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Jackhammer 1.1.700 Public Beta Is Out
Hi all!
Yes, now we're in beta status, which means lots of bugfixes and improvements were done. ^^

New version highlights:

* Archive Support: Jackhammer can load models and sprites from game archives (PAK, PK3). This is useful if you open other's map which uses models, and your game resources are not unpacked.
* Compiling in Editor: now it is much more convenient to compile maps in the editor, because the compile process doesn't block it. You can continue editing the map while the long compilation takes place. You can also terminate it at any time simply by closing the Process Window.
* Improved Decal Rendition: you can preview Half-Life decals (colors and transparency) in the 3D-View just the same as in the game.
* New Texture Application Modes: "NULL to Selected" (applying NULL or caulk texture to selection), "NULL to Unselected" (same as the previous mode, but texture is applied to the other brush faces; handy fast removal of backfaces), "Apply (texture + values + axes)" (copying texture axes information, simplifying texture application to complex objects and landscapes, especially when combined with "Align to View" mode).
* Automatic Selection in 3D: you can select multiple objects by pressing mouse button in 3D-View and then dragging a cursor. This mode is convenient for quick selection of lots of nearby objects (e.g. landscape brushes), when clicking can become annoying.
* Model View: you can specify an external model viewer (e.g. HLMV) and open any model simply by a context menu command. Also it is now possible to reload a model from disk without restarting the editor.
* Update Check: the editor can automatically check for new version available and notify you, so you can immediately download and install the update.
* Lots of improvements: the new version traditionally contains lots of bugfixes and improvements in comparison with the previous release. The editor became much more stable and functional, and now it is a beta. Please view a changelog for the details.

This version supports Quake, Quake II, Quake III, Half-Life, Gunman Chronicles and their modifications.
Supported operating systems: Windows, Linux.
Supported architectures: x86 (32-bit), amd64 (64-bit).

Web page
Feature list
Changelog of version 1.1.700

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Thanks for the feedback, some features were added because of your requests. Hope you enjoy Jackhammer, I've put much effort to it.
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Heretic 2 Support 
would be really nice too. I know Quark supports it, though I do not know which format the compiler uses. 
Enemy Territory Support 
1) I created a custom q3map2 version for legacy to better support deluxe mapping (i also removed all the gtk dependencies since they were really just dead weight and the compiler is not a lot lighter and only a single binary)
2) Textures work the same way as in q3, in ET there's another model format mdc which is essentially a packed md3 ( the float values are packed ), but also md3 is used and both work the same way. There are some new shader keys for the new renderer which adds support for normal/displacement/etc effects but that is not really in use yet.
3) Theres an existing radiant definition for ET for that could be used?
4-5) Tank/Car route editor which is used to create the paths for the tanks and or cars (http://www.pythononline.co.uk/et/tutorial38.htm)

I might be totally forgetting something, but essentially the editing is very similar to Q3. 
Few Requests 
First one is very simple: I'd love to order my visgroups properly. Just add up/down buttons to the
"Object Groups" window, or maybe make the items in "Groups" list draggable, so I can reorder the groups by hand. An option to order them alphabetically would be nice as well.

Second, I don't know why these dialog windows have fixed sizes. Having them resizable would be great.

Third: in Worldcraft, when I pressed Z over the 3D window, it "captured" the mouse and entered in "mouselook" mode, no matter what window was active at the moment. Now I have to activate the main window and then press Z. It has less usability.

Last: it would be nice to save windows state when the program exits. The load and save current window state buttons are not enough because I use two independent windows: one 3D and one splitted into top and front 2D views. I have to reorganize them every time I load the program. 
 
I think the color picker that gets invoked from various places is showing web colors instead of the standard Windows set. 
Warren 
Looks like it, though it's not like it really matters as you can still choose whatever colour as well as add custom ones. 
One Thing 
Please make individual vertex manipulation steps undoable. The thing where you have to exit vertex mode and then undo the whole manip session is unsustainable. 
^^ X1000 
Please :) 
 
On the subject of undo transactions, I'd personally really like to see selection and deselection added to the list of possibilities. I'm constantly deselecting large groups of objects accidentally, but where Source Hammer lets me just hit Ctrl+Z to get the selection back, Jackhammer doesn't. I know your feature list is defined primarily by Hammer 3.5, but this is one thing I'd make extensive use of.

There's a similar situation with texture application. If I Shift+Right click a brush to apply the current texture to the whole brush, but then change my mind and hit Ctrl+Z, it only undoes one face at a time, even though the last action I took as a user was changing all the faces at once.

One final note, unrelated to Undo: I just found out that Rick Lipsey's map source, from the recently released func_mapjam 6, will crash JH if you try to go to the nailgun.

