Version History

2.1.0.1

  • Fixed bug causing many values to import as empty or zero from Ark: Survival Evolved Nitrado servers.
  • Beacon now imports and exports MutagenLevelBoost_Bred instead of MutagenLevelBoostBred.
  • Added check and guidance for WebView2 on the rare copies of Windows that do not include it by default.
  • Beacon will report a 502 "Bad Gateway" error from Nitrado as an unplanned outage.

2.1.0

  • Support for Palworld.
  • Web content, such as the login and help views, now use the built-in WebView2 control on Windows, instead of including a copy of Chrome with Beacon.
  • Fixed language on Nitrado authorization error.
  • Fixed language on the post-deploy dialog.
  • Ark: Survival Ascended Mod Discovery will attempt to find spawn points.

2.1.0a2

  • ASA mod discovery now tries to download the smallest mod file first, rather than the one recommended by CurseForge.
  • ASA mod discovery will try multiple downloads. This allows it to work with ASA premium mods, where the smallest mod file may be protected.
  • Added "perfect" tame column to ASA and ASE difficulty editors.
  • [Windows] Removed CEF (Chrome Embedded Framework) in favor of the built-in WebView2.

2.1.0a1

  • Palworld support!

2.0.2.1

  • ASA mod discovery now tries to download the smallest mod file first, rather than the one recommended by CurseForge.
  • ASA mod discovery will try multiple downloads. This allows it to work with ASA premium mods, where the smallest mod file may be protected.
  • Added "perfect" tame column to ASA and ASE difficulty editors.

2.0.2

  • Empty sets, typically possibly in loot and spawn points, will not export from Ark Ascended projects because the game doesn't seem to parse the "()" correctly, causing potential start issues.
  • Added more guidance when a Nitrado authorization is no longer valid and needs to be replaced.
  • Blueprints can now be exported to CSV.
  • Fixed GameServerApp command line options not importing or deploying.
  • Omni notice banners will take users to game-specific pages.

2.0.1

  • Fixed an exception when updating from a previous version of Beacon with an empty recent projects list.
  • Added an "update strategy" setting to the deploy process. ASA Nitrado servers will be able to choose between three different strategies: "stop, update, start", "update and restart", and "update only."
  • Improve error message handling in the login window.
  • Empty loot item set names are no longer allowed. Item sets with empty names will become filled with a default name.
  • Fixed exception creating a breeding multipliers sharable link.

2.0.0.4

  • Fixed an exception new users would experience while creating a loot item set entry.

2.0.0.3

  • Fixed database breakdown if a previously imported mod becomes added to the official mods list.
  • Changing mod blueprints will update the mod's "last update" time.
  • Fixed false error message on mod blueprint publish.
  • ASA mod discovery will try to find loot containers.
  • Added "Unlock String" column to mod engram list.
  • Can now copy and paste mod recipe ingredients.
  • Catching exception while trying to save mod blueprints.
  • Fixed ASA mod discovery of mods with minimal paths.
  • ASA "Add Mod" will not allow adding built-in mods.
  • If run on built-in mods, ASA mod discovery will place its results into the User Blueprints mod.
  • Fixed bug causing too many mods to be deleted.
  • Improved database cleanup before a refresh.
  • Recently selected blueprints will filter to the top of the selection list.
  • Deploy backups will include Nitrado's full config data.
  • Spawn sets will restore their colors from save.

2.0.0.2

  • Server list refresh will no longer cause an exception if an account's servers cannot be listed.
  • Locally-saved projects will correctly update their encryption key after a password reset.
  • Fixed some checkbox labels being cut short on Mac.
  • Fixed searching the community and developer mod lists.
  • Local backups of cloud projects can be toggled from the Project Settings editor.
  • Fixed ASA spawn limits and replacements.
  • Adjusted handling of ASA mod content paths.
  • ASA mod paths will be automatically updated from the old ASE structure to the new ASA structure.
  • Realtime data connection will more aggressively try to stay connected.
  • Deleting a spawn point from the Creature Spawns editor will mark the project as having unsaved changes.

