App Binary RC 1.25.20210420 - Corrected iOS App Track. Social Sharing on Android.
adent42
Key Master, Head Chef, Executive Chef, Member, PRO Posts: 3,170
To get these benefits use "Build RC". It doesn't matter which version of GameSalad Creator you publish with as long as it's a version 1.25.x.
For people used to the old RC thread, I will be repeating features that are not present in the regular "Generate" build, so you know in total what you are getting with this RC. New fixes since the last RC will be in bold.
This build fixes an issue Android IAP and updates Ad Networks versions.
Android:
Changes
- APK Expansion File Support
- Game project loading tweaks to improve performance (smaller memory footprint, faster loading on really large files).
- Ad Network Updates:
- IronSrc 7.1.0.2
- Admob 19.6.0
- Chartboost 8.2.0
- Support Android Social Share with Tweet Sheet Behavior
- To get this out quickly for now: sharing an image URL does not download the image and embed it, it just appends the image URL to the message.
Fixes
- Fixed bug where FireTV would pause on launch leading to app reviewers to think the game has frozen (again).
- Fixed bug that shows up when a scene instantly moves to another scene but takes long to load.
- Fix bug where expansion file loading froze the game due to excess files handles held open.
- Increase buffer size to improve loading performance from expansion files. It is still about 25% slower than loading from in APK, but should be better than the last release.
iOS:
Changes
- Ad Network Updates:
- IronSrc 7.1.4.0
- Admob 7.69.0
- Chartboost 8.4.0 (no IronSrc) / 8.4.1 (with IronSrc) 8.4.0 is required for GoogleMobileAdsMediationChartboost for now.
- Tweeting with "requestIDFA" in the image and the message should bring up the TrackingAuthorizationWithCompletionHandler
Fixes
- requestIDFA now works properly as described above.
macOS:
Fixes
- Fix Start in Full Screen mode having content offset.
- Fix full screen mode staying as stretched.
- Possibly Fix full loading on macOS versions older than 11
All:
- Fixed loading bug for project files larger than 5k.
Previous update: https://forums.gamesalad.com/discussion/98346/app-binary-rc-1-25-20210406-loading-fixes-macos-full-screen-fix
Commentary
Tracking Authorization
Ability to show tracking authorization request by using the Twitter behavior. You will need to put requestIDFA as both the message and image for that to happen.
This will allow ad networks to send a device wide device identifier, which is required in order to server personalized ads (which end up paying more than generic ads).
APK Expansion File Support
Long awaited support for APK expansion files is here! We'll be documenting things better soon, but basically there's a checkbox in publishing.
Check it and we'll generate an APK and a OBB file.
The APK should be signed as normal. The OBB file should be uploaded as your expansion file!
Some notes.
- Expansion files are only supported on Google Play. Amazon lets you upload big APKs.
- There's a bug in the Google Play console that prevents you from uploading an expansion file as part of your first release. So you'll need to regenerate (to increment the version code) and upload the apk again for the expansion file menu item to show.
- No patch file support, you'll need to do a new release every time.
- If the expansion file is not downloaded during first install, the game will just show the loading screen and the loading wheel while it waits for the download to finish.
- We didn't add any error checking for the general release. So if you check "Expansion Files" and hit Generate you'll get an APK with no game in it, but won't be able to load the expansion file.
As usual, if you see any issues specific to this release, let us know!
Comments
Support Android Social Share with Tweet Sheetbehavior
Great News, Thanks!
TWEET ON ANDROID GREAT FEATURE!
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Add a note on the handling of image URLs, so check the OP again.
1. Check use APK Expansion file
2. Build RC
3. Click on Download button
Received error below.
Clicked on Build RC and error issued below.
Error:
Something went wrong configuring your app. Please check your configuration and try again. If the problem persists contact us and reference publish request [00f66dad-2262-4cdb-bcc5-960cc517ab45].
so funny story, but more annoying really, when I use this in desktop preview it crashes
doesn't crash on gsviewer (or do anything really, not sure if it's meant to), just previews the app.
anyone else have this problem?
I'm also still not getting any ad impressions on my latest iOS app (but the same app is getting ad impressions on android). did a dummy ad hoc app where you just hit a button to change scenes with test ad interstitials in between. works on android, but gives me nothing on iOS. thought it may be a memory issue, as ads still work on my first app, but no dice on the dummy app that is tiny.
@Chris Fitsimons yah, i'm working on that now. In making the changes for supporting the new configs for IDFA, I messed up something with expansion files. It's a publishing error, so should be fixed pretty quickly.
@bob loblaw Yes, we've seen that error too. Working on a fix, but for now you wouldn't see anything in preview anyway. If you're running it automatically I'd put in a rule based on a attribute for now.
Two other things.
When testing the IDFA stuff, make sure you have request tracking permission enabled on your phone. One of our tester couldn't get it to show until we realized that that was even a setting.
This does not set GDRP tracking, so you will still need to ask for that too for now.
@Chris Fitsimons expansion files should be fine to generate again.
Hi @adent42 Same problem. Build and deploy via google internal testers. Install and run, just sits there with rotating icon.
@Chris Fitsimons can you PM me your publishing link for me to check somethings?
@adent42 link sent.
Okay, your updated msg makes more sense. Thanks.
Notes for this build.
I forgot to include google's BILLING permissions again in the RC. That has been fixed. So if you are getting error messages from google play about missing permissions, hit Build RC again.
@Chris Fitsimons issue is related to the loading of custom collision shapes from expansion files. We have a fix incoming in the next RC (still testing it).
I tried to add the "requestIDFA" in both lines in the tweet sheet behavior and the creator crashing..what I'm missing here?
I put the behavior inside some small actor out of the frame and without any rule.
it crashes when you preview on screen, works if you preview on your test device, and seems to ask you to go to twitter if you do a build.
i thought adent mentioned somewhere that the gs team are aware of the glitch and fixing it.
Oh yah. I need to put out the new version of GameSalad Creator that fixes that...
@adent42 With the next release fix the issue with custom collisions crashing in oob builds?
That just finished testing. Since there's an IOS release concurrently in waiting (updated Admob and IronSrc libraries), we'll be doing both of those at once, hopefully by tomorrow, definitely before the end of the week.
some info on google play for changes happening soon. unless i’ve misunderstood it, oob files won’t be needed or accepted from august for new apps-
Requirements for new apps
From August 2021, the Google Play Console will require all new apps to:
Requirements for updates to existing apps
From November 2021, updates to existing apps will be required to target API level 30 or above and adjust for behavioral changes in Android 11. Existing apps that are not receiving updates are unaffected and can continue to be downloaded from the Play Store.
Requirements for instant experiences
The switch to Android App Bundle delivery will also impact instant experiences using the legacy Instant app ZIP format. From August 2021, new instant experiences and updates to existing instant experiences will be required to publish instant-enabled app bundles.
https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2020/11/new-android-app-bundle-and-target-api.html?m=1
So we need to have "Android App Bundle" From August? and .Apk wil not longer supported?
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Yup, we're going to start working on that by June for launch by mid July.
@adent42 Can we expect the new build today? The one to fix oob and custom collisions?
@Chris Fitsimons good timing:
https://forums.gamesalad.com/discussion/98386/app-binary-rc-1-25-20210510-updated-ios-ad-networks-fix-collision-shape-loading-on-exp-files/p1