New VASL Extension - BoardZoomer.vmdx

[DougRim]

I had to remove the extension. I really like it, but the way counters snap to hexes (or not) is maddening right now. Doesn't matter what "Snap" setting I have. Some counters won't even snap to the center. I also appears to break the CVP tracking counters that we use all the time.

I hope some stuff gets ironed out.

It is being worked on. It is a super tool; @jyoung has done a great job with it. But it does have that snap bug at present, which is proving difficult to find and kill. GRRR!

Had not heard about the CVP tracking counters issue; so thanks for adding that.

 

[Robin Reeve]

I seem to experiment that, when moving a stack, the "snap" problem doesn't happen...

 

[zgrose]

FWIW, I don't use the BoardZoomer extension and the difficulty dropping counters in the center of a hex comes and goes. It's a nuisance but can be overcome with a little patience.

 

[johnl]

I've noticed that when placing a counter offboard and trying to align it to a specific spot (like the squares on the track overlay) I have to move it several times. Each time it gets closer to the objective but eventually I can put it where I want it. This "offboard" behavior doesn't happen with BoardZoomer disabled.

 

[von Marwitz]

I've noticed that when placing a counter offboard and trying to align it to a specific spot (like the squares on the track overlay) I have to move it several times. Each time it gets closer to the objective but eventually I can put it where I want it. This "offboard" behavior doesn't happen with BoardZoomer disabled.

I can tell that for offboard alignment, the "snapping" has never been precise over all VASL versions in the last 14 years (i.e. since VASL v5.9.2 in 2010).

Since that time until this day I have been doing setup-files. Usually, I use Draggable Overlay, Map Annotations, Perimeter Lines to help the alignment of counters offboard. To get counters precisely "on the line" usually takes a few attempts.

(BTW another reason, why nicely made preconfigued VASL setup files are good to have and save a lot of time for others.)

von Marwitz

 

[PresterJohn]

It also depends on how much magnification you have on the map (not boardzoomer zoom). I have almost always played at 150 and that must make positioning in the centre easier.

 

[Michael R]

Installed the extension. Liked it, but the centering of counters was irritiating, so removed it. The centering issue remains but not as severe.

 

[PresterJohn]

For those people who never installed "bz1.0" do they also have the centering issue? It seems to be so and doesn't happen all the time but makes it "easier" to end up on a hexside.
Whatever the problem really is, bz makes it much worse for some people.

 

[apbills]

I have found that 1) doing the whole snap 1, snap 2 and back to snap 1 does help, and 2) by bumping the zoom to 125% or 150% (I like 125%) it gives more screen pixels between hexsides and center which allows more room for my mouse to point to the center vs a hexside snap point.

The extension seems to simply add the user interface to the functionality, with most of the nuts and bolts being incorporated into the main module. I am not sure how much more it can provide in the 8k size.

Edit: and 3) I have started to use the CTRL+NumKey shortcuts for my movement. Other than bypass this removes any need to hit the center dot since the computer does it for me.

 

[PresterJohn]

Is it just me, or is boardzoomer extremely well behaved when you are offline setting up counters, and only when online with another player does it become problematic?

 

[Robin Reeve]

I have had problems with it offline.

 

[Vinnie]

I had problems with it then removed it and still have problems. I'm wondering if it's 6.6.8 that is the problem?

 

[zgrose]

FWIW, I don't use the BoardZoomer extension and the difficulty dropping counters in the center of a hex comes and goes. It's a nuisance but can be overcome with a little patience. It's inherent to 6.6.8.

 

[DVexile]

Was just playing with some setup using 6.6.8 without BoardZoomer ever having been installed and indeed the snapping seems more annoying than before (e.g. likes to grab hexsides instead of the center dot). Something seems to have potentially changed when the hooks were added for BZ.

Apologies I haven’t had time to really investigate further, but just wanted to share it seems different than before even without BZ installed.

 

[von Marwitz]

I can tell that for offboard alignment, the "snapping" has never been precise over all VASL versions in the last 14 years (i.e. since VASL v5.9.2 in 2010).

Since that time until this day I have been doing setup-files. Usually, I use Draggable Overlay, Map Annotations, Perimeter Lines to help the alignment of counters offboard. To get counters precisely "on the line" usually takes a few attempts.

