Is it time for a new PyPRP release?

[Aloys]

I'd be up for writing some tutorials. I haven't written (or done) anything useful in ages; although I enjoy it. However, much like Marcello, I'd need some minimal 'how-to's; figuring out stuff from scratch is just too time-consuming. (especially when someone already has the info)
Obviously I'm more qualified for writing Blender-oriented tutorials rather than code-oriented ones.But, that aside count me in.
Maybe our new Councilor could help coordinates those writing tasks?

[Jojon]

Woo, now we're taking off! 8-)

Hooray!

It may be worth noting, that only a short while before the creation of this thread, Trylon himself did a little shoutout to the other devs, regarding an updated release.

When and where did that happen? I must haved missed that. I can't find anything here on this forum.

Umm... You know, I can't seem to find it either. As I recall, it was not in a thread of its own, but... I must be getting older than I thought... could have sworn...

Documentation is the grisliest bit, I think, though. It can be hard for people in the know, to fully empathise with those not yet initiated, especially when there may be need for prerequisite specialist skills, where the experts will often go "Huh, doesn't EVERYONE know that?!". :7

Definitely. But having the "expert" documentation is a start, and that's the point where the help offered by people like ardent red or Marcello enters the picture. We don't need to get this perfect, but it would be nice to have at least something.

Yes, expert documentation is a neccessity, even -- then, as you say, we get the intermediates cooking up friendlier tutorials, to benefit my own ilk. If I can get my head around something, for once, I'll try to help out too. :7

[Trylon]

It may be worth noting, that only a short while before the creation of this thread, Trylon himself did a little shoutout to the other devs, regarding an updated release.

When and where did that happen? I must haved missed that. I can't find anything here on this forum.

Umm... You know, I can't seem to find it either. As I recall, it was not in a thread of its own, but... I must be getting older than I thought... could have sworn...

Since I can't recall doing so either, it must be

[Jojon]

Since I can't recall doing so either, it must be ;)

Ah, there, at the end of the Breldur/Bob/Chloe thread. It was Nadnerb, apparently and not Trylon... *hobbles away looking embarressed, leaning heavily on /my cane* :P

[Nadnerb]

I suppose it's high time I posted in this thread... I've been following it for a few days and meaning to say something.

Anyway, I think it would be a very good thing for you to handle some releases.. I've been very busy for the past month or so and haven't really looked an any Uru stuff in a while. I saw that you dropped in on IRC for about two hours this morning, before I got on...

As seems to have been made evident, I am definitely in favor of packaging up another release, and I highly doubt that you'd be stepping on any toes at all here, as most of the toes seem to have gone elsewhere. However, I was never in control of any releases, and actually getting one out required more than just one person with the motivation to do it. Releases in the past generally followed this path:

• Someone deciding that the current feature accumulation warranted a new release.
• Worrying about how much wiki documentation on the changes was required to stop the populace from getting out the torches and pitchforks.
• Collecting opinions and testing from everyone using the trunk version on whether it was stable enough for a release. (This might be an issue, I think I may be the only person actually using the trunk anymore, with the rest of the people developing anything all using their own private branches. Add to that the fact that I haven't actually touched blender in almost a month)
• Getting those in control of the webspace (formerly Kato, now Hoikas) to check out, upload, and announce the release.

All of the communication in the above steps was generally done over the irc.guildofwriters.com IRC channels. (formerly justirc)

At this point, if you want to take up the "release" job, you'll basically need to do three things.

• Find out what's new by scanning the SVN logs for anything that looks new or interesting, and then come by IRC and ask questions until you understand how to use a particular feature, and then create a step by step tutorial through creating an age that uses that feature on the wiki. Wash, rinse, repeat until anything you consider necessary to the release is documented.
• While working through the above, you should be using the trunk version and pointing out any bugs or instability that would need fixing. Hopefully, fixes will be supplied.
• Poke, prod, stab, cajole or otherwise entice Hoikas into uploading a snapshot as a release package, and then write a forum post listing the changes, and linking to the release and any relevant wiki documentation.

I'm not sure a "beta" release will work well, as the maximum total userbase of pyprp is small enough that you'd need to put out a global announcement to get testers anyway. You may notice that this layout shifts most of the work to you. I am assuming because you have publicly volunteered to do this, that you are in fact, willing to do all of it, and I'm mainly posting just to assure you that you won't be stepping on any toes.

Most people seem to be online in IRC during the late afternoon/evening in the US timezones. I suggest permanently lurking there for the duration of your involvement, as you will then see any messages that pass through the channel and might be directed at you. (we don't use the forums or forum PMs much)

[Lontahv]

I think what's needed most is a good solid and united piece of detailed documentation. It should be along the lines of a Linux manual file (rather large, long, and in one piece). Sort of like this: http://www.phpbb.com/support/documentation/2.0/

From that, people who don't know the plugin code inside and out can digest it into something easier. Still, all features may not be covered in tutorials but at least they're covered somewhere.

I know writing something like this won't be a piece of cake. I do think it's important though. (currently, we mainly just have somewhat scatted info in tutorial-form)

[Nadnerb]

The point of my post was that I don't want to write such a document, and I don't think any of the other devs, current or former, want to either. Otherwise, they might actually still be developing the plugin. Instead, I'm asking that Christian learn the way all or most of us did, by joining the IRC channel and asking questions.

[GPNMilano]

Christian, if you would like some help getting this together feel free to PM me, the branch I have of PyPRP has ninety percent of the stuff already merged into it from the other contribs, as well as so it should be simple to merge my contrib once its all uploaded with the trunk as well as the other contribs to get a stable version for testing.

I can have a polished version of my contrib ready by Tuesday, and can write up documentation for the new stuff in it as Lontahv pointed out. I can also include full examples of the alcscript for each new class/message thats been added so that people know exactly what to put into the alcscript file. (as well as the rest of the ones people pay not know about thats in the already released versions) this way there's a greater supply of the alcscript for the majority of the advanced classes.

[D'Lanor]

The stuff in my contrib btw has been ready to be reviewed and merged into the current trunk for a long time. Although with major changes coming up the quickscripts probably have to be re-checked for compatibility.

[Nadnerb]

D'lanor: I've merged your quickscript updates, but I left the lightclasses in your contrib as I'm not sure why you're multiplying the fPower by 2.