PPM SVN: Dead and back, dead and back!
November 05, 2024 - 00:17
Welcome back, commander! Welcome back! PPM SVN is back from the dead! All we need is patience, young Jedi, because things get fixed.... in this specific case, by the Dark Lord of the Sith, which was the username that Phil was known at the Revora Forums.

With the SVN, our programs such as OS SHP Builder, Voxel Section Editor III and OS .BIG Editor works again! And you can download the latest beta versions of these programs, which may include 3D model export support for Voxel Section Editor III to .ZIP files support for OS .BIG Editor.

Now we can resume our progress with our tools! Expect good things soon!



About PPM SVN's downtime!
November 02, 2024 - 15:47
Hello everyone! For those trying to download the latest beta versions of OS SHP Builder, Voxel Section Editor III, and OS .BIG Editor or using the auto-update/install from OS SHP Builder and Voxel Section Editor III, we have temporary bad news for you. PPM SVN will be down for some time until we figure out a fix for it.

Recent changes on the server admin software forced us to change some PHP settings in the server, and the changes prevented some critical code of any subversion software from being activated by PHP. I am looking for alternatives. If everything else fails, I will have to surrender to GitHub, but that would destroy the auto-update/install tool.

Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause. It is causing me a big headache already. I'll mirror the latest beta versions of these programs in PPM in the next hours.

Hi everyone! Reinforcements have arrived from paint.net as Paint.NET 5.0 Beta (build 9072) has been recently published by their crew. For those unaware of what is being written here, paint.net is a free and open-source image and photo editing software for Windows with quite a rich set of features. Here are the updates from Paint.NET 5.0 Beta (build 9072):

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This is a quick follow-up to the previous build, fixing a few more small bugs and improving performance.

Change Log

Changes since 5.1 beta (build 9070):

  • Fixed a few more cases where tool shortcuts and tooltips were not working after certain actions.
  • Fixed: PNGs are now correctly saved with the “Software” tEXt metadata indicating they were created with Paint.NET.
  • Improved performance in various parts of the rendering and effects engines: CPU usage has been reduced, which permits higher GPU utilization.



Changes since 5.1 beta (build 9066):

  • Fixed: Copy/Paste has been hardened against short-term intermittent errors and should no longer show spurious error dialogs (e.g. ERROR_ACCESS_DENIED) except in legitimate cases.
  • Fixed: Certain shortcut keys, especially for switching tools, will no longer stop functioning if a floating window (e.g., Tools) is hidden and then shown by clicking on the button at the top right of the main window.
  • Fixed: Tooltips in the Tools window will no longer stop functioning if a floating window (e.g., Tools) is hidden and then shown by clicking on the button at the top right of the main window.
  • Removed the “Scrolling past the edge of the image (over scroll)” checkbox from Settings. This was enabled by default, and now it is always enabled.
  • Fixed: The installer was occasionally showing an error about an InvalidGraphConfigurationException on some systems
  • Added a KnownColorSpace API for plugins so they can create IColorContexts and IDeviceColorContexts for the Display P3 and ProPhoto RGB color spaces



Changes since 5.1 beta (build 9064):

  • Fixed: @BoltBait‘s TextFunFactory plugin was not working on Windows 10 due to the lack of support for IDWriteFontFace6 (despite what Microsoft’s documentation states)


You can check more information about paint.net by visiting the Official Website. paint.net is available for download Here. And that's all for now! Have fun and enjoy paint.net!

Howdy! patrickwieth has posted a new version of YouMustConstructAdditional.. called YouMustConstructAdditional v0.95.41. For your information, YouMustConstructAdditional.. is a Real-Time-Strategy game that uses the OpenRA engine. It forks Combined Arms, and it strives to create massive battles with GDI, Nod, Scrin, Allies, Soviet, and China.  Here are the official words about YouMustConstructAdditional v0.95.41:

Quote:
This patch brings 2 new big things that deserve some text in front of the bullet points:

The first thing is a complete rework of how the Phasing Palette effect works. This is what one sees when applying Iron Curtain, Suppression, Frenzy, Shield, Radiation, and some other things to a unit. In the future, more effects will move into this behavior, which is currently rather static. The change was motivated by a bug that happened with voxel units, where their shadow popped through the unit once such an effect was applied. This is fixed, and the Phasing effect now phases the color of the unit from the remapped team colors, whereas in the past, it would directly remove the team colors and strip over its own colors (of the Phasing effect). This means players can still see the team colors when a unit is under such an effect, and the transition happens more naturally. This includes some changes to the engine, so crashes may happen where I did not test enough. Sorry, please report crashes so I can fix them.



