2024-09-08 GaugeMaster Pro v1.6.1
New
- Added new Mirror Arc option under the Text Arc and Text Detail layers’ Base Line setting, to invert the text so it shows upright when placed at the lower half of the gauge.
Changes
- Changed the Export PDF option so that the resulting PDF file page size matches exactly the requested output size of the gauge, instead of using the system default page size.
Note: This may change the location of the gauge on the paper when printing, so please check your setup to make sure you have the correct settings to match your needs.
Fixes
- Fixed Flush option on the Gauge Wizards to be more accurate when matching inner and outer scales.
2024-09-01 GaugeMaster Pro v1.5.9
A quick small update as a follow up to the recent introduction of the Gauge Wizards. This adds a few extra features that add to the time saving nature of the Gauge Wizards.
New
- Added font selection to the Gauge Wizard settings so the entire gauge font can be set in one operation.
- Added new options to the outer scale start/end matching, which now include extending it past the inner scale arc.
- Added option for tickmarks arcs with start/end offsets to force a major tick or not for the first/last tick.
- Added new options for text arcs with start/end offset to choose the first/last numbers to be part of the sequence, zero or none.
- Added one new tickmarks sample format.
Changes
- Improved Gauge Wizard’s start/end flush option for the outer scale so it is more precise.
Fixes
- Fixed order in which Gauge Wizard layers are added to the canvas.
2024-08-26 GaugeMaster Pro v1.5.8
This latest release contains one of the most dramatic improvements to the app in a a long time with the new Gauge Wizards. The Temperature and Pressure Gauge Wizards on this release can create entire gauge dial designs, with one or two scales, in literally seconds by just entering a few values. I encourage you to try it on the free app as it is quite impressive.
New
- Added Temperature and Pressure Gauge Wizards to create entire gauge designs quickly and easily.
- Added nonlinear text arc items list, where each individual text entry can be edited.
- Added Copy to Nonlinear option to all the linear text arc types.
- Added Export nonlinear CSV option to nonlinear tickmarks and text arcs, to export the values used to create a nonlinear scale.
- Added new start/end offset fields to text and tickmarks layers so gauges with nonlinear start or end can be created without requiring the nonlinear options.
- Added two new tickmarks sample formats.
Changes
- Improved radius snapping so that it now snaps to any arc’s inner, center and outer radius.
- The Export Image options will now use the currently open gauge filename as the recommended filename on the save dialog.
Fixes
- Fixed snap markers not drawing correctly on some values.
- Fixed blue guides showing incorrectly in some cases.
- Fixed angle snap snapping on some ghost angles sometimes.
- Fixed nonlinear tickmarks not drawing properly on arcs when Make Circle is enabled.
- Fixed the app crashing when the last item is deleted from linear or nonlinear tickmarks segment editor.
- Fixed a few validation and rounding issues on the settings of some layer types.
2024-08-06 GaugeMaster Pro v1.4.2
A notable change to the app is that it no longer requires users to register to access it. Anyone can now jump straight into the app without an account and try most of its features. In a similar manner as before though, anyone wanting to buy a subscription to enable the remaining features will be required to create an account first.
New
- Added the currently open filename to the app’s top toolbar.
- Added the currently open filename to the save dialog when saving gauges.
- You can now use the Esc key to remove the focus from text/numeric field parameters on the Settings sidebar. Releasing focus this way makes it quicker to restore access to keyboard shortcuts after editing a text/numeric field.
- Layers can now snap to detail layer’s center and outer radius positions.
Changes
- Login is no longer required to try the app.
Fixes
- Fixed checkerboard background rendering when resizing the window.
- Fixed canvas area size as it was not using all the available space.
2024-07-24 GaugeMaster Pro v1.3.3
New
- Added new Detail Text layer to easily add one off text labels.
- Added new Detail Image layer with support for PNG, JPG and SVG images, to easily add logos.
- Added new Detail Shape layer with options for circle, square, triangle and diamond shapes, useful for things like adding perforation markings to your gauges.
- Added image export option for JPG format.
Changes
- When duplicating any layer they will now be offset by small amount from the copied layer, to be able to tell them apart more easily.
Fixes
- Fixed a bug when copying Text Arc layers that could crash the app.
- Fixed gauge Blueprint Offset parameter fields not accepting negative values.
- Fixed bad rendering of checkerboard background on canvas when Transparent Bgr option was enabled.
2024-05-23 GaugeMaster Pro v1.2.1
New
- Added support to load files converted from iPad/Mac GaugeMaster to GaugeMaster Pro.
- Added support for transparency on colors with a new color picker implementation.
- Canvas with a Transparent Background for export will now show on a checkered background to reflect the setting.
- Added many new key shortcuts, following standard shortcuts for Mac and Windows, depending on the running system.
- Added spacebar shortcut to hide/show all the visual aids on the canvas, to be able to see a clean gauge quickly while working on it.
