Hello, friends!

Long time no see, eh? Anyway, I'm in a bit of a rush, so I'll get right to the good stuff: an announcement!

As some of you will recall, many years ago at one of the West Coast JJ2 meetings, I was working hard on getting JCS to work under Mac OS X. There's a (bad) port of JJ2 for Macs, but that port includes absolutely no level editing functionality - and I think that sucks. In fact, I think the port sucks, too - but more on that later.

I've finally got JCS working absolutely perfectly under Mac OS X (tested on Mavericks, but it should work on 10.6 and up, on any Intel Mac). I hate when I say I'm going to release something and then I end up being too busy and don't release it for ages, so I'm not setting some far-off release date this time; I'll be releasing JCS for Mac this week.

I have one or two small bugs I'd like to correct, but they're nothing game-breaking. I'm going to spend a day or two trying to get everything ship-shape as far as said bugs are concerned, and then it'll be ready for release!

Here's a screenshot to prove it's real, though it's not an amazingly exciting screenshot; it's just JCS. On a Mac.



Sweet, eh?

Now, there is one small downside; the application is currently rather large, weighing in at nearly 600 MB. I'll be able to get that down a bit, but I'm not sure exactly how much. The reason for the large size is that JCS for Mac works as a self-contained Wine-powered emulator of sorts. This one .app file contains several Wine files, several open-source implementations of Windows files, and all the other necessary technical sorcery needed to make the game work, including one driver I painstakingly messed with to finally get JCS working. In addition, it includes all the default .j2t and .j2b files a user would have with their copy of JCS.


EDIT:

JCS for Mac, v1.00, is officially available! Grab it here!

Nice! Shame that it's so big, though. Is there a lot of difference with using JCS.exe through Wine?

The next step is Linux.

Anyway, this won't actually affect me, but it's nice to know that JCS is being ported to another platform.

Stijn: I've gotten the file size down some, and I'm looking into what I can do to bring it down further. It's definitely a bummer, as the port is as close to perfect as can be otherwise. I can't speak to how JCS works in a standard Wine setup, as what I'm using is a slightly customized Wine container system. However, I can say that it works outstandingly well with the Wine tools I'm using.

Robo4900: Thanks! Linux support is absolutely possible. Note that I'm *not* committing to anything (yet), but when I'm done with JCS for Mac and the other project I mentioned, *maybe* I'll look into bringing JCS to Linux. It shouldn't be too much work to find a Wine container system for Linux similar to what I'm using for OS X, and I could use the .dll files and other work I've already completed for the Mac port. That said, I don't claim to be a Linux expert whatsoever, so we'll see. Again, there areno Linux-related promises I can make at this time. I'm not as worried about Linux users, though; the majority of people I know who use Linux already know their way around Wine, therefore making a super-user-friendly JCS port for Linux doesn't seem to be quite as necessary in my mind.

Everyone reading this: I am interested in determining user interest in a Linux port of JCS. How many people would use it? Are you Linux users already using JCS with your own Wine setup anyway, thus rendering my port redundant?

Oh, that reminds me! Anyone out there want to make a fancy icon for this port? You'll be credited for your work for all time (even if I later use a different icon for some reason), and many people will see your work!

Many one who's interested, please send your icon in .png format, preferably 128x128. I'll convert it into a Mac-ready .icns file using an Apple tool I have from my old internship there.

Originally Posted by Black Ninja

I am interested in determining user interest in a Linux port of JCS. How many people would use it?

Well, I know that once SteamOS is finished, that will be my primary OS, and -- as a complete Linux noob -- an easy-to-set-up version of JCS would be nice.

Originally Posted by Black Ninja

I've gotten the file size down some, and I'm looking into what I can do to bring it down further. It's definitely a bummer, as the port is as close to perfect as can be otherwise.

No offense, but 500-600MB seems very bulky indeed. It's (almost) like supplying the OS and the program in one package. However, sizes in MB don't really matter anymore in todays world of gigabytes, and I'd gladly use your port if I had a system running MacOSX.

Maybe it's an idea to work with Violet in porting MLLE to MacOSX? I'm no programmer and don't know what language and runtime(s) it uses, but I don't think it's a lifetime job to port it.

