v2.0.0-Beta.1 testing and preview release
Pre-release
Pre-release
Official preview release to help find bugs, adds lots of news systems, and provides support for Mac OS X El Capitan.
New Features
- Modes are now externally hosted applications pulled from the incredibly popular NPM system. With this externalization, a strong Mode API was required that would allow common operations to be shared easily, and so it has been made for all current modes and a few new ones.
- Electron and new mode system is far faster and more stable, with fewer random fill/stroking issues, not to mention the ability to print far more difficult and complicated art.
- Electron and mode architecture are multiprocessor by default and their best to be efficient and keep their own work separate, ensuring a smooth experience.
- Experimental SVG HersheyText rendering mode for creating text completely revamped
- All paths to be taken by the bot are drawn on a preview layer above the image in the given color they're going to be drawn in gives you a clear idea of what will be done, and allows for an algorithm to choose the fastest path from each path end to the next, allowing for vastly more efficient image recreation.
- Brand new larger, cleaner settings menu
- #231: Interactive home screen mode exploration/info screen
- #227: Remote Print queue management is now a full fledged mode! Though the API is always available, enable the mode interface in Settings>Modes
- Three types of zig-zag line fills, and throwback "spiral fill" mode.
- Loads of customization options for fill/stroke parameters including resolution, occlusion, trace speed, and tons more.
- Basic "global height setting" for simple pen/brush calibration so modes don't have to do the legwork.
- Global event/status display with progress indicator.
Known Issues
- The spiral fill type has spacing/resolution support, but still uses the old "very large spiral", so it can die easily if the resolution is set low enough on a large shape. This has not been given priority, so the feature may not make it out of beta.
- Manual paint mode, which used to be a bastion of all the features removed from original auto paint mode, has been demoted for the time being as it needs direction and UI cleanup, and most of its functionality doesn't directly make sense any more or has been moved to the global settings menu.
This beta release is just a taste of things to come. We've paved the way for so many great features that the future is bright, and great are coming just around the corner.