Science & Industry

While I am at it, I should probably post a list of all the new features already implemented as well as those I want to add before the release.
A few of these are already visible in the 'work-in-progress' screenshots I posted.

So here we go:

Done, or in progress

• Complete graphic overhaul. Byebye gray Windows window. Here come animated transparent window. Oh yeah!
• Planets and structures are now draggable (click and hold the planet/structure icon to drag)
• Planets and structures location/status are saved/loaded
• Planets and structures are collapsible to gain space (click on the product icon to collapse/expand)
• Structures show an icon of the installed product for easier identification
• Planets show their top products in an icon
• Planets and structures try to be helpful and tell you when something is wrong. (The borders turn red and you can over the planet/structure icon for an error tooltip
• Routes now link visually from and to the structures/planets
• Planets plan is now zoomable. so if you have a lot of structures, or planets, you can zoom out to get a better idea of what is where
• If more than 1 route link 2 structures (ex: storage to factory and back), the routes will be replaced with a 'multi-route' to gain space and better visualization. The icon of the multi-route is made from 3 routes for better identification of multi-route vs single routes.
• Plans do not accept routes going from one planet to another unless the 'space-route' is going from space-allowed structure (ex: command center and spaceport). [work in progress: the existing plans are updating to the new version automatically, still a big buggy, but getting there]
• 'EVE-like' contextual menu at the bottom of the plan. The menu options will change based on what you see and what you can do. (ex: first thing to do when adding a new planet is adding a command center, so you cannot add anything else until you have a command center in the planet)
• Side menu for quick add structures.
• drag and drop in the trash bin to delete structures, routes or planets.
• Command center are now usable to transport products (previous version only used to check for CPU/Powergrid)
• Structures with storage show a list of stored products as well as volume used.
• The extractor can extract its data from a screenshot of the game. ie: in game, open your extractor, select your plan for it, press 'print screen' on your keyboard, switch to the tool, open your extractor, click on the camera button, and the tool will use the screenshot to get the data for the extractor. No more need to write them down! (I got a moment on genius when I made that one ) Works pretty well as long as the ingame extractor window is mostly visible . if the tool fail to extract the data, just make sure it is not covered, and try to move it around a little bit. (in game window transparency can be annoying sometime)
• The product data has been moved to its own window, also added the product description, and a few other things related to it.
• Tool window is resizable
• EVE News scrolling on top of the tool windows Always know what happens in the game. Woot Woot! (love the fade-in-out effect, took me a long time to get it to work properly )
• Integrating 'F1' help to most of the controls of the tool. Don't know what to do? press 'F1' and contextual help will show. (Working, but no completed. Pushed to post debug phase)
• Ctrl-Click a structure will turn its border blue, marking it as beginning of a route, Ctrl-click another structure will attempt to create a route between the two. (shortcut to create routes)

To do

• Taxes per planet
• port 'change orientation' to new version
• port 'cost' popup to new version
• port 'Planet data' popup to new version
• port 'All in one' popup to new version
• port 'save' to new version
• port 'About' popup to new version

I probably forgot a few things because I really made a lot of changes.
But that's basically the scope of it.
I will try to finish it all within 2 months.

Still working on the new version.
Crushing bugs like a steam roller. :)
Got quite a lot working now, and I am pretty happy with the current state.
Planets and space routes are now working properly.
Still got a few bugs to fix in the Plan editor.
After that the biggest part to fix will be actually PI algorithm that use the plan for computation.
The space routes are one of the things I added and I know they will break the algorithm.
But this should be fairly easy (I hope) to fix.

I also tried the PI API.
It is still a big bugged, and CCP Fox Four promised to look at it.
I might use it to load existing planets so that you do not have to put everything by hand.
But I will have to support multiple characters and accounts.
Still it is doable, and on my todo list.
I just do not know if I will do it before or after release.
I would prefer to have the tool working as it was before so people can use it sooner, than push back the release because I keep adding things to it.
I will see how I progress on the current bugs fixing.

Really a great tool already and the screenshots of the new version look very promising . Keep up the good work! Let's hope your other project will be finished soon - can't wait to get the new build . Though, being a dev myself, I know all too well how fast issues or features that seem quick and easy at first can sometimes rise to unexpected heights of effort

A small help to others who might have troubles giving the correct path to the EVE cache folder under the "Tools" Tab: It has to be

"[Path to your windows-user-dir]\AppData\Local\CCP\EVE\[folder_for_your_eve_install]\cache"

If the folder you give exists, but does not contain the required files, a window with an exception-message (Key wasn't found in dictionary / "KeyNotFoundException") will pop up if you click on the refresh button.

i think this is better - eveplanets.com, eve-planets.com

Thanks CCP Phantom for your help.

And we are back!
Just a quick update for now about the status of the new version:

• Integrated all Citadel related recipes. That some huge recipe trees...
• Full API integration. Just put your key and validation code, press a button and you have access to all your planets and setups. Only problem: the current version of the API does not provide the number of heads of product installed in the extractors.
• Screenshot parsing. WTH is that? Easy, while viewing your planet, open an extractor, press the Print Screen button on your keyboard, switch back to the tool and press the Screenshot parser button and it will load the data for the Extractor. Including: Material name, number of heads, duration of the plan, quantity extracted. I am actually quite proud of that one because it works very well. At least for me. I still expect some of you to find ways to break it
• Need to fix the loading/Interaction of plans. Got some severe issues there.
• Fixed some issues related to Cache Parsing. Now we can load planets Scan values again from the cache again.

Unfortunately, I am still overly busy with other things IRL, so development is not going as fast as I would like, but still making progress. I just cannot give any ETA.

I'll provide encouragement now and ISK later if your tool does what i think it will. Having 90 planets and using a spreadsheet is inefficient. I await greatness :D

I fixed several issues in loading the new plans format, handling the new controls for the plans so they react properly to user interaction.

I also rewrote the screenshot parsing mechanism. Replaced it with something that is very close to a neural network.

It's looking good so far just need to test it a bit more on different planet types.

Overall some good progress. :)

You are more than welcome.
If it helps you, it means that my work is not useless and that makes me happy.
I cannot offer any ETA on the next version, but it is moving along.

Sorry for the delay, IRL is very busy at the moment and prevents me from sparing anytime to this project.
I hope to be able to go back to it very soon.

For update: I identified some issue with my screenshot processing algorithm and currently upping its game to retrieve better results.

the project has been stalled lately.
Work and family life are eating all my time.
And when I have free time I am so tired that I just forget everything to do anything.

I will try to free some time soon.
Maybe during lunch time...