New Features

  • Phasing Palette effect now works completely differently. Phasing effects now phase out of the remapped team color into the effect for most units and effects.
  • Voxel units now have more saturated colors to match the style of the old sprites.
  • Voxel Turrets now have recoil.
  • Helicopters no longer have an ammo pool and can fire indefinitely.
  • Mammoth now has a new model. The old model did not really fit the GDI style.
  • Longbow is now Eurocopter and gets a new voxel model.
  • Black Hawk gets a new voxel model and is now Sea Hawk.
  • Sea Hawk has an upgrade now for Bunker Buster missiles. This is to take out a single defense building fast and suit the role of recon and spec ops missions with the Sea Hawk.
  • Hind gets a new voxel model.
  • Chinook gets a new icon.

Balancing

  • Most helicopters have infinite ammo now.
  • Katyusha Launcher turns faster to make it more mobile.
  • Venom Heavy Laser can now also shoot other aircraft (like other Venoms).
  • Torpedos from helicopters are buffed.
  • Chainneler Tank (Scrin) no longer throws chained rifts at allied units and gets a small damage buff.
  • Force Shield now also applies to defense buildings, and the cooldown has been reduced (for normal and Nukular mode)

Bug Fixes

  • Fixed the shadow of the voxel unit shining through the unit after Flickering Palette effects were applied.
  • Fixed the Blackhand Trooper icon.
  • Fixed the Comanche icon in Commander Tree.
  • Fixed the Venom icon in Commander Tree.
  • Fixed the Cryo Blast palette bug.
  • Fixed crashes for voxel vehicles that leave a husk after destruction.
  • Fixed a bug that made Spec Ops infiltrate without any effect.
  • Fixed a bug that applied poison to drivers of vehicles after being hit by an energy weapon.


For further information about YouMustConstructAdditional.., visit the Official Website, and Discord Channel. You can download YouMustConstructAdditional v0.95.41 Here. That's all, folks! Stay tuned at PPM for more news coverage on YouMustConstructAdditional..!

Krita v5.2.8: major fix for Android!
November 02, 2024 - 15:23
Howdy! Krita has been receiving bug-fix patches in recent months. One of them, possibly 5.2.7 or 5.2.6, has prevented the Android version of the program from running. Today they have released 5.2.8 which runs on Android again. For those unfamiliar with it, Krita is a free and open-source graphics editor for digital art and 2D animation. It features an advanced brush engine, non-destructive layers and masks, group-based layer management, vector artwork support, color management support, and switchable customization profiles.

You can find more information about Krita by visiting the Official Website. You can grab the latest version of Krita by clicking Here. And that's all regarding Krita for now. Stay tuned at PPM for more news about Krita!

CnC-DDraw 7.0 has been released!
November 02, 2024 - 15:13
Aloha! FunkyFr3sh, the leader of CnC-DDraw, has been busy recently in order to post CnC-DDraw 7.0. CnC-DDraw is a rendering alternative for old games that uses Direct Draw, making them compatible with newer systems and improving their graphics. You can use it on games like Command & Conquer Gold, Command & Conquer: Red Alert, Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun, Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2, Carmageddon, Carmageddon 2, Warcraft 2, StarCraft, Diablo, Diablo 2, Age of Empires, Age of Empires II, Theme Hospital, Populous: The Beginning, Outlaws, Dungeon Keeper, Dark Reign: The Future of War, Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds, Atomic Bomberman, Dune 2000, Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee, Commandos, Red Baron 3D, F-16 Multirole Fighter, F-22 Raptor, Nox, among others. Here are the official words about CnC-DDraw 7.0:

