[tsaylor]

Greetings all!

I'm pleased to announce that the new 1.31 version of Facade is ready for download! Due to some other projects and complications this has taken a lot longer than I had hoped, but the wait is finally over. I hope you will enjoy the new changes and improvements to Facade. This is a free update for all registered Facade users!

First, a few highlights, then we'll get to the full detailed list of changes in this new version.

Facade 1.3 Highlights!

1. New layouts and graphics
With this release we have included three different layout choices, all designed by Juni! There's a new green layout, a similar blue layout, and the "Sky" layout from the 1.20 release. All three layouts are available in QVGA portrait, QVGA landscape, and standard portrait!

2. Rotation support

Facade now allows screen rotation for all devices which support it! This is especially useful for devices such as the HTC S710, Dopod C500, and Vox, which have a slide out keyboard that changes the screen orientation. However, any WM6 device which supports screen rotation can use this feature. A new "Rotate" button option allows screen rotation directly from the launcher bar.

New rotation-aware settings for background images and view height allow a single layout file to support two resolutions!

3. Built-in "wide" options to move the launcher into a tab
The three new default layouts all include a "Facade3TabBar" definition which relocates the launcher into the tabbed section. This allows easy switching between the "two tab" and "three tab" modes by simply enabling/disabling those portions from the Plugins page of "Facade Settings". Initially the FacadeTabBar is enabled, which is the two tab mode. To switch to three tabs just uncheck the FacadeTabBar and instead check the Facade3TabBar line.


4. Automatic import of other plugins
Previously the Plugins page of "Facade Settings" allowed the individual plugins within a layout to be enabled, disabled, or moved up/down. With this new release, Facade will look at existing layout files to build a list of all plugins installed on the phone. Selecting a plugin from this list will automatically import the definition into the current layout file, allowing hybrid layouts to be created much more easily! For example, a weather plugin could be easily inserted into one of the standard Facade layouts with just a few clicks and a small adjustment to the Facade view height (assuming that plugin was installed on the phone, of course).

5. New meters
A signal meter and battery temperature meter have been added to the meter options for the launcher bar. Like the existing battery/memory meters, these are fully skin-able. It is also now possible to display the numeric percentage value next to the meter (this feature requires a manual change to the layout file to specify the width of the meter and text).


6. Transparent buttons
Transparency is now used on the tab buttons, providing a look that is attractive even when combined with various colored layouts.


7. Floating background images
The new blue/green layouts use floating background images for the iconbar / carrier / profile / messages / missed calls sections. This means that those plugins are free to move up or down without ruining the appearance of the layout. There are no fixed positions enforced by the background image (with the exception of the "Sky" layout which still uses a fixed background image). This is particularly helpful in the cases of plugins such as "missed calls", which appear only when they have data to present.


8. More translations
Polish and Greek translations have been added, to the existing translations which include Czech, Danish, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Russian, and Swedish.


9. Support Dopod/Asian phones
Due to a Microsoft change in WM6 phones which use Asian locales, the schedule view was empty on certain devices such as the Dopod C730 when using prior Facade versions. This update resolves these issues.


10. Other changes
Many other smaller changes and bug fixes are included in this release as well. For the full list see the details below.

The details: what's new in version 1.30

• Professionally redesigned graphics for all resolutions
• New default FacadeGreen and FacadeBlue layouts with rotation support
• Support screen rotation for devices such as the Vox
• New signal meter
• New battery temperature meter
• New meter text support (only when button width is specified)
• New "Spacer" plugin type (supports height/landscapeHeight)
• Added Polish translation
• Added Greek translation
• Support "Rotate" button for devices which allow screen rotation
• Support separate "landscapeHeight" view height for dual resolution layouts
• Support bgimage-rotated for separate landscape image within Facade regions
• Support "shadow" text effect
• Support unselectable views (Selectable="0")
• Show home screen before schedule data is ready, to avoid load pause
• Observe MaxDays setting for tasks
• Support x/y positioning for buttons
• Apply snapback feature to tabs (optional)
• Rework internal timers to resolve occasional CPU usage problem
• Support Default tab/button other than first one
• Support "none" action for unselectable meters
• Change "Complete" menu choice to "Activate" for completed tasks
• Bypass click menu when it contains only one choice
• Treat full day appointments (12am-12am) as "all day"
• Limit number of days to show completed past due tasks
• Unload layout if down arrow held during reboot
• Support lowercase am/pm indicator options
• Add "Open Tasks" option to Schedule item menu
• Make schedule/task view unselectable when empty
• Added ForceViewRedraw setting to allow view background change when tab bar is selected
• Fix missing schedule on Chinese locale (Dopod)
• Fix reversed priority task sort (should be high to low)
• Fix unintentional "translation" of "Launcher" tab label to "Programs"
• Fix empty row when negative RowPadding value is used
• Fix viewing notes for recurring appointments with separate notes
• Fix skipped task if description is identical
• Fix custom skin icons not changing when switching layouts
• Resolve CPU usage problems when multiple meter lines are used
• Automatically add "/storage" to xml image paths (WM2003 compatability)
• Support multiple Papyrus views from "No appointments" line
• Fix "View Details" click action setting under standard calendar
• Restore missing Italian translation
• Use standard meter image when using a skin that doesn't define one
• Allow meters to show proper control panel when settings already open
• Support large/small launcher (must omit launcher height in layout)
• Reload schedule view if device date is changed
• Allow "Today" line to be scrolled into view when today has no appointments

