Friday 14 December 2012

BattleScribe 1.13.04 Released!

This is now available for Android and Desktop. As usual, the iOS version will be forthcoming, depending on how long it takes Apple to approve it (there's also a couple of extra bits I want to clear up for iOS, so I haven't submitted it quite yet). I've also submitted to Amazon, so it should be available for Kindle once approved... Hopefully*.

This version has a couple of minor new features and some bug fixes. The main stuff is some more new features and upgrades for data file authors and hosts.

All Versions

  • Relevant book and page references included when viewing/printing a roster (as long as the data files include this information).
  • Data file author name, contact details and website for your current files can be seen in the About box (as long as the data files include this information)..
  • Using a link to a ".bsr" repository file as a repository URL will be handled correctly - the data is imported from the file and any URLs it includes will be added to your list.
  • Fixed bug where catalogues containing links that had modifiers on would loose those modifiers when a roster was created with the catalogue.
  • Fixed crash when creating a roster from a catalogue that contained links with modifiers/conditions that pointed to shared items.
  • Fixed bug where the global min/max for shared entry groups wasn't being checked.

Android

  • Clicking a link to a repository will allow you to open it in BattleScribe and set it up automatically for you (as long as it's a repository that's created with v1.13.04).
  • Added a "What's New" popup to keep you up to date with changes/new features - shown each time BattleScribe updates.
  • Added occasional (monthly) prompt to remind you to check for new data files.

For Data File Authors & Hosts
  • Data Indexer now lets you specify specific files from the source folder to include in your repository. The rest of them are ignored.
  • New option to "cleanse" rules - this will remove rule descriptions from the resulting repository files (leaving the original source file intact of course!). This is useful to make the files "safer" for hosting publicly on the Internet - some hosts prefer you didn't include this information in files.
  • You can optionally include your name, contact details and a website in your data files. This is so you can appropriately take credited for your hard work, and gives users a means of contacting you if they want to report a bug for example. This is shown in the About box.
  • Rules, profiles and entries in catalogue files can now have a "book" and a "page", which is outputted when viewing the roster. This provides an "official" means to include this information, and prevents it being cleared out if you're "cleansing" rule descriptions when creating your repository.
  • When creating a repository, a new "index.bsi" file is created. This is just the normal "index.xml" file, but zipped and with a ".bsi" extension. This lets mobile users import your repository just by clicking a link to this file (rather than messing about with copy/paste). You can start linking users to "index.bsi" instead of "index.xml" if you want - just make sure your users know they must have v1.13.04 to make use of it.
  • The old-style "index.xml" is still created when creating a repository (and should still be hosted with your repository) so existing users that already use the URL to this won't have anything break.
  • More reliable repository creation - hopefully this should prevent an occasional case where files created on non-English language computers couldn't be loaded on some systems.


* A note for Kindle users: Amazon approve apps for their general Android store first, and then it goes through another round of approval for Kindle. Now, they do inform me when/if the first round of approval is successful and I can see it appear in their store. However, with the second round of approvals there is no feedback whatsoever - not even to say if it's passed or failed. I have no idea when/if it gets approved for Kindle and no way of looking. Which, I know, is ridiculous. If someone could let me know if v1.13.04 shows up at some point - or can even tell me which version is there right now - I'd be grateful.

Wednesday 5 December 2012

BattleScribe 1.13.03 Available On iOS

Apple have now approved v1.13.03 and it's now in the App Store - get those update-fingers clicking ;)

This update contains additional data sharing options, and it's easier to set up repositories.

  • You can now include all your data files and repository URLs when sharing BattleScribe by email - give it a go to help your friends get going with BattleScribe. 
  • Clicking a repository file sent to you by email will allow you to open it in BattleScribe, which will import all data and repository URLs for you automatically.
  • Clicking a link to a repository file on a website also give you the option to let BattleScribe automatically import it.