BattleScribe Army List Creator

BattleScribe 2.03.00 Released!

noreply@blogger.com (Jonskichov) — Thu, 22 Aug 2019 19:47:00 +0000

BattleScribe 2.03.00 brings another batch of data format changes and quality of life improvements for data authors. Hopefully these should help authors reduce the size of their data files, and eliminate some unneeded complexity.

Mobile and desktop users of Roster Editor will still need to update to make use of data files created in the new version, though you won't see any major changes... Yet. This release provides the foundation for an upcoming feature that you might like quite a bit...

Data Editor

Categories on Selection Entries can be added and removed using Modifiers.
Categories can be set to primary or unset from primary using Modifiers which should make it much easier to move Entries between Categories without using multiple show/hide Modifiers.
Costs can now be added directly to Entry Links meaning you can set costs for linked items directly, rather than using complex Modifiers to adjust costs after the fact.
Catalogue Links can now indicate whether or not root Selection Entries should be imported. Shared items will still be imported, meaning you have access to shared items without cluttering your Catalogue with unneeded Selection Entries.
Root Selection Entries and Entry Links can indicate whether they are imported if their Catalogue is imported.

You can discuss this release on the Reddit thread.

BattleScribe 2.02.01 Released!

noreply@blogger.com (Jonskichov) — Tue, 23 Apr 2019 09:31:00 +0000

Update: There was a bug in 2.02.00 that caused rosters to be deleted as "corrupted" in some cases (oops...). This has now been fixed in version 2.02.01. The update is now available on desktop and is rolling out on Android. It will become available for iOS as soon as it's approved by Apple. I have requested an expedited review from Apple so hopefully it won't be long. Apologies for the inconvenience.

BattleScribe 2.02.01 is here!

This update brings some data format changes and additions that give data authors more tools and flexibility, and improves quality of life. While this update mainly focuses on data editing, mobile and desktop users of the Roster Editor should notice some nice speed and memory improvements when creating or loading rosters. Nice!

Note: BattleScribe 2.02.00 includes significant data format changes. Loading rosters and updating data may take longer to begin with as your old data files are upgraded. It is highly recommended that you update BattleScribe on all your computers and devices.

All Platforms

Significant memory and performance improvements when creating or loading rosters. This should help prevent some memory related crashes when using large data files (I'm looking at you Legiones Astartes), however this will still depend on your device. Your mileage may vary.

Data Editor

Catalogues can now be imported into other Catalogues using Catalogue Link elements. This allows sharing of elements between multiple Catalogues.
Catalogues can be marked as a "library." Library Catalogues are only used for importing into other Catalogues. They are not listed when creating a Roster.
New "Primary Catalogue" query scope allows Conditions to check whether an Entry has been imported into a particular Catalogue.
Entry Links can now contain child Selection Entries, Selection Entry Groups and Entry Links.
New Modifier Group element which can contain multiple Modifiers and Modifier Groups which are all applied together according to a single set of Conditions.
New Info Group element which can contain multiple Rules and Profiles along with Modifiers for the entire Group.
New Publication root element replaces the book field. Child elements select a publication via a drop-down.
All "Entry" elements can now contain Rules, Profiles, Info Groups and Info Links for improved consistency.
Characteristic values are now XML text elements meaning formatting should work properly.
Unneeded empty XML tags are no longer written to files when saving.

You can discuss this release on the Reddit thread.

BattleScribe 2.01 Released!

noreply@blogger.com (Jonskichov) — Fri, 16 Jun 2017 12:11:00 +0000

The new edition of a certain GrimDark game system is almost upon us. BattleScribe has your back.

Some Important Notes

The latest version on all platforms is 2.01.02. Make sure you are up to date!
Version 2.01 involves a data format change. This means your old data files need to be upgraded, which will take some extra time when loading a file for the first time.
If you have any trouble with the update (or just want to skip the data file upgrade time!), make sure you delete and re-download your data!
Any questions? Feel free to post on the BattleScribe subreddit.
If you like playing games in the grim darkness of the far future, I suggest you check Manage Data...

The Road to 2.01

BattleScribe 2.00 was released in November 2016 ~~to much fanfare~~ with a lot of problems. Performance was poor, and there were quite a few bugs and crashes lurking in the dark corners. Since then there have been a large number of updates, bringing BattleScribe 2.00 back to where it needs to be: fast, stable and powerful. There's even been some new features and improvements along the way!

There is always more to do of course. Loading times on mobile can still be long (particularly on older devices), and there is ample room for more performance optimisations. Rest assured I will continue to work on BattleScribe; hunting bugs, improving performance and adding new features. Make sure you keep the app (and your data) up to date!

I really hope you enjoy the new version of BattleScribe. It's taken a long time to get here, but I think it's been worth it. If you like it, I encourage you to tell your friends, share this post, leave an app store review or even become a supporter!

So What's New?

Since I've not posted here for a while, this list will contain the main changes and updates since 2.00 was released. For more details, take a look at "What's New" within the app itself.

