Communicator

  Axon2011 Releases:
    R2.06 Final (Dec 20, 2010) Latest
    R2.05 Final (Nov 20, 2010)
    R2.02 Final (July 10, 2010)
    R2.00 Final (June 15, 2010)
    R1.10 Beta (June 6, 2010)
    R1.00 Beta (June 3, 2010)

  Previous Versions:
    Axon2010 (Sep 2009)
    Axon2009 (Aug 2008)
    Axon2008 (Jul 2007)
    Axon2007 (2006)
    Axon2006 (2005)
    Axon2005 (2004)
    Axon2004 (2003)
    Axon2003 (2002)
    Axon2002 (2001)
    Axon2001 (2000)
    Axon2000 (1999)
    Axon99 (1998)
    Axon98 (1997)
    Axon5.0 (1997)
    Axon4.0 (1995)
    Axon3.1 (1994)
    Axon3.0 (1993)
    Axon2.0 (1993) DOS
    Axon1.0 (1992) DOS
1. Whats New in Axon2011
2. Changes from Axon2010
3. Changes made to Beta R1.10 (Jun 6, 2010)
4. Changes made to Final R2.00 (Jun 15, 2010)
5. Changes made to Final R2.02 (July 10, 2010)
6. Changes made to Final R2.05 (Nov 20, 2010)
7. Changes made to Final R2.06 (Dec 20, 2010)
8. Known Problems

1. Whats New in Axon2011 (Final)

Axon2011 unites all Axon Users using a collaborative system for chatting, voting, brainstorming, etc. There are also many new features and general improvements to user-interface and look-and-feel. The major enhancements are:

The Idea Communicator:

  1. Communicate and collaborate with all registered Axon users. No sign-up is required.
  2. A list of publicly accessible chat rooms are available, covering a wide range of interests.
  3. Within a chat room, Topics can be assigned.
  4. A Nickname is assigned to identify each user in the chat room.
  5. An easy-to-use (no preparation required), flexible Voting function on any Topic.
  6. Ability to see who are the other Axon users online.
  7. Easily upload and share Axon files on the common server with one click. No sign-up is required.
  8. Downloading and opening a shared file is just a click away.
  9. A summary history of the last 30 saves is maintained to facilitate collaborative work.
  10. The Communicator is not available in the Lite version.

Enhancements to the Checklist system:

  1. The Checklist dialog box is redesigned to include Random Words.
  2. Checklist files are colored based on the folder location.
  3. The Checklist caption shows the selected item.
  4. Checklist hyperlink - any text within [ ] becomes a hyperlink (which need not be the entire line).
  5. Can search entire collection of Checklists by filenames or file contents.
  6. Filenames prefixed by '_' can be omitted from the list box of Checklists.
  7. New Checklist: Brand Names - famous brand names.
  8. New Checklist: Emoticons - can be used in the new Chat system.
  9. New Checklist: Green Ideas - how to save the environment.
  10. New Checklist: Important Documents - documents that should be kept securely by an individual.
  11. New Checklist: Thirty Six Strategem - from Sun Tze's Art of War.
  12. New Checklist: Toys - children's toys.
  13. New Checklist: TRIZ40Principles - the 40 inventive principles of TRIZ.
  14. New Checklist: Virtues - virtuous behavior.
  15. Updated Checklist: Techniques(Creativity) - added and expanded with more idea generation techniques.
  16. Updated Checklist: Constants - added exponential and phi.
  17. Updated Checklist: Quotations - added authors.
  18. Updated Checklist: Travel-Itinerary - added more items.

Enhancements to the Simulator:

  1. During a Trace, movement is slowed to enable easier observation.
  2. Graphs in the Simulator are still visible as horizontal lines at the margin if the graphs are out of range.
  3. Different sounds can be made during animation when a Packet is created, moved, or removed.
  4. Inputing data into a simulation model is now easier using a new Action (Packet:Read) which reads a line from a file.
  5. New Axon file: Simulate Back Testing - for testing your stock trading strategies.
  6. New Axon file: Simulate Moving Average1 - for calculating simple moving average.
  7. New Axon file: Simulate Moving Average2 - for exponential moving average (EMA).
  8. New Axon file: Simulate Roulette - simulate a prudent (but fallacious) strategy for playing American Roulette.
  9. New Axon file: Simulate Slot Machine - testing a fallacious strategy as in Roulette.

Other enhancements:

  1. Made general improvements to the user interface and dialog boxes.
  2. The library of Icons and the Icon Browser are redesigned.
  3. Picture Objects can have its source on the web (i.e. picture location is an URL).
  4. Curved Polygons/Polylines can be created directly by dragging the mouse. Polygons/Polylines with straight edges can be created by clicking as before.
  5. Doodling is improved - points are more evenly spread.
  6. A Lasso region can be created by dragging in addition to clicking.
  7. The Textwindow caption shows the Object color in a small square on the left.
  8. When a Textwindow is open, the Statusbar shows additional information like total rows, total characters, and selected characters.
  9. Shaking a Textwindow (i.e. dragging it vigorously back and forth) will minimize all other Textwindows. Shaking it again will restore them.
  10. The Generator now displays its output continuously at a readable pace, and can be paused.
  11. A Generator History file is maintained to store output for later reference.
  12. The Visualizer is now docked on the right margin, and includes a thumbnail.
  13. The Visualizer also shows the number of characters in each Object (in decreasing order).
  14. The Questions system now displays the selected questions in the caption. Auto-display is also added.
  15. The Analyzer displays the Link Matrix showing the number of Links between pairs of Objects.
  16. The FreeWriter is enhanced as follows: (a) auto saves every 30 seconds, (b) uses a slider to count down, (c) shows the word count, and (d) can generate a typing sound. The FreeWriter is also available in the Lite version.
  17. The Statusbar shows the total number of Shapes.
  18. In addition to Auto Backup, there is a one-click manual backup function in the File menu.
  19. When a duplicate ID is created, a 3-second popup notification says "Duplicate ID created".
  20. File|Information|Summary also shows the number of hidden Links.
  21. File|Information|Summary also shows the Windows operating system, and the OpenGL version.
  22. Option to make/disable a sound when a popup note or error message appears.
  23. New Axon file: ASCII Diagram - use ASCII diagrams to enhance the drawing capability of Axon.
  24. New Axon file: Slideshow - a pattern/template of a typical slideshow using levels.
  25. New Axon file: Generate Random Sentence - a more complex follow-up to Simple Sentence.
  26. New Icons: Mission Icon #430, Cylinder Icon #366.

