Lemmings Forums

Lix => Lix Main => Topic started by: Simon on May 01, 2016, 01:17:31 AM

Title: D Lix 0.6.19, the big picture
Post by: Simon on May 01, 2016, 01:17:31 AM
Hi folks,

Lix 0.6 is obsolete -- instead, get the most recent Lix version (http://www.lixgame.com). It has singleplayer and multiplayer!



You're encouraged to play around with the D Lix browsers and the editor. Keep D Lix separate from C++ Lix, the stable release. C++ Lix has working multiplayer, D Lix doesn't have multiplayer yet. Download C++ Lix (http://www.lixgame.com).

Where are we?
Where is the ship sailing?

I would like to finish the editor and fix bugs.
In 2 months,
Now, in late June 2016, I'd like to migrate all singleplayer activity from C++ Lix to D Lix.
Now, in November 2016, singleplayer levels are fit for D Lix.

Multiplayer is set aside for later. After the singleplayer migration, until D Lix multiplayer becomes usable, we will fall back to C++ Lix for multiplayer. Since late September 2016, I've been working on the networking. (http://www.lemmingsforums.net/index.php?topic=2885.0)

I will keep optional manual screen starting position, even though I recommend to rely on automatic screen start positioning.

I would like to cull variable spawn interval, time limits, and trampolines. I am hesitant to decide for good here, but I want to be honest with level designers about the probable decision. I could imagine a big, fat warning for time limits. But I love the simplicity of no time limits whatsoever.

I want to replace no-overwrite with tile-grouping. Grouped tiles become a new tile. I expect higher performance and versatility from tile-grouping than from no-overwrite. I'd love to convert no-overwrite-using levels on the fly. geoo is pondering smart algorithms for that conversion.

Triggered traps shall have two rows of animation: One that loops while idle, and one cycle of killing animation, during which the trap is harmless. I have to decide on the image format. I'd like to have the idling animation in the first row, because frame (0, 0) is the best preview frame for all other gadget types. This idling animation format needs a separate thread.

-- Simon
Title: Re: D Lix 0.3.1, the big picture
Post by: RubiX on May 01, 2016, 01:39:12 AM
Its so impressive already :thumbsup:
Title: Re: D Lix 0.3.4, the big picture
Post by: Simon on May 08, 2016, 03:14:22 AM
(http://asdfasdf.ethz.ch/~simon/etc/lix-with-d-2016-05-08.png)

0.3.4 uploaded. You can bind pause to the middle mouse button, for easier reach. Zoom in and out with the mouse wheel. Or map other important stuff on the wheel directions.

Do you have strong feelings for missing comfort features? Keep suggestions coming. Otherwise, I'll continue with the missing editor dialogs.

-- Simon
Title: Re: D Lix 0.3.4, the big picture
Post by: Nepster on May 08, 2016, 09:31:29 AM
The icons for mouse wheels are not perfect. I took them to be little glowing lightbulbs and thought they encode the function keys to adapt the brightness of the computer screen.
Title: Re: D Lix 0.3.4, the big picture
Post by: Simon on May 08, 2016, 01:58:05 PM
Hmm, the wheel looks like the brightness symbol, good awareness. The wheel above is GEAR (U+2699) ⚙ in Misc. Symbols (http://www.fileformat.info/info/unicode/block/miscellaneous_symbols/list.htm).

Alternatives are FISHEYE (U+25C9) ◉ or BULLSEYE (U+25CE) ◎, or simple solid or hollow circles. List of symbols that my font implements (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DejaVu_fonts#Plane_0:_Basic_Multilingual_Plane_.28BMP.29_Range:_0000-FFFF_.280.E2.80.9365.2C535.29).

We can go back to meaningful words: I like namida's proposal "RClick", "MClick" for the mouse buttons. That inspires "Wheel↑" or "↑Wheel" or "UWheel", "DWheel".

Edit: geoo has designed new glyphs for mouse input:

(http://asdfasdf.ethz.ch/~simon/etc/lots-of-mouse-hotkeys.png)

-- Simon
Title: Re: D Lix 0.3.4, the big picture
Post by: Simon on May 16, 2016, 12:05:23 AM
Small-scale roadmap before we'll have the next broad test, and might migrate from C++ Lix for singleplayer:
There are some bugs (https://github.com/SimonN/LixD/issues), but none of them are progress-blockers. In this light, I'd like to push the above features, and care about the bugs later. Bugfixes are only meaningful in released software. :-)

This small-scale roadmap comprises step 2 from the large-scale roadmap (http://www.lemmingsforums.net/index.php?topic=2413.msg55110#msg55110).

