Features: News and Updates

The changes mentionned below are progressively being implemented.
QB Damage Points software updates are posted in the Download section.

Post-1.0 news

Version 1.0a brings substantial improvements (May 2004)

1.0a is a key maintenance release for QB Damage Points. Version 1.0a is fully compatible with previous versions (1.0, 0.97), except for the changes mentioned below.

QB Damage Points ActiveX Control 1.0 is here! (April 2004)

It simply makes no sense to keep preliminary versions all the time! This is why I decided to move to 1.0.

QB Damage Points is now available as an ActiveX Control, as promised since more than 2 years ago! Design and run game battles with your own rules. Download now the package which includes:

Pre-1.0 news

[Map] (April 2004)
Graphics Sucks Less!

That was a stupid coding error, but now moving sprites should render better. I know, it is still not perfect.

[General] (March 2004)
QB Damage Points ActiveX Control 0.97 is here!

And QB Damage Points is now available as an ActiveX Control, as promised since more than 2 years ago! Design and run game battles with your own rules. Download now the package which includes:

[Editor/GUI] (March 2004)
Sprite Transparent Color Fixed, Coolbar!, Notification Popup.

Version 0.97 fixes a problem with transparent regions that did not show up on my computer! How good is it to test on other machines (other WinXPs, Win2K - No W9x or NT4 available for my use unfortunately). Other changes include a coolbar with a menu, just like in Internet Explorer. When the map is running, notifications to the user appear in a popup window at the bottom-right corner of the window.

The first QB Damage Points ActiveX control should be released with the same version number (please come back).

[General] (March 2004)
QBDamage becomes QB Damage Points

I hope this name has a stronger meaning than the previous one, while keeping its style (my pseudo). Now, with only the name, you should know what it is all about.

[Files] (Jan. 2004)
Changed File Formats

The configuration files (qbf) have new file formats. Unit, weapon, map attributes, and unit gauges are placed one after each other, without numbering. The order does matter. Look here for a sample configuration file.

In map files (qbm), the 'Key' attributes is replaced by the 'Name' attribute. Look here for a sample map file.

[Editor] (Jan. 2004)
Sprite Transparent Color Available

Until now, the only transparent color possible in sprites was white. Now, any color can be defined as transparent. To choose the transparent color, select it in the standard color selector, or pick it from the sprite picture using the new sprite editor (refered as 'Custom' in the properties window).

[Editor] (Dec. 2003)
Better Configuration Management

The configuration editor handles configurations in a much easier way. You can change a configuration right after having it imported, export it, change your mind and editing it again, it should not complain too much.

[Editor] (Dec. 2003)
Image Selection Available for Units and Weapons, Sprite With Multiple Images Enabled

The Static Image Index represents the portion of a sprite image displayed for a unit or a weapon projectile. Just double-click on it in the property grid, and select an image from the sprite graphics.

[GUI] (Dec. 2003)
Default Map At Startup, and Editor Kept Open.

Depending on the context, the editor can either create an empty map and display the editor window, ask for a file or open a pre-assigned map. This automated startup allows the user to start faster.

It is now possible to create maps or open files without closing the editor window and reopening it again. New commands (File -> New, Open) are available, and switching between files hence becomes faster.

[Editor] (Dec. 2003)
Find

Find any item in the map objects browser which name contains a specified string. Accessible via the regular F3 key.

[GUI] (Dec. 2003)
Enhanced Map Object Browser and Property Window

These two windows have been separated to allow more flexibility. You will notice that the map objects tree displays icons, and better interacts with the editor view. The property window, besides grid display, supports fast property switching. Double-click changes True-False properties to the opposite value. Double-click also sets the next possible value in the case of object choice or enumerated values. Clicking twice the same property will provide normal editing. There are many other enhancements to these tools that do not have visible results.

[Package] (Nov. 2003)
?xml version...

For better performance while opening files, the msxml3.dll file decoder is now required to run QBDamage. msxml3 ships with the lastest versions of Office and Internet Explorer. It can also be downloaded from Microsoft.

[Editor] (Nov. 2003)
Custom Map Attributes Accessible From Property Editor

All map custom properties are now accessible from the property list. The attributes section in the Map Property Pages has been removed. The Map Property Pages now only contain design-time attributes (Title, graphics,...).

[Bug] (Oct. 2003)
WinXP: Magnifier and QBDamage Coexist Badly!

Do not run the magnifier and QBDamage at the same time! Doing so will cause QBDamage to crash. The error occurs when you move the mouse over the QBDamage windows and the magnifier is open. No Basic code is involved in this crash, since the error occurs in comctl32.ocx.

[Package] (Oct. 2003)
Language DLL Also Required for English (Oct. 2003)

All language resources have been moved to external files (DLLs) for better resource management.

[Package] (Oct. 2003)
comdlg32.ocx no longer needed (Oct. 2003)

The component file comdlg32.ocx will be no longer required to run QBDamage. The component will however still be available for download, in the case you run earlier versions of QBDamage.

[GUI] (Oct. 2003)
A Better Look for Action Buttons

The commands Go, Stop, Attack, and Move have an improved behavior and interact better with the editor.

[Map Tools] (Sept. 2003)
Simplified Toolbox and Texture Palette

The Toolbox has been simplified. It now contents necessary commands for drawing surfaces/walls in map, and creating units from templates. For more simplicity, the texture palette has been separated from the toolbox. However, both windows still work together.

The Toolbox contains the new commands:

[GUI] (Sept. 2003)
Removing Toolbars From Object Navigator, Sequence Editor and Toolbox

Toolbars are being removed from the windows mentionned above, in order to save place when these windows are docked at the top or bottom of the workspace.

[GUI] (Aug. 2003)
Better Docking Views and Look...

Tool windows can be dragged/dropped. Several windows can be docked on each side of the editor. Helpful for workspace management and items that span horizontally rather than vertically.

[GUI] (Summer 2003)
XP Styles Enabled in QBDamage!

QBDamage can now take advantage of most of the new XP Themes, with only one additional small file in the download. The entire interface can fit with user's selected theme.

[GUI] (Summer 2003)
Menus Welcome Images...

Images in menus only help the user to become familiar with the commands.