What's new - new functions, changes, bugfixes in Traffic

4.34

• Traffic is now able to store *.jpg and *.png picture files in *.tvl picture libraries. There are new menu entries in the Stock List window's File -> Library menu in order to store the *.jpg and *.png files with almost their original structure in the *.tvl library. The former, normal functions decode the image files, and store the images in the legacy format. As the decoded *.jpg images usually have several thousend different colors, the .tvl format for them is a very ineffective format, approximately having the same length, as a *.bmp file. The new functions, behind the preserve JPG, PNG or add as file menu entries preserve the original coding of these images, removing only the optional blocks (Exif data, program-specific - for example Photoshop - blocks, thumbnail picture). The *.png files are handled similarly. In case of a translucent *.png file, of course the A channel data is preserved too, even if at the moment Traffic still does not handle translucent pictures. When a *.png file is read, each pixel is converted either to an opaque or a transparent pixel. But for a future extension the A channel data is preserved.
• The most important change: using the new function mentioned above the background photos and drawings all stored now in *.tvl files instead of being individual image files. It means, this Traffic version needs to be fully installed. The image directories inside the stock directory, if they exist, they will be removed during the installation. Additionally all timetable files using background images, which were previously stored in individual image files were edited, they use these image by their name in the stock list instead of their formet file name. It means practically, that the subdirectory name and the file extension were removed from the timetable files.
• Windows 10 and 11 does not support the *.hlp help file format any more. Traffic's old help files are in this format. Both install programs now place the old winhlp32.exe file (renamed to winhlp32x.exe) into the Traffic installation's bin subdirectory, and use this executable instead of invoking the builtin help function of Windows. If Traffic finds a winhlp32.exe file with a length above 280000 in the Windows directory or in the Windows System32 directory, that will be used in case the winhlp32x.exe is missing.
• The door animation modifiers [DIL: ], [DIR: ], [DID: ], [DOL: ], [DOR: ], [DOD: ] and all other similar variants got a new possibility. The first parameter of this modifiers was either a picture name - the picture of the opening, behind the closed dorr, or a color (a hexadecimal number starting with #). Now two real numbers delimited by comma,the two numbers staying in parenthesys mean a brightness/contrast change of the opening. Not as a perfect solution, as an own picture of the opening can be, but in the most cases one gets a better result by decreasing both the brightness and the contrast, as a homogenous color can give.