In the mod's "source" directory, load jam6_rick.map into Jackhammer 1.1.700. Go to Map|Entity report..., tick the "By class" checkbox, choose weapon_nailgun, and click Go to. The program crashes every time for me. I just sent an error report about this (though I'm not exactly comfortable sending desktop screenshots to strangers), but figured I should document it here as well. 
Installer Only? 
For Windows there is no un-zip and run version, only an installer? 
Oh! 
I second that. I would love if there was a portable version. 
Am I Missing A Setting? 
is there a way to paste a copied brush to the location where I right click and paste on the 2d window? 
 
No, it pastes to the center of the viewport. It doesn't do pasting as well as more modern Hammer iterations. 
No Install Version 
It's not so much for portability, but to keep more unnecessary stuff from cluttering up the registry. Windows takes care of that well enough on its own.

I usually run a system restore afterwards if an installer has to be used but it would be nice to avoid that hassle, and even then a lot of software will continue to write trivial configuration data there instead of to a separate config file as it should. 
Yeah, Totally. 
Most stuff you install, if not all, should really not need to write stuff to the registry. 
 
Third: in Worldcraft, when I pressed Z over the 3D window, it "captured" the mouse and entered in "mouselook" mode, no matter what window was active at the moment. Now I have to activate the main window and then press Z. It has less usability.

This sums up to: hovering the mouse over a viewport window activates it. That would improve productivity a ton. I'm using a two window setup, and the need to click to activate one is driving me crazy. 
 
This sums up to: hovering the mouse over a viewport window activates it. That would improve productivity a ton.

so true 
 
>>hovering the mouse over a viewport window activates it.
It actually does, from the first versions of the editor. O_o
>> For Windows there is no un-zip and run version, only an installer?
No, the installer does a lot of configuration job so I recommend to use it.
>> The program crashes every time for me.
This bug exists only in 64-bit version and will be fixed in the next release. 
 
>>hovering the mouse over a viewport window activates it.
It actually does, from the first versions of the editor. O_o


It does if no other windows are open. If I open texture application an its window is currently active then I need to click on the window behind it to make Z work. 
Not Really 
I have two viewport windows: one 3D view only; the other split between 2D top and front views. I have to click to activate the 3D windows to navigate thru it. When I want to edit something on 2D I have to click-activate it first. PITA.

Also, if a dialog is active I have to click on the viewport window behind to Z navigate it. 
 
"I have two viewport windows: one 3D view only; the other split between 2D top and front views."

You do? How? And does it save between sessions somehow? 
 
Based on my tests Jackhammer could easily be supplied in an unzip and run configuration. The installation saves some uninstall information in the registry and offers to associate Jackhammer.exe with certain file extensions, it also attempts to set up various game configurations. None of that is really necessary.

Simply running Jackhammer.exe does not appear to create any program specific registry keys.

Windows itself will of course automatically make certain keys which refer to Jackhammer.exe, as far as I know this is unavoidable.

The Qt toolkit however, does create registry keys. So a true "portable" installation appears to be impossible in this case. 
Warren 
Window / New window

You can have as many windows as you like for a single map. And no, it doesn't save between sessions, it's another request I did. The editor should save its state when it exits. 
Not Real Thrilled About This... 
Continuing to test Jackhammer, I noticed an unexpected executable, CrashSender.exe, in the Jackhammer folder.

This is apparently due to inclusion of something called CrashRpt (in the form of crashrpt.dll). According to the CrashRpt documentation, CrashSender.exe is capable of sending various data over the internet including desktop screen shots.

This is just my opinion, but it seems that use of CrashRpt and what it does should be disclosed during installation of the software and preferably be made optional. I couldn't actually make the software crash, so it's unknown to me if the user is prompted or not before any data is sent, what that data might be, or if data is even sent at all.

The current Jackhammer.exe will not run if the crashrpt.dll is missing. However, it will run without CrashSender.exe (though this will cause a message window to pop up when it starts). Rather than take any chances, I erased the CrashSender.exe, just because it's better to be safe than sorry these days. 
This Is Ridiculous 
If you do not accept our privacy policy, please do not use Jackhammer (this link is displayed in a crash report window).
Crash report is sent if and only if you press the "Send" button in crash report window. This is not an option and never will be one in Windows versions, unless JH becomes very, very stable. If you doubt the way we use crash report, why don't you doubt the JH at all? Nothing can stop me to collect your passwords, nuclear missile activation codes and stuff from the JH's code itself. So, be sure you erase both CrashSender.exe and jackhammer.exe to ensure your privacy. ^_^ 
Are There Plans For Prefab Support? 
title. 
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