File format and engine changes to support the new edition of Warhammer 40,000. These changes introduce a new layer of power and flexibility for all data authors.
Huge overhaul of the Manage Data screen/dialog - you can now add data directly from the app without having to go to an external website.
Roster sharing improvements. You can quickly share your rosters to Facebook, Reddit, forums and more with sensible default formatting.
Printing on mobile! Finally...
[Supporter] Quickview feature allows you to quickly open rosters for viewing without loading all the data.
Output format improvements and more formatting options.
Massive performance improvements when editing a roster (adding or removing selections etc).
Performance improvements when loading rosters. There's still more to do here of course!
Performance and reliability improvements when using Dropbox on mobile.
Many, many (many!) crashes fixed and bugs squished.

Data Editor Changes in 2.01

Category Entries are now root elements in data files - they are no longer added directly to Force Entries.
Link Category Entries to Force Entries using the new Category Link element.
Any Selection Entry element (not just root elements!) can have multiple Categories.
Selection Entry Groups can now have Categories too.
You can reference Categories from Conditions, giving a huge boost in flexibility.

BattleScribe 2.0 Released!

noreply@blogger.com (Jonskichov) — Fri, 18 Nov 2016 20:20:00 +0000

Current Situation

[As of writing, the current versions are as follows. Android: 2.00.12. iOS: 2.00.07. Desktop: 2.00.05]

As you're probably aware, BattleScribe 2.0 launched about two weeks ago, and we've had a bit of a shaky start. There are always going to be some issues with any big release, but this is no excuse for the series of nasty bugs and crashes, particularly on Android. This was my fault entirely, and I apologise for any issues or inconvenience you may have experienced over the last week or so.

That said, we are finally out of the woods: all known major issues are resolved and performance has improved considerably. The data community has also been hard at work updating their files for BattleScribe 2.0, so make sure you update your data regularly.

This post has been a little late as my focus has obviously been elsewhere!

If you are having trouble, I have posted solutions to problems and answers to common questions separately as FAQs, rather than making this post any longer than it needs to be. I encourage you to read and share them:

Coming Up

There is always more work to do of course. Currently Dropbox synchronisation on mobile can be pretty slow. I am currently working on a new approach to Dropbox file synchronisation. Consider disconnecting Dropbox for the time-being to improve loading times considerably. I will also be constantly working on fixing any existing bugs as and when I identify them. Rest assured I am on the case. Expect frequent updates - make sure you keep the app up to date for the latest fixes.

With that all said, what actually is BattleScribe 2.0, and what's changed? Brace yourself.

If It Ain't Broke, Don't Fix It

This is a phrase I wholeheartedly agree with. But there is a qualifier: "If it ain't broke". While BattleScribe 1.x wasn't exactly "broke", it had certainly hit the limits of what it was capable of without major rework. It was bursting at the seams.

The wargaming scene is an ever evolving and expanding beast, whether you are leading a small group of gang members through wrecked city streets or recreating entire historical battles with a cast of thousands. BattleScribe has always striven to be a universal tool that covers all situations, and must have the room to expand to support future developments in this great hobby of ours.

When I first started writing BattleScribe back in 2010, the wargaming landscape was a simpler place. Since then it has exploded in scope and complexity, and the original assumptions underpinning BattleScribe's design no longer hold true. The data community have had to work harder and harder to find elaborate ways to work around BattleScribe's limitations when creating their files.

It was time to rethink things.

2.0 Is Born

Some time in early 2015, I began work on what was then going to be version 1.16.00. The core aim was to overhaul the data format and core systems in order to expand the scope of what BattleScribe was capable of supporting and address the needs of the data community. The data editing tools would be reworked to support this.

It soon became clear however, that the nature of the changes required to achieve these aims would have wide-ranging knock-on effects throughout the app. It would not be possible to update individual systems in isolation. What was needed was a step back to rethink the overall design of the app as a whole.

This new holistic approach provided the opportunity to review every aspect of BattleScribe. It was time to brush away the cobwebs left by years of incremental updates, and work to refashion the app into a platform that can expand and evolve with the wargaming world for years to come.

This was going to be BattleScribe 2.0.

Sounds Neat. So What's Changed?

Almost every line of code in all versions of the app has been rewritten, reorganised, refactored or removed. All major systems have been redesigned and rebuilt. BattleScribe is reborn. But what does this mean for you?

When it comes to creating army lists, not much has changed on the surface. The user interface on all platforms is pretty much the same as it ever was in terms of placement of buttons, navigation and so on. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, right? The mobile versions have had a new coat of paint and now look and behave as modern mobile apps should.

There is one new feature for BattleScribe supporters: Quickview. This is the ability to open rosters for viewing without loading all the data files. Other than this, the first priority was to ensure that all features from the previous version are present and correct. Going forward, you can expect new features and functionality, expanding on the groundwork laid down in BattleScribe 2.0.

The changes for data authors on the other hand, are huge and wide-ranging. The data format and editing tools have been redesigned to improve ease of use, efficiency and quality of life. This should benefit everyone by way of higher quality data files, improved support for a wider array of game systems, and faster data updates.

I encourage anyone interested in data authoring to try the new Data Editor! You should find it a much more powerful, intuitive and pleasant experience.

Android and iOS

User interface redesigned.
New roster creation flow so it's not all crammed onto one screen.
Supporter: Quickview rosters without needing to load the data files.
Supporter: Redesigned dice tool.

