New Coat of Arms Design Studio Version Posted
Unfortunately not as much got into this update as originally planned. The biggest new feature is the ability to add furs to Ordinaries. (Adding furs to Charges caused a few bugs that I wasn't able to solve quickly so that feature was dropped.) Decorative partition lines was also dropped, but I plan to attack that again in the next version. It is something I really want to get in, but only recently did I have a good approach to writing the code for it. I'm hoping my approach will get even better when I attempt it again.
There are a few new ordinaries such as Quarter Sinister and Canton Sinister and Baton and Baton Sinister by request. I added a slew of new creature charges: Buck's Head Couped, Bull Passant, Bull Rampant, Cameleopard, Centaur, Elephant and Castle, Enfield, Heron, Hind, Leopards' Head Face, Leopard's Head Erased, Leopard's Head Erased Affronte, Moorcock, Paschal Lamb, Ram Salient Demi, Serpent Erect, Serpent Involved, Sphinx, and Unicorn Statant.
I also improved the process I use to get new releases out so things are a bit easier on me and for the Pro version I made the license key work a little better. (It saves the key in a different way.) There are probably a few other minor fixes as well. OK, on to the work of the decorative partition lines unless someone there are some bug reports.
To get the update for the free version, you may need to restart your browser if you used it recently. To confirm you have the update go to the "Help" then "About" menu and you should see version "0.75." If you installed the Pro version with the "new" method (which uses Java Web Start) you should get the update automatically the next time you use the tool and are online. If you used the old method to install the pro version (where you downloaded a zip file and unzipped) you should go to the download page (linked in the email you received with the license) and install the software using the new process.
Next Version Coming Soon
The next version of the Coat of Arms Design Studio will be coming in just a couple of weeks. I've already begun adding features such as a few new ordinaries and the ability to add furs to ordinaries. What would you like to see added? (New features, charges, bugs fixed...)
Software Updated, Name Changed (Slightly)
Sharp regular users have probably noticed a few changes to the software a couple of days ago.
The primary change is that there is now a "Pro" version, which has all the features of the free version plus these special features:
- It runs offline without any internet connection.
- It gives people a larger view of the design (up to your full computer screen.)
- When you save a design, you can make it even larger (thousands of pixels wide by thousands across) as long as you have enough memory for the large graphics.
- You can include your own PNG images in your design, in case the software doesn't have a charge you need.
But not everything was about the pro version. Several new divisions were added to both versions: chevronny, chequy, gyronny, lozengy, and pily.
I had hoped to add several new charges to this release, but couldn't due to time constraints. I expect to put out a small release in the next week or so that will include any needed bug fixes and several new charges.
As for the name change, as someone pointed out I should keep it simple. If I went with some other less-known heraldry term I would probably make it harder for people to understand what the software does. It would also be harder for people to find the tool because they are often searching for something with the words “Coat of Arms.” Furthermore, I could disturb some Heraldry experts if I misused a heraldry term.
So thank you all for the suggestions, but I hope "Coat of Arms Design Studio" is easy to understand. While it is as long as the old name, I hope it flows better.
Help Me Rename the Coat of Arms Visual Designer
Posted by Joe in Miscellaneous, Promotions on November 20th, 2009
While the name "Coat of Arms Visual Designer" accurately describes what the software application does, it is definitely a mouthful. So I'm looking for a new name for the software. I have one idea in mind using the word "Armiger" which means "is a person entitled to use a coat of arms." In Latin it means "armor-bearer." But if someone has another idea (using Armiger or not) please post it in the comments. If I use it you'll certainly get a free license (or else I'll extend your license if you pre-ordered.)
One note though: there already were a couple of products called "Blazon" so I don't want to use that unless that is just one part of the name. (Those products have been discontinued to the best of my knowledge and with all due respect the graphics weren't very rich.) Plus, because the software doesn't actually read blazon and create a coat of arms from the text, it would be a misnomer.
I'll be taking name ideas through November 25th.
Software Updated: Better Shield Shape, Better Name/Motto Scroll and 15 New Charges
Smaller version of a coat of arms created with the software. It has the new shield and scroll shape and one of the new charges.
I released an update to the Coat of Arms Visual Designer software last night. You can access it on the same "Design Software" web page.