2. Changes from Axon2010

  1. Templates are renamed as Patterns, to better describe its visual focus. A search field is also added.
  2. The Plaintext and Richtext Editors (from the Text menu) are removed. Use File|Open instead.
  3. The Toolbar button for toggling 2D/3D is removed and replaced by a tab in the Status.
  4. The Clusters menu is moved from Idea|Clusters to Link|Clusters.
  5. Random Words is simplified and put together with the Checklists.
  6. Random (File) Pictures are removed. Composed pictures are generated directly using the Background dialog box.
  7. The RandomPictures folder is removed and the pictures are put into the Pictures folder.
  8. The Checklist Verb-Triggers(9).txt is removed.
  9. The Compute Single Object option in the Calculator is removed.
  10. The Sequencer is simplified to show the on/off state instead of a 3-state checkbox.

3. Changes made to Beta R1.10 (June 6, 2010)

    Changes from the first beta R1.00 released in June 3, 2010:
  1. Added the Preference to disable internet connection within Axon.
  2. Added "Open with Communicator" in the Object Context Menu.
  3. The maximum Chat text length is increased to 500 characters.
  4. The 2D/3D button in several Axon files were corrected to make it work accordingly.
  5. The Roulette and Slot Machine simulations can now be stopped/paused/resumed correctly.
  6. The "quick fire" method of creating multiple objects using ID separator (;) is now working correctly.

4. Changes made to Final R2.00 (June 15, 2010)

    Changes from beta R1.10 released in June 6, 2010:
  1. Added a 3D Context Menu which opens when in 3D mode.
  2. Selection of oscillation methods uses the 3D context menu instead of Preference.
  3. Added a new oscillation method - Pulsate.
  4. Creation of Objects is prevented while oscillating.
  5. Corrected a problem with the View|Rotate dialog box (incorrect direction of rotation).
  6. Corrected an intermittent problem when checking who are online.
  7. Added a new 3D demo (3D Object2.xon) containing an Icosahedron.
  8. Reorganized the Statusbar to be more 3D friendly.
  9. Combined the Preference to update Thumbnail upon both loading and saving a file.
  10. The Misc Topic is removed from the Questions tool.
  11. Fast switching of Questions file now works correctly.
  12. Included a German translation of the Questions tool, courtesy of Eric Lorup.
    (Other translated files can be downloaded from the Axon Users Group).

5. Changes made to Final R2.02 (July 10, 2010)

    Changes from R2.00 released in June 15, 2010:
  1. Corrected a problem with creating Points.
  2. Corrected a problem with not detecting internet connection when using modem link.
  3. Added a speed control in the Generator.
  4. Added a French translation of the Questions file.
  5. Added "World Data 2010.xon" to the Tabulator demos.
  6. Corrected a 3D display problem due to an error introduced in R2.01.

6. Changes made to Final R2.05 (Nov 20, 2010)

    Changes from R2.02 released in July 10, 2010:
  1. Corrected a problem with richtext window.
  2. Corrected a problem with the Simulator.
  3. Picture Object (on web) can now be displayed in 3D view.
  4. Corrected a number of minor bugs.

7. Changes made to Final R2.06 (Dec 20, 2010)

    Changes from R2.05 released in Nov 20, 2010:
  1. Corrected a problem with embedded pictures.

8. Known Problems

  1. To install on Win2000, the .zip version is needed. You will also need to download the gdiplus.dll from Microsoft and copy it to the same location as Axon. Also ensure that the Lucida Sans Unicode font is installed.
  2. If you have a problem accessing the Help (from the Help menu), it is likely that your latest security patch from Microsoft has prevented it. To correct this problem, doubleclick on the Axon2010.chm file in the Help subfolder. Then uncheck the option labelled "Always ask before opening this file". For more details see:
    3. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/902225/
    http://support.microsoft.com/kb/896358/
    http://blog.crowe.co.nz/archive/2007/04/13/719.aspx
    http://blogs.microsoft.co.il/blogs/tamir/archive/2007/05/03/
  3. Droptext having the Richtext format is printed without text formatting.
  4. An Axon file containing Random Pictures as background cannot be saved as .emf.
  5. If using a pen-cum-tablet and running Vista, do not (in 'Pen and Input Devices') substitute 'press and hold' for a right-click. Also the pen input tab should be docked to the bottom of the screen to avoid crashing the pen (which is a Vista bug).
  6. Some Axon files in Unicode format cannot be displayed in 3D (using Axon2010).
  7. Right-to-Left (RTL) display is not supported in 3D view for Object IDs and Link Labels.
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