Developer Notes
 

I'm getting a lot of the same questions in different threads, so I thought that I'd try to save time by answering them here.

After a wait of 6 years, the Beta version of Marine Aqurium 3 is now available for download. This is a BETA version - it is NOT FINISHED. If you are the type of person who needs a totally bug-free program with everything working and a proper Windows Installer, come back in a few months.

But, if you are the type of person who would have enjoyed wandering through Disneyland while it was still under construction, you are welcome to download and try out this Beta test of MA3. Anyone can download the file. It will expire after 7 days, but new versions will be constantly available to take its place during the Beta test period. If you have a valid MA2.6 Key Code, the Beta will run without a "nag screen". Otherwise, you'll have to type in "Testfish" each time it runs.

From now on, anyone purchasing MA2.6 at SereneScreen.com will also get a permanent MA3 Key. For those who bought MA2.6 recently, there will be a grace period, which we are still working out.

Release Notes:
1. The fish models are still the old ones from MA1. After the bug reports stop pouring in, I'll be switching these to a new style model with much more realistic behavior, including schooling, darting, chasing, etc.

2. After the fish are done, I will start bringing the background to life, one object at a time. I have extensive plans for every part of the tank, and there is a reason behind virtually everything you see.

3. There is currently no Installer. Just like the Good Old Days, it's just a file, which can be placed anywhere you like on your computer. Uninstall by simply deleting the file. You can set it as your screensaver by right-clicking the icon and choosing "Install". If you want it to show up on your list of screensavers in Display Properties, you'll have to put in the proper drawer for your operating system. It used to be Windows/System32, but that has changed with Vista.

4. Use this Forum to report bugs. Try not to duplicate others' reports (within reason - I know it's a lot to read). Don't bother reporting pass-throughs of the fish between each other or background objects. That section still needs a lot of work.

5. While a few of the Keystroke commands and other features are the same as MA2.6, there are many changes. Just because something was working in previous versions, don't assume it will be working here. For example, the starfish does not yet go on the glass. The old program used DX6, and this one uses DX8/9, and virtually every line of code had to be rewritten.


So, if you'd like to be a part of the construction process, welcome. You can download the program here:
https://www.feldoncentral.com/forums...ead.php?t=4385

Jim in Vista you can just copy the .SCR file to the windows/system32 file and it will show up in the sceensaver contol panel.

Yes, that seems to be right for 32-bit Vista. The folder for 64-bit Vista seems to be SysWOW64.

I have Vista 64 and I placed the .scr in C:\Windows and it shows up in the screensaver list perfectly.

Hi, And I just dragged the programme into C:\Windows and it showed up in Display properties. Cheers Rosalene Bradbury

Hi Jim, it's such good news that MA3 is almost here. I can't tell you how exciting it is to finally see a beta version. I installed it yesterday and left it running overnight without a single glitch! Looking forward to the launch of the final release.

Good luck for the future

Slinky

WOW.
 

I just gazed, spellbound, at my computer screen for several minutes while the Lord of the Rings theme for Pellenor fields played majestically in the background...

Wow.

Never in my life have I wanted a mega-widescreen monitor so badly.

Wow.

Thank you.

Rebecca

Rebecca,
I've tried MA3 on a triple screen setup (at work) and although it looks pretty massive like that I must say I prefer (at least right now) to have it scrolling (like on my regular widescreen monitor at home) - the 3D effect is so much better when scrolling. :)

I just installed the Beta, everything OK. The program went right into the Screen Saver section with no assist. Running:
Vista Ultimate 64-Bit
NVIDIA 8600 GT
Intel Core 2 Quad
112+ FPS! This is awesome.... I have it running all fish random and it is gorgeous.

Beta 2 impressions
 

Definately the beta 2 is working a lot better than the frsit one. The "Preview Window", "Empty tank" and "Random Fish" bugs have been fixed and so far so good on my laptop.