-- Simon
Title: Re: D Lix 0.3.4, the big picture
Post by: ccexplore on May 16, 2016, 05:58:06 PM
The mouse icon/character thingie may look cute and sound good in theory (and admittedly works better than some of the previously proposed symbols), but I'm not convinced that they will be widely recognizable.  I know they say a picture is worth a thousand words, but in this case it's more like half a picture at best, and one that doesn't actually show up that often in general to most users (when's the last time you saw a character for a mouse, let alone a mouse button?).  I'm sure they are easy to learn once the user somehow work out their meaning (perhaps by going from the default mappings and working it out that way), but ideally you want the labels/symbols to be immediately understood by a new user on their first glance of them, and I'm not sure the mouse symbols fit the bill.

At least do a small usability testing demonstrating that the half-symbols vs a more verbose label achieve about the same level of comprehension.  Try out a number of variations including: a symbol that actually looks like the whole mouse rather than half of it; a mouse symbol accompanied by text like left LClick or LeftClk; etc. in addition to the half-symbols and text-only.
Title: Re: D Lix 0.4.0, the big picture
Post by: Simon on May 16, 2016, 10:12:25 PM
Yeah, this uncovers latent concerns. Good awareness, thanks for bringing it to the table.

I'll leave the mouse symbols for now, file an issue, and do testing with new players.

-- Simon
Title: Re: D Lix 0.4.2, the big picture
Post by: Simon on May 31, 2016, 09:37:45 PM
(http://asdfasdf.ethz.ch/~simon/etc/lix-with-d-2016-05-31.png) (http://asdfasdf.ethz.ch/~simon/etc/icon-terrain-grouping-2.png)

The editor allows to group tiles. Saved levels remember the groups. The game loads the groups from the level file.

Haven't tried weird interactions with steel. Haven't begun with the no-overwrite conversion algorithm. Have to make nice toolbar icons for the editor in many resolutions. I'd like to use the left-hand icon in the second image.

Haven't released the game with grouping yet. Version 0.4.2 uploaded with the changes described in this post. Get 0.4.2 from the first post.

-- Simon
Title: Re: D Lix 0.4.3, the big picture
Post by: Simon on June 02, 2016, 10:04:45 PM
I've uploaded 0.3.4 with autoconversion from no-overwrite to grouping. Download this version from the initial post.

Screenshot (click to show/hide)

geoo, Nepster: It's probably too drudging to plow through the code at github. (https://github.com/SimonN/LixD/blob/master/src/level/noowalgo.d) Come online in #lix these days to discuss.

Test this on-the-fly conversion on different levels. Is it fast enough to keep it on-the-fly for all levels? Or should we overwrite some levels with their autoconversions?

All level designers: If you like, compare this version's level rendering with C++ Lix's level rendering. Are there differences in no-overwrite rendering?

C++ and D don't display levels pixel-perfectly the same, but most differences are esoteric. This leafy treetop by Amanda (https://github.com/SimonN/LixD/commit/3737eab8c38bce92411bbe923cfe4baf93169d3d) is different in C++ and D Lix. Some rotated pieces may be offset differently by 1 pixel. (http://www.lemmingsforums.net/index.php?topic=2463.0)

When to switch: Not yet, but we're closing in. With no-overwrite conversion in place, I can focus on other issues (https://github.com/SimonN/LixD/issues) that don't take weeks. Yeah!

Find issues with D Lix! What's annoying? What features are missing or buggy, but important for your singleplayer migration?

-- Simon
Title: Re: D Lix 0.4.4, the big picture
Post by: Simon on June 06, 2016, 11:16:35 PM
0.4.4 uploaded.

Bugfixes for these github issues:
#67: Z-ordering several tiles
#85: Hover sorting guarantees group's z-order
#81: Crash on nonexistant base directory of a browser
Button hotkeys are drawn on top of buttons, not behind main text.

On Windows, during application start, I try to draw black on the white DirectX window ASAP. Need to test with Icho whether you can still see a white flash when starting fullscreen.