Desktop

Added keyboard shortcuts for new, save and save as.
Supporter: Quickview rosters without needing to load the data files.
Old Game System Editor and Catalogue Editor tools are now combined into one Data Editor. which handles both types of file.
Data Editor: Redesigned edit panel is consistent for different element types.
Data Editor: Added keyboard shortcuts for cut, copy and paste.
Data Editor: Added right click option to "follow link".

Engine & Data Format

Game System and Catalogue file formats are unified. All data elements (e.g. Forces, Entries, Rules, Profiles...) can now exist in either file type.
Elements in a Game System file are available in a Catalogue.
Shared elements in a Game System can be linked to from any Catalogue files, so global elements can be shared by all Catalogues.
Entry elements (ForceEntry, CategoryEntry, SelectionEntry, SelectionGroupEntry...) are unified and work in a consistent way.
Info elements (Profile, Rule...) are unified and work in a consistent way.
New CostType element so you can represent games with multiple "currencies".
The CostType element can be used to name "currencies" - you are no longer restricted to just "points".
Entry element min/max fields are replaced by a Constraint query element so you only need to apply constraints that actually matter (or omit them entirely).
Modifers can be used to change more fields and work in a consistent way between the different elements they are attached to.
Modifier repeat fields are replaced by a Repeat query element, so modifiers can have multiple repeats.
Query elements (Condition, Repeat, Constraint...) have been unified and all work in a consistent and logical way.
Query elements are much more powerful and customizable, with more control over scope and target elements.
Link elements can have the same Modifiers that their target can have.
More elements can now have "book" fields (book, page...).
Probably more I can't remember...

BattleScribe 2.0 is Coming

noreply@blogger.com (Jonskichov) — Sun, 31 Jul 2016 20:12:00 +0000

I wanted to give everyone a heads up and get some feedback. It’s a bit of a long post, so hold on to your hats! Please have a read through and let me know what you think - good or bad. You can leave your comments on Reddit.

BattleScribe 2.0 is an (almost) complete re-write of the app, and has been my main focus for the last year or so. The target for the first release is to have all the same features (Pro or otherwise) as before - so there won’t be any big new features right away. That said, the user interface on mobile has had a huge facelift and looks much nicer now.

The main changes are “under the hood”, along with a huge overhaul of the data file format and editing tools. This should make the lives of data authors much easier, leading to better data files for us all. The re-write of the app also leaves it in a much better state going forward, making it much easier for me to build upon with new features and updates in future.

Suffice to say, this has been a huge effort. BattleScribe’s core systems have been completely rebuilt to enable a brighter future for the app and it’s ecosystem for years to come. If you’d like to give it a go, you can find the Alpha version here: https://github.com/BattleScribe

Now the hard part. BattleScribe 2.0 is going to be a “new” app, separate from the old one, and will require you to pay again to unlock Pro features on all the various platforms. This update truly deserves the “2.0” name though. It really is a completely new beast. Of course this brings with it some issues.

Existing Pro users who’ve already paid for the old version may well be upset, particularly if they only recently bought the previous Pro version. And justifiably so - I completely understand why you might feel this way.
Some time in the future, there will likely be BattleScribe 3.0 (followed by 4.0 and so on), which would again require a new purchase. And we will have to go through all of this again. Essentially there is some amount of uncertainty about how long your purchase will last (at least going forward).

So the plan right now is to move to a “Pro Pass” model for BattleScribe, where you would pay to unlock the Pro features for a certain period of time. Your pass/time remaining would be associated with an account you create on the BattleScribe website.

Don’t panic! Let me clarify and lay out my thoughts on how this would work.

The “Pro Pass” for one year would be priced a little lower than the cost of the Pro app right now. You would also have the option to purchase passes for different lengths of time (1 month? 10 years? etc).
I should be able to implement a system where existing Pro users who have bought the old version of the app will get their first year pass for free or at a heavy discount ($1 for example).
It removes the uncertainty about when/if a new version is coming. The app will just continue to be updated and you will always have access to it. You can purchase a Pro Pass as and when you want to, and the app will just revert to the free version when your Pass runs out.
With an account, it would be possible to extend your Pass across platforms - Android, iOS and Desktop. This opens the option to have a “Bundle Pass” that unlocks Pro on all of your devices/systems.

Essentially, BattleScribe’s development is an ongoing process that never really ends. Any veteran BattleScribe users will know how much has changed and improved over the years! And it will continue to do so as I work on introducing new features and improvements over time. I feel that a time-based system for purchasing BattleScribe Pro would better reflect this continuing work.

What about this “account” business? I guess some of you might be uncertain about this, and to be honest I was very uneasy about the idea at first too. So let me explain.

Firstly, BattleScribe would use a “login with Google” (or Facebook or other trusted third party) system that I’m sure you’ve seen before. BattleScribe would only have access to your email address and name (so you can be contacted in case of a problem - it would never be shared with anyone else, ever). This is just a way of confirming that you are who you say you are so that BattleScribe can securely look up the Passes you have purchased.

An account brings some big benefits.