3 x 22" Screens Marine Aquarium 3
 

3x 22" LCD Screens -

This is sweet, works really well. Have 2 8800 gts and i am getting over 115 fps. I have even moved my screen settings around in a (L) shape sort of setup and it just knows and moves, will have to get three more screens now to test six monitors.

Have posted a print screen here

http://www.okcc.com.au/screensaver.jpg

and a photo here

http://www.okcc.com.au/photo.jpg

:TU::TU::TU::TU::TU:

Photo looks nice. Welcome to the forums. :)

Great photos. Really demonstrates what Marine Aquarium 3 is about. I hope you don't mind I'd like to use that last screen shot on the Fan Site.

Wow!!! Nice setup. I know what I'm asking for christmas.

That's stretching it about as far as it could possibly go, but it still holds up fairly well. It gets a little strange toward the edges. Glad to see my auto-zoom theory works to keep the pixel/aspect correct. Now I don't have to put up with people postng shots of short, wide fish.

I just purchased the 2.6 upgrade and got my key... when I try and use the key for the beta though, it tells me to insert my 2.6 CD - which I don't have since I upgraded online...

It sounds like you bought a 2.6 upgrade Key, which upgrades from 2.0 to 2.6. Contact Prolific Customer Service and they'll try to straighten it out.

The Free 3.0 Key is for people who go to SereneScreen.com during the MA3 Beta period, and buy a full MA2.6 Key for the normal price (which I had lowered to $14.95 about a year ago). Someday you will be able to learn all about this offer in a Wikipedia article titled "Most Unsuccessful Marketing Plan of All Time".

Beta 2 has expired, and there's no Beta 3
 

My Beta 2 has expired and, as far as I can tell, Beta 3 has not been posted yet (I expect it will be later today, since Beta 2 is dated 10/13). Can the expiration for future betas be set for a bit more than a week (e.g., 9 or 10 days) so there's a little overlap? I wanted to test MA3 against the latest ATI drivers (Catalyst 8.10, which came out a few days ago), and now I can only do that by setting the date back on each of my systems (which I'd really prefer to not do).

I understand that "stuff happens".

However, the thread in which I should have posted a reply is LOCKED for some reason.

So, I started a new thread ("Which One"), and now that thread seems to be LOCKED, too. So, I couldn't post a follow-up indicating that I understand, etc. etc.

Free advice: don't piss off your Beta testers by causing them unnecessary work.

The Marine Aquarium 3 Beta Announcement thread is locked because it is solely for me and Jim to post in.

I really do appreciate the effort people have put into posting bugs and participating in the Beta so that the final version is bug-free and people feel comfortable with it, knowing that it got the testing it deserved. Thanks!

Dale, I've unlocked your other topic. You may post here or there, up to you. :)

OK. But where's the appropriate place to put comments on the "posting and naming strategy"?

I think it's rather important that anybody (developers, testers, users) be able to determine what they are using. Nobody can do that with the current strategy. The "expired" message seems to be the same, regardless of version. The download file names, as well as the INTERNAL version numbers of the .scr files, seem to be the same, regardless of version.

As I recall, there was a similar discussion about MA 2.6.

This thread is the perfect place for discussion of the naming and version tracking.

The Announcements thread is one that I expect possibly hundreds of people to subscribe to so they receive an e-mail whenever there is a new development or new version of the Aquarium. If we opened that thread to general discussion, no matter how on-topic that discussion it might be, then I've lied to the customers because they'll get a lot of what (to them) would appear to be nuisance e-mails instead of notification of a new download (which is what they signed up for!).

This is why the Announcement thread only allows posts from Jim and myself.

I agree that the Beta Expired message could be improved, but it is certainly not impossible to determine which version of the Beta you have. Set your clock back to before the Aquarium expired, run the Aqurium, and right at the top on the 1st line in yellow letters it says Beta 2. Also there was a discussion in another thread about the fact that the filename for Beta 1 is MarineAquarium3.scr and the filename for Beta 2 is MA3Beta.scr.