-- Simon
Title: Re: D Lix 0.5.0, the big picture
Post by: Simon on June 14, 2016, 10:27:54 AM
0.5.0 uploaded.
I will continue to fix bugs. Nepster has found many little issues, that's great. There's a lot to do. But I'm happy with singleplayer in D Lix already: None of the bugs are showstoppers.

Let's port singleplayer packs from C++ Lix to D Lix. I'll make a proper announcement to all level authors in a week.

-- Simon
Title: Re: D Lix 0.5.0, the big picture
Post by: Simon on June 14, 2016, 04:28:33 PM

Suggestions? Maybe even single pixels that you'd include or exclude in the mask?

Proxima said "looks good" in IRC.

-- Simon
Title: Re: D Lix 0.6.0, the big picture
Post by: Simon on June 17, 2016, 03:46:50 AM
0.6.0 uploaded.
-- Simon
Title: Re: D Lix 0.6.2, the big picture
Post by: Simon on June 20, 2016, 05:13:27 AM
0.6.2 uploaded.
Look in the options menu. Do you understand how the keybinding UI works?

This was a large, healthy refactoring of options code. I had this cooking for several weeks. I'm looking forward to easier bugfixes now. :lix-grin:

-- Simon
Title: Re: D Lix 0.6.3, the big picture
Post by: Simon on June 22, 2016, 07:40:29 AM
0.6.3 uploaded.
-- Simon
Title: Re: D Lix 0.6.4, the big picture
Post by: Simon on June 27, 2016, 02:14:57 PM
0.6.4 uploaded.
-- Simon
Title: Re: D Lix 0.6.5, the big picture
Post by: Simon on July 03, 2016, 08:04:33 AM
0.6.5 uploaded.
Statistics about the last bullet point: We have removed about 2,000 lix from 120 levels. Most levels had reductions à la 39/40 -> 29/30 to shorten the wait at the end. Proxima's Box Set enjoyed 360/400 -> 60/80, this accounts for a sixth of the removed lix. When in doubt, we didn't touch the number of initial lix: Ramen Masterchef and The Pit.

-- Simon
Title: Re: D Lix 0.6.6, the big picture
Post by: Simon on July 17, 2016, 12:46:17 AM
0.6.6 uploaded.

The lemforum community pack has Proxima's suggestions up to 2016-07-17. Several levels have moved between ranks. Some have been replaced entirely:
Use the --coverage switch along with --verify to compute level directory coverage. From all levels that reside in level directories from where you have tested at least one pointed-to level of a replay with --verify, --coverage lists those levels that didn't enjoy even a single solution. Please read levmaint.txt for detailed instructions. Example command line:
lix --verify=replays/path/to/dir --coverage
I have used --coverage to guarantee that the ranks Simple, Quirky, Cunning of the lemforum community pack are solvable.

Fix #113: Shorter key names with unicode symbols. In particular, keys on the numeric pad have a nice symbol that looks like the keypad.

Fix #120: Topology updates correct equation, not only the horizontal equation.

-- Simon
Title: Re: D Lix 0.6.8, the big picture
Post by: Simon on July 22, 2016, 03:07:40 AM
0.6.8 uploaded.


0.6.7 was only 1 hour earlier than 0.6.8. Version 0.6.7 brought more important changes:

The lemforum pack's first 5 ranks are guaranteed to be solvable. geoo has handed maintenance of the lemforum pack over to Proxima. Proxima has spent days on careful level adaption to D Lix and difficulty reordering.
When you update from an earlier version of D Lix, delete your old directory levels/lemforum/ before extracting this over your old game.

Bug fixes:
-- Simon
Title: Re: D Lix 0.6.9, the big picture
Post by: Simon on July 27, 2016, 01:48:09 PM
0.6.9 uploaded.
Flopsy shall uncheck this option when he records.

-- Simon
Title: Re: D Lix 0.6.10, the big picture
Post by: Simon on July 31, 2016, 07:40:14 PM
0.6.10 uploaded.
-- Simon
Title: Re: D Lix 0.6.11, the big picture
Post by: Simon on August 06, 2016, 02:40:53 AM
0.6.11 uploaded.
-- Simon
Title: Re: D Lix 0.6.12, the big picture
Post by: Simon on August 07, 2016, 05:13:27 AM
0.6.12 uploaded.

