Then use the same overlay on the target scene, fading it out. This makes for a nice transition. As long as things are happening on scene, loading times don't feel as bad.

stevej

@FINNBOGG said:
system fonts? You mean the location where most fonts get saved for use in like Adobe products. They access the font folder that's default on the Mac. Can you use that folder to access. Or can you create a seperate location within GS creator? We Install to there and access only fonts from there? If needed copy paste system fonts to there as well. Seperate access point.

The problem is on iOS, not Mac. The list of default fonts in the DisplayText behavior are system fonts on iOS/Mac. The problem is that you can't directly access the font data on iOS due to sandboxing, and we need to be able to do that in order to have all text displayed consistently.

Currently the thought is to stop using the system fonts, and and find free fonts (from Google Fonts or other sources) that are close enough to the Apple system fonts. Effectively this would make all text rendering use custom fonts, just some of the fonts would be supplied by us.

jonmulcahy

@stevej

so would we be able to provide our own font in the package? That's all I really want. Let me find and use my own font. Screw the system fonts

tmann

@stevej said:
Currently the thought is to stop using the system fonts, and and find free fonts (from Google Fonts or other sources) that are close enough to the Apple system fonts. Effectively this would make all text rendering use custom fonts, just some of the fonts would be supplied by us.

Brilliant - definitely sounds like the way to go. There is no real reason to need system fonts anyway, not like there are file exchange compatibility issues Would be great if this new system allowed GS users to add their own custom fonts - obviously licensing issues would be in their hands.

Approw

@stevej Currently the thought is to stop using the system fonts, and and find free fonts (from Google Fonts or other sources) that are close enough to the Apple system fonts. Effectively this would make all text rendering use custom fonts, just some of the fonts would be supplied by us.

That is what most people want anyway. And yes there are tons of free fonts out there that are really close to system fonts, but I think most people don't even want to use system fonts:) LETS GET CUSTOM!

pHghost

@jonmulcahy said:
Let me find and use my own font. Screw the system fonts

With you on this one!

jonmulcahy

@tmann said:
Would be great if this new system allowed GS users to add their own custom fonts - obviously licensing issues would be in their hands.

exactly

The_Gamesalad_Guru

Since we don't use system menus, like developing and app in xcode, I don't see needing system fonts at all. As long as we can load in fonts ourselves, we're good to go. Heck throw in a timesroman type font and we'll go from there.

tmann

@jonmulcahy said:

exactly

Yeah otherwise the word custom isn't really and no one likes a pedant

Armelline

RALEWAY EVERYWHERE.

jonmulcahy

@Armelline said:
RALEWAY EVERYWHERE.

that works for me I didn't even knew that font existed, but it's a perfect substitute for what i need

stevej

@jonmulcahy said:
@stevej

so would we be able to provide our own font in the package? That's all I really want. Let me find and use my own font. Screw the system fonts

Er, yes. I always thought that's what "custom fonts" meant. Have I been implementing the wrong thing?

stevej

@jonmulcahy said:
@stevej

so would we be able to provide our own font in the package? That's all I really want. Let me find and use my own font. Screw the system fonts

The main reason we can't ignore the system fonts is to avoid breaking old projects if they get republished.

jonmulcahy

@stevej said:

@jonmulcahy said:
@stevej

so would we be able to provide our own font in the package? That's all I really want. Let me find and use my own font. Screw the system fonts

Er, yes. I always thought that's what "custom fonts" meant. Have I been implementing the wrong thing?

haha i hope not!
i think i just misunderstood what you said about using google fonts

bring it on!

Hopscotch

@Lost_Oasis_Games said:
Heck throw in a timesroman type font and we'll go from there.

This is going to be a mine field.

System or Microsoft fonts are not free outside of their installation.

Here are some license costs for use from Microsoft.

Arial license = $46 to $84/app (limited to 50000 installations)
Times New Roman = $490,-/app (limited to 50000 installations)

Be safe and stick to fonts under the SIL Open Font License (OFL). Most Google Fonts are, but not all.

tmann

@Hopscotch said:

This is going to be a mine field.

certainly opens things up for people to be complete idiots but that should never be a reason to hold back GS development and power

Hopscotch

@tmann said:
certainly opens things up for people to be complete idiots but that should never be a reason to hold back GS development and power

Oh CERTAINLY not! I am as eager to get custom fonts as everyone else.

Spalding004

@Hopscotch said:

@Lost_Oasis_Games said:
Heck throw in a timesroman type font and we'll go from there.

This is going to be a mine field.

System or Microsoft fonts are not free outside of their installation.

Here are some license costs for use from Microsoft.

Arial license = $46 to $84/app (limited to 50000 installations)
Times New Roman = $490,-/app (limited to 50000 installations)

Be safe and stick to fonts under the SIL Open Font License (OFL). Most Google Fonts are, but not all.