The passes would be stored in the BattleScribe database, outside of Google’s and Apple’s (restrictive) store systems. This gives a huge amount of flexibility over how they can managed. For example it allows me to extend passes or gift them to people.
Passes could be shared between all the devices and computers you are logged in on. This means that you could buy a pass that unlocks pro on all your devices at once (for example).
It opens up a lot of options for future BattleScribe apps/sites that may come along. I don’t know what those are yet! But being able to bring your data with you between apps is very powerful.

OK I’m done now! Here are some questions.

What do you think about having an “account”?
Would you buy BattleScribe Pro on a yearly basis? Are you an existing Pro user? Or someone who was thinking about buying Pro? Does this change things?
Do you buy “consumable” in-app-purchases in other apps? For example currency in-game-currency?

BattleScribe 1.15.07 Updated on Desktop!

noreply@blogger.com (Jonskichov) — Wed, 23 Sep 2015 20:23:00 +0000

First off, I'll get this out of the way: This isn't the big update that many have been waiting for! This release is just a refresh of 1.15.07 to bring some improvements to the installer and auto-update functionality. In addition, BattleScribe on desktop now requires Java 7, and should solve some launch issues on Windows 10.

BattleScribe now requires Java 7 - go to www.java.com to update if you think you need it (or if you're unsure).
Fixed issues launching BattleScribe on Windows 10 - you might need to manually re-install using the Windows setup.
Auto-update will now work on Mac OSX, using the Mac installer disk image.
Windows auto-update now uses the Windows setup for cleaner updates.
Fixed clicks not working on the "update available" and advert images on OSX.
Changed the style of the Mac version as the libraries required are no longer being maintained by the author. On the plus side, this reduces the size of the download significantly.

This has been a slight detour from the main project at hand: a big rebuild of several core components of the "engine". This coming update is intended to bring BattleScribe to a state that can better support future updates and improvements. The main people this will effect will be the data authors out there - I hope this should solve some long-running requests, or at least provide a platform to solve these issues in future.

It's a big job and has been in the works for several months now, but things are starting to come together. I'm currently "rewiring" the desktop interface to work with the new engine, so I should have a beta ready Soon™. The desktop version will remain in beta until the mobile versions can be completed, with a view to releasing all three versions (desktop, Android, iOS) at once.

I won't give you any predictions on time to release, but do know that Progress is being made!

BattleScribe 1.15.07 Released on Android and Desktop!

noreply@blogger.com (Jonskichov) — Tue, 17 Mar 2015 16:56:00 +0000

Today sees the release of BattleScribe 1.15.07, with some nice bug fixes and a nice new feature.

First up, a new way to share your list: You can now save the View Roster output as an image, which is really nice for sharing on Twitter and other social networks. No idea why I didn't think of this before, but thanks to @iosefward on Twitter for that suggestion!

Second, a nasty bug that's been dogging the desktop version for some time has finally been resolved. When adding or removing certain items, the app would sometimes crash/freeze, blanking parts of the user interface or leaving it unresponsive. Of course let me know if you still see similar problems in this version.

On Android, an annoying little issue has now been fixed: when going back a page, the scroll position of the list is now remembered. No more endless scrolling in those long lists.

Now we get to see how well the auto-update feature works on desktop!

All Platforms

Share/save the roster output as an image for easy sharing on Twitter or other social networks
Fixed occasional crash when adding or removing items
Fixed issue where some modified profiles would not show up in the roster output

Desktop

Fixed occasional crash when adding or removing items that would leave parts of the UI blank or unresponsive
Toolbar in Roster Editor will now scroll when the window is too small
Forces and categories can now have negative minimum points values in Game System Editor

Android

List scroll position remembered when going back to the last screen
Fixed issue where the wrong points value would sometimes be displayed on list items
Fixed occasional crash when returning to the app after some time

As usual, the next job is to bring these changes and fixes to iOS, so that should be coming soon.

BattleScribe 1.15.06 Released on Android and Desktop!

noreply@blogger.com (Jonskichov) — Tue, 03 Feb 2015 19:07:00 +0000

Another new release today!

1.15.06 brings the usual bug fixes and improvements, along with a new feature for Pro users and auto-updates on desktop.

The Pro version adds a statistical breakdown of your roster when viewing it, for the stats nerds among you (like me). This shows the number of units, models and upgrades you've selected, the points spent and the percentage of your total points spent on them, broken down by force and category. This is heavily dependant on the data files being configured for this though, so it might take some time to become accurate.

On desktop, BattleScribe can now auto-update itself when new versions become available. Since new versions are fairly regular, this should make life much easier! All you'll need to do for future updates is click a button and let BattleScribe download and install the new version for you. This is not available for the Mac installer version (at least for now) since it's somewhat different to the Windows installer and Any Computer zip versions.

I've also moved the ad on desktop to just below the roster tree (in the middle). This is to try to save on the wasted space either side of the ad where it was before.

As usual, the next job is to get 1.15.06 ready for iOS, so it will be available on iPhone soon.

All Platforms

Pro: See a breakdown of unit/model/upgrade counts, points spent and percentages when viewing your roster.
Fixed crash when creating/loading rosters using old/broken data files.

Desktop

Free: Moved ad to just below the selection tree panel to save wasted space.
BattleScribe can auto-update itself when new versions become available (Windows installer and Any Computer zip versions only).
Fixed show/hide modifiers on profiles/profile links giving errors in Catalogue Editor.
Fixed new links not generating a unique ID in Catalogue Editor.
Fixed bug pasting IDs into modifier child textbox in Catalogue Editor.
More tweaks and bug fixes.