- Added Help button with the key steps to create a gauge, a Keyboard Shortcuts list, and links to other relevant information.
Changes
- Since there is now support for transparency on colors, the Guides Opacity setting has been removed as this can be adjusted within the color setting.
- Changed the shortcut keys for Undo/Redo to match the default system keys.
- Changed the Clear Canvas button for the New Gauge button and moved it next to the Load button.
- Made the search box on the font list active on entry so you can start searching for fonts without having to select the search box first.
Fixes
- Fixed the missing fonts warning that could sometimes appear when loading a newly saved gauge.
- Fixed an issue where nonlinear tickmarks loaded from a CSV file would not honor some values below 0.25.
- Fixed the gauge printing size as it was not honoring the Print Diameter setting.
2024-05-07 GaugeMaster Pro v1.1.2
New
- Moved the Blueprint Image settings to their own section within Gauge Settings, and added new Offset, Scale and Rotation values, as well as visibility toggle and a remove button.
- Added panning support for the Blueprint Image, when one is loaded and visible and no layer is selected.
- Added export to SVG image option.
- Added transparent background option on Canvas Settings, for when exporting images or saving PDFs through the print option.
- Added shortcut key V to toggle layer visibility of the currently selected layer.
- Added shortcut key M (for Magnet) to toggle layer snapping of the currently selected layer.
- Added shortcut key G to toggle snap guides of the currently selected layer.
Changes
- Moved the Embed Fonts option from Gauge Settings to Canvas Settings.
- Improved visuals for the file selection Settings buttons.
- Improved default arc angles when a new arc is created, to match more closely industry defaults.
Fixes
- Removed all UI guides from final renderings when exporting or printing gauges.
- Fixed some odd behaviours when handling the Blueprint Image.
- Fixed issue that could break the tick marks layer rendering in certain edge cases.
- Fixed issue that could break loading of gauge files missing attributes.
2024-04-25 GaugeMaster Pro v1.0.0
GaugeMaster Pro is now live for everyone!
2024-04-22 GaugeMaster Pro (beta 9, testers only)
The final review and fixes progressing as expected and looking for a possible production release this week.
New
Changes
- Changed the canvas zoom from cmd/windows key + scroll to option/alt key + scroll, so it doesn’t trigger the windows menu.
Fixes
- Improved error handling for network requests.
- Fixed issues with entering numeric values on the settings sidebar.
- Fixed some issues with the gauge printing process.
- Fixed some issues with exporting PNG images.
- Fixed some issues on layer list cell drag and drop as well as button toggle.
- Improved browser compatibility checks.
Known Issues
2024-04-15 GaugeMaster Pro (beta 8, testers only)
Still on track for a final release later this month, just adding some final touches and fixes to the app.
New
- Added production login screen ready for final release later this month.
- Added browser compatibility checks on login screen.
- Added format information popovers for the Tickmarks and Text layers nonlinear file import options.
Changes
- Improved error reporting when loading gauge files with an incorrect format.
- Improved validation of nonlinear CSV file data.
Fixes
- Fixed some issue with nonlinear CSV file loading.
Known Issues
2024-04-08 GaugeMaster Pro (beta 7, testers only)
This latest beta release fixes all the performance issues with the text layers and it is now down to final minor fixes and cleanup before the first production release later this month.
New
Changes
Fixes
- Fixed performance issues when selecting a text layer.
- Fixed performance issues when selecting a new font for a text layer.
- Fixed an issue with the file format for text layers.
- Improved the new font identification code to handle more font weights.
- Improved embedded font handling.
- Improved validation on some numeric fields.
- Fixed the issue where numeric fields would disappear if their content was erased. This was supposed to have been fixed but some cases remained. Now the root cause was found and it is fixed for good.
Known Issues
2024-04-02 GaugeMaster Pro (beta 6, testers only)
Finally all the font issues on Windows have been fixed, though it required a whole new approach at identifying fonts as web browsers behave quite differently on macOS and Windows. This fix also allowed a future feature to move ahead, so this latest release includes font embedding, which allows gauge files to include the fonts they need. This is essential if you need to send a gauge file and want to make sure it looks exactly as designed, even if the receiving user doesn’t have the same fonts on their computer.
A good example of this feature are all the sample gauges provided with the app, which now include the original fonts they were designed with, and they look exactly the same on macOS and Windows, regardless of the fonts on your system.
New
- Added font embedding option to the Gauge settings panel.
Changes
Fixes
- Fixed issues with fonts not being identified or rendered properly on both macOS and Windows.
Known Issues
- Some performance issues when selecting text layers.
2024-03-26 GaugeMaster Pro (beta 5, testers only)
We this latest beta release we are down to the last major fix and final testing pending. Regrettably it looks like the targeted March release will now be an early April release, but we are literally days away from the final production release.