• Settings: Ability to automatically import plugins from other layouts
• Settings: Reset color scheme only when a different layout is selected
• Settings: Correct window focus when resuming existing Settings program
• Settings: Correct error when switching saved launcher sets
• Settings: Allow custom hex values for colors
• Settings: Fix extra lines inserted into buttons section of xml file
• Settings: Recognize Facade layouts that include Facade within Orange
• Settings: Specify [Rotation Supported] for layouts which use landscapeHeight setting

• Install: Default install files to QVGA (faster install for QVGA devices)
• Install: Show new layout choices during install

What's new in version 1.31

• Fix missing tab bar image on certain layouts such as "Black Mesh"
• Added Spanish translation
• Added Portuguese translation
• Added Norwegian translation
• New option to hide undated tasks (ShowUndatedTasks="0")
• New option to leave launcher images when changing launcher links (PreserveLauncherImages)
• Fix incorrect landscape background for existing 1.2x "My Facade" layouts
• New MeterStyle option for text-only "meters"
• New MeterTextAs/MeterTextSuffix options to show memory in percent or MB
• Avoid appointment reload after viewing details

Download the new version

All registered users can download the new version and simply install it over the previous Facade version. Your existing registration details will carry over to the new version. The Smartphone OS will automatically uninstall the previous version during this process.

To download the new Facade 1.31 complete ZIP file follow the URL below:
http://downloads.sbs.../Facade1_31.zip

To download Over The Air CAB file for Smartphone devices follow the URL below:
http://downloads.sbs...Facade1_31_.cab

New users - registering Facade

Facade costs $14.95 for new users. It can be purchased through our online store using this URL:
http://minibrand.han...://www.sbsh.net


Final thoughts

We hope you enjoy the new features and improvements. As usual there are many changes planned for upcoming versions. Please post any thoughts, new suggestions, or bugs you find with this version. With your help Facade will continue to improve!

Cheers!

This post has been edited by tsaylor: 30 August 2007 - 07:13 AM
Reason for edit:: Changed links to the 1.31 version

[amitregev]

Congrats Todd for the new version 1.3 release!! The new update looks amazing and it's time to give it a try!

[waltzb]

Awesome job! Thank you for all your hard work!

[tsaylor]

Thanks! And a big thanks to the users of our beta group for helping get this release ready!

[Prosper]

Yeeeeeeehaaaaaaa...

[Fruchtzwerg]

THX, for this nice release.

[rudeboy]

thanks.... can't wait to see it on my Q.

[amitregev]

Many thanks all for the great support! As Todd mentioned too, a really big thank-you goes to the beta group team for their help with the testing of this new version release! There were many things that needed to be tested and without their testing we wouldn't been able to reach such good results!

A second great thank-you goes to Juni that worked really hard to create the new version graphics, brining a much more up-to-date look for Facade to match the new Windows Mobile 6 OS design and a much better look over all

[rudeboy]

looks good, i'm just missing the tab "icons" i used to have, i am using Black Mesh.

[Yarns]

Congrats and many thanks for this new version and all the new features!

Germany is informed as well (thanks for your support with the release note!)

Have a great day,
Matze

[SinisterJunkie]

Congratulations, Todd!

[rudeboy]

looks good, i'm just missing the tab "icons" i used to have, i am using Black Mesh.

anybody know why the "tab" images do not display with this update ? path in the .xml is correct but still no tabs. even though it is possible to scroll. i know of at least one other person with the same issue which gives me a reason to believe it is not only me.

thanks.

[pda247]

Best WM Smartphone application EVER!

[GreatDay]

anybody know why the "tab" images do not display with this update ? path in the .xml is correct but still no tabs. even though it is possible to scroll. i know of at least one other person with the same issue which gives me a reason to believe it is not only me.

thanks.

Yeah, before I download and update i'd like to know if i'm going to lose the use of Black Mesh. It may seem trivial, but until Juni makes a new version of B&W for smartphones, I want Black Mesh on my screen (i have to look at my screen all day long so I care what it looks like. Man I wish smartphones were as easy to configure the screen on as ppc's....) I hate having to go in there and tweek files AND i'm no good at it. I always make a mess, so i am interested in the answer to Rudeboy's question.....

[tsaylor]

anybody know why the "tab" images do not display with this update ? path in the .xml is correct but still no tabs. even though it is possible to scroll. i know of at least one other person with the same issue which gives me a reason to believe it is not only me.

thanks.

Thanks rudeboy. I'll run some tests on the Black Mesh layout and figure out what is going wrong ASAP.