To be fair, he just said a "timesroman type font. There are plenty of open times new roman lookalikes out there.

Hopscotch

@Spalding004 said:

@Hopscotch said:

@Lost_Oasis_Games said:
Heck throw in a timesroman type font and we'll go from there.

This is going to be a mine field.

System or Microsoft fonts are not free outside of their installation.

Here are some license costs for use from Microsoft.

Arial license = $46 to $84/app (limited to 50000 installations)
Times New Roman = $490,-/app (limited to 50000 installations)

Be safe and stick to fonts under the SIL Open Font License (OFL). Most Google Fonts are, but not all.

To be fair, he just said a "timesroman type font. There are plenty of open times new roman lookalikes out there.

I don't want to be preachy, just warn.

Yes there are many knock-offs/copies on the free sites. But this is the danger.

It is similar to downloading some copy of Mario off Google, it is not THE Mario, but it will still get you in hot water since the copy was already a copyright breach.

Always go to official and verifiable sources to be safe.

Armelline

Two great sources of fonts:

http://www.fontsquirrel.com/ - 100% free for commercial use.

http://www.dafont.com/ - Be sure to search for 100%, public domain fonts. Click the More Options button near the search field.

citycrazed25

After this fix my actor don't collide and attributes that need collide to happen aren't working. Shame because I planned on publishing today

unbeatenpixel

@Armelline said:
Two great sources of fonts:

http://www.fontsquirrel.com/ - 100% free for commercial use.

http://www.dafont.com/ - Be sure to search for 100%, public domain fonts. Click the More Options button near the search field.

For application, Don't forget to look here (http://www.fontsquirrel.com/) Not all of them free for commercial.

Armelline

@onelasttime said:
For application, Don't forget to look here (http://www.fontsquirrel.com/) Not all of them free for commercial.

Good spot! A lot of great fonts on there that can be used though!

The_Gamesalad_Guru

@Hopscotch said:

@Lost_Oasis_Games said:
Heck throw in a timesroman type font and we'll go from there.

This is going to be a mine field.

System or Microsoft fonts are not free outside of their installation.

Here are some license costs for use from Microsoft.

Arial license = $46 to $84/app (limited to 50000 installations)
Times New Roman = $490,-/app (limited to 50000 installations)

Be safe and stick to fonts under the SIL Open Font License (OFL). Most Google Fonts are, but not all.

I just meant a generic commercial free font that can be used for a base font similar to a timesroman type face which is comfortably readable. Who knew the font business was so lucrative. There are tons of places as shown to get free fonts or even buy for a much cheaper fee.

33miles

@teamdkl said:
Anyone know what happened to the sort order for images in Mac GS Creator image list view?
Seemed in versions before 1.24 it was based on when they were added.

My images have been shuffled 3+ times since updating to 1.24 I add new ones in and after a bit they get shuffled in as well. I too was under the understanding that images were sorted by when they were added. At least that's what I've seen since I've been using GS for a good while now. This is new for me and it really makes for longer searches for the right images especially when you have hundreds of them! Please @BlackCloakGS and @stevej look into this if you have time. You guys are awesome, keep up the great work!

AlchimiaStudios

@33miles said:

@teamdkl said:
Anyone know what happened to the sort order for images in Mac GS Creator image list view?
Seemed in versions before 1.24 it was based on when they were added.

My images have been shuffled 3+ times since updating to 1.24 I add new ones in and after a bit they get shuffled in as well. I too was under the understanding that images were sorted by when they were added. At least that's what I've seen since I've been using GS for a good while now. This is new for me and it really makes for longer searches for the right images especially when you have hundreds of them! Please @BlackCloakGS and @stevej look into this if you have time. You guys are awesome, keep up the great work!

Agreed, the shuffling sucks. Messed with my workflow.

stevej

@citycrazed25 said:
After this fix my actor don't collide and attributes that need collide to happen aren't working. Shame because I planned on publishing today

Are you running on Android? There are known issues with collision on that platform which should be fixed with the next release. Collision should work* on other platforms.

*There does seem to be collision bug if you change the center of mass of an actor. That won't be fixed in the next release, but hopefully the one after that.

BigDave

Major performance issues with the current newest game salad build are back.
There is some serious loading times showing up switching between actors/scenes as we had it a good couple of version ago.

The_Gamesalad_Guru

@BigDave said:
Major performance issues with the current newest game salad build are back.
There is some serious loading times showing up switching between actors/scenes as we had it a good couple of version ago.

Yes they are working on it.

MentalDonkeyGames

@BigDave said:
Major performance issues with the current newest game salad build are back.
There is some serious loading times showing up switching between actors/scenes as we had it a good couple of version ago.

I´ve noticed the same. It´s not that bad though.
I usually just restart GS when it gets unbearable, but you can work for quite a while before that happens.