ADE Version 0.20 Build 2687

[scruffyduck]

...is now available

http://www.scruffyduck.co.uk/files/ade_020_2687.zip

020 has the following changes since 013:

Fixed (hopefully )
- Problem with edge lights closing the line
- Direction and pivot of jetways (thanks to Jim Vile) - to be tested again
- Misplacing of Glideslope and ILs after drag, compile and reload
- Compiling an airport selected from the airport list no longer compiles the whole AP file.
- Compile option turned off when opening an XML File. Compile menu is now removed (see below)
- Zooming centered on the ARP. Zooming is now centered on the mouse location
- Display not re-setting itself when a new airport is loaded so that the airport is not placed at default scale in the center of the display


Added
- Compiler output window
- Taxiways drag with nodes
- ADE names bgl files for airports ADE_ICAO - Airport.bgl where ICAO is the airport code and Airport is airport name
- Right click opens context menu.
- Right Click context menu Edit Object replaces double left click to open properties window
- Display properties for Elements accessible from the right click context menu. This is limited to Taxipaths and Parking Spots in this build.


Changed
- Edge lights now show as dotted line
- Settings method so that changes to directories are immediately effective
- Airport list no longer has property grid
- Selected airport filename is displayed below tree
- Double click airport name in Airport List tree opens it in ADE
- Double click object no longer opens property window (see Added - right click)
- Handling of hide/show elements - new method allows more flexibility in drawing 'hidden' elements
- Compile now achieved via Save Bgl menu option.


Apologies that there are still no operating notes.

Apologies to those who have requested functionality or reported bugs that are not in this version. I will try not to forget anything

To access the display properties right click on an object when the tooltip name is visible. Only those object with options will provide a menu entry to update them. You change the display properties for all elements of a class (e.g. parking spots) when you make a change - thus select any parking spot - right click - select display options, Changes made in properties should be reflected in all parking places.

The Add menu option in the context menu does not do anything.

The Edit Object menu item replaces the old double click to edit properties. As of the next build property grids will begin to be replaced with custom property dialogs in the style of AFCAD2.

All feedback gratefully appreciated.

 

[Mace]

ADE is looking GREAT!

One thing I've noticed:
1) ADE is not able to load my fsx_MPTO.xml file. I assume it's because it has too many comments ( <!-- xxxx -->) or whitespace or exclusion code that ADE isn't set up to handle yet. ??

Possible suggestions:
1) General keyboard navigation: Keypad + and keypad - for quick zoom in and out, as per AFCAD. Also the arrow keys for scrolling around the airport, which seems to behave strangely in ADE. I find these to be VERY useful features in AFCAD.

2) I think it might be nice to have an _option_ to have a small 'tick' or 'arrow' attached to a taxiwaysign object in the GUI. This arrow or tick mark would indicate which side of the sign was the "front". That way you could tell which way the sign is oriented very quickly. This might be useful...at least on my initial vacuous thought about it.

Then again, maybe it should be self-evident to me as a designer which side is the front.

 

[glottis]

Many thanks Jon
still getting the same problem with KORD, keep getting IRAN for some reason and nothing appears in the bar, the few others i've tried seem ok as i get the correct APX or my modified file showing in the bar
would i get a warning if i save and overwrite a file?
very impressive work, keep it up.........

Ray

 

[icecube]

Big thanks to you scruffyduck for making this application!

I have been following this for a while now, but this time I wanted to send you my thanks and some feedback from me.

It's not my intention to sound insulting - so I hope you read this post in a positive way..

I noticed that you have changed some basic ui-interaction. I hope this is just a temorary solution. I see that you are a skilled developer and I know it can be easy to overlook some of the most basic things when meeting user requests. But I think it's very important to follow the most basic rules made for all graphical user interfaces.

This isn't just my personal preference, but it can be looked up in the SDK, in books like "guide to windows ui-design" and in sdk's for all major operating systems.

Here's the basic rule of operating a mouse in applications:

• Click - Select the item
• DoubleClick - Execute the default action in the current context (selected item)
• RightClick - List the most common actions in the current context (selected item)

I also noticed that the dialogs had no buttons. The reccomended design is:

• Modal dialogs should have buttons for OK+Cancel (or close)
• Non-modal dialogs should have buttons for Action+Apply+Close
• DoubleClick in such dialogs should once more execute the default action

What's your plans for resizing dialogs and cut/copy/paste/undo? Will it be implemented?

have you also considered making the edit-item-window a floating toolbox that stays open? I can see if that's hard to do, but I was just wondering.

