BattleScribe 1.10.04b Released, New Data File Management

Today's release BattleScribe release has an important new feature. Data repositories. A data repository is a set of data files on the internet that BattleScribe can access. All you need is the URL of a repository, and BattleScribe will automatically download and import the data files from it. It will also check for newer versions of your existing data files and update them for you. Also included in this release is the Data Indexer tool, which makes it easy to create your own data repositories.

This release is important because the Data Project is no more. It is critical to BattleScribe's success that users have access to data files to get them up and running. The data repositories system should make it much easier for people to get hold of data files and keep them up to date.

If you're a fan of BattleScribe, it would be great if you could help spread the word about this release. Click one of the share buttons on the homepage! Post in your favourite forum! Tell your friends! And thank you for your support.

Full change list (since BattleScribe 1.10.00b)

• Data repository support so BattleScribe can download data files and keep them up to date
• Data Indexer tool added to allow you to easily create data repositories
• Help updated with details on how to use repositories
• Help page added on how to use the Data Indexer to create repositories
• Improved the "Copy Text" output. It now produces indented text, similar to the HTML view
• Added tooltips to the sort and duplicate buttons in Roster Editor
• View/print roster now has a "created with BattleScribe" footer, with a link. Sharing the love :)
• Improved data file import to prevent you ending up with two data files with the same ID
• Moved the exit button back alongside the other toolbar buttons as it was being "pushed off the screen" on some Linux systems
• Fixed background/text colours on for selected items in the dropdown lists and trees
• Fixed bug where the error "you can have at most 0 selections of xxx in your roster" would always appear
• Fixed bug where rules were being repeated in view/print roster

Finally, my thanks to scarletsquig, eldar and Toreador13 from the forums and to Natakue from warmongergameday.com for their help testing this release.

BattleScribe 1.10.04b Pre-Release

I've posted a first pre-release of BattleScribe 1.10.04b in the forum for people to play with, along with release notes. This is an important release as it contains a new feature that lets BattleScribe download data files and keep them up to date for you. You just need to add the URL of a data repository's index file, and BattleScribe uses this to find the data files available in the repository. In Roster Editor, go to File -> Data Repositories.

Also included is a tool to create the required index file, to help you create data repositories of your own. You point the tool at a folder, and it finds all compatible data files and creates the appropriate index for them. You can then host this folder somewhere, and give out the URL of the index file. I've tested with DropBox public folders and it works a treat.

There's also a bunch of smaller bug fixes and UI updates since 1.10.00b.

Notice of Infringement

Today Games Workshop sent me a notice of infringement asking me to remove data files and links to them from the BattleScribe website and software. Basically the information included in the data files infringes on Games Workshop's (and other companies') copyrights. Although I knew this in the first place, I hoped that linking to these data files on another site would be OK. I have had to remove all data files and links to data files from the BattleScribe software and the website. Update: It's was confirmed today that the Data Project site must come down too.

Games Workshop are well within their rights to ask me to do so, and I have no intention of getting into legal trouble over what is essentially a hobby for me. This is not entirely unexpected, although it is unfortunate. To be fair they have been very reasonable about the whole thing and have answered any questions I've had.

To this end:

• All posts announcing new data file releases have been removed
• No more such announcements will be made here
• All links to data files or sources of data files have been removed
• Forum posts have had data files and links to data files removed
• Forums relating to the "Data Project" have been removed
• Issue tracker has been removed from the forum
• You will be unable to post data files, links to data files or links to pages containing data files in the forum. Any such posts will be edited to remove infringing content

The Future
What does this mean for BattleScribe? Firstly it isn't going anywhere. The software itself is not at fault in any way and I will continue to maintain and improve it. Watch this space for new versions, news and announcements. I can also continue to provide support and advice on using BattleScribe and it's data file editors. I cannot however endorse, advertise or otherwise be involved with any projects to maintain a list of data files for BattleScribe. Any discussion or links to such projects can't be on this website or in the BattleScribe software.

If anyone has any questions etc, there's a post in the forum to discuss things.

BattleScribe Mobile 1.10.00b Released on Android!

The day is finally here, BattleScribe Mobile for Android has arrived! I'm pretty excited to finally get this out. It's my first Android app and it's taken quite a bit of time and effort to learn the ropes and get it finished.

The BattleScribe Mobile allows you to create and edit your army lists on the move. It is of course fully compatible with your existing data files and rosters, so you can just put them on your SD card and open them up. It has (almost) all the features you get in the desktop version of Roster Editor.

• Create rosters using your existing data files, load your existing rosters
• Navigate and edit your roster in a way that should be familiar to users of BattleScribe
• Points total of your roster and individual selections is clearly shown
• Show a list of problems with your roster and jump to the offending selections
• View your roster in a nice readable format, with profile and rule summaries
• Copy your roster as HTML or text for pasting into documents/blogs/websites/forums etc
• Saves/loads your data from the SD card, making it easy to transfer your existing files over
• Import function for data files
• Requires Android 2.2 (Froyo), ad supported

A couple of small issues to watch out for:

• It can take a while (up to 30 seconds even) to load data files when creating a roster - especially if they're big files. These files can get quite complex and it takes quite a bit of processing to load them. I'll be looking to see if I can improve these load times in future.
• I have noticed that after you import a datafile, it sometimes does not show up in the dropdowns on the "New Roster" screen. If this happens, a restart of BattleScribe should make them appear. I'm working to fix this now. Update: This is now fixed in v1.10.01b
• No Catalogue or Game System Editors. The idea of modifying data files on a phone did not sound fun, though if there is demand I will go ahead and add them.

It's the first release, so I'm sure something has slipped through the net. If you find any problems, or have a feature request, please post it on the UserVoice page remembering to include your phone make/model and your version of Android. I will be keeping a close eye on this over the next few weeks, so expect multiple small updates to resolve any issues people find. There's still a way to go!

Go to BattleScribe Mobile on the Android Market

Now, please excuse me as I take the rest of the night off and crack open a bottle of whisky to celebrate. I feel I deserve it ;)

BattleScribe 1.10.02b Released

There's always something isn't there? A few annoying little bugs made it into v1.10b - nothing major, just a bit of a pain. So I've released an updated version with these fixed.

• Fixed error when viewing some rosters with blank rule descriptions.
• Viewing roster now shows blanks for empty characteristic values, not "null".
• Import feature improved, now uses correct filename of compressed data files.
• Correct list of categories now show up on the edit entry panel in Catalogue Editor.
• Min/max in roster values on edit entry group panel are now handled correctly in Catalogue Editor.
• Customise name button on edit selection panel in Roster Editor now correctly shows the dialog.

It's probably worth upgrading to this version if you're having any issues, especially if you intend to create or edit data files.

My thanks to Jono and Eldar in this thread for helping find the issues.