Android

Pro: Fixed crash when editing a selection's custom name/description.
"Low memory mode" can be turned on/off from the menu.
Fixed several crashes caused by rotating the device with a dialog box showing.
More tweaks and bug fixes.

BattleScribe 1.15.05 Released on Android and Desktop!

noreply@blogger.com (Jonskichov) — Thu, 08 Jan 2015 20:35:00 +0000

Not a lot has changed on the surface in this release - it's nearly all under the hood. There have been a large number of small bugs and issues fixed, plus a big focus on performance and memory use.

I've gone through the code to identify and eliminate many areas where memory (RAM) was not being efficiently used. This leads to improved performance, shorter loading times and reduced memory requirements. Some Android devices were struggling when using large or complex data files, and would "randomly" crash when they ran out of memory. Hopefully, this situation should be much improved. In addition, Android devices with particularly small amounts of available memory will not load rule and profile data to minimise memory needs, so at least you can build lists.

On desktop, as requested, the preview popups have been adjusted so they take a bit longer to show up, and are positioned to not hide the thing they pop up from. There's also now an option to turn off the preview popups entirely.

As usual, these changes will be coming to iOS soon - I'll be submitting a new version to Apple in the next day or so.

All Platforms

Output now shows custom roster descriptions.
Improved performance and memory management.
Fixed bug where hidden items would sometimes not stay hidden.
Various other bug fixes.

Desktop

Adjusted preview popup delay and positioning.
Added option to turn preview popups on/off.

Android

Low memory devices will not load profile and rule data to avoid running out of memory.

BattleScribe New Year's Half Price Sale!

noreply@blogger.com (Jonskichov) — Thu, 01 Jan 2015 00:12:00 +0000

To usher in 2015, BattleScribe Pro is on sale: half price for a week!

You have until 23:59:59 GMT on Wednesday January 7th to pick up a copy on the cheap. You can get a desktop key from the BattleScribe store, or the mobile versions from Google Play, iTunes or the Amazon app store.

Happy new year!

BattleScribe 1.15.04 Released on Android and Desktop!

noreply@blogger.com (Jonskichov) — Fri, 19 Dec 2014 18:07:00 +0000

Here we go with one final release before Christmas, and in contains a present for you...

Back by popular demand, preview popups have made a return on desktop! I hope you'll find them much improved over the previous implementation of them - they are scrollable (rather than sometimes taking over the entire screen...) and can be copy/pasted from.

Other than this, there's just the usual batch of bug fixes and tweaks. As always, this update will be on it's way to Apple for review, and will become available for iOS once it's approved.

Merry Christmas!

All Platforms

Rule summary can now be shown when viewing single selections.
HTML output now correctly shows newlines in rule descriptions.
Fixed crash when adding forces to a roster in some cases.
Fixed crash when creating a roster with a data file that has broken profiles.

Android

Fixed restoring roster when returning to the app after some time.
Added workaround for crash bug in Samsung's version of Android 4.2.
Fixed occasional crash when dismissing a fullscreen ad while creating a new roster.

Desktop

Preview popups are back! Better than ever, they're prettier and can be scrolled (rather than taking up the entire screen).
Fixed double clicks not adding selections on OSX.

BattleScribe 1.15.02 Released on iOS!

noreply@blogger.com (Jonskichov) — Wed, 26 Nov 2014 21:01:00 +0000

Today brings 1.15.02 and it's bug fixes to iOS. Unfortunately, I haven't seen as big a performance boost when loading and creating rosters as was seen on Android devices. This may just be that my test device is slow though (a 5th generation iPod)! I'd be interested to hear if you see an improvement in this area on iPhone 5s and up. There's still work to do though, so hopefully a bit more speed can be squeezed out in future releases!

One thing to note: If you have had problems with your data (e.g. missing categories) since the last update, it might be worth deleting and re-downloading your data. This FAQ answer describes how do do that.

Without further ado, here's the release notes:

iOS

Fixed crash when adding certain selections to your roster.
Fixed crash when opening certain categories or scrolling through the list.
Fixed "Direct Parent" conditions not working in some cases.
Fixed output showing needless decimal points for characteristic values.

BattleScribe 1.15.02 Released on Android and Desktop!

noreply@blogger.com (Jonskichov) — Sat, 22 Nov 2014 14:58:00 +0000

Today's release is mostly just bug fixes and tweaks, resolving a couple of nasty crashes that came up after the last release. It's available on Android and desktop right now, and as usual is currently being reviewed by Apple for release on iOS devices. I'll post again when it becomes available in iTunes.

One other thing to note: If you have had problems with your data (e.g. missing categories) since the last update, it might be worth deleting and re-downloading your data. This FAQ answer describes how do do that.

Without further ado, here's the release notes:

Android

Improved loading times when creating or loading a roster.
User interface tweaks.
Fixed occasional crash when moving between screens.
Fixed crash on startup on Sony Xperia Z devices.

