Version 2022.1 of the Z1 Designer is now available. The Z1 Designer lets you create or modify dashboards for use with the Z1 Dashboard. This new version includes a massive amount of updates and new features.
Some highlights are:
* A completely redesigned open dashboard dialog, making it easier to find and select the desired dash.
* The new Conditional text tool
* The new LED Group tool
* Objects can now be 'pinned' to the left, right or bottom of the dashboard.
* Warning objects can be animated to flash on and off.
* Flat track maps can now be created.
* Many new widgets including: Session state, session type, position/total cars.
* Multiple new data channels including various ERS options, push to pass, and incident counts.
The Z1 Designer is a free application and can be downloaded here:
https://z1simwheel.com/dashboard/demo.cfm
Here is the full list of release notes:
* The Open Dashboard dialog has been completely reworked. It now is similar to the Dashboard Gallery. It displays a preview of the dashboard along with its name, folder path, and creation date. You can sort the display by name or creation date. To open the dashboard just double click on the desired preview.
* New Tool: LED Group Tool. This tool lets you create multiple LEDs at once. You drag out a rectangle using the tool. This rectangle will then be filled with evenly spaced LEDs. You can choose the number of LEDs, the type of LEDs (circular or rectangular) and their color. When they are arranged as you want them click the 'Create LEDs' button in the LED Group's object properties window. This will create the LEDs assigning them to shift lights, starting with Shift Light 1 and going up to the total number of LEDs you selected. Note you must create the LEDs for them to be saved.
* New Tool: Conditional Text tool. This tool lets you tie the display of text to a data channel. You can then set the text to be displayed based on the values of that data channel.
* Objects can now be 'pinned' to the left edge, right edge or bottom edge of the dashboard window. If an object has one or more of its sides pinned, then as the user adjusts the size of their dashboard window, that edge of the object that is pinned will always stay connected with the edge of the window. If an object can be pinned you will see three 'Pin' checkboxes in the object properties window.
* Objects that are copy/pasted are now pasted into the layer that the original oject was in. So if the original object was in the foreground then the newly pasted object will also be in the foreground. Previously the object was pasted into the currentrly active layer. Thhis could cause problems with objects not being displayed properly if you pasted a foreground object into the background.
* Pasted objects are now not locked regardless of the locked status of the original object. Previously if the copied object was locked then the pasted object would also be locked. But this made it so you could not move the pasted object without first unlocking it.
* There is now an option to show/hide all current guides. This is Edit->Show Guides, or Control-G. Note that objects will still snap to hidden guides.
* The detection for whether or not you clicked within a multi-line shape has been improved. If that shaped is a closed polygon (so the first and last points are the same) then you will have to click inside the object, and not its bounding box to select it. If the shape is an open polygon then clicking within its bounding box will select it.
* The Z1 Designer will now automatically open the dashboard you were working on when you last exited the application. If you do not want the Designer to do this, you can uncheck the Reopen Dashboard option in the General settings tab. With this option unchecked the Z1 Designer will always open to a blank dashboard, as was the case in previous versions.
* Added the following Widgets: Session State; Session Type; Position After Stop; Position/Total Cars; Laps Number of Total Laps.
* Added the following data channels: ERS level percentage; ERS Lap Level Percentage; DRS Uses; Brake Bias Fine; MGUK Deploy Mode; Energy ERS Battery Percentage; Incident Count - Team; Incident Count - Me; Incident Count - Driver; Joker Laps Remaining, Push to Pash Count. Note not all sims support all channels.
* When opening a dashboard if an item is specified as being selected, then its properties will display in the Object Properties window.
* The display names of Conditional Images now include the targeted data channel name.
* You can now specify the background color for the units tool.
* There is now an option in the units tool to display the units in upper or lower case.
* You can now specify a flash speed for any warning. To do so enter the number of milliseconds for each flash in the warning properties window. A value of zero will display the warning consistently without flashing.
* You can preview the warning flashing (animation) by clicking the 'Animate' checkbox in the warning tool's properties window. There is a setting in the General settings tab that determines if newly created objects that have animations will have that checkbox clicked by default or not. Currently only warnings have animations.
* Added car class and class position as options in the Standings tool.
* There is a new option in the standings tool for 'Show Your Class Only'. When this is selected the standings display will only show cars that are in your class in the race.
* There is a new option in the standings tool for 'Display No Change As'. This lets you set what will be displayed in the iRating change and Position change column when there has been no change from the original value. The default is a zero (0).
* When the dashboard needs to be saved an asterisk (*) will appear to the right of the dashboard's name in the Dashboard window.
* There is now an option to turn off the save confirmation message. If you do not want this message to appear after you save your design, uncheck the 'Save Confirmation' option in the General settings tab.
* The Designer will now ask if you'd like to save any changes that have been made when you exit the application if you have not already saved your dashboard design.
* There is a new option in the General settings tab called 'Change Dash Confirmation'. This option is on by default. With this option selected opening or creating a new dashboard when there is an existing dashboard open will result in a prompt asking if you would like to proceed. Note: an unsaved dashboard will always result in a prompt regardless of this option's status.
* There is a new option in the General settings tab called 'Create Preview When Saving'. This option is on by default. When selected a new preview image of your dashboard will be created when you save the dashboard.
* You can now specify the background color of the header row in the standings object.
* Added the following warning options: Engine Stalled, P2P (Push to Pass) Engaged, On Joker Lap
* New options for columns within the Standings tool: Driver Incidents; Team Incidents. Currently only iRacing supports these options.
* You can now choose the style of a track map. They can either be 'normal', which shows the full track map in either static or moving form (as selected by the Dashboard user); or they can be 'flat'. A flat track map is a single straight line going from left to right. This allows for track maps that take up less space than the full track map.
* Added a new widget - Track Map Settings. This will place the track map setting icon, allowing you to display the options for rotating the track map. Note this will not be displayed for flat track maps or moving track maps.
The Z1 Designer is a free application and can be downloaded here:
https://z1simwheel.com/dashboard/demo.cfm