Felgo 2.8.4 is out now as a free update for all Felgo users. A highlight of this update is the addition of the Google Cloud Messaging Plugin to Felgo Plugins.
The Google Cloud Messaging Plugin is another alternative to the retiring Parse service and is available with the Felgo Indie and Enterprise Licenses. Get the latest version of Felgo and you can also enjoy improvements to Felgo Apps and Felgo.
If you’re not an existing Felgo user and you’d like to make cross-platform apps and games, you can download the SDK for free.
Google Cloud Messaging
Google Cloud Messaging is a service for sending push notifications and has emerged as an alternative to the soon-to-be discontinued Parse service. With the GoogleCloudMessaging item, Felgo Indie and Enterprise License holders will be able to send push notifications to individuals and targeted groups of users.
These notifications are best suited for apps where you need to inform users about externally triggered status updates. This can include sports live ticker apps, social messaging apps or any app that delivers real-time info.
For a complete rundown on how to integrate Google Cloud Messaging or how to migrate from the Parse service, check out the Google Cloud Messaging documentation.
Note: An upcoming blog post will detail the future of using push notifications, such as Parse, OneSignal, Amazon SNS and Firebase, with Felgo and Qt!
Game Engine Improvements
The major change to Felgo with this update is a number of improvements to the Felgo Game Network’s default styling. The Felgo Game Network has gotten a makeover which includes an updated look for buttons and makes the header clickable for back navigation.
This Felgo update also includes a fix on some Android devices when displaying rounded user images in VPlayGameNetworkView.
Felgo Apps Improvements
When working with Felgo Apps, you now have the ability to disable the platform emulation feature. You can disable the debug menu bar with the App::menuBarVPlayEnabled property.
The debug menu bar allows you to view your app at different screen resolutions and gives a preview on how it will appear on iOS or Android devices. By default, the menu bar is only enabled for publishing builds on desktop platforms.
Plugin Fixes
Felgo 2.8.4 includes a fix for the Notification plugin that can be used to send local push notifications. This update fixes a possible crash when the NotificationManager item is not used from within the root item of a project.
How to Update
Test out these new features by following these steps
Step 1
Open the Felgo SDK Maintenance Tool in your Felgo SDK directory. Choose “Update components” and finish the update process to get Felgo 2.8.4 as described in the Felgo Update Guide
If you haven’t installed Felgo yet, you can do so now with the latest installer from here.
Step 2
The Felgo Sample Launcher allows you to quickly test and run all the open-source examples and demo apps & games that come with the Felgo SDK, from a single desktop application.
After installing Felgo, you can start the Felgo Sample Launcher from the application shortcut in your Felgo SDK directory.
Now you can explore all of the new features included in Felgo 2.8.4!
For a complete list of the changes to Felgo with this update, please check out our change log!