All Platforms

Fixed crash when adding certain selections to your roster.
Fixed crash when opening certain categories or scrolling through the list.
Fixed "Direct Parent" conditions not working in some cases.
Fixed output showing needless decimal points for characteristic values.

BattleScribe 1.15.00 Released!

noreply@blogger.com (Jonskichov) — Thu, 13 Nov 2014 17:29:00 +0000

Important: This release changes the roster file format. You should update BattleScribe to 1.15.00 on all your computers and devices to avoid problems! It may take a little while to start up the first time as BattleScribe converts your files to the new format.

Release day is here again, this time on all platforms: Android, iOS, Windows, Mac and Linux.

Today's release brings a big overhaul of something that's needed work for a long time: The "view roster" output. This is probably the last bit of creaky old code that needed a serious update - and I must admit it's a big improvement!

The output now looks much nicer - whether as HTML, text, BBCode or Markdown - and there are several new options so you can customize the printout to your taste. Special mention goes to the new "minimal" output option - it reduces the length of the output by omitting selections that aren't relevant. This really cleans things up so that copying/pasting your list into forum posts and social networks works really nicely.

Here's some screenshots of the minimal text output on mobile and desktop:

All Platforms

"View Roster" output completely overhauled, with new customization options and cleaner layout.
Performance improvements.
Roster and data files from before version 1.13.00 are no longer supported.

Desktop

Redesigned "View Roster" dialog.
Improvements to printing.
Removed preview popups/tooltips. Instead, you can right click items and view them via the menu.
Added a "What's New" dialog :)

Android

Sort order of list items tweaked - all "single row" items are sorted together.
More options when sharing or copying your roster.

iOS

Sort order of list items tweaked - all "single row" items are sorted together.
Small user interfance fixes and adjustments.
Fixes and improvements to menus and sharing on iPad and iOS 8.

BattleScribe 1.15.00 BETA Released on Android and Desktop

noreply@blogger.com (Jonskichov) — Tue, 04 Nov 2014 10:39:00 +0000

Warning: Files created or opened with these betas will not be compatible with 1.14.xx on iOS and other devices/computers. If you want to try out the beta and you use Dropbox to sync your files with your iOS device, it is recommended that you disconnect Dropbox from the Android devices and desktop computers that you're using the beta on. Otherwise, you may loose access to your rosters and data on your iOS device(s). If you are signed up to the Android beta channel and you wish to skip this beta, you can use one of the links at the bottom to opt out of the beta channel.

This update brings a much needed overhaul to the roster output/printout, particularly some additional formatting options and a "minimal" mode that massively reduces the length of the printout. While I'm happy that this update is solid (I may tweak a few odds and ends, but nothing significant), the nature of this update means that the format of the roster files needs to change.

This format change renders the beta incompatible with the iOS version until 1.15.00 is ready for iPhone/iPad too. I'm in working on that right now (probably about two weeks to complete and wait for iTunes approval). Since things are ready for Android and desktop however, I decided to give you all the option to try things out if you so desire.

Links to download the beta on desktop can be found on the BattleScribe Beta Google+ community. In order to get access to the beta for Android, you will need to be a member of that community (Google's rules, not mine) and sign up to the beta via one of the following links (you can also use these links to opt back out of the beta - you will continue to get beta versions in future until you opt out again).

Free: https://play.google.com/apps/testing/net.battlescribe.rostereditor
Pro: https://play.google.com/apps/testing/net.battlescribe.rostereditorpro

If you run in to any problems or have any other feedback about the betas, please comment on the appropriate Beta community post. Thanks!

BattleScribe 1.14.08 Released on iOS!

noreply@blogger.com (Jonskichov) — Thu, 16 Oct 2014 12:21:00 +0000

After an extended review time (I guess Apple had a backlog of apps to review...), 1.14.08 is now available in the iTunes store for your iPhone or iPad. This version fixes up a couple of nasty issues that arose after iOS 8 came out. Thankfully there is a silver lining - fixing these problems has actually led to an unexpected boost in performance, so things should be a little snappier when adding/removing items from your list.

Release Notes

Performance improvements when adding or removing items from your list.
Fixed freeze after creating a new roster under iOS 8.
Fixed issue where the loading spinner would occasionally get stuck when adding or removing items from your list.

BattleScribe and iOS 8

noreply@blogger.com (Jonskichov) — Tue, 07 Oct 2014 19:43:00 +0000

There were two bugs that appeared under iOS 8:

1) The app freezes after creating a new list. You are unable to navigate or click any buttons or anything. Opening an existing list works fine.

2) Occasionally, usually after the device goes to sleep for a while and you later return to BattleScribe, the app would lock up with the loading spinner showing when you try to add or remove something from your list. (This might also occur on older versions of iOS, not just 8).

Both of these are now fixed and 1.14.08 was submitted to Apple for review a week ago. We are now waiting for that review to complete before it shows up in iTunes.

It seems that Apple have a backlog of reviews (I guess BattleScribe isn't the only app having problems) so it's taking more time than usual to complete the review. It usually takes about a week, but it's already been longer.

Of course I'll post here when the update becomes available.

There is a silver lining: fixing these bugs has resulted in an unexpected performance benefit, so things should be noticeably snappier when the update finally comes through.

Thanks for your patience and apologies it’s taken some time to resolve these issues. They were some tough bugs to pin down!

