GameSalad 0.8.8 Beta – Retina Display & iAd Support!

July 12 2010, 6:36pm

Hey, everybody! So, I’m just going to cut to the chase: We’ve got a new version of GameSalad, and it’s kind of a big deal. Sure it took about a week longer to get out than normal, but when we found out that we could cram all this in for only a one-week delay in exchange, we figured it was a no-brainer. We think you’ll agree. In GameSalad 0.8.8 Beta, you’ll find total support for Apple’s new Retina Display. We’ve done this through a system we like to call “Resolution Independence”. Now, when you create a project, you will no longer be tied down to the exact resolution. Instead, you will only choose the device and orientation. This way, you’ll be able to take full advantage of iPhone 4′s double resolution without having to create a separate project. For a little deeper explanation of our new “Resolution Independence” support, check out our video:

Additional material on Resolution Independence can be found in our Wiki. Also in GS 0.8.8 Beta, we are proud to announce our newest Pro Behavior: Show iAd. Yes, iAds are now supported in GameSalad, and available for integration by any Pro member. By integrating iAd support as a behavior, we’ve given you the ability for greater customization in terms of how iAds are put into your game. With this, you can tell iAds to only show up on certain screens, following certain behaviors or events, or even change the location where they appear and their duration. If you’d like a more detailed tutorial on the Show iAd behavior, take a look at this video:

Additional material on “Show iAd” behavior can be found in our Wiki. Of course, that’s not all we’ve brought to GameSalad in 0.8.8. We’ve improved the sound selection screen, now allowing you better dragging and dropping with audio files. We have added a “More” button under ‘Shared Projects’ for easier navigation through all the online projects. Image larger than 1024 in either dimension now have the option of being automatically scaled down upon import, instead of you having to go back into your illustration program and resize. The “Delete” key can now be used to remove actors, sounds, assets, and even scenes. We’ve improved stability even more, resolving a collection of issues and crashes that have bothered users in the past, including a memory leak caused by the particle system. All in all, we think this is a huge update, and really feel this is a version of GameSalad to get excited about. For a detailed breakdown of everything in GameSalad 0.8.8 Beta, here are our release notes for the new version. Enjoy! GameSalad Creator version 0.8.8 beta Features

Show iAd behavior. Pro Membership only. 
Resolution independence. Easy game compatibility for normal and iPhone4 resolution. 
Imported images larger than 1024 in either dimension can be scaled down to 1024. 
Imported images and sounds with duplicate names can be automatically renamed to a unique name. 
Feedback status wheel added when opening shared projects.
 ‘More’ button added to the Shared Projects tab of the Dashboard to show more projects.

Fixes


Delete key on a keyboard can be used to delete actors, scenes, and sounds assets. When a Rule or Group is created to encompass a selected behavior(s), the behaviors will stay in their current location instead of shifting to the bottom of the view.
 Behaviors can now be dragged between different projects safely.
 Particle system memory leak fixed.
 Crash fixes. Sound assets in the media pane can be dragged in and out of the project via the icon.

GameSalad Viewer for iPhone version 0.8.8 beta Features



Support for Resolution Independence testing.
 Support for Show iAd behavior. OS4 only.

GameSalad Viewer for iPad version 0.8.8 beta Features



Support for Resolution Independence testing.
 Project compatibility for Show iAd behavior. 


GameSalad Web Plugin version 0.8.8 beta Features


Project compatibility for Resolution Independence and iAds updates

There, you have it. GameSalad 0.8.8 is here! Remember, ALWAYS update your preview player to match the version of the GameSalad Creator you are currently using to build your game. Also, for those updating to GameSalad 0.8.8, you will be required to download and agree to the Apple iPhone OS 4.0 SDK Agreement in order to get the viewer to function properly. You can find all the info you need about upgrading to iOS 4 SDK on Apple’s website.

Download GameSalad 0.8.8 Beta Check out Resolution Independence Video & Wiki Tutorials Check out iAd Pro Behavior Video & Wiki Tutorials Upgrade to Apple iPhone 4.0 SDK Talk About this Release on the Forums

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