IchoTolot was here, we had a hack night. Icho worked on levels and the Dune tileset, I fixed Lix bugs. Bug #134, editor's rotate moves tiles unwanted, was a whopper. This bug took 3 hours with Icho, then another 3 after midnight.
-- Simon
Title: Re: D Lix 0.6.13, the big picture
Post by: Simon on August 27, 2016, 10:21:34 PM
0.6.13 uploaded.

-- Simon
Title: Re: D Lix 0.6.15, the big picture
Post by: Simon on September 13, 2016, 12:55:01 AM
0.6.15 uploaded.
I plan to remove all no-effect decoration. I want to make terrain or traps from them, or, for exit decoration, merge them into the exits. I'm thinking about how to handle existing levels, and whether to write a hack for autoreplacement.

-- Simon
Title: Re: D Lix 0.6.15, the big picture
Post by: Simon on September 13, 2016, 09:25:28 AM
(http://www.lixgame.com/etc/goldmine-exit.gif)

Better than the dynamite on top of the exit? Worse? I want to get rid of the exit top, and with an acceptable alternative, I don't have to shift the tile in the levels.

-- Simon
Title: Re: D Lix 0.6.16, the big picture
Post by: Simon on September 14, 2016, 12:30:44 AM
0.6.16 uploaded.
-- Simon
Title: Re: D Lix 0.6.15, the big picture
Post by: NaOH on September 15, 2016, 02:23:37 AM
(http://www.lixgame.com/etc/goldmine-exit.gif)

Better than the dynamite on top of the exit? Worse? I want to get rid of the exit top, and with an acceptable alternative, I don't have to shift the tile in the levels.

-- Simon

Ehh! This looks really good. I feel like maybe there should be transparency inside the cage, so that the glowy part doesn't look like it fills the cage? Or is that what you're going for?
Title: Re: D Lix 0.6.16, the big picture
Post by: Simon on September 17, 2016, 12:27:55 PM
Thanks! I'd like this to be a caged lamp, not a wisp. I made the bulb large, without transparency, only subtle flickering, because such a bulb wouldn't flicker in real life. And it was easier to animate. I'm not sure whether I should exaggerate the bulb.

-- Simon
Title: Re: D Lix 0.6.16, the big picture
Post by: RubiX on September 29, 2016, 03:01:58 AM
So I've had a go at making a sound for killing too many Lix.    This isn't so easy to make, but it might work.     Thoughts?
Login to see attachment.

thx
Rub




Title: Re: D Lix 0.6.16, the big picture
Post by: NaOH on September 30, 2016, 05:35:23 AM
This is haunting, like the Lix is saying "too many..!"

It fits well with the existing sound effects.
Title: Re: D Lix 0.6.16, the big picture
Post by: Simon on October 01, 2016, 01:51:23 PM
I think it's cute, will use!

-- Simon
Title: Re: D Lix 0.6.17, the big picture
Post by: Simon on October 02, 2016, 11:14:54 AM
0.6.17 uploaded.
@Rubix: Tips to finish your pack's migration to D Lix. (http://www.lemmingsforums.net/index.php?topic=2958.msg60862#msg60862)

-- Simon
Title: Re: D Lix 0.6.19, the big picture
Post by: Simon on November 03, 2016, 06:35:26 AM
0.6.19 uploaded.

:lix-cool: Download for Windows (http://www.lixgame.com/dow/lix-d-port.zip)
:lix-evil: Source on github (https://github.com/SimonN/LixD)
:8:()[: Bug tracker (https://github.com/SimonN/LixD/issues)
Please give feedback: This is my first release with a networking lobby. I've included enet.dll, but can't test the Windows release. Please give quick feedback:
-- Simon
Title: Re: D Lix 0.6.19, the big picture
Post by: Ramon on November 03, 2016, 06:35:18 PM
I get enet v1.3.12!
Title: Re: D Lix 0.6.19, the big picture
Post by: Simon on November 03, 2016, 09:09:45 PM
Thanks! Then Lix has all DLLs it needs, perfect.

I didn't build this DLL myself, I got it from a tutorial repository for the D enet bindings. enet 1.3.12 should be new enough -- enet 1.3.13 is the latest version, but 1.3.13 got only minor bugfixes over 1.3.12, nothing we'll run into.

-- Simon
Title: Re: D Lix 0.6.19, the big picture
Post by: RubiX on November 05, 2016, 03:14:23 PM
Connects fine, lobby controls look good.
Keep it up :)