BattleScribe 1.14.07 Released on iOS!

noreply@blogger.com (Jonskichov) — Fri, 12 Sep 2014 18:07:00 +0000

It's finally here, 1.14.07 for iOS!

This release delivers a huge user interface overhaul which brings BattleScribe into line with modern iOS 7 apps - and it's looking very nice if I do say so myself. It also (at last) brings support for iPad! The app will now use all the space available on the larger screened devices and isn't reduced to a blown-up iPhone interface. There is still more work to do to make better use of all that screen space - perhaps some kind of two-panel design - but this is a huge step forward.

If you like the app, I'd really appreciate a review on iTunes! If you find any bugs, please contact me and I'll get it fixed as soon as possible.

On a side note, as some of you may have noticed, the free version of 1.14.07 was available several days ago, while pro has only just shown up in iTunes today. I have no idea why, but the free version was approved for the App Store within a couple of days, while the pro version was left hanging for about a week. Needless to say, this was frustrating for anyone who upgraded to pro during the last week, only to find they were back on the old version. My apologies to anyone in that situation - in future I will be holding back releases on iOS until both versions can be put out at the same time (at least for significant updates).

Without further ado, here's some screenshots and the short-but-sweet change notes:

Huge user interface redesign! All the same functions are there as before - check the menu if you can't find something.
iPad support!
Added "report a bug" option to the menu.
Free: Occasional full-screen ads. These are only shown during long loading screens, they can be easily dismissed, and they are limited to a handful per hour. See this post for more details.
Bug fixes.

BattleScribe 1.14.07 Released on Desktop and Android!

noreply@blogger.com (Jonskichov) — Wed, 03 Sep 2014 17:40:00 +0000

Not much to say about this release. It's just a small clutch of bug fixes that came up while working on the 1.14.07 update for iOS. I figured (since it's easy) that I'd put out a quick update so we're all on the same page no matter which platform(s) you use BattleScribe on. I'll get straight to the release notes:

Fixed modifiers that increment the maxInRoster value (mistype... oops)
Fixed crash/hang where a catalogue contained root rules with modifiers
Fixed crash/hang in Catalogue Editor when a link had "no target"
Fixed situation where points/error messages wouldn't be correctly updated

So... Not a lot ;)

But...

I've just submitted 1.14.07 to Apple which contains a huge user interface update and iPad support! I'm expecting it to become available within a week. I'm very happy with how this has turned out and it should really bring the iOS version into line with modern applications (finally!). I'll announce when it becomes available, but for now take a look at this:

BattleScribe 1.14.06 Released on iOS!

noreply@blogger.com (Jonskichov) — Sun, 31 Aug 2014 19:02:00 +0000

This release brings the bug fixes from the 1.14.06 release on desktop and Android, along with the first layer of user interface updates. These are just initial changes to colours rather than a full blown layout update.

Considering the week long approval time for iOS apps, I thought it important to get the bug fixes out as soon as possible rather than holding things up. I'll be following up very soon with a larger overhaul that will provide iPad support and a much improved interface - I'm hoping to submit this update in the next couple of days. After that it'll be about a week before it's approved and becomes available for download. Keep your eyes peeled :)

Here's the change list for this release:

User interface refreshed (more to come!)
Improved error reporting when opening or creating a roster. It now shows you details of any selections removed from your roster and any problems with the data files you're using.
Fixed bug where root items with "hidden" modifiers would (nearly) always give errors.
Fixed bug where roster points wouldn't be updated if items were removed from your roster due to a data file change.
Fixed bug where points/errors wouldn't get updated in some cases.
Bug fixes.

BattleScribe 1.14.06 Released!

noreply@blogger.com (Jonskichov) — Wed, 20 Aug 2014 17:54:00 +0000

It's been a long time coming, but this release finally brings a complete user interface redesign to Android! This really brings it up to date and makes it look at home on modern Android devices. Personally, I'm really happy with how it's turned out!

There have also been a few more bug fixes that get rid of the last few known issues, so this release is also available on desktop. I'm now working on bringing these fixes (plus some user interface tweaks) to iOS, so expect to see an update on iTunes soon. Full change list is below.

Here are some before and after screenshots:

Android

Complete user interface redesign! All the same functions are there as before - check the menu if you can't find something.
Added "report a bug" option to the menu.
Improved error reporting when opening or creating a roster. It now shows you details of any selections removed from your roster and any problems with the data files you're using.
Pro: You can now share your roster with another device via Android Beam (NFC)! Just bring the devices together (usually back-to-back) to send the file across. (Requires Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and devices that support NFC).
Pro: You can now customise a roster's notes/description - for keeping track of your epic victories.
Free: Occasional full-screen ads. These are only shown during long loading screens, they can be easily dismissed, and they are limited to a handful per hour. See this post for more details.

Desktop

Added "report a bug" button to the toolbar.
Improved error reporting when opening or creating a roster. It now shows you details of any selections removed from your roster and any problems with the data files you're using.
Fixed tooltip/popup text in the edit (right) panel in Roster Editor.
Repeating modifiers can now be based on roster points limit or total number of selections.
Fixed sorting of links in Catalogue Editor.