Quote:
Changelog

  • All proxy dlls were rebuilt using petool and should have a better compatibility now (See proxy-dlls.zip)
  • Added support for Diablo II: Lord Of Destruction 1.14d (See proxy-dlls.zip)
  • Fixed slow game start in older versions of Diablo II: Lord Of Destruction (See proxy-dlls.zip)
  • Added support for Balls of Steel v1.2 (See proxy-dlls.zip)
  • Added support Final Liberation: Warhammer Epic 40000 [GOG Version] (See proxy-dlls.zip)
  • NexusTK can now be started multiple times (See proxy-dlls.zip)
  • Does now support more games without the need for compatibility modes (fixed privileged instruction crash)
  • Added new .ini setting "center_window=" to optionally center window to screen when the game changes the display resolution
  • Fixed a bug with the OpenGL renderer on VMware Windows XP virtual machines
  • Does now support Windows ME (see cnc-ddraw_legacy_WindowsME.zip)
  • Fixed an error message in cnc-ddraw config.exe on Windows 2000
  • Fixed stuttering in Captain Claw (and possibly some other games)
  • Window can now be resized on Linux and macOS
  • Window can now be maximized on Linux and macOS
  • Updated the Worms Armageddon preset and added a Wiki entry for it
  • New .ini setting "keytogglefullscreen2" to toggle windowed with a single key press
  • New .ini setting "keytogglemaximize2" to toggle maximize with a single key press
  • Added a preset for Age Of Wonders 1
  • Added a preset for Hooligans: Storm over Europe
  • Fixed a bug with downscaling that happened when integer scaling (boxing=true) was enabled
  • Fixed a bug where games would still react to keyboard input despite being in the background
  • Added support for TianLong BaBu


You can learn more about CnC-DDraw by visiting the Official Website. Grab the latest version of CnC-DDraw by clicking Here. And this is all for today! Enjoy CnC-DDraw and provide your feedback about it so it can get better.

Are you picking this up? Good! SWR Productions, the developers of Rise of The Reds, have recently shared some progress done with this project with the public. For your information, Rise of The Reds is a classic and popular modification for C&C Generals: Zero Hour that adds two completely new factions: the tank-heavy Russian Federation and the defense-oriented European Continental Alliance. It also greatly expands the three original factions with several new units, buildings, powers, and abilities to explore and combine with your in-game tactics. Here is what was posted about it:

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Good morning, everyone. We hope you've all been well.

This is a bit of a shorter update this week, covering some updated models and another forgotten render.
Let's get into it:



The Chinese People's Liberation Army has experimented with flamethrower-armed tanks since the mid-20th century, such as by attaching numerous heavy flame projectors to T-34 tanks. By the early 21st century, a more refined successor to these early testbeds had entered service as the original Dragon Tank, which saw extensive use during the GLA War.

Against dug-in insurgents in urban and mountainous environments, the Dragon proved a terrifying and effective weapon. However, the crews reported numerous shortcomings, from a lack of proper air conditioning and cooling that provided much discomfort to safety issues in regard to the protection of fuel tanks and ease of escape in the event of a fire. Another critical problem was the lack of controllability of the flamethrower itself, as crews found themselves unable to effectively adjust the duration, pressure, and dispersion of a flame burst.

Many of these issues were addressed with the successor model developed in the 2030s. Most notably, the new Dragon Tank features an improved fire control system and a much more sophisticated flamethrower, allowing for fine adjustment of fire output. In addition to the standard "stream" and sweeping "wall of fire" attack patterns, the weapon can be set to release highly controlled bursts, producing a kind of "fire ball" that can reach targets at significantly longer distances, disperse on impact to cover a larger area and even induce a localized firestorm when several Dragon Tanks saturate the same area. Predictably, the new tank was used with distinction against GLA-affiliated forces in Africa, and it saw some success on the export market with sales to North Korea, Pakistan, and Nigeria.

Render Description: MARS2588

The Dragon Tank has been an integral part of the faction since its inclusion in the original game. However, its design was very... we'll be nice and say... "Unique"... Yeah, that'll do.
So we have decided to create a new Dragon Tank model that feels a little more grounded and more accurately reflects the fact that these are rather tanky units built to survive against lots of sustained infantry attacks - and to live up to the 'Dragon' moniker in the name.

