As previously discussed, the pace of game updates is changing. The first large update will be focused on Structures and Island creation, with some significant changes and new features all coming at once.
WEDGES, ROTATIONAL FREEDOM, AND PAINTED BLOCKS
The first wave of changes are all in and working, with just a few bugs left to iron out. Previously a structure like this was impossible to build:
I don't know what that is, but it does demonstrate the new structural features. The first thing to note is the blue and red colored blocks are concrete, with all materials except glass being paintable. There are 10 colors to choose from, and you can set the available paint colors per island. This makes it easier for custom islands to have more cohesive color themes without having to create multiple copies of a structure.
The second major change is the addition of wedge blocks, which are a kind of decal block (smaller building pieces that can't be broken down further). Unlike normal box decals, wedges have collision before they break off the structure they're attached to. Combined with the new full rotation controls (instead of only 90 degree increments), you'll be able to create buildings of nearly any shape. It's unlikely the current structures will change too much, but expect future buildings to be less boxy and more colorful.
STEAM WORKSHOP INTERFACE
With those changes working, I recently moved onto making the Steam Workshop interface for structures and islands. Working on UI for my games can be a bit tedious, partly because there's just so much of it, and Instruments is no exception, so it's been a slog for the past few days.
I tried to revise the UI system early in Instruments development to use more data and less code, but it only partially solved the problems and caused more than it solved, so I scrapped the changes and use basically the same UI system I've been using for the past 10 years--define the look of the UI in one code file, and the behaviors of the buttons in another--with a few minor improvements. I'm hoping by writing about the issues, it'll spark an idea/alternative that works better (as sometimes happens), but so far I don't have any new ideas.
Anyway, I'm approaching the point where I'm just hooking things up to the UI and tweaking the look. After Steam Workshop is mostly functional, the final big feature to go in will be custom meshes for islands. I'm still not sure what will happen with materials (or grass/rocks) on these custom meshes, but those are things I'll need to experiment with either way. Beyond that, there will be a lot of testing and refinement.
I'm hopeful the update will be out in early September, but it's a bit too early to say for sure. I expect to create some tutorial videos for the structure and island editors at that time. Once the update hits, it shouldn't take long before we start seeing tons of new islands and structures to play with and destroy.
WRECKING BALL REMINDER
Just a quick reminder to get your Wrecking Ball entries submitted to the Steam Workshop by this weekend. The official deadline is Saturday, but any submitted by the end of Sunday will likely get played as well. I'm really looking forward to trying out all the entries, and as usual there will be a video to highlight the winners and honorable mentions.