Version 0.960b. Released December 11, 2005
Changes in this version
Major architectural overhaul to improve performance. Mold and edgespot changes should be immediate. Extensibility and scalability are (very) slightly compromised, but the performance gains are worth the tradeoff. Users will really only notice the performance gains.
Added "SAVE" and "LOAD" functionality. A session can be saved locally by pressing the "SAVE" button. The session can be retrieved at a later time by pressing the "LOAD" button. The saved session exists for the current user on the computer running the application. In order to use this feature, you must not have disabled Flash Local Storage (by default, Flash allows ample storage so, unless you've disabled Local Storage, you should be fine). NOTE: Be careful when using "SAVE" as there is no "overwrite warning" dialog.
Added "GALLERY 1" button to launch a child gallery window. The main purpose of this precisely-sized child window is to simplify the screen capture process. The first press of the button will launch the gallery window and display the current gallery. Subsequent presses will push the current state of the main application to the gallery window. Using the gallery window(s) for your screen grabs can greatly reduce the time spent in third-party image editing programs. NOTE: The gallery window opens much like a pop-up. I've tested in the current versions of IE and Firefox on WindowsXP and have not had any problems launching the window. If the gallery window fails to launch for you, you may have a more aggressive pop-up blocker which prevents launching. I'll leave it to you to handle this situation as you see fit.
Implemented "shell/loader" system.
Help dialog automatically displays at startup, and line spacing was changed.
Flipped ASM 312 & 3D14 edgespot orientation 180 degrees.
Updated stack edge artwork.
Added ASM 614(AB) edgespots. (Notes on edgespot naming convention to follow.)
Added Blue Chip 2x18AB edgespots. (Notes on edgespot naming convention to follow.)
Added Blue Chip 8xVAB edgespots. (Notes on edgespot naming convention to follow.)
Issue: The correct number of edgespot color pickers are not enabled when design chip is updated from the gallery, A/B swap, or via a load. FIXED.
Issue: Dragging edge of stack chip "too negative" can cause edge rendering issues. FIXED.
Issue: Single-clicking design chip will occasionally cause weirdness. FIXED.
Issue (internal): Color cycler doesn't group colors correctly. FIXED.
No more annoying Paypal donation buttons! I know how much these disturbed some individuals, so I've removed them and made The Chip Forge a 100% free, no-guilt prototype tool. Besides, I finally completed the initial audit on the mountain of donations I've received and determined that I can now retire comfortably. NOTE: Exactly one of the comments in this section is completely false.
What's next, in the immediate future
Make "GALLERY 2" functional.
Add remaining Blue Chip edgespot patterns?.
Add T.R. King?.
* Features hilighted in this color are Chip Design Network innovations and/or new features available exclusively in the Chip Forge application. The Chip Design Network strives to innovate, while the others rush to imitate.