2.0.0.1

  • Fixed mod engram unlock requirements not clearing.
  • Mod selector will not get messed up by long mod names.
  • ASA mod discovery automatically adds the "blueprintable" tag to engrams. It may not always be correct, but it'll be helpful more often than it isn't.
  • Editing multiple blueprints will save correctly again.
  • Correctly enabling the "Save" button when importing mod content that has been included with a project.
  • Creature Spawns editor for ASA will now produce config lines with full blueprint paths, which makes the config work again!
  • Fixed issue decrypting external services owned by other users.
  • The Stack Sizes editor for ASA is now free.
  • Added some logging to help figure out why the realtime socket disconnects.
  • Fixed general settings not being deleted by server-supplied data updates.

2.0.0

Major Features and Changes

Ark: Survival Ascended Support

This version of Beacon allows the creation of Ark: Survival Ascended projects, which will connect to Ark: Survival Ascended servers.

New Mods Editor

The old Blueprints tab has been renamed Mods and given a bunch of new features. A new Community tab, just like the Projects tab, allows you to search for mods that other users have previously processed with Mod Discovery. Mod Discovery results are automatically added to the Community tab, and running Mod Discovery on a mod that has already been discovered by another user will ask if you'd like to download their results instead. Mod authors can now also use Mod Discovery to help load their data into Beacon.

Better Project Sharing

Adding users to a project now happens instantly. Also, users have roles: Admin, Editor, and Guest. Editors have the same permissions as in older versions of Beacon. Admins are Editors who can add or remove Editors or Guests. Guests have read-only access to the project and cannot create configuration files. Projects still have only one Owner, who is responsible for adding or removing Admins.

If multiple users have the project open at the same time, they will be warned if their project has changes and another user has just saved the project. This helps reduce the chance of two users overwriting each other's changes.

Changes to External Account Authorizations

In the past, Beacon has stored external account authorizations (such as to Nitrado) inside the Beacon project. This is very secure, but can also be very cumbersome, especially if something goes wrong. And there were a lot of ways things could go wrong.

These authorizations are now part of your Beacon account. Once you sign in to Beacon, you will see a new "Connections" option in your account control panel. Nitrado login, as well as GameServerApp.com and Nitrado long life tokens can be added here. Your projects will automatically use these authorizations.

Opening an old project that has authorization data will automatically add it to your Beacon account if you don't have a matching account.

Full Release Notes

  • Added more detail to recent projects list.
  • Restored autosaves will save back to the original instead of asking to save a new version.
  • Connected services are now stored in your Beacon account instead of your projects.
  • Added support for Nitrado long-life tokens.
  • Login window uses Beacon's v4 OAuth API.
  • Config manager can assign sets to servers.
  • New project format holds mod content.
  • New mod editor is more organized and supports better import and export options.
  • Mod discovery can run inside a mod editor.
  • Mod discovery uploads Ark: Survival Evolved results to the community.
  • Increased system requirements to macOS 10.14 and Windows 10.
  • Added setting for profile icon.
  • Added setting to show symbols on switch controls.
  • Cloud projects can keep local backup versions.
  • Improved sharing controls.
  • Added buttons to reprioritize config sets.
  • Project sharing changes are instant.
  • Added a hint to Nitrado's "state 4" error.
  • Increased Nitrado request timeout to 120 seconds to improve the success rate when their API is overwhelmed.
  • Improved error messages when loading a project from disk on Mac fails due to the system sandbox.
  • Deploy logs can be scrolled properly without being locked to the bottom.
  • "Single Player, Local Files, or Copy + Paste" has been split into two options: "Files on your computer" and "Copy + Paste." This improves consistency so that Beacon knows which content to use. In the past it was possible to choose a file but make changes in the text area, making it impossible to know which should be considered correct.
  • Improve language of the Omni notice bar and dialog.
  • Added "Game" column to Cloud and Community project lists.
  • Added a "Migrate Anonymous Accounts" tool to the help menu. This normally happens when switching from an anonymous account to a named account, but this tool can help in case something goes wrong.
  • Added a "Remove Unknown Content" tool to ASA project's Tools menu that will look through the entire project and remove anything that isn't known by Beacon's database. This can be useful when importing an older ASE config that may have items that ASA does not support.
  • Fixed exception with MOTD ends with </>.
  • Added column to Accounts editor to show the Beacon account each row belongs to.
  • The user menu in the top-right corner of Beacon will show the full username.
  • Improved disambiguation logic.
  • Fixed wonky section resizers.
  • Improved positioning of toolbar help tags near screen edges.
  • Fixed experience wizard starting level.
  • Improved the behavior of File -> Close.
  • Beacon will recognize the "/Script/Engine.Blueprint" paths generated by the ASA dev kit.
  • Added "Show Diagnostic Information" option to the Help menu.

