Tip of the Week #3: Getting help and previewing what’s new

February 28, 2008 Lulu Leave a comment

If you are using the Signature Command HUD v4.10.x and above, you will notice the big “HELP” button on the HUD menu. Now, if you encounter an unusual problem, where to find help? Well, the various help options are right there on the help menu after you press that button:

group help (Lulu’s Designer Club).
24/7 Online searchable help – great place for searching for keywords (if your keyword doesn’t turn up anything, try other keywords – seems MySQL search sometimes doesn’t work very well).
smart reset. Chances are, if something doesn’t work right on your HUD, it might be due to a “dead” script. Smart reset will revive it and even restore lost settings. (But v4.10 versions below v4.10.09 might not work properly, saying all is well when it really isn’t).
what’s new. The latest release notes. If you are not using the latest version, perhaps your problem is a bug that has been fixed in the latest version. (only v4.10.09 onwards have the “what’s new” button on the help menu).

This last “what’s new” is the main focus of this week’s tip. Sometimes, you will see that the latest version is an “Unreleased” version, and the text is grayed out. What does this mean? Where can you get this version?

Well, you can’t. At least not yet. Unreleased simply means it has been fixed, or is being fixed for the next release, but is not yet ready. It is there so that you can check your problem against the bugfixes to see whether it is a known issue. If you’ve made feature requests, you may also peep here to see whether it’s on the way.

So here we have it. Might as well explain a bit more about the Release Notes headline (e.g. “Signature Command HUD v4.10.10 + Signature Cuffs v1.05.05”) color coding:

Black or blue headline = General Release (most stable, fewest bugs; gone through wide testing);
- update notice: users will be notified once they wear the respective toy. Just go to the Warehouse and click the Update Switch, and follow instructions.
- silent-release: there is no update notice. But clicking the Update Switch at the Warehouse will get you this version. And new purchases will also be this version. Sometimes, I will put Release Candidates on concurrent “silent releases” if I feel that new users will benefit from it more than the risk of potential bugs. In this case, there is a good chance that the silent release will work its way towards an “update notice” pretty soon. Another reason for doing a silent release is that this version has minor improvements over the previous one, so I do not want to bother the majority of existing users unless they have specific reasons to update. New users however, would benefit.
Red headline = Release Candidate (mostly stable, might have a few bugs, otherwise on the way to general release soon)
Gray headline / text = Unreleased version (still in alpha, or closed beta testing)

And what if you still can’t find the answer to your problem? That’s probably the time to submit a bug report (also on the help menu).

That’s it for this week.

Next week: Layla Slade (reigning queen on the Gag Scoreboard) shares with us her tips for getting your name up there.

Luv, Lulu

Signature

Signature HUD v4.10.09 + Gags + Cuffs Release Candidate Refresh

February 26, 2008 Lulu Leave a comment

And I thought I could work on the leather cuffs in peace.

Decided to work in some smart reminders to remind people to activate their plugins after a successful setup – current plugins do not transfer from old HUDs as they require to be setup as well. Some people were wondering why the plugins didn’t transfer.

While I was at it, decided to add a few more reminders, like offering owners your new keys (every setup creates a new key linked to that new serial number). Again, people tend to forget to do that after they transfer their owner settings from the old HUD, and wonder why the old keys don’t work.

Also, fixed a few bugs, the most serious of which was the smart reset could fail silently in the previous RC versions.

See the Release Notes for more info: cuffs and gags.

Let’s hope I can get down to working on the leather now. *feels the smooth yet abused surface* Yum.

Luv, Lulu Ludovico.

Signature

Signature Cuffs v1.05.03 RC + Gags v3.21.03 RC

February 24, 2008 Lulu Leave a comment

Okies, finally managed to squash a few key bugs in the previous Cuffs v1.05.01 RC. So here we are with the latest combo.

Overall, this is the most robust HUD yet. Key changes from the General Release versions:

integrated and friendlier help
new HUD buttons: coffee cup (blog), question mark (online help) and red dot (time to save)
no need to detach restraints during transfers, smart resets or saves (except if you were locked in Restrained Life viewer). And no more “save your settings” spam.
bug-fixes here and there.

Latest cuff release notes here. Gags here.

Remember, both gags and cuffs need to be updated to access all the no-need-to-detach features. And since these are Release Candidates, get them from the RC boxes (white and blue) when you enter the Warehouse. Don’t use the Update Switch as that gives you the general release version.

On another note, looks like my shipment of suitably-abused leather just came in so I can start fabricating the leather cuffs now. Now to sew in the buckles and D-rings and internal steel wires. *wicked grin*.

Luv, Lulu Ludovico

Signature

Signature Cuffs v1.05.01 RC and Gag v3.21.01 RC

February 20, 2008 Lulu Leave a comment

Like the Gags, the Signature Cuffs are having some major improvements.

Key changes:

integrated help, including context-sensitive links to online pages.
streamlined save process (a discreet red dot on the HUD now reminds you to save at your own leisure, instead of “countdowns” and “save reminders” on your chat screen)
ability to detach HUD (for saving) without detaching your cuffs if worn, even when locked. You will need to re-wear your HUD within a minute or so though, or the cuffs will detach (with alarms if locked).
smart reset will also not detach your restraints when the HUD detaches. You will need to re-wear your HUD within about a minute or so though.
Details here.

Note: Only Signature Gag v3.21.01 and above will not detach with the HUD. The previous gag version will detach with the latest HUD (v4.10.03). This is due to a new check for the correct HUD after “smart reset” or “save”. If you wear the wrong HUD it will tell you.

Go get yours at the Secret Warehouse, from the blue box right inside the door.

Luv, Lulu Ludovico.

Signature

Signature Gag v3.21.00 RC + HUD v4.10.00 RC out now

February 17, 2008 Lulu Leave a comment

This is a big release, with numerous improvements.

Key new stuff include:

vastly improved help, including context-sensitive links to relevant online help pages
Restrained-Life viewer – able to IM up to 3 friends (excluding owners) while gagged (but only with “garble off” or “garble loose”)
streamlined save process and smart reset (worn restraints will no longer automatically detach – though if you’re a Signature Cuff owner you will need the next Cuff Release Candidate to see this – otherwise current cuffs will still detach). You can now even save (detached) while locked.
- Instead of being spammed, you will get a red dot to the right of the HUD logo to remind you to save. Click that for instructions. You can even ignore the red dot and save when you feel like it (of course, don’t crash or you’ll lose data!).
numerous bugfixes and improvements. Details here.

So if you own any v.3 Signature Gag, you can get your Release Candidate at the Secret Warehouse. Look for the white box when you enter.

Enjoy!

Luv, Lulu Ludovico