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Introducing Multideck: Design custom card decks on Macintosh. Feedback wanted!

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Tue, 12/13/2016 - 15:33
Rick-Holzgrafe
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I have created and mostly finished an app for macOS that lets you create and print custom card decks for prototypes, print-and-play, and online gaming platforms. It's called Multideck.

The finished version of Multideck should be available in early 2017, if all goes well. In the meantime, we are now conducting an open beta program, and you can participate if you wish.

About the Beta Program
Multideck is currently available as a public beta test version. Downloading and using the beta versions is free, and you don't have to sign up or give us your email. The beta versions may have bugs; if you find any, we'd be grateful if you'd tell us about them, and we'll try to get them fixed. (See below for more info.)

The beta versions also have two limitations: they will stop working after a few weeks (so we don't get way out-of-date bug reports for older betas), and they will print a watermark over every card. When the finished version is available, it will not be time-limited and will not print a watermark.

The Finished Version
When we are satisfied that Multideck is ready for the big time, we will end the beta program. Multideck will be made available for purchase on the Mac App Store. Any projects you create with the beta will also work with the finished version. We have not yet decided on pricing, but if you can afford paper and ink for your printer, you should be able to afford Multideck.

Details! I want details!
To learn more about Multideck, visit this thread on BoardGameGeek: Introducing Multideck.

The Multideck Blog
To join the beta test program, and to follow our progress, visit the Multideck Blog. This is also where you can submit your bug reports and feedback, using the contact form on that page.

Thanks for helping us perfect Multideck!

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Wed, 12/28/2016 - 14:26
#1
Rick-Holzgrafe
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Multideck 1.0b3 is available

Multideck 1.0b3 is available for download from the Multideck Blog.

Changes since 1.0b1:

- Watermarking has been removed from the time-limited betas
- Many bugs fixed
- Full support for colored text
- Validation checks your project for errors
- Rich text markup added for more text styles and for color

Multideck requires macOS 10.9 (Mavericks) or later.

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Wed, 01/04/2017 - 16:19
#2
Rick-Holzgrafe
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Multideck 1.0b4 is available

Multideck 1.0b4 is available for download from the Multideck Blog.

Changes since 1.0b3:

- Changed: Item Info area is more compact; some features moved into the new “Effects” Panel.
This was done to reduce the minimum window size, and to make room for future features.
- New: Supports text underlining and strikethrough via the Font Panel, and via Rich Text Markup.
- Fixed: Supports undo/redo for changes to text font, style, and color.
- Changed: Removed the text shadow controls from the Font Panel (because the Font Panel doesn’t offer color shadows). Use the Shadow control in the Effects panel (see Item Info) instead.
- New: Added a Help button to the Item Info area.
- New: Validation does more error checking. Reports warnings and errors for use of incorrect ‘#’ syntax in more cases.
- Fixed: Text margins, rounded corners, and shadows on shadowed text are now properly scaled in exported card images.
- Fixed: Embedded images in rich text are now properly positioned in exported card images. (I hope. This one was tough, and there are a lot of funny edge cases.)
- Fixed: Bug when you Undo New Item and it’s the only item.
- New: New entries in the “FAQ and Troubleshooting” help page. (Help also updated to include the changes to 1.0b4.)
- Changed: The “Custom” menu item in the Card Size popup menu is now enabled, solely because it was confusing when it was disabled. It was formerly disabled because you don’t need to select it in order to enter a custom card size. It doesn’t actually do anything; it only exists so that the popup button can display it after you have entered a custom size. But the disabled item was fooling some people into thinking that they couldn’t have custom card sizes.

Multideck requires macOS 10.9 (Mavericks) or later.

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Sun, 01/15/2017 - 21:23
#3
Rick-Holzgrafe
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Multideck 1.0b5 is available

Multideck 1.0b5 is available for download from the Multideck Blog.

Changes since 1.0b4:

- Changed: Multideck now uses “sandboxing” for your security. This mostly means that once in a while, you’ll be asked to confirm that Multideck has permission to read your CSV file and Images Folder. When this happens, click the “Allow” button to continue.
- New: Improved error checking and handling for when your CSV file and Image Folder turn up missing.
- Fixed: Cosmetic improvement to the Lock button in the Item Info area.
- Changed: The “FAQ & Troubleshooting” help page has been expanded to answer more questions, and re-formatted for better readability. The help pages were also updated a bit to cover the changes in 1.0b5.

Multideck requires macOS 10.9 (Mavericks) or later.

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Mon, 01/16/2017 - 20:27
#4
Unknown Depths
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Collaboration via GIMP templates?

I'm curious of whether or not you think incorporating various themes/styles of GIMP card game templates into your program for users to use for their play-testing and prototyping would be a good idea. A few others and myself have just started a monthly card frames for prototypes initiative which will put out 3 different card templates a month for card project creators to use in the development of their games. By the end of the year we should have 36 templates completed. The GIMP versions are free so no worries about cost or anything. Here's a visual list of the templates we're working on: http://www.manifestationccs.com/prototypes/

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Tue, 01/17/2017 - 15:05
#5
Rick-Holzgrafe
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Unknown Depths wrote:I'm

Unknown Depths wrote:
I'm curious of whether or not you think incorporating various themes/styles of GIMP card game templates into your program for users to use for their play-testing and prototyping would be a good idea.

Your project sounds very interesting, but I doubt it would mesh well with Multideck. The purpose of Multideck is to give game designers a way to design their own card layouts, and to easily create sharable print-and-play decks. You don't have to learn the complexities of GIMP or Photoshop, and you aren't restricted to templates created by others.

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Thu, 01/19/2017 - 19:14
#6
Rick-Holzgrafe
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Multideck 1.0b6 is available

Multideck 1.0b6 is available for download from the Multideck Blog.

Changes since 1.0b5:

- Fixed: a bug that could cause a crash, especially when creating a new document.
- Fixed: Validation was reporting Literal items as errors.
- Fixed: Problems with entering item size and location values in the Item Info area.
- Improved: Tweaked the vertical positioning of inline images in rich text. Looks better now, I think.
- Changed: Removed the menu item Format > Text > Show Colors because it didn’t work the way most people expect. To open the Color Picker, use the button in the Effects panel (to select a background color) or the Font Panel (to select a text color).

Multideck requires macOS 10.9 (Mavericks) or later.

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Fri, 01/27/2017 - 21:38
#7
Rick-Holzgrafe
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Multideck 1.0.1 is available

Multideck has been released, and is now available for purchase in the Mac App Store!

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