Now, please don't be mad for me bringing this up. But I think that the solution is at such a stage that it shoud start to implement this (before it's too late *smiling*)

And to me the editing of the properties are quite an essential part of this application isn't it?

Thanks for your effort, and looking forward to new versions of this great program.

 

[Mace]

have you also considered making the edit-item-window a floating toolbox that stays open? I can see if that's hard to do, but I was just wondering.

And to me the editing of the properties are quite an essential part of this application isn't it?

Everything you mention, all the gui stuff, better property dialogs, etc. he has said would be implemented later.

For now I think the emphasis is on getting things working rather than a "to-standards" gui.

 

[icecube]

Everything you mention, all the gui stuff, better property dialogs, etc. he has said would be implemented later.

Good to hear that, sorry I missed it.

For now I think the emphasis is on getting things working rather than a "to-standards" gui.

I agree totally about the priorities. The reason for this post was because we were moving away from the standards (I would *maybe* been quiet if it wasn't there)

Still I think that this application is at such a state in development that it is time for a clean-up. It's going to take a lot more effort to clean up the longer you wait.

 

[scruffyduck]

1) ADE is not able to load my fsx_MPTO.xml file. I assume it's because it has too many comments ( <!-- xxxx -->) or whitespace or exclusion code that ADE isn't set up to handle yet. ??

Can you post the xml please? SDE should handle everything so maybe there is a bug somewhere in the decompiler.

Possible suggestions:
1) General keyboard navigation: Keypad + and keypad - for quick zoom in and out, as per AFCAD. Also the arrow keys for scrolling around the airport, which seems to behave strangely in ADE. I find these to be VERY useful features in AFCAD.

I thought that is what they did - I will check it out again I may well have broken the code

EDIT

Yep I broke the code somehow - I will fix it for the next build

2) I think it might be nice to have an _option_ to have a small 'tick' or 'arrow' attached to a taxiwaysign object in the GUI. This arrow or tick mark would indicate which side of the sign was the "front". That way you could tell which way the sign is oriented very quickly. This might be useful...at least on my initial vacuous thought about it.

Good idea - I have been thinking about that - I will add a small arrowhead on the front face for the next build

 

[scruffyduck]

still getting the same problem with KORD, keep getting IRAN for some reason and nothing appears in the bar, the few others i've tried seem ok as i get the correct APX or my modified file showing in the bar

Hi Ray as per the other post on this I have not been able to find the cause yet

would i get a warning if i save and overwrite a file?

Not yet but all files generated by ADE go into the work or master folders only and cannot be written back to the original folder.

 

[scruffyduck]

It's not my intention to sound insulting - so I hope you read this post in a positive way..

I always take comments in a positive light

Here's the basic rule of operating a mouse in applications:

• Click - Select the item
• DoubleClick - Execute the default action in the current context (selected item)
• RightClick - List the most common actions in the current context (selected item)

Not sure I understand that. Sure there is no selection handles on object when clicked (I have not turned on some code yet) but DoubleClick is used for the default action (edit the object) although that is temporarily turned off in 020. Right click brings up a context menu with valid actions and that menu is being extended as functionality is improved.

I also noticed that the dialogs had no buttons. The reccomended design is:

• Modal dialogs should have buttons for OK+Cancel (or close)
• Non-modal dialogs should have buttons for Action+Apply+Close
• DoubleClick in such dialogs should once more execute the default action

This is an alpha - the buttons will be there in the RTM versions

What's your plans for resizing dialogs and cut/copy/paste/undo? Will it be implemented?

As mentioned above dialogs are not to be considered in any sort of final state. MRU undo/redo etc are on the functionality list.

have you also considered making the edit-item-window a floating toolbox that stays open? I can see if that's hard to do, but I was just wondering.

Not that difficult and certainly something to add to the list. I thought about making the interface in the VS2005 IDE mode but decided to stick to a user interface that is close to AFCAD. I know many consider that to be out of date in relation to what is common today but there are a lot of AFCAD users out there and I want to make it easy for them to move on to ADE.

FSX Planner uses visible property grids and a more modern interface and I guess that will appeal to some users and the ADE interface to others.