VASL6.6.0-beta1 is released

DougRim

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Get it here.

This is the first VASL release using VASSAL3.3.2.

It is a test release so be gentle. If you find bugs or problems, please report them.

It should have the full functionality of VASL6.5.1.

A major-league shout out to Joel Uckelman who worked very hard to configure VASL to work with the new VASSAL. We appreciate his efforts.

Reminders:

To use vasl6.6.0-beta1 you must first download and install VASSAL3.3.2. Get VASSAL here. Then download vasl6.6.0-beta1. Extract vasl6.6.0-beta1.vmod from the zip file and open it from within the VASSAL3.3.2 window (it will not show up at first, click File -> Open Module and then navigate to vasl6.6.0-beta1.vmod and select it. After the first use it will be in the VASSAL window).

VASL6.6.0-beta1 will not work with VASSAL3.2.17 (the current version). VASL6.5.1 and VASL6.5.0 will NOT work with VASSAL3.3.2.

Error Correction:
Only games created in VASL6.5.0 or 6.5.1 will work in VASL6.6.0-beta1. Games created in earlier versions of VASL won't work in VASL6.6.0-beta1.

Games created in VASL6.6.0-beta1 will work in VASL6.5.0 and 6.5.1 but not in earlier versions of VASL.


It is possible to have both VASSAL3.2.17 running VASL6.5.1 AND VASSAL3.3.2 running VASL6.6.0 on your device at the same time. It is not an either/or choice.
 
Last edited:

Stewart

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Most SHOULD know how this works, for those that don't.
"Let them eat cake"
 

DougRim

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ERROR CORRECTION

In my original post, I wrote:

Games created in vasl6.5.1 will not work in vasl6.6.0 and vice versa.
This is incorrect.

The correct statement is:

Only games created in VASL6.5.0 or 6.5.1 will work in VASL6.6.0-beta1. Games created in earlier versions of VASL won't work in VASL6.6.0-beta1.

Games created in VASL6.6.0-beta1 will work in VASL6.5.0 and 6.5.1 but not in earlier versions of VASL.

My mistake. Sorry for the confusion. I will correct the OP.
 

uckelman

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Uh, no, you've that that the wrong way around.

Saves and logs written by earlier versions will be loadable by later versions.

Saves and logs written by later versions will not be loadable by earlier versions.
 

DougRim

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Uh, no, you've that that the wrong way around.

Saves and logs written by earlier versions will be loadable by later versions.

Saves and logs written by later versions will not be loadable by earlier versions.
True, but . . . it's complicated

Because vasl6.6.0-beta1 is exactly the same as vasl6.5.1, except for using vassal6.3.3, games created in vasl6.6.0 can be opened in vasl6.5.1 and vasl6.5.0. I have done so.
 

bprobst

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I installed the beta and so far as I can tell it "looks and feels" exactly the same as 6.5.1. I'm just curious if that's intentional (I'm guessing yes), and if so, what exactly is it about the new version of VASSAL that future versions of VASL will actually care about? I don't need any technical specifics, just a general answer along the lines of "now that VASL is using the new version of VASSAL, we will be able to ...".
 

uckelman

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The differences between the beta and 6.5.1 are as follows:
  • The beta works with VASSAL 3.3..2+, while 6.5.1 does not and cannot.
  • You will see higher quality graphics scaling on HiDPI screens.
  • You will also see improved font rendering on all screens.
HiDPI screens are screens with a very high pixel density. There was a break between Java 8 and Java 9 with how apps are treated for HiDPI scaling. Through Java 8, you could ignore HiDPI and get a reasonable result. From Java 9 onward, you get miserably blurry graphics on HiDPI screens if you're not accounting for HiDPI. When we started work on VASSAL 3.3 last autumn, upgrading to the current version of Java was one of the goals, as Java 8 is ancient and unsupported at this point. We couldn't upgrade to Java 11 (which is a Long Term Support release) without dealing with HiDPI. VASL has a lot of custom classes which draw to the screen, and many of those required modification for HiDPI support---you're getting those modifications in the beta.

While I was making the HiDPI changes, I spotted that VASL also wasn't using the right font hints to get optimal font rendering, so I fixed those along the way. (The places we manually paint text to the screen are places I had to check for HiDPI changes anyway, which is how I noticed this.)

The extreme summary is: The beta lets you use current VASSAL, rather than be stranded on a version of VASSAL which will eventually stop working.
 

apbills

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So here is my confusion regarding Java.

I am running Windows 10. When I check what Java I have installed I see "java 8 Update 241"
I downloaded VASSAL 3.3.2 and it is installed. When I start it up it comes up fine and I can load the 6.6.0 beta no problem.

VASSAL 3.3.2 states it will only run on Java 11 or greater. How is it running on my machine?
 

DougRim

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So here is my confusion regarding Java.

I am running Windows 10. When I check what Java I have installed I see "java 8 Update 241"
I downloaded VASSAL 3.3.2 and it is installed. When I start it up it comes up fine and I can load the 6.6.0 beta no problem.

VASSAL 3.3.2 states it will only run on Java 11 or greater. How is it running on my machine?
Because with VASSAl3.3.2, Java 14 comes bundled with VASSAL and does not need to be installed separately.

This is one way in which VASSAL3.3.2 improves VASL.
 

bprobst

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VASSAL 3.3.2 states it will only run on Java 11 or greater. How is it running on my machine?
In your program files folder, you should see one folder for "VASSAL-3.2.17" and a second one for "VASSAL-3.3.2".

The older version only contains the "core" files that VASSAL requires; it expects the Java libraries to be available from somewhere else (which is your "java 8" installation).

The newer version has an additional folder for "jre" (Java Runtime Environment) which are the updated Java libraries already right there; VASSAL doesn't need to "look" for them. Since the files are just there waiting for VASSAL to call them, they don't need to be "installed" on the system, which is why the newer Java version doesn't appear in your list of installed software.
 

Joelist

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I am using 6.6.0 on my MacBook Pro (MacOS 10.15.6) and so far I have to give it a big thumbs up!

It is fast, smooth, runs on the current VASSAL properly (3.3.2) and looks better than in the past. I am seeing nice, smooth transitions and the jagged curves in some functions that used to be there (for instance when trying to read the codes on the back on vehicle counters) are gone. I take it this is part of the High DPI display fix?
 

stuh42asl

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Because with VASSAl3.3.2, Java 14 comes bundled with VASSAL and does not need to be installed separately.

This is one way in which VASSAL3.3.2 improves VASL.
Doug can you guys slow down the constant revisions and settle on a stable version for a while. I understand the new vassal stuff but it is getting confusing on what version we can all use. You have 6.5.0 then 6.5.1 then 6.6.0 beta each one works in some versions others don't. Please create a version and make sure it works along with what ever version the new vassal comes out with.. VASSAL is now in version 3.4.1. Please note there is no disrepecting your hard work , it is just hard to swallow when your saved games may work in one version but not the next.
 

hongkongwargamer

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The VASL version changes not driven by them not being stable. There's a flow of new VASSAL versions and VASL needs to be re/build on top of them in order to work (Doug helps us with VASL). One way to avoid the compatibility issue is to keep several (really 2 in most cases) versions of VASSAL and several versions of VASL.
 
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