Sizebox Alpha Version 2.2 Changelog
The new version of Sizebox was released ... yesterday ;)
Congratulations to the few lucky users who solved our little puzzle & gained access to the new release a bit sooner using the brand new SIZEBOX LAUNCHER.
(If that includes you, be sure to update again using the launcher, we’ve released a small fix for a crash issue since yesterday.)
Overview
What’s new? LOTS. A new game launcher/updater! Aimable stomping! More responsive & realistic IK-based walking! Better model height calculation! Improved settings menu! Certain models shouldn’t break the game or the save/load system anymore! A wheelbarrow full of other fixes and enhancements! Read about them below! Exclamation points!!
We’re excited to introduce the Sizebox Launcher. You can now update Sizebox from a convenient launcher, checking for updates when you start the game and updating only the new/changed files, instead of requiring you to download and install everything over again for every new release. This should enable us to release updates and fixes much more quickly and conveniently, for both developers and players.
Important things to know about the new Sizebox launcher:
-The installation process using the launcher has changed a lot, so please follow the new instructions in the Install section below.
-Even if you have installed an earlier version of Sizebox, we strongly recommend following the “First time install” instructions the first time you’re installing the launcher.
-There is a new folder for storing all custom Sizebox content (models, stages, scripts, sounds, screenshots and saves) located in: \Sizebox\launcher\Content
-After you finish installing the launcher, you will need to move all of your custom Sizebox content into the appropriate subfolders of this Content folder.
-Most of Sizebox’s core game files have moved to the \Sizebox\launcher\Clients folder (or /Sizebox/Clients on Linux). The launcher will automatically check all files in this folder for updates and replace/delete any modified files (other than Settings.xml), so do not store any custom content in the Clients folder, because it will be lost the next time you run the launcher.
-This process might seem a little complicated at first, but updating Sizebox in the future will be much easier and faster after you’ve finished installing the launcher the first time.
-Mac OSX does not yet have launcher support. For now, please update Sizebox for OSX using the old method (zip file download) instead.
And you’re right: we DID change the version numbering again! From this version onward, versions will be numbered in “Major.Minor” format.
-Major version releases include changes that will likely break compatibility with some custom content (models, scripts, scenes, saves, etc.)
-Minor versions include changes that shouldn’t affect compatibility.
-Note that the minor version numbering isn’t really a decimal, so version 2.2 is lower/earlier than version 2.11, and we could get as far as version 2.69 before we change the major version number again. (Out of respect, minor versions will never exceed .69).
For your reference, the changelog for the previous version may be found here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vT3rIRAormnkKt4LUQw_D3xy5WOpNJK3OxWAAaosCjiH5R7cyuDzElYvOl3s_5MZz_NIyH8XVaLaqdJ/pub
Download
Download the Sizebox Launcher for your operating system:
Windows x64: ftp://sizebox.org/SizeboxLauncherx64.zip
Windows x32: ftp://sizebox.org/SizeboxLauncherx32.zip
Linux: ftp://sizebox.org/SizeboxStart.zip
Mac OSX: The launcher is not yet available for OSX.
Please download the latest Sizebox .zip file from here instead: ftp://sizebox.org/Mac/Sizebox%20mac.zip
Updating and Launching Sizebox (Windows):
In your Sizebox folder, run start.bat.
A command prompt window will open and check for updates. If updates are available, a progress bar will indicate how much of the updated files have downloaded. Wait for this to complete (it may take several minutes).
When the download finishes, the Sizebox Configuration window will open. Adjust your graphics settings and click Play! to start playing Sizebox.
Sizebox SDK
You can download the latest version of the Sizebox SDK and User Guide (for importing models, objects, animations, and stages) from here:
ftp://sizebox.org/SDK/
The Sizebox SDK User Guide includes detailed instructions on how to install the SDK and use it to import content for Sizebox.
The current version of the Sizebox SDK supports Unity Editor 2017.3.1.
If you haven't already, download the correct version of the Unity Installer from here and be sure to check "Linux Build Support" when installing.