(BTW another reason, why nicely made preconfigued VASL setup files are good to have and save a lot of time for others.)

von Marwitz

Today, I have been working on a VASL setup file using VASSAL v3.7.12 and VASL v6.6.8 with / without the Board Zoomer extension.

I have to reevaluate my quoted statement above:

Still it is true, that offboard placement of counters was never precise in the past (meaning pre VASL v6.6.8) and it took a few attempts to place counters precisely.

However, I do recognize a major change with VASL v6.6.8:
Precise offboard placement of counters, labels, etc. has become a lot more difficult up to nigh impossible.

Example: Try placing a 20 hex vertical Perimeter Line from Map Annotations of the Draggable Overlays not exactly on the board edge but just a slight bit off - see picture. I could not make it happen with v6.6.8 (with and without the Board Zoomer extension).



(The above not possible with v6.6.8. I had to resort to v6.6.7 to get that result.)

von Marwitz

 

[johnl]

Today, I have been working on a VASL setup file using VASSAL v3.7.12 and VASL v6.6.8 with / without the Board Zoomer extension.

I have to reevaluate my quoted statement above:

Still it is true, that offboard placement of counters was never precise in the past (meaning pre VASL v6.6.8) and it took a few attempts to place counters precisely.

However, I do recognize a major change with VASL v6.6.8:
Precise offboard placement of counters, labels, etc. has become a lot more difficult up to nigh impossible.

Example: Try placing a 20 hex vertical Perimeter Line from Map Annotations of the Draggable Overlays not exactly on the board edge but just a slight bit off - see picture. I could not make it happen with v6.6.8 (with and without the Board Zoomer extension).

View attachment 28825

(The above not possible with v6.6.8. I had to resort to v6.6.7 to get that result.)

von Marwitz

I feel your pain. I use a homegrown turn track - HTML in a label - and cannot get counters to line up properly in the boxes

Eidt - hit post too soon. I spent 15 minutes trying to get these to center in the boxes.
/

 

[von Marwitz]

I feel your pain. I use a homegrown turn track - HTML in a label - and cannot get counters to line up properly in the boxes

My ad hoc solution will be to use VASL v6.6.7 to make the setup files.
Then I might play them using v6.6.8.

von Marwitz

 

[johnl]

My ad hoc solution will be to use VASL v6.6.7 to make the setup files.
Then I might play them using v6.6.8.

von Marwitz

Agreed. Must have 6.6.8 for BoardZoomer extension which I now cant live without.

btw This problem also breaks the Hex Grid draggable overlay as you can't line up units on the grid.

 

[DVexile]

However, I do recognize a major change with VASL v6.6.8:
Precise offboard placement of counters, labels, etc. has become a lot more difficult up to nigh impossible.

Yes, I was just doing a setup on 6.6.8 over the past two days (and I've never installed BoardZoomer) and it was immediately apparent that off board placement is now a nightmare.

There is a bit of proportionality error, meaning if you move something by a lot then placement will be off by a lot. So I was sometimes able to "nudge" things a bit more accurately by clicking, dragging just a little, and dropping so the placement error wouldn't be as large for a smaller movement. But even then there seemed to be odd jumps/offsets that would appear even in these small movements.

Anyway, it really seems something with moving is very broken in 6.6.8. Hopefully it isn't too hard to find and we will eventually be able to reap the rewards of BoardZoomer. The zooming feature is well worth a wait and a little pain! For now, 6.6.8 is seeming less and less playable or worth the hassle, as breaking something as basic as moving things in a game all about moving things is a bit self defeating.

 

[apbills]

IMO information/annotation type counters, like many of the draggable overlay annotations as well as most of the mapboard informational counters used off the map, should NOT snap to the grid. That is the real solution.

As for the draggable hexgrid issue, I just use a cropped bd0 in DTO color along any board edge where reinforcements can be entered. Easily solves the problem. In the below screen grab, this large CG scenario has 3 edges where reinforcements may be entered. It was not cropped due to a board cropping bug that has since been fixed, but it shows the extent of what could be done. Given the amount of personalization I have seen in scenarios it is relatively the same or less amount of effort.