This is an ALPHA release of the software. Alpha typically means that the software is not ready for prime-time, and has known or anticipated bugs. For this release, there are a few known issues (listed in the changes.txt file, and below), but mainly the software is classified as alpha because it has not been thoroughly tested. Thus, the probability of bugs is high. It is not recommended that you use the software for live tournaments (but I hope some adventurous people out there will).
First, backup your data first. I cannot stress this enough. This is good advice with any alpha/beta software. Use the Backup feature on the Database tab to backup your saved tournament files, templates, preferences, and database. Go the extra mile and be aware of the location of all of your saved data and make a backup copy of it.
The user manual has not been updated yet. Below is the relevant part of the changes.txt file. The link to download the alpha is at the bottom.
Thank you in advance to everyone who will participate in this test release. I welcome your feedback.
The Tournament Director 2.6 alpha release 1
Copyright (c) 2004 - 2010 Corey Cooper
Version 2.6.a1 (alpha release 1)
======================================================================
New Features:
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- Tournament files (.tdt) are now associated with the Tournament Director
application. Double-clicking a Tournament Director tournament file in
Windows Explorer will now start the Tournament Director and open the
selected tournament automatically
- The database, preferences, tournaments, and templates are now saved in a
new format
- Major rewrite of all underlying object code, dialog code, and UI code
- Added ability to specify more than one hitman for a player bust-out
- Stats tab now uses Profiles. Tournament file location now specified in
profile and not on Preferences tab. Currently selected profile displayed
on Stats tab
- Layout is now saved independently from tournament
- Various Layout dialogs completely overhauled
- Added feature to import components from other Layouts
- Added Layout Design Mode
- Cells simplified to use only Property Sets. Property Groups removed
- Added Advanced conditions to allow formula-style conditions for Property Sets
and Screen Sets (basic conditions still available)
- Added Layout screen property "expand"
- Added "expand" and "outline" attributes to <tables> token
- Added <playernames>, <evenchop>, <prizemoneyleft> and <prizepointsleft>
tokens
- Added "link" attribute to <tdbutton> token in token descriptor (attribute
was already there, but not displayed in the "Add Token" dialog)
- "Add Token" dialog now displays token code as the token is being defined
- Added "Used by" button to Global Properties Dialog
- Auto-resize feature now adjusts everything, not just visible components
- Added Seating Chart Screen option to set table width
- Added Seating Chart Screen option for multiple columns in List mode
- Added new table blueprints:
OctagonalEightSeatTableBlueprintLarge.xml,
RacetrackEightSeatTableBlueprintLarge.xml,
RacetrackEightSeatTableBlueprintMedium.xml,
RacetrackEightSeatTableBlueprintSmall.xml,
VerticalRacetrackTenSeatTableBlueprintLarge.xml,
VerticalRacetrackTenSeatTableBlueprintMedium.xml,
VerticalRacetrackTenSeatTableBlueprintSmall.xml
- Game Player dialog overhauled
- Stats Player dialog overhauled
- New Tournament dialog now gives option to use any saved tournament as a
template
- Default filename provided for new tournaments
- Added context-menu option for removing a player from a league (Database tab)
- Added feature to shift the time of a tournament (useful when the PC clock was
incorrect)
- Countdown dialog now gives option to start the clock immediately or pause the
clock
- ID field added to Name Format custom option
- added "roundToNearest()", "roundUpToNearest()", and "roundDownToNearest()"
functions for formulas
- Tables tab now renders tables dynamically according to window width
- Added tournament status to Controls tab (Clock section)
- Chop dialog now recognizes negative relative rankings numbers (allows for
easily moving a chopped player to a higher rank)
- "Problems" changed to more appropriate "Alerts"
- "Columns" (arrangement) and "Column Names" functions consolidated under
"Preferences" on respective Settings tabs
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Bugs Fixed:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
- Settings window size/location not saved on exit (sometimes)
- "position" variable calculated incorrectly for manually adjusted chops
- when exporting a layout and a file is found that is outside of the current
Data Store, a confirmation dialog is presented with the option to continue
or cancel, but only an OK button is given
- Status Messages sometimes fail to "flash"
- In the History section of the Game Player dialog, "Knocked out" events always
show a player collecting the bounty chip even if the player was not
eligible to collect the bounty chip
- "Find" on Remove Players From Tournament dialog broken
- Selecting "Allow players to rebuy if not busted" in the Quick Start Wizard
does not set the option correctly
- The Extended Display dialog sometimes can not move the Game window to the
Extended display unless the Game window is first resized
- Decimal point and Decimal comma preferences allowed to be set to same
value
- Changing Name Format preference does not automatically update built-in
screens
- XML exports do not properly encode special characters
- Restoring a backup file does not restore preferences
- Formula variables "buyinrake", "rebuyrake", and "addonrake" always set to 0
- Background images for tables are broken when player movement highlighting
occurs
- Automatic prizes feature, in simple mode, uses number of players in the
tournament, not the number of entrants
- Automatic prizes feature uses hard-coded prize name if the name attribute
is not included in the XML descriptor file
- Test All dialog (on Tournament Scoring dialog) "Points" column should be
"Score" column
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Known Issues:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
- In testing, one particular PC experienced rhythmic high CPU usage. Unable
at this time to determine what factors are causing this. It is very
reproducible on the one PC, but cannot reproduce on other PCs.
- Some Layout operations can take a very long time to complete. For example,
pressing the "Global Properties" button on the Layout tab may take a few
seconds for the dialog to open. Working on speeding this up.
- Undoing a buy-in from the History section of the Game Player dialog will not
unseat the player. This is an existing bug and is not new in this release
(but was not fixed, either).
Edit: 2.6 beta 1 has superceded this. See
http://www.thetournamentdirector.net/forums/index.php?topic=2142.0