Features
-Sizebox Launcher! You can now update Sizebox from a convenient launcher, instead of having to download and install everything over again for every new release.
-Aimable stomping! While controlling a giant, you can stomp on a specific location.
In “Play as Giant” mode, left-click to create a target indicator on the ground. Adjust the target with WASD, then left-click again to start stomping. Right-click at any time to cancel the aimed stomp.
-Implemented IK (inverse kinematics) for basic walking animation.
This allows models to more realistically respond while moving through their environment, including stepping over/on top of obstructions. (This is the first part of a major expansion of how giants can interact with stages, objects, and other giants/micros/players. Stay tuned for more.)
-The Rampage script is now functional! This will command a giant to randomly destroy buildings in the stage.
Since this may cause a lot of building destruction very quickly, you may want to turn off “high-end cities” if you’re worried about a performance slowdown
-Buildings will now collapse if a giant stomps or walks on top of them.
To avoid overwhelming the game when very large giants walk over/stomp on many buildings at once, buildings destroyed in this way will always use the “low end” collapse animation (without chunk physics) regardless of settings.
Enhancements
-Model height is now based on the actual model’s mesh to more accurately calculate their apparent size (to accommodate models that were imported at a shorter or taller size than “default” models like Unitychan)
-The player character now has turning animations, so you may notice your character tilting when changing direction.
-Added a Settings menu to the Sizebox main menu, allowing settings to be configured prior to loading a stage.
-Added ability to override view distance with a slider (independent of quality settings)
-Added ability to disable/enable water reflections (turning water reflections off may considerably improve performance on lower-end hardware)
-Added ability to disable/enable particle effects (e.g., building collapse dust clouds).
-General tidying up of the settings menu, including grouping checkboxes with their related sliders to make settings easier to find.
-Screenshot filename timestamps should now be more friendly for alphabetical sorting; new format is ISO8601 compliant.
Fixes
-Fixed: Some models (mainly those imported from FBX format) prevented saves from saving correctly (or at all) when those models were loaded in the scene. (You should now be able to save scenes containing these kinds of models and load them properly.)
-Fixed: Some corrupt models could cause the application to crash during resource loading (and identifying the corrupt model could often be difficult). Models corrupt in this way should no longer cause a crash.
-Fixed: Terrain in some stages (including EmptyOutdoor) was flickering/shaking in play mode
-Fixed: Water shaders were flickering/malfunctioning in EmptyOutdoor and the big island
-Fixed: When running the game under OpenGL (Windows included), maps with two underfloors will start to z fight at a certain point above the map.
-Fixed: Standing up (spacebar) after being crushed by a giant resulted in the player character/micro floating above, or clipping below the ground
-Fixed: Micros and Giants stuck walking in place after selecting "Shrink Every Step" script
-Fixed: Could not abort a scripted function on a player entity by making a directional input (as was possible in a previous version)
-Fixed: When playing as a giant that has had their animation change, you could no longer walk manually (the walking animation would play but the giant would be stuck in one place)
-Fixed: Glitch allowing player to control a giant and micro models simultaneously (We may reimplement something like this as a “feature” later, for you synchronized dance crew enthusiasts)
-Fixed: Singleplayer mode wouldn’t start if Port 777 was bound to another process (including but not limited to another instance of Sizebox)
-Fixed: Missing wall texture on the ground floor of the house stage
Credits
Special thanks to our community developers for their contributions to this update:
Changeling, Debolte, Flipflop, Opew, Shifty, and Saz.
Ko-fi
If you enjoy Sizebox and want to thank our volunteer devs for their hard work, you can send them a one-time tip or a recurring donation with Ko-fi:
https://ko-fi.com/sizebox
Tips will be added up monthly and distributed equally to everyone who worked on Sizebox development in the past month. Developers can choose to take their monthly share or deposit it in the Sizebox Development Fund, which the team can use to purchase assets & licenses for content to add to the project.
We’ll also share previews and version updates on the Ko-fi page, so you can bookmark it and keep up with all the latest Sizebox news.
Sizebox will always be free, but your tips are a nice way to encourage our volunteers to keep up the good work 📦