2.0.0b5

  • Creatures are not detected by ASA mod discovery.
  • Improved algorithm for mapping item unlock classes to their items.
  • New "Show Diagnostic Information" option in the Help menu.
  • More login logging.

2.0.0b4

This build merges the beta back into the main Beacon install. The old beta versions will be uninstalled.

  • Fixed experience wizard starting level.
  • Fixed a bug with device private key encryption.
  • Fixed loading loot item sets from ancient v2 projects.
  • ASA's MessageSetterID setting will no longer be extracted into the message of the day.
  • Fixed opening projects from beacon:// urls.
  • Fixed PreventDuplicates and AddToDefaults values getting swapped.
  • Empty loot objects will not be loaded from projects.
  • Improved behavior of File -> Close.
  • Request queues should no longer get stuck. This is most obvious when trying to add more than one user to a project.
  • Added log messages to help track down excessive login requests.
  • Beacon will recognize the "/Script/Engine.Blueprint" paths generated by the ASA dev kit.
  • Implemented a very janky mod discovery for ASA. While better than nothing, it'll often be wrong, especially for engram unlocks. It's the best we can do for now.
  • ASA servers are no longer treated as platform-specific.
  • Removed "Force Console Compatibility" option from ASA projects.
  • Fixed "Go To Issue" button in project validation step.
  • Login tokens will compensate for user clock differences.
  • Fixed duplicate loot item set naming issues.
  • Added "Account" menu to Nitrado and GameServerApp import to allow filtering the server list when more than one account is available.

2.0.0b3

  • Fixed "Setup Fibercraft Server" default settings in ASA projects.
  • Fixed exception creating a Template from an item set migrated from an ASE project.
  • Handling weird exception trying to look up mod info from CurseForge.
  • Fixed exception closing a project while a Nitrado server view is open.
  • Fixed bad loot drop import.

2.0.0b2

  • Fixed an exception while trying to determine the encoding of an empty file.
  • Creature Spawns and Loot Drops store their data differently to make projects more resilient to missing or unknown content.
  • Fixed exception when MOTD ends with </>.
  • Added column to Accounts editor to show the Beacon account each row belongs to.
  • The realtime cloud connection is more reliable.
  • Added support for ASA templates and mods.
  • Fixed exception running the "Setup Transferrable Element" tool.
  • ASA projects will always set MaxDifficulty to false.
  • User menu now shows the full username.
  • Improved disambiguation logic.
  • Fixed wonky section resizers.
  • Improved positioning of toolbar help tags near the screen edges.

Note: Beta 1 was initially released but was removed due to critical bugs.

2.0.0a6

  • Fixed SFTP import.
  • Fixed cloud project version listing.
  • Fixed "Save As" reusing member data.
  • Updated ASA "Item Stat Limits" list.
  • Added "Game" column to Cloud and Community project lists.
  • More legible cloud status icons.
  • "Refresh Purchases" now confirms success or failure.
  • Added a "Migrate Anonymous Accounts" tool to the help menu. This normally happens when switching from an anonymous account to a named account, but this tool can help in case something goes wrong.
  • Added a "Remove Unknown Content" tool to ASA project's Tools menu that will look through the entire project and remove anything that isn't known by Beacon's database. This can be useful when importing an older ASE config that may have items that ASA does not support.
  • ASA projects can now import from ASE projects. This process is not perfect, but there are additional improvements that can be made in the future.
  • Added notices to Mods and Templates that these features are not ready for ASA yet.