Another option would be to use WebJCS by DJazz. I'm using this one myself. It works from a browser (or at least from Chrome), so I believe it'll work locally in MacOSX using the Node.js app.

Slaz, I agree that the file size is pretty big; my main focus now is trying to reduce it before release. However, I'm not overly concerned about it; as you said, sizes in MB don't really matter a ton in these days where hard drives are measured in TB.

WebJCS does indeed work on a Mac, and pretty well, too. However, I personally always like using an app that's on my local machine when it's an option. JCS for Mac has the same performance you get from JCS on a Windows machine, too; in my experience, WebJCS has some slowdowns now and then. I don't mean to 'bad-mouth' WebJCS in any way, though - it's awesome. JCS for Mac is just yet another alternative that I'm happy to be able to offer a Mac users.

Together with my other port-related announcement (coming soon...), JJ2 players who Think Different are going to be quite pleased.

Robo4900: I forgot about SteamOS! I'll look into what it would take to bring JCS to Linux. But again, no promises yet!

Sorry for the double-post, but I've got an update!

I've managed to get the file size down to 446MB. I may be able to lower it even more, but we'll see.

The good news is that I've also managed to greatly increase the speed at which the program launches. It was already performing at full speed during normal use, but there used to be a rather long (up to ten seconds sometimes) launch time when first opening JCS.

Here's the beta change log for your reading enjoyment. These changes were all made yesterday and today.

1.) Reduced file size from 589MB to 446MB.
2.) Decreased startup time from ~10 seconds to roughly ~4 seconds.
3.) Improved JCS' ability to close cleanly. If the user uses the [command]+Q keyboard shortcut, the app no longer closes instantly; if changes have been made, it prompts the user to save (which is the expected behavior).
4.) Added a "force quit" option in the app's Mac OS menu options. This does not prompt the user to save; it quits the app instantly by killing all wine processes.
5.) Added the ability to save to an external folder (outside the JCS.app). This is experimental.

Originally Posted by Stijn

Nice! Shame that it's so big, though. Is there a lot of difference with using JCS.exe through Wine?

JCS works fine on a clean Wine install. Only problem I've noticed in ~7 years is that the text string editor doesn't scroll to the right, but you can just copy/paste the strings to/from somewhere else.

Originally Posted by minmay

JCS works fine on a clean Wine install. Only problem I've noticed in ~7 years is that the text string editor doesn't scroll to the right, but you can just copy/paste the strings to/from somewhere else.

Cool. I must admit that, given the file size of the JCS for Mac package, simply running JCS via wine seems a more attractive prospect (especially as apparently it runs on wine in BN's solution too).

Though, does Save & Run work as well? Does running JCS on wine also have a startup delay? I could imagine that an optimized package could improve performance somewhat, if that's an issue with running through vanilla wine.

Stijn, I'm happy to report that the startup delay is no more, and that I've come up with a solution for the 'save and run issue.'

Performance in a vanilla Wine setup is slightly slower than the optimized package I've set up. I suppose one of the primary advantages of this JCS for Mac release is that it doesn't require any kind of complicated setup, whereas setting up Wine and getting programs to run through it is a bit of a headache for users who may not be technically inclined.

That said, I'm working on changing the way I'm going to distribute this, and I think when all's said and done it will offer some interesting advantages.

Great work BN! You really deserve congratulations for taking the time to do what Epic couldn't do 16 years ago :P

Originally Posted by Black Ninja

That said, I'm working on changing the way I'm going to distribute this, and I think when all's said and done it will offer some interesting advantages.

Do I suspect a JCS for Mac App Store release?

And concerning the icon, you could just use the high-res JCS icon that's included with WebJCS. Though I'm not sure who the original author is, I could ask DJazz if you wish.

For your convenience, I've uploaded a zip containing both the full size .PNG and the multi-size .ICO right here (link valid for 5 days).

Originally Posted by Slaz

Do I suspect a JCS for Mac App Store release?

And concerning the icon, you could just use the high-res JCS icon that's included with WebJCS. Though I'm not sure who the original author is, I could ask DJazz if you wish.

For your convenience, I've uploaded a zip containing both the full size .PNG and the multi-size .ICO right here (link valid for 5 days).

