Launcher First Images

[PyTom]

Here's some images from the launcher.

I'm debating releasing 5.6.2 without any of the new games, and slipping them back to 5.6.3 or later. I'm going to be giving a "Making Visual Novels" talk at MangaNext, and I think I'd like to show people how to use the new interface, rather then teaching them the old way.

Thoughts?

[yummy]

Sounds nice but I wonder how far can the interface be 'creator friendly'.

As there is likely to be a default template and multi-tools ready, it sure will help many future creators familiarise with Ren'Py. I think it's one step to make people realise how Ren'Py could help them creating visual novels (and the likes).

I think that people still would like to shape their game to their liking, so maybe if that's the case they would ask for a way to customize.
I know that this is a particular issue.

Well, if there are problems, they can always ask their questions here and I'm sure the community will give them a hand

I have one question though: what does the "edit script" button do when clicked ? (besides enabling script edition)
Does it launch Scite? Is there a script editor embedded in the launcher?
(Ah that makes 3 questions actually)

[Jake]

I'm going to be giving a "Making Visual Novels" talk at MangaNext, and I think I'd like to show people how to use the new interface, rather then teaching them the old way.

Thoughts?

Seems to make sense to me. Why not 'slip' the new demo to 5.7 to avoid any potential confusion and give you breathing room to keep going with any necessary minor updates 'til the assets are all ready?

I'm also curious about the 'edit script' button. Mainly 'cause I habitually put different functional areas in different files, thus all the copies of the Ren'Py directory I have lying around that I've done work in have more than one .rpy file in...
(I guess my ideal functionality would be for the launcher to open all of them in SciTE with the one with the start: label in in the first tab, but I'm well aware I'm not the target demographic for these things... )

[PyTom]

The default behavior of the edit script button is:

1) Determine the editor. If RENPY_EDITOR is set, that's what is used. Otherwise, the default will be SciTE on Windows/Linux, and probably Smultron on Mac. (The default editor the launcher finds is exported to child programs, so shift+E will work out of the box, more or less.)

2) Find all the .rpy files in the game directory.

3) Order them as follows: script.rpy, options.rpy, all other files.

4) Launch them in the editor.

I'm expecting that from 5.6.2 onwards, the preferred game layout of a Ren'Py game will contain at least two scripts: script.rpy and options.rpy. script.rpy will contain the story, while options.rpy will consists of setting config variables and themes. The idea is the first thing people see when editing a script should be something that looks alot like a game script, and not a slew of variable setting.

[RedSlash]

The interface looks really neat. I'd have a tendency to put in as a autorun on a CD distribution. Since "Edit script" will launch SciTE on Win/Lnx, does that mean SciTE will be bundled with the distribution?

[PyTom]

The interface looks really neat. I'd have a tendency to put in as a autorun on a CD distribution. Since "Edit script" will launch SciTE on Win/Lnx, does that mean SciTE will be bundled with the distribution?

It's not really intended for use as an autorun, as some of the functions require that Ren'Py be on a read-write medium.

I do plan on bundling SciTE with Ren'Py. It's fairly small, and gets people a nice editing environment right out of the box. The big focus of the 5.6 series is the out-of-box experience of a new Ren'Py user.

[mikey]

I like the approach, the options and technicalities in separate files... The launcher is pretty straightforward, it took me some time to understand what exactly it meant (that you could switch between projects and create a new one that you can distribute - from within that interface), but then it made perfect sense. Looks really nice. I didn't know such a launcher was in development, sure it's not a game-making GUI, but it will help a lot I think, especially with all the tools and opening the game directory, so you can drag and drop files... at least those people who still haven't found Total Commander ^_^

The big focus of the 5.6 series is the out-of-box experience of a new Ren'Py user.

Have you been taking marketing courses lately?

[PyTom]

Have you been taking marketing courses lately?

No, but I do read blog posts, and I realize that one thing that sorta turns people off is the big gray wall of code you get when you open script.rpy in notepad. So I want to fix that, by making it an understandable and brightly colored wall of code.

Updated the tools screen.

[mikey]

I meant the way you put it... as "out-of-box experience" and so on, it had that suspiciously... "back-of-the-box" language to it.

[monele]

Coolness. I'm certain this will tremendously help any new (and old too, actually) maker ^.^.
I like the fact you separated the tools in two such categories ^^

[Alessio]

Wow. Amazing. How is the handling of multiple projects going to work - one interpreter but different sets of directories?

[DaFool]

Looks like fun

Although, using something other than Notepad intimidates me

Make sure it cleans itself up (whatever that means) and that the user doesn't inadvertently end up making accidental changes to the launcher instead of the game itself.

[Jake]

Although, using something other than Notepad intimidates me

Really, SciTE - with its auto-indenting and indentation visuals and syntax-highlighting and so on - is so much easier to use than Notepad that it's silly to be intimidated.

[Watercolorheart]

Although, using something other than Notepad intimidates me

Really, SciTE - with its auto-indenting and indentation visuals and syntax-highlighting and so on - is so much easier to use than Notepad that it's silly to be intimidated.

I find it helps more than it hurts; I live off SciTE and have a shortcut in both my Start Menu and my PersonalBrain (a program).

It's extremely simple to use, most of the functions are aimed at displaying the code in an easy to understand and manageable way. It cuts down on some of the debug work.

[RedSlash]

SciTE is a good editor and loads just as fast as notepad, which is great! It should integrate nicely with the launcher.