2.0.0a5

  • Added clarity to the Omni warning when exporting or deploying.
  • Fixed ticket submission when a project is attached.
  • Fixed issues with file writing on deploy.
  • Real time communication is more resilient.
  • Fixed "invalid character" errors while importing.
  • It is now possible to clone config sets from the config set manager window.
  • Removed some unnecessary menu items.
  • Fixed ASA file import label.
  • Fixed an issue causing the project icon not to update after regenerating the project's encryption key.
  • Restored "Levels and XP" editor for ASA projects.
  • ASA maps picker is no longer too narrow.
  • Fixed creature disabling in ASA projects.
  • Adjusted placement of maps and mods dialogs.
  • Fixed SFTP file listing.
  • "Refresh" button in Servers editor will no longer clear the server settings.
  • Fixed importing GameServerApp.com ASA templates.
  • Projects are marked as modified while opening if there is at least one user that needs an updated project encryption key.

2.0.0a4

  • Fixed exception while trying to edit creature stat multipliers.
  • Fixed exception showing engram control settings.
  • Fixed exception when double-clicking the Start button in a Nitrado server view.
  • Fixed exception while right-clicking a blank space in the editor list.
  • Improved language of Omni notice bar.
  • No longer tries to use the wrong document editor to open an ASA project.
  • ASA projects will appear in the Cloud projects list.
  • Setup Guided Editors tool will finish again.
  • Setup Guided Editors tool will update the editors list when finished.

2.0.0a3

  • Ark: Survival Ascended Support!!: This is still early alpha. The game hasn't even been out for 24 hours, and we still have a lot to learn, but this should get you started. At this time, mod content and templates have not been updated with ASA support.

2.0.0a2

  • The main change of this alpha, and the reason for the long delay since alpha 1, is a rewritten import and deploy backend. Please test these features as much as possible.
  • Removed the compositing change in alpha 1 on Windows in the General Settings editor.
  • Import window no longer "falls" to the background.
  • Fixed exception when numeric fields contain non-numeric characters.
  • Added a hint to Nitrado's "state 4" error.
  • Increased Nitrado request timeout to 120 seconds to improve success rate when their API is overwhelmed.
  • Improved error messages when loading a project from disk on Mac fails due to the system sandbox.
  • Deploy logs can be scrolled properly, without being locked to the bottom.
  • "Single Player, Local Files, or Copy + Paste" has been split into two options: "Files on your computer" and "Copy + Paste." This improves consistency so that Beacon knows which content to use. In the past it was possible to choose a file, but make changes in the text area, making it impossible to know which was considered correct.

2.0.0a1

Major Features and Changes

New Mods Editor

The old Blueprints tab has been renamed Mods and given a bunch of new features. A new Community tab, just like the Projects tab, allows you to search for mods that other users have previously processed with Mod Discovery. Mod Discovery results are automatically added to the Community tab, and running Mod Discovery on a mod that has already been discovered by another user will ask if you'd like to download their results instead. Mod authors can now also use Mod Discovery to help load their data into Beacon.

Better Project Sharing

Adding users to a project now happens instantly. Also, users have roles: Admin, Editor, and Guest. Editors have the same permissions as in older versions of Beacon. Admins are Editors who can add or remove Editors or Guests. Guests have read-only access to the project and cannot create configuration files. Projects still have only one Owner, who is responsible for adding or removing Admins.

If multiple users have the project open at the same time, they will be warned if their project has changes and another user has just saved the project. This helps reduce the chance of two users overwriting each other's changes.

Changes to External Account Authorizations

In the past, Beacon has stored external account authorizations (such as to Nitrado) inside the Beacon project. This is very secure, but can also be very cumbersome, especially if something goes wrong. And there were a lot of ways things could go wrong.

These authorizations are now part of your Beacon account. Once you sign in to Beacon, you will see a new "Connections" option in your account control panel. Nitrado login, as well as GameServerApp.com and Nitrado long life tokens can be added here. Your projects will automatically use these authorizations.

Opening an old project that has authorization data will automatically add it to your Beacon account if you don't have a matching account.

Testing Safely

This version of Beacon installs as a completely separate program, allowing the stable and alpha versions to coexist. Your stable data will be imported into the alpha, but after that they will share almost nothing.