A Mac App Store release is an interesting idea, but I'm not too sure about the legality of it all, so I'm not planning anything like that quite yet.

Thank you for the icon! That looks a bit nicer (okay, a lot nicer) than what I was using before.

Originally Posted by Stijn

Though, does Save & Run work as well? Does running JCS on wine also have a startup delay? I could imagine that an optimized package could improve performance somewhat, if that's an issue with running through vanilla wine.

Startup delay for JCS.exe on the computers I've tried it on is about 1 second, Save & Run is only about 200ms. Those were all Linux though.

BN, if you don't mind my asking, how's the performance on zoomed out layers and displaying lots of events? I know vanilla JCS, on Windows or Wine, can't smoothly scroll a ground force level even if I give it an entire 3.8 GHz core to itself...

Amazing!!!!!

Ok, I was going to go back to the old Vash and post something annoying and pedantic...

But instead I will say, excellent job.

I understand why home users get macs, I really do. But as an IT professional that has to manage them on a mostly windows network, I hate them. I hate them with a passion. Apple seems to go out of their way to make OSX not cooperate in the slightest in a networked environment. Also it seems their programs just quit if you don't have the absolute latest versions of everything.

I also dislike Apple and all their products, but now is neither the time nor the place for that discussion(Partially because it's offtopic, mostly because there is nothing to gain from that discussion).

Vash: Heck, I'm a Mac user and I absolutely hate getting Macs to work on mostly-Windows networks. If you've got an all-Mac network, it works like a charm; if you want both Macs and Windows-based PCs to coexist happily, you've got to go through hell and do a bunch of stupid hacky stuff to get it to work right.

I'll never forget how much of a headache it was setting up my test domain with Macs and PCs (all powered by Mac OS X server - I think it was 10.7 at the time) during my internship with the Department of Energy. That was one of the most frustrating experiences I've ever had in tech. Don't even get me started on the subject of getting the Windows machines to back up automatically to the Time Capsule.

(All that said, Windows and OS X are both awesome in their own ways; they only really suck when you have to make them talk to each other.)

Alright, after several years of working (on and off) on this project, it's finally time for me to share the release details - while also making the other announcement I mentioned in the original post.

JCS for Mac is not the only Mac port that you'll be able to download when I finally post the download link(s) for your viewing pleasure. At this time, I'm pleased to announce that I've also successfully ported JJ2+ to Mac OS X using the same method as JCS for Mac. I repeat: a JJ2+ for Mac package will also be available for download.

So here's the deal: when the time comes that everything is ready and you're able to download these ports to your very own Mac, I'll be posting two download links. It's important that you understand the difference between the two and that you download the bundle that works best for your situation. Each download has been tested on Mac OS 10.9, but should work on any Intel Mac with Mac OS X 10.6 and up.


1.) The first download is the one that the vast majority of users will probably want. This bundle contains JJ2+ for Mac as well as JCS for Mac. This is for people who do not have a working copy of JJ2 installed anywhere, who want to be able to enjoy the full experience on their Macs. Please note, there will be two versions of this same bundle available. The link I'll post here on J2O will not contain the .j2e files, .j2b files, or .j2l files you'd get with the registered copy of the game; you will need to provide these files (this is so that we're not just giving away a copy of the entire registered game for free). Of course I'll post instructions on how to copy these files to your JJ2 for Mac install; doing so is easy, provided you do have a registered copy of the game. Elsewhere on the Internet, there will be a bundle that does include all these files. However, due to J2O's policy regarding piracy, I won't be posting that here.

2.) The second download will contain only JCS for Mac, as well as all the tile sets you'd have access to with the normal registered version of JJ2. This bundle is meant for users who may have a PC with JJ2 and only want to use JCS on their Mac. The "save and run" function in JCS will not work in this bundle, as JCS will not have access to a Jazz2 executable.

The goal is for these download links to be ready for your clicking pleasure sometime tomorrow (Saturday, May 3). However, I've been rather busy with my cute (but crazy) toddler at home, so there may be a slight delay - the worst-case scenario would be the downloads going live on Sunday instead.

So, JJ2+ and JCS for Mac. Released this weekend. Get excited.

Any questions?

