Library Change

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Under the covers, the Coat of Arms Design Studio uses vector graphics.  This style of graphics allows the images to be zoomed in very far without losing detail.  You see this when you export a graphic and can set a very large size of the output image.

Previously, we used a set of libraries for vector graphics called “batik” but this was a few megabytes of code, and that was after narrowing down the specific batik libraries needed.  Now, we’re using the SVG Salamander libraries, which is less than half a megabyte.  So the free version of the Coat of Arms Design Studio went from 4.5 megabytes to 1.5 megabytes.  This results in quicker download times.  (About 1/3 to 1/2 of the remaining 1.5 gigabytes are the mini-images of each symbol.)  The pro version went from 10+ GB to 7+.  It is much larger because all the large graphics are included in the pro version’s single download file.  The free version downloads the large images used as they are needed.

The SVG Salamander libraries are available here.  To upgrade them within the application if another programmer strongly desired: one would need to unjar the existing jar, remove the “kitfox” files and set the classpath to use the new SVG Salamader library.  But those instructions are mostly just for academic/legal reasons.  We plan to keep it updated and there is no reason the existing libraries won’t keep working.

More Shield Shapes, Plus Order Custom Graphics

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Based on a recent suggestion I’ve added three new shield shapes:  circle, vertical flag, and horizontal flag.  These are all in the free and pro versions via the “Select Shield Shape” sub-menu of the “Tools” menu.

And now we’re offering custom charge graphics (symbols and creatures.)  If you’ve got the pro version, you can click the green boxes to add new charges.  A recently added pop-up menu option lets you import/add a custom image.  You can now work with Inkwell Ideas to get exactly the graphic you need.  Even though the software comes with 400 graphics, there’s always a chance it doesn’t have something you need.  In the past I’d take requests and maybe in 6 months it would get added to the software.  Now you’ll be able to get it much faster.  The process goes like this:

  1. Use the “Custom creature or symbol graphic” order button to the left.
  2. You’ll receive an email within minutes of purchasing asking you to send a short description of the creature or symbol to a specific email address.
  3. You’ll get confirmation that assignment has been accepted or a request for more details within one business day. Until the request has been accepted this repeats to ensure you will get the graphic you want.
  4. Your graphic will be emailed to you usually within 2-3 business days.  5 at the most.

You’ll be able to import your graphic into the software immediately using the “Add a custom graphic” option when you click on the green box.  It will work just like the other built-in graphics: it will look sharp even when re-sized, you can move it and you can even re-color it using the Coat of Arms Design Studio.

Even though you can import it immediately, at some point in the future the graphic may be added to the set of built-in graphics or it may be part of some other add-on product.

New Pro Version Features: More Shield Shapes, Import SVG Graphics

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About a week ago a new version of the Coat of Arms Design Studio was released.  Because these are significant new features, I felt it best to “soft launch” the new version.  This concept is to not publicize the change so that if there is a problem it can be fixed before too many people run into the bug.

The new shield shapes are all for users of the Pro version.  Previously in the free and pro versions you could go to the “Options” menu to select a lozenge or plain rectangle in addition to the traditional shield shape.  Now there are five more options, but these new options are only available in the Pro version.  (See the left sidebar to order it.)

Also for Pro version users there is a new option to add an SVG graphic.  When you click on the green squares to add objects to the design, you’ll see an “Add an SVG Image” pop-up menu item.  This is still experimental because it only works properly with about 1/2 of the SVG images I’ve tried, but it is very useful so I thought I would include it now.  It is even more useful that adding other images because it will detect which colors are used in the image and let you change them in the Coat of Arms Design Studio software just like you can with the built-in images. (Resizing and repositioning also work.)  I plan to debug this feature further so it will hopefully work with most SVG graphics.

To see if you’re using the latest version, go to the software’s “Help” menu and select “About.”  The version with these features is version 1.0 or later.  In most cases, you get the updated version when you next use the software.  However, if you bought the pro version and need the download link again you may always email support at inkwellideas dot com to get the download information re-sent to you.

Settling into the New/Old Site

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We’re in the process of re-settling into this site.  We had the site setup this way (but with a different look) over a year ago. However, at the time the server was having issues and it was suggested we do a much lower-tech website.  Other changes occurred in the interim, and now we’ve re-activated the more advanced version of the website, albeit with a different look.  We’re still working on the look, so things may be out of place for a bit.  If you notice something that needs attention, please post a comment.

Oh, and there’s a new version of the software out too.  But it is in a “soft launch” phase (where we don’t promote the update) in case a few of the first people to use it notice problems. There will be a more formal announcement shortly.

Decorative Edge Lines Added to Some Ordinaries

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Decorative line style of a bend dovetailed.

Decorative line style of a bend dovetailed.

In the pro version, you may use decorative edge lines for some ordinaries. Bend, Pale, Fess, Chief and a few other common ordinaries can now be Raguly, Nebuly, Dovetailed, Embattled, etc. Currently there are a couple hundred combinations and we hope/plan to add more!

To change the line style:

  1. Add an ordinary to your design
  2. Once you have selected the specific ordinary type a “Line Style” drop-down-list will be populated with options based on the selected ordinary.  (Note: Not all ordinaries have this feature yet.)

If you’re using the free version the line style options are not available.

Helms, Mantling & Supporters added to the Pro Version

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Example coat of arms with a helm & mantling.

Example coat of arms with a helm & mantling.

The new version of the Coat of Arms Studio has been released! It includes about 50 new charges (a couple creatures but mostly other things such as leaves, a key, staffs, bells, weapons) and several other revised charges. The new charges are those without thumbnail pictures in the software, which will be added shortly. (Screenshot also coming later today.)

For those with the pro version, you can now add Helms, Mantling, Supporters, and other parts of a full achievement! Simply click the green box in the software and choose “Add a Supporter” for supporter or “Add Mantling” for mantling, a torse and helms. The new version is .83 (go to the Help menu and choose “About” to check the version) and pro users should get it automatically. If you don’t get it automatically, simply visit the same download page where you installed it before or email support: support at inkwellideas dot com.

New Coat of Arms Design Studio Version Posted

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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.