Needed Features

tatiang

Wondering when each of these features will be added to GameSalad (Desktop version):

1. Window memory. If you've resized the Inspector or were viewing a certain group of actors in it and then you open an actor to view its rules, the moment you close that actor's rules, everything resets. It should remember where you were and how you had things set up.
2. Actor lists. View actors in the inspector by list/name, not just icon.
3. Actor sort. Sort actors in the inspector by date added, date modified, name and scene.
4. Attribute sort. Sort attributes in the Inspector by date added, data modified, and name.
5. Attribute search. Search for a particular attribute and have it return which actors are using that attribute.
6. Attribute delete warning. Before, when deleting an attribute it would show you a list of actors using that attribute. That warning should be restored.
7. Scene zoom. Zoom in and out of the scene.
8. Scene grid. Overlay a custom grid in the scene for planning purposes. Can be enabled prior to preview and during preview of a scene.
9. Attribute viewer. Pop-up window that shows attributes and their current values during preview of a scene.
10. Table viewer. Pop-up window that shows current table values during preview of a scene.

If some of these are already part of the web version of GameSalad, I'd be interested to know. I believe some are. I just have found the web version too clunky to use. The interface design needs improvement. But knowing that they had been implemented would make me less likely to request them for the Desktop version (although secretly, I'm hoping the Desktop version makes a comeback!).

adent42

We're not putting any major new features into the native desktop versions at this time (though we may be adding a few new attributes to support new features).

As for what's available in the HTML5 version (which will also one day be the desktop version) in bold:

• Actor list - This is the default view.
• Actor sort - Yup
• Attribute Sort - Nope, we hope to obviate the need with search. It also doesn't quite make sense with how we have nested props in Graphics / Physics / Motion. It may make sense to do it like behaviors, were we have different sort / grouping views, but we'll need to think about it more.
• Attribute Search - Yup-ish. I just tried it out and it's broken for Game Attributes. It works for Scene attributes. Basically it's there, just needs fixing.
• Scene Zoom: 25-200% in 25% increments.
• Scene Grid: Not yet. In the HTML5 engine, the scene grid would be easy, but I'd like to figure out snap to grid first to pair with it. And it wouldn't be there during preview, that's just the nature of our engine preview.
• Table viewer: Nope. But it's a good idea. Basically a whole debugging browser for tables and attributes would be awesome

RThurman

@tatiang I agree wholeheartedly with all your suggestions! GS -- show the desktop version some attention!

@adent42 Thanks for the update. (And I hope the HTML5 version gets its clunkiness fixed someday. I want GameSalad to succeed!)

tatiang

Thanks, @adent42! Very helpful.

RedRobo

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, please can you fix ability to save custom resolution soonish (for iPhoneX preview)

UltraLionBlu

These listed changes would be fantastic in the desktop version, I often go crazy looking for attributes, or I spend time closing all the rules several times: D

Hopefully in the future they will be implemented!

Without opening a specific topic, I would like to queue up and ask @adent42 for updates on the MB limit issue for publishing games on Android, I know it should have been done around June, is there any progress in the work?

bob loblaw

https://forums.gamesalad.com/discussion/comment/614601#Comment_614601

+1 on the publishing file size question

adent42

@UltraLionBlu sadly we didn't get to in June/July. We're working on some EDU stuff before the beginning of the next school year (so two more weeks).

I expect to be done with the first pass of these features this week and be picking up stuff on the engines and tool again on the tail end of this week.

There are a few bugs I need to look into, while we wait for bugs reports on the EDU stuff from our QA team. Once that's out of the way, I'll be looking at new developer features in earnest again, including the android expansion files.

UltraLionBlu

@adent42 I understand we will wait for your news, sometimes I ask to be updated, we believe in you !!! : D

bob loblaw

one comment about the mb limit on publishing to android, I did a test build on google play with a project that took up 190mb. after removing all the screen shots from the package, it took the submitted package down to 140mb, and after publishing, signing, saving, the final apk was 88mb.

it's probably been mentioned before elsewhere that your final apk will be smaller than your submitted project file bundle, but thought it worth mentioning if it hadn't.