All Platforms

Fixed bug where root items with "hidden" modifiers would (nearly) always give errors.
Fixed bug where roster points wouldn't be updated if items were removed from your roster due to a data file change.
Fixed bug where points/errors wouldn't get updated in some cases.
More bug fixes...

BattleScribe 1.14.05 Released!

noreply@blogger.com (Jonskichov) — Thu, 07 Aug 2014 12:59:00 +0000

1.14.05 has now been released on Desktop and Android which fixes a crash when adding items to a roster that's made up of multiple forces. This fix is also on it's way to Apple for approval, and I've requested that they expedite their review process due this bug - it should be available on iOS in the next couple of days. Apologies for the inconvenience.

---

Another release today, on all platforms: Desktop, Android and iOS.

This version carries on with the work from 1.14.03, tying up some loose ends and a couple of bugs that came to light since that release. In particular, it sorts out a lot of issues with validating global items in rosters, which were sometimes giving errors when they shouldn't, or weren't giving errors when they should.

All Platforms

Error message text re-written so all errors are more consistently worded and give better information on the problem.
Data file version numbers displayed when creating a roster.
Added min/max in force limits, distinct from min/max in roster.
Fixes to error reporting for "global" entries (min/max in force/roster).
Improved memory usage, which should help when editing large rosters (especially on mobile). There is still more work to do in this area however.
More minor bug fixes.

iOS

Changes from 1.14.03 are now rolled up into 1.14.04 (see the last release on Android and Desktop).
Fixed "Errors Loading Data" message when creating or loading a roster.
Fixed problems saving rosters with certain characters in their names.

Desktop

Saving your roster as HTML now respects the view settings from View Roster.
Fixes to moving data when you change the location it's stored in.
Moving your data will now check the destination folder can be written to (solves "parameter is not a directory" error message once you've gone through the process of moving your data again).
Fixed error message when trying to open a catalogue for editing when you don't have the appropriate game system.

Phew! There are still one or two gaps in global roster validation, and there may be another release or two to fix those and any other niggles that might come up. But for now, it's time to continue working on something a little more... visual.

BattleScribe 1.14.03 Released!

noreply@blogger.com (Jonskichov) — Fri, 04 Jul 2014 17:54:00 +0000

Today's release is just a bunch of tweaks and bug fixes. This is to make sure everything is nicely stable in preparation for some bigger updates to come in the near future. 1.14.03 is now available on desktop and Android, and will be coming to iOS soon when it is approved by Apple.

Release Notes:

Catalogues and Game Systems can now have a "books" field, so you can enter the publication(s) the data file is built from/for.
When importing data from a file via Manage Data, .bsi (index) files are now accepted.
When moving data, the source folder is not deleted if you have moved the data to a child folder of the source.
"Page" field in catalogues is now text (so can be blank, Roman numerals etc).
Entries and Entry Groups can now have a negative "min points" value. This allows data authors to prevent incorrect validation errors when using Entries that cost negative points.
Data file book and revision number now shown when creating a new roster.
Fixed "Illegal Argument Exception" error when opening catalogue to edit it.
Fixed incorrect validation errors for min/max in roster for shared items.
Fixed problem saving rosters if the name has a "*" in it.
Fixed desktop version "move data" function which wasn't working in some cases.
Fixed incorrect points calculation for modified entries in some cases.
Fixed validation of "hidden" catalogue items: The only validation error hidden items will cause is if you have selected the item in your roster.
Fixed "file is not a directory" error on OSX and Linux.

BattleScribe 1.14.02 Released on iOS!

noreply@blogger.com (Jonskichov) — Sat, 31 May 2014 16:04:00 +0000

Another brief update to say that 1.14.02 is now available in the iTunes App Store for your iOS device. It got a little delayed as I wanted to resolve an issue where quickly tapping buttons could lead to crashes (especially on slower devices). This should now be prevented via the use of pretty little loading spinners when you click buttons. Other than that, it's just a few minor bug fixes.

See the previous post for more details.

Enjoy!

BattleScribe 1.14.02 Released!

noreply@blogger.com (Jonskichov) — Thu, 22 May 2014 18:01:00 +0000

BattleScribe 1.14.02 has now been released on Android and desktop with some additional bug fixes and tweaks. It's been submitted to Apple and should become available within a week.

---

Hi all, here we are with another update.

This one doesn't bring much in the way of shiny new features - it's all about internal changes. There are a handful of fixes and tweaks, and the Android version has had it's UI updated further, continuing from the work in 1.14.00. This mostly just tries to make it clearer which entries are part of a group.

The headline change, however, is a big performance boost when adding and removing selections from a roster. While you won't notice this a whole lot on the desktop version, on mobile devices the difference is quite pronounced.

BattleScribe has become more complex over the years, and this combined with more fully featured (and therefore larger) data files had started to show the inadequacy of a "brute force" approach for calculating points and checking for errors. This update has overhauled these systems to be much smarter and more efficient.

In some tests I found that the time taken to add or remove a selection from a roster has roughly halved, and this time does not get increasingly longer as your roster gets bigger. Big wins, and I hope it improves the experience of using the app on your phone significantly.

This update has also been submitted to Apple, and we are now awaiting approval for it to become available for your iOS device (it should take roughly a week).

Enjoy!