New
Changes
- Improvements to the undo/redo internal handling, to cover all edits.
- Changed the fonts of all the sample gauges to default fonts found on both Mac and Windows machines. But see below for issues with font loading on this beta.
- The file format for GaugeMaster Pro files is now final and work will start on the export options for the old Mac and iPad apps to the new format.
Fixes
- Added “Setting up the canvas…” message on initial load, to complete all setup tasks before enabling the canvas for editing, and fixing the racing condition between the welcome message and the loading of local fonts info.
- Many internal improvements.
Known Issues
- When loading the sample gauges on Windows web browsers a warning may be shown that some fonts are missing as there are issues with font name handling on that platform.
- Some performance issues when selecting text layers.
2024-03-20 GaugeMaster Pro (beta 4, testers only)
Few major fixes remain before it is just cleaning up and getting ready for the final production release.
New
- Added font search option on the fonts list.
- Added check for missing fonts when opening a gauge file, which will display a list of missing fonts.
- Added a button to reset the canvas, clearing all layers.
- Added warning message when trying to load a sample gauge if there are unsaved changes on the current gauge.
- Added warning message when triggering a page reload if there are unsaved changes on the current gauge.
Changes
Fixes
- Fixed the app going back to the login page on a page reload. Be aware though that the content will still be lost after a reload, although now there is the warning mentioned above.
Known Issues
- Removed welcome massage temporarily due to a racing condition between it loading and the fonts checks.
- Some performance issues when selecting text layers.
2024-03-12 GaugeMaster Pro (beta 3, testers only)
As we approach the final release of the app it’s all about fixing any remaining issues and cleaning up the user experience.
New
Changes
- The Settings sidebar tab panes now only show the tabs that make sense for the current selection, instead of just disabling the ones that don’t apply.
- Display the file loaded for settings like importing CSV nonlinear data files or images.
Fixes
- Fixed the issue that would cause settings fields to disappear when an empty string was entered.
- Fixed layer thumbnail images not updating while editing the settings numeric fields.
- Fixed the tickmarks sample selection so it updates properly the tickmarks preview images, the layer thumbnail images and the tickmarks editing list.
- Many internal improvements.
Known Issues
- When the GMP page is reloaded the user is sent to the login screen and the current design is lost.
2024-03-05 GaugeMaster Pro (beta 2, testers only)
With this beta release GaugeMaster Pro is feature complete for the upcoming final release later in March. Still quite a few bugs and performance issues remain to be cleared, so bear this in mind while testing.
New
- Added text kerning option as Spacing on the Text Arc parameters.
- Added Blueprint Image option within the Gauge parameters to assist with gauge design by adding an underlying image to use a reference.
- Added and updated geometry parameters so we now have inner/outer radius and arc width, as well as start/end/arc angles.
Changes
- The ".gmpro" files are now saved as JSON without white spaces making them 30% smaller.
- Parameter fields are validated and limited to 5 decimal places.
- Some parameter fields will now be disabled when they don't apply to the current layer's setup, like the start/end angles when Make Circle option is enabled.
Fixes
- Many internal improvements.
Known Issues (same as previous release)
- When the GMP page is reloaded the user is sent to the login screen and the current design is lost.
- If an empty setting is entered on the settings sidebar it can cause the field to disappear, requiring a reload to fix it.
2024-02-01 GaugeMaster Pro beta (initial release, testers only)
This is the first public release of GaugeMaster pro, for beta testers only, but a huge milestone for GaugeMaster!
GaugeMaster Pro is currently intended to mimic most of the functionality of the old GaugeMaster iPad/Mac apps, but there some notable differences, and definitely already some improvements. Please make sure to check the FAQ page for details on the differences.
For this first release of GaugeMaster Pro it wouldn’t make much sense to report on the new, changed or fixed items from previous version as there are none for the new web app. Instead here are the details on how this beta moves on from the old iPad/Mac apps, to give you a quick glimpse of what to expect if you have used it before.
New
- Multiple sample gauges available to get you started.
- JSON file format.
- Canvas zoom and pan.
- Besides canvas zoom, users can also zoom the whole interface, as they do with any other web site.
- Text rotation.
- Adjustable Text Arc text offset for Straight Baseline setting.
- Option to convert linear tick marks to nonlinear for individual editing.
- Full editing options for each tick mark on nonlinear Tick Mark layers.
- User adjustable layer cell thumbnail background color.
- Automatic gauge centre and edge markers available.
Changes
- Text arc font size is now the same as the text arc width, for easier text handling, preserving the font size regardless of Baseline setting.
- Layer cells on the layers list can be sorted and deleted without having to go into an edit mode.
Fixes
Known Issues
- When the GMP page is reloaded the user is sent to the login screen and the current design is lost.
- If an empty setting is entered on the settings sidebar it can cause the field to disappear, requiring a reload to fix it.
