Monthly Mewsfeed – Dec 2024

Welcome to the last Mewsfeed of 2024!

Mood Meter

🤧️ Felix: The snot is back, but I’m OK otherwise.
🚫️ Sneaky: NO VET SHALL EXAMINE MY BLOOD unless I can help it… which I can’t ._.
🤩️ Maryla: New PC is sooo fast!!! Yay 🙂

🫥️ Count Dartula: Full attention next time, surely?!

1️⃣️ New Project Ideas

A module that enables the user to theme the UI colours for themselves.

Top 5 To Dos

Last Month

This month has been pretty good. I had some time to get stuff done during the Christmas break and shouldn’t let that get to my head when planning the next month!

✅️ Default Android UI theme

This was more fun than expected, and I am pretty happy with what the new UI theme generator can do. I can now change the theme by configuring some values in a single file, and the rest runs automatically 🙂 I just want to do some further tests on an actual phone and with some settings that may now be obsolete next month.

✅️ Default desktop UI theme

Switching themes between desktop and android modes is easy now! I would like to implement a module where the user can configure all colours in the options at some point. This could be useful for non-game apps where the user wants full control over the appearance.

✅️ Clean up documentation

The never-ending job has progressed. Some READMEs were a bit outdated, and I moved test code closer to the code under test. I also implemented an EditorPlugin (more on it below) that reminds me about all the open tasks when the project is loaded, so I don’t have to worry about overlooking something!

✅️ Finish the Meowerlord office

All the new things arrived faster than anticipated. Now that my new PC is standing on a cool new desk (with my awkwardly sized printer sitting below it, wondering why it didn’t get included), I am excited to get the Godot exports done soon!

✅️ Celebrate Christmas!

This was pretty great too! As fun as developing stuff is, family time comes first 🎄️

✅️ Additional stuff

While trying to make the documentation more obvious, I learned about the Godot EditorPlugin system. They can automatically execute some script code at project load time (when opening it in the editor), which has inspired me to make a little in-engine automation tool. For now, it auto-detects and adds localisations within the project. This used to be a manual chore that was easy to forget, especially when files move. Over time, I hope to extend this system and let it handle whatever else it can!

Next Month

➡️ Update the Godot version

No reason to put this off any longer – it needs to get done! Apps built with the old version are throwing warnings in the PlayStore about outdated API levels. It’s also quite fun to do with the new PC, of course 🙂

➡️ Clean up release exports

I suspect some files could currently be exported which aren’t used by the final game, and some hidden files may deserve to get un-hidden if it doesn’t negatively impact export sizes. It will also be super satisfying to watch the new PC blast through this task, so I want to tackle it while the motivation lasts!

➡️ Test and clean up new features on Android

I haven’t tested all the recent changes on a real phone yet. Experience suggests that there will be some kinks to iron out. I also have one particular setting in mind that I used previously for UI scaling, which annoyed me back then and should be obsolete now.

➡️ Auto-run unit tests (and other minor improvements)

Who wrote unit tests at some point? Me! Who now forgets that they exist and should be used, at least when generating a release export to check if everything is still working? Yeah well, also me 😐️ Integrating them into my setup a bit better should not be too difficult. There are some more minor improvements I had on my mind, like auto-setting some options for debugging, and some performance experiments for non-game apps. The new PC should make it quicker, easier and more fun to finally sit down and check these off the list.

➡️ Another obscure build system optimisation

Nah, just joking 😆️ Count Dartula V2 is still the end goal here, so I want to include at least one thing for that! Since the changes to the whole setup have added up, I am going to be conservative and say that I want to set up the new UI theme and have it ready to run on Android at least. Re-building the features of V1 will come after that!

I’ll post this Mewsfeed a bit early so that I don’t have to remember doing it after the New Year’s party. We have some things to celebrate over here 🥂️🎇️ Have a fun and safe night everyone! And hugs for all the scared pets of course. Our own Meowerlords are lucky – weird noises are interesting, even if loud.