There are some special things of note with this new model, the first being that much like the 1.87 Dragon Tank, the turret does change to reflect the fire mode of the Dragon Tank, may it be the 'Fire-Stream' attack or the 'Fireball' attack. Also, we have taken this opportunity to add variants to the model in line with other Chinese units, so keep an eye out on the streams to see if you can identify all of them and what makes them all different.



Ever since the devastating GLA attacks of 2019, Speaker Towers have become a universal feature of Chinese military facilities, factories, and public spaces. They are used for a variety of purposes, such as public announcements and warnings in the event of attacks or natural disasters. Outside these situations, their primary day-to-day use is in broadcasting propaganda, typically in the form of patriotic songs or uplifting messages from the local party committee. In a military context, such motivational propaganda serves to maintain and restore the strength of Chinese forces. Having become permanent fixtures in the environment over the years, the towers are often outfitted with additional equipment.

The Sensor Tower features a distinctive array of antennas capable of intercepting a variety of signals, from radar emissions to military radio traffic to common phone and wi-fi signals. These towers act as the omnipresent ears of the Chinese security services in cities and military bases, where they detect stealthy trespassers and seditious elements in the surrounding area.

(The second already known variant is the Jammer Tower, which acts as a stationary ECM missile deflector. It has not been changed and remains in the game, but it deserves a tangential mention here for the sake of completeness and clarity)

Render Description: MARS2588



A third variant is particularly widespread throughout central and eastern China, where reconstruction of cities and industrial centers has been ongoing since the destruction of the Three Gorges Dam and subsequent flooding of the Yangtze River. These so-called Repair Towers are equipped with utility cranes to aid in repairing damaged buildings and infrastructure around them.

Render Description: MARS2588

Finally, we have a new version of the Speaker Tower. The new Repair Tower is part of a new universal change where all factions will have some passive way of healing structures beyond their construction unit. This change is aimed at our PvE audience to help take some of the busy work out of defense lines and to reduce the frustration of having Dozers and Workers run off and die on the front lines. You have already seen another one of these repair structures with the recently revealed GLA Crane Tunnel.

We also realized we never uploaded a render of the Sensor Tower. This mistake has now been rectified. Though, of special note, Tier-2 Detectors like the Sensor Tower, Predator Drones, or Mobile Sensor Arrays are now the only way to detect Disguised units like Observation Vans or Bomb Trucks, so when fighting GLA, we advise teching to get this level of detection ASAP or have your fingers ready on that Control Key to force fire and destroy them before they close ranks and cause carnage.

That's all for this week. We hope you enjoyed it, and we shall see you at the next one!
Flameo-my-hotmans.


For further information about Rise of The Reds, visit the Official Website, Forums, ModDB Profile, Discord Channel, and YouTube Video Channel. And that's all for now!

Welcome back, visitors! The team from Contra has recently published a new announcement about it for the community. Contra is a modification for Command & Conquer Generals: Zero Hour that redefines the experience of the game with new units, graphics, and adds general superpowers. It adds 3 new generals, it also improves the AI greatly, and introduces super units, among many other gameplay changes, balance changes, and bug fixes. Here is the official announcement from Contra:

Quote:
Hello all!

For quite some time, we were thinking and discussing how to get laser generals GP-s and laser (red-green-blue-violet) updates in order without affecting gameplay balance in the wrong way.
Finally, combining them with a special structure, we now have a great solution and something new for you to control.



The Laser Control Station is available at rank 1. It grants access to the Target Designator satellite, increasing the damage to affected units by 33%.

At rank 3, Laser Station starts distributing stronger lasers to laser-armed units. A single upgrade is applied every 2 minutes. Red lasers are upgraded to Green, and Green lasers are upgraded to Blue. Any unit has the potential to reach Blue lasers at rank 3 if it stays alive for long enough.

At rank 5, the Laser Wavelength Intensifier upgrade becomes available at the Station, which applies a single upgrade unconditionally. This means that all units will come out with Green lasers by default, and units that had Blue lasers will get upgraded with Violet lasers - the most powerful one.

Keep the Station alive to keep a regular flow of more powerful lasers to your army.




Thank you all, and stay tuned for more updates!


If you are curious about Contra, visit the Official Website, Forums at Revora, ModDB Profile, and Discord Channel to obtain further information about it. And this is all we can offer for today regarding Contra!