The exact build number in Marine Aquarium 2.6 can be determined by opening the About box and clicking on the version number. I just ran my version of 2.6 and when I clicked the version number, elsewhere in the box (to the right of Prolific Publishing, Inc.), the build number PB30.2.6.37 appears.

The MA3Beta.zip has been replaced by a Beta 3 version. The only differences from Beta 2 are the fact that you can no longer create Fish Sets with blank names, and the outline of the rock against the fan coral has been fixed. The order that the fish are drawn in relation to some of the background objects has also been changed, but this would probably be fairly difficult to notice on most systems.

Note - there was initally a problem with the upload. If you downloaded the file within a few minutes from the time I posted this message, please download it again.

And it dosn't say "Expired" :):)

chippy - please note my last edit above. Anyone who downloaded in the last few minutes may have recieved the wrong file. Please download again.

1. Yes, I know how to tell the exact build number in MA 2.6 It's interesting that mine reads Q224.2.6.475, which is sure not the same as yours. Which is current?
2. Yes, I know that the filename for Beta 1 was different. That doesn't help (much), now that Beta 3 is out.

3. I presume that you know some of the dangers of setting the computer's clock "back". It's totally unsound practice, deprecated by Microsoft, etc. In addition, consider that (for instance) my computer is running software to automatically bid (snipe) on eBay items. Set the clock back?

The point was - don't make it more difficult than necessary, for your Beta testers to give you complete, accurate information.

By keeping the filename the same for the Betas, the same link will always download the latest file. That seemed easier than making people pour through all these messages for the latest link.

Makes sense. Now how about having the "product version" or "file version" or some other internal information in the .scr file, be something other than a uniform 1.0.0.1 -- perhaps even 3.b3, or something.

Also, the "expired" message could say "Beta Version 2 has expired".

I'm figuring people will use the link at the bottom of my announcement every time I change it, but either way.

I think what Dale is talking about is when you right-click on the Aquarium and go to Properties, under the various information placed there by Visual Studio, the version number is 1,0,0,1. I'm guessing you can assign a version number in VS.

When Beta 3 expires, it says "Beta 3 has expired".

I did some research, and I can change the info that shows up under "properties". From now on, I'll put some appropriate info in there.

Exactly what I was suggesting. Since I didn't know exactly what your development environment is, I had to describe it in terms of the version tab in the file properties.

If unique for each build, it provides explicit information without having to run the application.

Thanks for figuring out what I meant.

To be absolutely precise, it says "MA3 Beta Test 3 has expired". Which brings me to my real question: will there be a beta 4? If not, when will we be able to get the released product? (I really don't want to set my clock back in order to be able to use your wonderful toy. If nothing else, that is likely to screw up my Windows Home Server backups.)

Beta 4 is up: http://www.fish-byte.com/MA3Beta.zip

The only changes are in the FishPicker interface. I think I have fixed the bugs which allowed the wrong numbers of fish and starfish to be selected.

Still no bezel gap adjuster then?

Not yet.

for multiple monitor situations, there is a setting that says "display nothing on this monitor". however, this actually blacks out the monitor. i can't do any work while running ma3. can there be a setting where you display ma3 on your other monitor(s) but also allows you to work normally on a defined monitor?

Press the 'F' key, and have the Aquarium in a window. - Then type away on your other monitor! :)

Wow
 

Amazing. I loved 2.6 and after reading what you have planned, I cannot wait. ok so maybe i have no choice on that lol. it will be nice to see the see fan and anonome animated.

Help a Mac brotha out...
 

Hello everyone!

I would love to see some kind of screen shot or something to tide me over. PLEASE, direct me to a link or post a picture of something for me to view!!!

Thank you kindly,

eric

Eric,
Here's something. The wonderful 3D effect isn't there, but maybe it'll take the edge off your craving?