processing4/processing/app/notes.txt

ABOUT REV 0015

known issues:

- this version of processing is even more sketchy than many other
  ones. but maybe it fix two huge issues, so i'm releasing it
  anyways with this caveat. just go back to 14 or another one if this
  gives you too much trouble.


features and tweaks:

- includes a strange hack that fixes the CommPortInUseException that
  had been so annoying, forcing you to restart processing to run your
  apps. the downside is that the fix means that if there's an error in
  your app, you have to check the console (the msdos prompt) for the
  error line, because it won't get highlighted automatically

- switch to the IBM's java virtual machine. it seems stabler than the
  sun one, and sun's stinks because of that nasty screen flickering
  bonanza that starts after you've been running processing for a bit.


ABOUT REV 0014

features and tweaks:

- completely flat, unresized images are now significantly faster. this
  affects any time that you use image(img, x, y) and you haven't yet
  used translate/rotate/scale/etc. 

- thin, one pixel lines are much much faster, provided you aren't
  scaling them larger, by say scale(10) or something like that.

- new version of java compiler (kjc) that hopefully sucks less.

- bezierCurve() and catmullRomCurve() have reappeared


bugs fixed:

- way too many OutOfMemoryErrors and maybe that nasty flickery/jumpy
  thing.

- 3D calls to vertex() weren't making things 3D unless a translate or
  a rotate was used


known issues:

- flickery/jumpy thing after the applet runs for a little while. this
  is a bug in sun's java virtual machine (i can't actually program the
  pyrotechnics you're seeing on your screen) but may have resurfaced
  due to low memory conditions because run.bat was screwed up. so the
  problem may be fixed. hopefully. maybe. hmm. 

- i've tweaked a bunch of stuff in this release but haven't had a lot
  of time to test. things look like they're doing much better. but as
  is the case with any release, you can always go back to a previous
  version if the new one gives you too much trouble.


ABOUT REV 0013

features and tweaks:

- you can set the background color to be used when your applet is
  in full screen mode. in lib/pde.properties change the line
  fullscreen.bgcolor=#0080ff
  to include whatever color you want. the syntax is the same as web
  pages, although you aren't limited to the web palette.

- screenGrab() functionality! get happy.
  add screenGrab() at the end of your loop() function to produce
  a series of numbered tiff-format images that can be imported 
  into a video editing app. or call screenGrab() when the mouse is
  pressed to take quick snapshots. 

- colorcube applet is updated to the current release.
  it is also now included in the sketchbook/examples directory.

- for the technically inclined or curious, the source code for
  ProcessingApplet is included in the sketchbook/standard directory.
  it's not particularly pretty, since it's continually changing, but
  can be useful if you're wondering about how things work.


bugs fixed:

- the fix for rev 12 wasn't actually included in rev 12. grr.
  this implies 1) i'm an idiot, and 2) rev 11 and 12 are the same.

- ellipse was drawing opposite the direction of the origin.

- default program now actually works--replaced colorScale()

- editor was selecting the wrong line for errors. 


ABOUT REV 0012

this was a simple fix for a big problem... programs that included
'extends ProcessingApplet' didn't work and gave a cryptic error
message. other than that, no new features.


ABOUT REV 0011

i've changed (broken) enough things in this new release that i'm
writing down a list of changes. your programs may run a little funny
in rev 11, but it's all for the better in the long run. let me know if
you have trouble getting things to work. and of course, keep a copy of
rev 9 around in case things go wrong.

that said, rev 11 should be a much happier place to work. due to the
harrassment of your classmates, i've completed (simple) font support,
among other things.

[for those who missed rev 10, it only existed for 15 minutes, because a
bug was found as i was preparing to send it out.]



FONTS are working. a simple example:

void setup() {
  size(300, 300);
  setFont(loadFont("fonts/Univers76.vlw.gz"));
  fill(200, 200, 00);
  background(10, 70, 200);
}

void loop() {
  rect(10, 10, 100, 100);
  translate(mouseX, mouseY);
  scale(20, 20);
  text("I'm a little typeface short and stout", 0, 0);
}

the 0, 0 part at the end of 'text' is the x, y location to put it. 
the scale(20, 20) means 20 point font (fonts are 1 pixel high). 
(note that with the scale() in there, the x, y coords for text() will
also be multiplied by 20x.)

bunch of cheezy fonts are included in a 'fonts' directory. not
sure if i'll include these in the future, but at least it's a start.



IMAGES are working. a simple example:

BagelImage b;

void setup() {
  size(300, 300);
  fill(100);
  b = loadImage("max_van_kleek.gif");
}

void loop() {
  image(b, mouseX, mouseY);
}

this drags poor max around the screen with the mouse position. the
image should be in the same directory as run.bat. jpeg images can be
used too.



RANDOM() functions, more random than ever

// get a float between 0 and 40, or [0..40) for math weenies
float a = random(40);

// get a float between -1 and 1
float b = random(-1, 1);

// get an int between 0 and 9
int c = (int) random(10);



PIXELS... you want them

pixels[] is an int array that contains all of the image data from the
screen, in ARGB format (packed into ints). play away.

if you don't know what that means and would like to use the pixel
array directly, let me know.



FIXED WIDTH FONTS

make-your-own-fixed-width-fonts-in-photoshop are supported.
but i'm not gonna bother documenting them unless someone asks.



ALTERCATIONS

+ rect(x, y, width, height) instead of rect(x1, y1, x2, y2)

+ ellipse(x, y, width, height) instead of oval

+ box(size) instead of cube()

+ box(width, height, depth) instead of box(x1, y1, z1, x2, y2, z2)

+ sphere(size) stays the same

+ image() instead of imageRect()

+ translate(x, y) in addition to translate(x, y, z)

+ scale(size) and scale(x, y) in addition to scale(x, y, z)

+ rotate(angle) rotates by angle in 2D

+ rotateX, rotateY, rotateZ (angle) each rotate by angle 
  around their respective axes

+ transform( .. 16 floats here .. ) if you think you're matrix math
  genius and wanna play with your own transformations



LESS ANNOYANCE

+ no longer write software backwards! new shapes being drawn actually
replace older shapes, even when using flat, 2D surfaces. 

+ no need to use 'extends KjcProcessingApplet' anymore, just use
'extends ProcessingApplet', and processing will figure out whether
the 'Kjc' part is relevant or not.



PROBABLY NEVER NOTICED

+ colorScale() no longer exists. use colorMode(RGB, ...)
  instead, where ... is whatever you would've put inside colorScale()

+ included run95.bat for people who are using 95/98/ME. you can use
  this .bat if run.bat opens a dos window and closes it quickly
  without starting processing. just put processing at the base of your
  c: drive in a folder called 'processing'.