Hi friends,
Finally, we are ready to publish the next Story Architect 0.0.11 beta version update!
This version got some cool new features:
User's personal account
You can now log-in to get access to additional features of the program.
For example, starting from the current update you will be able to activate PRO version in your Dashboard (free for the beta test period), which allows you to work with the Character Relationship Scheme.
More and more new features will be added in future versions, but once logged in you will have access not only to paid options. For example, we plan to add statistics of your work with the app (how many words you wrote for a day, your minimum / average / maximum productivity, etc) as an interactive dashboard. So this info will be collected from all your devices used for working in the app, so you’ll be able to see the whole picture.
Also in the personal account you can set the settings, which will be used in the future for collaboration, chats with co-authors, as well as for the platform to promote projects.
And another important thing you can manage from your personal account - the sessions list, which shows all the devices you’ve authorized and logged in. If necessary, you may terminate the session on any of the devices.
The account info is accessible via the top menu item "Sign in", which gives you brief representation of your account and will provide even more features in the future.
Character Relationship Editor
The new version includes a new module. By selecting the main character item in the story navigator you will open their relationship editor.
Here you can arrange the characters however you like - add relationships between them by using lines, describe the relationship from each character's perspective and much more.
The characters will be displayed on the chart as an avatar, with its size being dependent on their role in the story (primary, secondary, etc. - configurable in the character profile). The larger the character's role is – the bigger the avatar.
And on top of that, the scheme itself can be scaled using your system's standard content scaling methods or moved (by holding down the space bar).
The Relationship Editor is available for PRO & TEAM accounts.
Full Screen Mode
Version 0.0.11 also includes a maximum focus option for working on any type of content - full-screen mode.
Fullscreen mode can be activated for any editor - text editor, script editor, character relationship editor, and any other editor available in the app.
You can activate the full screen mode from the main menu or with the hot keys (the combination depends on the operating system, look it up in the menu for hints).
Typewriter scrolling and focus on the current paragraph
In addition to fullscreen mode, we’ve decided to make your typing experience even more enjoyable and added two small but very nice settings.
This is the so-called typewriter scrolling - when the cursor seems to be fixed in the center of the workspace, and the sheet of paper moves underneath it when you type. It allows to get rid of unnecessary movements to tweak the text, moreover, you can always see the context of the place where the text is typed, both preceding and following.
On top of that there’s ‘current paragraph focus mode’ - when all paragraphs of text other than the one you're editing are dimmed so that the eye doesn't cling to other lines. It’ll help you focus and save your attention from drifting away.
You can turn on typewriter mode and focus on the current paragraph in "Settings - Application Settings - Text Editing".
Of course version 0.0.11 also includes many fixes and improvements:
- Import of scripts from DOCX files has been greatly improved;
- Added "EXT./INT." element to the standard tooltip dictionary;
- Fixed and app crash when trying to open a project which location has been changed while the app was using it;
- Fixed an issue with displaying the popup menu of character color selection in Arch Linux;
- Fixed an app crash in some cases when trying to change the CaSe of a highlighted phrase;
- Fixed an issue with spell checking for words containing the connective dot character;
- Fixed an issue with pasting text from the clipboard into fields with dropdown lists;
- Fixed the display of the text field label when pasting text via the context menu;
- Fixed an app crash when changing spell check language for large documents;
- Improved the scene numbers display on different sides of the script page;
- Fixed an issue with displaying dialogue numbers on the first line of the page when exporting to PDF;
- Fixed an issue with displaying the marking (PROD) for dialogues when exporting to PDF;
- Tons of other fixes.
We were only able to find these issues thanks to your active participation - our elite squad of beta test users :) So I’d like to say you’re very special and send a big THANK YOU! We know that many of you have already started working on real projects and it is very cool! Its what motivates us and helps us move forward. Thanks for using the app and your feedback; on our side, we’ll try to make the product better and more convenient for you!
The next update is scheduled for early January 2022. It will mostly include bug fixes as we’ll continue on taking the app to a more stable state. And yes, this will finally be the first STARC public release!
P.S. If you’ve participated in crowdfunding in 2019 and supported us by purchasing app license, you will find a lifetime subscription to the PRO or TEAM version in your personal Account. You’d just need to sign in with the e-mail address you’ve used to participate. If your primary email address has changed, please contact us and we’ll link your account to your new e-mail.