The exception to this is your projects. This version of Beacon uses a smarter project file that older versions of Beacon cannot understand. So work with backups of your projects if you need to them to be usable by older versions of Beacon.

Full Release Notes

  • Added more detail to recent projects list.
  • Restored autosaves will save back to the original instead of asking to save a new version.
  • Connected services are now stored in your Beacon account instead of your projects.
  • Added support for Nitrado long-life tokens.
  • Login window uses Beacon's v4 OAuth API.
  • Config manager can assign sets to servers.
  • New project format holds mod content.
  • New mod editor is more organized and supports better import and export options.
  • Mod discovery can run inside a mod editor.
  • Mod discovery uploads results to the community.
  • Increased system requirements to macOS 10.14 and Windows 10.
  • Added setting for profile icon.
  • Added setting to show symbols on switch controls.
  • Cloud projects can keep local backup versions.
  • Improved sharing controls.
  • Added buttons to reprioritize config sets.
  • Project sharing changes are instant.
  • Changed how General Settings is rendered on Windows. This will hurt performance while scrolling, but will draw more consistently.

1.6.6.1

  • Ark Official Save Game servers will appear when importing from Nitrado.

1.6.6

  • New Feature: Improved "Adjust Crafting Costs" tool allows far greater control and a wider range of adjustments.
  • Beacon no longer prevents decimal crafting ingredient quantities, and allows quantities down to 0. 0 quantity causes Ark to use 1 quantity for every blueprint quality.
  • Double clicking a toolbar item no longer gets stuck in the pushed state.
  • Fixed an exception when closing a project that had recently imported.

1.6.5.2

  • Added an "Insecure FTP" option to support hosts with unusual FTP implementations.
  • Import will recognize PC SOTF and Japanese Edition servers.
  • Installer will clean up libs and resources folders on install and update.

1.6.5.1

  • Potential fix for Nitrado server stop messages.
  • Fixed missing labels in spawn set editor.
  • Fixed control characters appearing in code editor on Windows.
  • Fixed exception when using an empty or non-numeric FTP port.
  • Fixed exception related to log writing.

1.6.5

  • Improved support for FTP servers. Beacon now supports plain FTP, FTP with implicit TLS, FTP with explicit TLS, SFTP with password authentication, and SFTP with public key authentication.
  • "Share" link in Breeding Multipliers will include enabled mods.
  • Fixed exception while trying to show two login windows at the same time.

1.6.5b2

  • Fixed "internalize key" not being checked when it should.
  • Adjusted type labels.
  • Added support for implicit TLS.
  • Fixed exception on Windows when using FTP password authentication.
  • Fixed exception caused by trying to show two login windows at the same time.

Fixes From 1.6.4.2:

  • Beacon will be brought to the front when using a beacon:// url. (Again, the fix didn't work last time.)
  • Fixed exception when a project contains negative levels and xp values.
  • Fixed engram blueprints not showing advanced options while editing.
  • Fixed a possible exception restoring file paths on Windows.

1.6.5b1

  • Feature: Added support for SFTP public key authentication. The private key can be stored in the project for transportability, or left on disk for increased security.
  • Feature: Added support for FTP servers using implicit TLS.
  • Removed FTP autodetect mode to simplify the FTP settings window.

1.6.4.2

  • Beacon will be brought to the front when using a beacon:// url. (Again, the fix didn't work last time.)
  • Fixed exception when a project contains negative levels and xp values.
  • Fixed engram blueprints not showing advanced options while editing.
  • Fixed a possible exception restoring file paths on Windows.

1.6.4.1

  • Fixed exception while opening templates.
  • Fixed exception while trying to scroll column views, such as in the FTP file browser.
  • Beacon will be brought to the front when using a beacon:// url.
  • Improved mod id sanitization in mod discovery.

