Greetings, Hard Chip players!
Let's review the changes made from versions 0.0.6.1 to 0.0.6.11. It's been four weeks since the last update, so this one is filled with enhancements, new features, and fixes to improve your experience. Here's a detailed overview of what's included in this update.
1. NEW Movable Outputs
One of the most requested features, Movable Outputs, has been rolled out. You can now move outputs, which makes organizing your layouts much more intuitive. This feature supports both 1-bit and n-bit outputs.
Additionally, the spacing between inputs can now be adjusted on the fly using the + and - keys while picking positions, giving you more control over your circuit designs.
Changelog:
- NEW Movable outputs (with a picker)
- NEW Select Output mode with dedicated cursor;
- NEW Movable Output supports 1bit and n-bit outputs;
- NEW Change spacing between input when picking position with +- keys;
- NEW Movable outputs don't reset their screen position when changing the validation step;
- MI Ensure output picks hint and stays to the right edge of the die;
- MI Exportable output picks
- MI Saving output picked positions in savefile;
- MI Tutorial challenges with no movable inputs;
- UX Softescape from output selection;
2. UPDATED Graphical Enhancements and Multimonitor Support
Visuals play a significant role in the overall experience; we've taken this to heart with several key improvements. The introduction of a Cubic Renderer for performance settings. The new Resolution Scale setting allows you to get the most out of your graphics card for an unparalleled level of detail. Or, if you don't have a graphic card to use, you could turn the dial down to 40% to get those sweet FPS back!
The new cute environment
Super scale 100% compared to 200%
Voxel edge artifact removed (100% render scale)
Cubic fast renderer
In addition, Multiscreen Support has been implemented, allowing you to start HC on any screen. Previously, you were stuck to the primary monitor. Note that HC is DPI agnostic across screens.
Changelog:
- NEW Cubic/Raymarching renderer settings for performance;
- NEW Resolution scale from 40% to 200%;
- NEW Moving alignment indicator helper;
- NEW Cute environment background for the editor;
- NEW Multiscreen support, DPI agnostic for different DPI settings across screens. Resist screen disposition and dpi scale changes;
- MI removes edge artifacts between connected blocks;
- MI chromatic aberration on blocks (can be deactivated);
- MI Optimizing renderer for scale;
- FIX Low settings renderer fast now;
- FIX CRT effect edge artifacts;
- FIX Free camera was clipping far objects;
3. UPDATED Readouts but more better 👌
Readouts are a centerpiece of HC. They allow you to interact with your solutions. Naturally, many new developments were made to further their usefulness.
The new Breakpointable Readout feature makes debugging more manageable. You can now set breakpoints within your solution, making it easier to trace the execution flow and stop the simulation at potential issues.
Also, readouts rotate/flip (when attached to a blueprint) and can be Undo/redo!
Rotate/flip...
...and Undo redo!
Changelog:
- NEW Undo/redo for readouts;
- NEW Breakpointable readout;
- UX Readouts lines properly align on nbit readouts;
4. UPDATED Simulation tweaks
Nothing too big, but small changes still. Shorts are now guaranteed to show up where before they could appear and disappear in one single frame. Also, Inputs now spend 1 tick in neutral before going to an opposite state.
We are also introducing a new secondary metric: Energy Loss! It characterizes the sum of blocks in a loaded state (when 1 and 0 states connect) for each tick.
Changelog:
- NEW Energy loss in perf report;
- SIM Inputs spend 1 frame in neutral when changing to the opposite state;
- SIM Blocks in the "loaded" state last at least one frame now;
- UX Animation on perf reports;
- MI terminal shader pass speed improved;
5. NEW Other not so trivia points
The main branch of HC is its readying process. Steam already validated the build, meaning people can now receive keys (wink wink 😉 if you create video game content).
To share data between the Main, Demo, and Playtest branches, every savefile was moved to %LocalAppData%. A more standard approach. If you have any savefile, an updater can help you recover the file from the previous location.
The demo isn't left aside! It gets regular updates as soon as the playtest build is stable enough to be the base for a new demo build. It is now at version 0.0.6.8 and should be updated soon.
Changelog:
- MI Adding "Quick Updates" notes on the main menu to explain the new location for save and its updater.
- MI Tutorial challenge load/save into a separate folder so they don't appear in the Library anymore;
- MI Library uses a new location for new Chips/Bluprints;
- MI All challenges savefiles are in the "Chips" data folder; Tuto is in the "Tutorial" one;
Never-ending Quality Of Life, Bug, and Crash fixes list:
- Quite a lot of additions were made, and more than could be covered in a reasonably short dev blog post. But for reference, here are the rest of the changes made in the last weeks:
- NEW Ambiance sound settings.
- NEW Chip map selector in the Campaign (you can see Adder Chip map back after opening the door).
- NEW Output Blocktype (useless for now, but hey they're there);
- DDD Naming footprint to volume;
- MI Simulation thread did work it wasn't supposed to do;
- UX can switch between up/onPlane build while holding down mouse click with Shift;
- UX doesn't show the Normal-Based build cursor when not Normal-based is disabled;
- UX Expected Output block indicator moves when the die size changes without a restart of the validation now;
- UX Showing EARLY ACCESS in the main menu;
- SX You need an 8-bit adder to open the door now!
- MI Atmos sound level is not music level;
- MI Benchmark shows used graphical settings, vsync, scale, resolution, and refresh rate;
- MI game doesn't slow down when not in focus anymore;
- MI 8Bits adder now has a carry-in input (breaking);
- MI 8Bits adder auto-generate inputs;
- MI 4bits adder revised validation steps;
- UX Less punchy main menu music;
- UX FreeCam now moves to a random location; the keys used to move the FreeCam show when switched to it. Deactivate visually unused buttons when in FreeCam;
- UX Editor always shows the blueprints button;
- UX can Blueprint > Edit > Blueprint > Edit forever, on exit goes back to the first;
- FIX z-fighting with selected blocks indicator;
- FIX reversed key press on terminals when low framerate;
- FIX crash when focus provider misses a frame;
- FIX Byte adder Challenge button opened the nibble adder one;
- FIX Compact challenge wrongly counting ticks during die size validation; GRADE Not, Nand, And revised Streamlined grade
- FIX Read F4 for start/stop simulation;
- FIX floating pin indicators are removed on ctrl-z;
- FIX Slot switch ghosting tentative fix;
- FIX Multiplier challenge;
- FIX 8Bits Adder wrong step 6;
- FIX Halfbit adder not loading;
- FIX Crash when exiting the terminal when the light turns on;
- FIX Crash when moving readouts;
- FIX Locked out when ESC is pressed on the first screen;
- FIX Mos directly connected to input doesn't show floating pin indicator anymore;
- FIX Crash when switching Imgui context;
- FIX ambient sound not launching;
- FIX Crash on corrupt save file, now a modal shows an error instead;
- FIX NMOS channel didn't show correctly when rotated;
- FIX Floating pin indicator showing when connected at the top;
Your feedback, suggestions, and comments are not just important, they're the lifeblood of this game. We value your input and encourage you to join our Discord server to share your thoughts and ideas!
Thank you for playing Hard Chip, and stay tuned for more updates and new features!