You are amazing man. Hands down amazing.

Originally Posted by Black Ninja

Elsewhere on the Internet, there will be a bundle that does include all these files. However, due to J2O's policy regarding piracy, I won't be posting that here.

How did you do it?

Originally Posted by ShadowGPW

You are amazing man. Hands down amazing.

That's high praise coming from you, my friend; thanks!

Originally Posted by Nimrod

I DON'T KNOW WHY YOU'RE WINKING ABOUT WEBSITES.

Originally Posted by KRSplatinum

How did you do it?

Both JCS and JJ2+ are running on Mac OS X using a recent version of Wine. The main problem I've had all these years (of working on this as a passion project on and off) is coming up with a way to actually distribute a working copy of JCS and JJ2+ that others could use with minimal setup; I've personally had JCS and JJ2 working on my Macs for around half a year. I was recently made aware of an awesome utility called Wineskin Winery that creates portable Wine 'containers' for Windows games and applications. JJ2 and JCS didn't work out of the box using Wineskin Winery, but after much tweaking and one weird DLL hack, the port I'm about to release was born!

Originally Posted by PEOPLE WHO WANT THE PORT

Where's the port, BN? WHERE IS IT?!

I'm sure you've all noticed by now that I haven't posted the download links today. Rest assured, I'm extremely close and hope to on Sunday (May 4th). The actual port is working just fine and I've ironed out the last-minute bugs prior to release. Now that I'm ready to distribute all the hard work, I'm encountering a rather stupid problem with the actual installer. I think I've already figured out how to fix it though, so that shouldn't cause much of a delay.

Will there be pudding at the release party?

The release party I was planning mostly involved me watching TV and eating ice cream out of the tub, but I could get some pudding too.

Good news and slightly bummer-ific news:

JCS for Mac is ready, and I'm uploading it now! JJ2+ for Mac has one more issue left that needs ironing out, and I'll post it as soon as possible; could still be today, but might be another day or two.

I'll edit this post and the first post in the thread with download links as they become available! Stay patient for just a bit longer, and JJ2+ will be running on your Mac like syrup on a delicious waffle.

Edit: Download link!

JCS for Mac is ready to download - get to it, and put your shiny iMac to work making some great levels! The download comes in the form of a standard .dmg file. It's compressed, and weighs in at about 217 MB. Enjoy!
JCS for Mac, v1.00

JJ2+ for Mac is now ready for release, and the final issues have been resolved. I've also added a snazzy (spazzy?) new launcher, replacing the old ugly .bat file that previously existed in its place. A big thanks goes out to our own Violet for making the launcher (and also for being generally awesome).

The J2O version and the version that Nimrod was winking about (whatever the heck he means) will be uploading shortly, and I'll post download links as soon as I have them. I'll also be moving JCS for Mac to somewhere that isn't my personal cloud storage, resulting in better download speeds for you and less used bandwidth for me. Everyone wins!

Stay tuned for download links, instructions to copy your files into the game, and a more formal release announcement.

I've had 47 downloads of JCS for Mac so far, but almost no feedback. How are you guys liking it?

I don't have Mac so I don't know, but I'll let my sister know because she used to play JJ2 until she got a Mac.

I don't have a Mac or a Hackintosh installation whatsoever. I'd certainly give your JCS a try whenever I get to meet someone with a Mac in my circle of friends.

Hello again, folks!

Sorry for my sudden silence. As it turns out, the Mac I was using for the creation of this project finally crapped out on me after a solid 6 years of use. Luckily, I was able to replace it relatively expediently!

So, a status update: I didn't lose any major progress on this project, and my JJ2+ for Mac release is coming soon. The delay right now is that I've hit a minor snag in figuring out how to distribute the "mostly legal version" that requires you (the user) to insert their own files from a registered copy of JJ2. And it's that "mostly legal version" that's going to be posted here on J2O.

That said, as I mentioned there is also a "less legal version" of JJ2+ for Mac I've created which just contains a fully working install of JJ2+ with all the registered game files included. I will post back soon when the download for that version exists, but I DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU'LL DOWNLOAD IT FROM.

As for the "mostly legal version," I'm working on it - and now I have a working Mac to use, working on it is going faster than it was. Stay tuned.