It's been 3 weeks since the last patch where we started the process of updating the User Interface and Autobuilder features. This time we bring a complimentary update to cover (for the most part) what was missing from the last update as well as many other fixes and performance improvements!
And of course, We're launching the update on both Windows and Mac at the same time. We apologize for Mac users feeling a bit left out during the last patch and assure you that the wait will have been more than worth it!
Get ready for Version 1.4.0!
1.- Today we begin sending out Wishing Well KS keys!!
Starting today, We'll be sending out the keys to all of the Wishing Well backers! The Chronos commmunity keeps growing ????.
These keys are the ones pertaining to base Chronos Builder itself (those who bought the game through the new campaign), exclusive asset packs and addons!
2.- New exclusive Kickstarter Assets!
The gift asset pack we promised on the Wishing Well campaign has been implemented. Everyone who participated on that campaign, no matter the pledge level, will receive a key that they can redeem on Steam.
You can find these new assets inside the Cyberpunk > Street folder!
3.- New User Interface improvements
Continuing with the visual updates, this time we focused on finishing the menus you interact with most often during map making.
Looking much cleaner now, dont you think ?????
Well, wait til you see all of the other menus. There's more!
For starters, here's a look at the new folder menu. The search bar will be active at all times, making it easier for you to find specific assets. You will select the Setting at the top, while at the bottom you have individual folders for all available Environments within said Setting.
The new asset library has much bigger asset icons and they are also transparent now!
The tweaks menu takes up less than half of the screen space it used to! You can also hide specific sections of it. Overall, we gained a lot of much needed screen space thanks to this change.
And here are all of the new Terrain Tool menus!
We kept the same functionality but reduced the horizontal space as much as possible.
The System Options was also simplified.
And lets not forget the new loading graphics!
There are many more little UI changes but we wont spoil them all here hehehe...
We hope you enjoy the new changes and, as always, we'll keep an eye on all of the discussion on our Discord and Steam servers. We are open to your feedback!
We wanted to get this update in time for when Wishing Well newcomers join the community, hence why there are still a couple of menus using the old graphics. Namely the Autobuilder, Effects, Global options and Export menus. We'll have those ready as soon as possible!
Simply put: Chronos has never looked this good.
4.- Autobuilder Structual update
We improved the procedural algorithm and the way it places doors. It makes way more sense now.
From now on, it should only place 1 door per room and it'll always match any door on a neighbor room. Additionally, sometimes It'll create a matching set of doors on a neighbor wall even if it didnt have a door previously.
5.- Quality of life changes
New Transparent Grid: By default the grid will be invisible. This will help make the scene way less noisy. Only the grids of selected assets or the ones under the mouse will be highlighted.
If you miss the old system, worry not! You can still make your grid visible at all times through the Global Options menu. We are planning more updates for this system, such as choosing if you want the grid to be visible through elevated terrain and assets...but these changes will have to wait until next patch.
User Folders are now shared across maps: The way it should have always worked! You can have a custom folder filled with your favourite assets and it'll always be there no matter which map you load. Simple.
Improved ClickThrough system: By clicking repeatedly you will now select the items behind the current selection. After the last item has been reached, the following click will select the item on top once again. This previously worked with up to 2 items but now it'll reach as many as its possible!
6.- What's next?
If you remember the last update, you'll agree that so far we are sticking to our plans! Here is our current projection for the next patch, which should launch in a couple of weeks:
- Continue updating the UI: Possibly one of the last few UI update patches that we'll roll out. At the very least we want to address the missing tool menus.
- Releasing last promised asset pack from the first KS campaign: That'd be the Cyberpunk Corporative Office!
- More autobuilder Improvements: We plan to improve the structure placement even more.
- Export option for Fantasy Grounds: Export an excel file of your map compatible with Fantasy Grounds
7.- Patch Notes
Version 1.4.0
Additions:
• User Folders are now shared across different maps.
• Added new Cyberpunk Street assets for Wishing Well Kickstarter backers.
• The click-through system has been updated. By clicking repeatedly you will now select the items behind the current selection. After the last item has been reached, the following click will select the item on top once again.
• New transparent grid system:
◦ The grid cells will only be visible when highlighting them through item selection or moving the cursor over them.
◦ The previous grid option can still be selected through the global options menu.
◦ A new gizmo will display the current grid bounds.
◦ The grid cells are now visible through different terrain elevations.
◦ You can now toggle visibility for individual tweaks menu elements.
◦ Visibility buttons for the tweaks and library menus have been removed as they now take up a much smaller screen space. We’ll consider implementing similar features in the future.
• The UI has been updated*:
◦ Text and graphic colors have been normalized across the entire system.
◦ Text size has been normalized across the entire system.
◦ Added website and discord invite links to the taskbar.
◦ New graphics for multiple UI elements.
◦ Library item slots are now bigger and use transparent backgrounds.
◦ The quick palette functionality has been removed.
◦ “All assets” folder has been added.
◦ *: Global options menu, Autobuilder menu, Effects menu, Export menu, Load menu and Main menu have yet to be updated.
• Added procedural rooms for the Moon Base thematic.
• Procedural rooms door spawning modified. Rooms will now only spawn one door by default. If spawned next to another room, it will always connect them with doors.
• Misc. Procedural generation small improvements.
Fixes:
• Fixed copy and paste/duplicate not working with large groups of assets.
• Fixed assets stacked on other assets losing their vertical positions after copy and pasting.
• Fixed some assets increasing their vertical position while rotating the asset they were stacked on.
• Fixed VTT exports getting mosaics effect in their image output.
• Fixed Video export not producing any output at all.
• Fixed Laboratory Walls 1x1 not being correctly displayed on VTT exports.
• Fixed print exports having misplaced outputs when the number of image to create was an odd number.
• Fixed the rotation and pivot of multiple assets.
• Fixed Cyberpunk Hallway floor being tagged as a door.
• Fixed Cyberpunk Police car doors.
• Fixed an error that prevented the advanced search system from working as intended if the tag for the currently selected folder was pressed through the tweaks menu.
• Disabled spawn rotation for multiple assets of grid size bigger than 1x1.
• Fixed “Delete” tooltip from showing up whenever the delete button is disabled in the item editing menu but the user mouses over its position.
• Fixed nature paint spawn rate.
• Fixed nature paint placing assets outside the terrain bounds.