This version has a nicer default shield shape. (The prior default shape didn't start to curve until further down the length of the shield, but also the curve was not as smooth. This is closer to the classic french design.) Other shield shape options will be added in time, but for now one can also choose a "Lozenge" (used by noble women) or a plain rectangle. (To switch shield shapes in the software go to the "Tools" menu and choose "Set Shield Shape." Related to this change, many divisions and ordinaries have special behavior so they look more centered. Because this new shield shape (and many others) cut away the sides of the shield toward the bottom, to make some divisions and ordinaries look visually centered, those divisions and ordinaries need to be shifted up when used on these shield designs. I've done that in the most common cases, but I may have a few more to do.
The old and very rectangular name/motto scroll was replaced with a much prettier and curvier scroll based on a scroll from a public domain image.
Finally, 15 new charges were added. 14 are animals: Squirrel erect sejant, stag at gaze, stag lodged, stag statant, stag trippant, talbot passant, talbot rampant, talbot sejant, talbot statant, wolf courant, wolf salient, wolf statant, wyvern erect, and wyvern wings displayed. One new charge is a symbol: trefoil.
Coming next: More charges (this time I'll try to address some of the long overdue requests, but this last time I wanted to do a bunch so I picked some that were relatively easy), more divisions/ordinaries, more shield shapes, and maybe borders, supporters or a downloadable version of the software. (However, I will probably only try for one of those last features per new release.)
Coat of Arms Visual Designer Updates are on the Way
I'm happy to announce that an update for the Coat of Arms Visual Designer is on the way. I was busy with a couple of other projects that prevented me from making updates over the past six months or so. But over the past couple of days I've:
- Set up the project on my new computer.
- Updated the default shield shape with a nicer, smoother curve.
- Went through the process of converting another image from: A Complete Guide to Heraldry by Arthur Charles Fox-Davies and Illustrated by Graham Johnston.
Before the next release, I plan to:
- Convert more images.
- Make an adjustment so that some shield shapes (like the default shield) will have some divisions and ordinaries centered a little higher so they look properly balanced.
- If time permits, get a nicer scroll for the name/motto. (If time doesn't allow for it, I'll get this change in the next update.)
- Make changes so the software can run stand-alone, outside a web browser.
I've gotten several emails with suggestions for the software, but couldn't respond at the time and it seems odd to reply individually weeks later. So let me say thank you, and you'll see at least some of the changes you suggested coming soon. (A few were already mentioned above.)
Heraldry In The News: Eek! Is Lord Sugar dreaming of a mighty mouse rampant?
Posted by Joe in Heraldry in the News on September 9th, 2009
That living genius Lord Sugar of Clapton - who is threatening to sue me for suggesting he was a political minnow ennobled for his telly fame - finds his mighty mind cogitating towards a coat of arms.
I am told his lordship, intelligentsia's answer to Usain Bolt, has been directed to the very top at the College of Arms. Not for him pifflers such as Rouge Dragon Pursuivant or Clarenceux King of Arms. No, matey! Continued...
(Note: I know nothing about UK politics... just posting this article because of the Heraldry references.)
Heraldry in the News: Victoria Raimes meets the outgoing procurator fiscal for the Court of the Lord Lyon – a newly ‘open’ post
Posted by Joe in Heraldry in the News on May 5th, 2009
George Way, the procurator fiscal for the Court of the Lord Lyon, has resigned his position to become a sheriff after six years gatekeeping one of the most important parts of the nation's heritage.
Heraldry in the News: Bishop Morin’s Coat of Arms
Posted by Joe in Heraldry in the News on May 5th, 2009
Armorial Bearings of the Most Reverend Roger Morin, DD
Third Bishop of Biloxi, Mississippi
BLAZON: Arms impaled. To dexter: Or, a lighthouse Argent between to dexter a pine tree Vert and to sinister a crescent encircled by twelve stars all Azure. On a base wavy Azure a fishnet Argent lined Sable, thereupon an anchor between two fish hauriant and addorsed, all Or. (Biloxi) Impaling to sinister: Argent on a fess Gules a cross potent Or between in chief three fleur-de-lis and in base the monogram of Our Lady all Azure. (Morin) The shield is ensigned with an episcopal cross Or in pale behind the shield and surmounted by a galero with cords and six tassels on either side in three rows of one, two and three all Vert. On a scroll below the shield is the motto: "Walk Humbly And Act Justly".