1.6.4

  • Feature: It is now possible to trigger a deploy using automation tools. In the deploy window, there is now a "Copy Trigger" button. Setup the deploy by choosing target servers and options, then click the button. A beacon:// link will be copied that can be used to start the deploy. This link will launch Beacon, open the project, run the deploy, and close the deploy window.
  • Feature: Beacon has always updated server ip addresses during deploy, but a new "Refresh" button in the Servers section will tell Beacon to update the addresses of all linked servers.
  • Feature: Weight is now influenced by loot template modifiers. Just like blueprint chance, quality, and quantity, setting a weight multiplier allows templates to make items more or less common depending on the drop.
  • Feature: Added platform and nickname to Nitrado import.
  • Temporarily works around a crash with error handling on Intel Macs running Ventura.
  • Fixed issue pulling the wrong password from Keychain on macOS.

1.6.4b2

  • Added platform and nickname to Nitrado import.
  • Added stop message to triggered deploy.
  • Fixed exception using triggered deploy with cloud projects.
  • Fixed settings menu item placement.
  • Fixed some views not updating enough.
  • Fixed exception while scrolling lists.
  • Fixed control artifacts when scrolling General Settings on Windows.

1.6.4b1

  • Feature: It is now possible to trigger a deploy using automation tools. In the deploy window, there is now a "Copy Trigger" button. Setup the deploy by choosing target servers and options, then click the button. A beacon:// link will be copied that can be used to start the deploy. This link will launch Beacon, open the project, run the deploy, and close the deploy window.
  • Feature: Beacon has always updated server ip addresses during deploy, but a new "Refresh" button in the Servers section will tell Beacon to update the addresses of all linked servers.
  • Feature: Weight is now influenced by loot template modifiers. Just like blueprint chance, quality, and quantity, setting a weight multiplier allows templates to make items more or less common depending on the drop.
  • Temporarily works around a crash with error handling on Intel Macs running Ventura.
  • Fixed issue pulling the wrong password from Keychain on macOS.

Note About This Beta

This beta has a large backend change that was originally planned for the 1.7 update. The dev tool used for Beacon, Xojo, has a new set of controls that will be required for future Windows interface improvements. While Xojo provides a tool to aid with converting from the old controls to the new ones, it's only an assistant. Due to the Mac crash listed in the release notes, a Xojo update will be required as soon as a fix is available, so it was decided to accelerate the control update plan.

Now to the point: There may be weird differences that will need to be corrected. Things like lists not allowing multiple selection when they should, extra borders on things, menu positions being wrong... please report anything that seems peculiar.

1.6.3.5

  • Adjusted how Beacon calculates class names from blueprint paths.
  • Projects cannot be opened or created until the initial blueprint data has been imported.
  • Added the WinHTTP TLS keys back to the Windows installer for Windows 8 and 8.1.

1.6.3.4

  • When an account id changes, all affected servers will be updated.
  • Beacon will treat the Nitrado "updating" status as a starting status, which should resolve deploy errors with Switch servers.
  • Fixed template selectors not matching any drops.
  • The breeding multipliers "Auto Imprint" tool will generate localized values.
  • Fixed FTP file listing for files with single digit days.

1.6.3.3

  • Projects will no longer save default levels and xp.
  • Improved spawn set wizard uses spawn defaults to compute better weights, and allows customization of pack sizes.
  • Fixed minor issues with Windows installer.

1.6.3.2

  • Levels and XP will no longer generate nor import content that perfectly matches Ark's defaults.
  • Fixed excess merge dialog after running the "Setup Guided Editors" tool.
  • Added dedicated "Refresh Blueprints" option to Help menu. Holding Alt/Option while opening the menu no longer has any effect.
  • Fixed a fatal error if Beacon was unable to connect while checking Nitrado authorization status.
  • Settings sections in the Item Sets and Item Set Entries columns are no longer collapsible.

1.6.3.1

  • Fixed Template and Template Selector caches not getting invalidated on save.
  • Mod discovery logs will be included with support tickets.

1.6.3

  • Fixed exception near the end of the mod discovery process.
  • Fixed Quick Edit Creature Spawns tool not actually making any useful change.
  • Fixed blueprint alternate names not saving to database.
  • Sessions are renewed with a more secure challenge & response exchange.
  • Supports two step authentication.
  • User identity files and session tokens will remain encrypted on disk.
  • Added a "Login automatically" checkbox to the login window. User passwords will be stored in the keychain on macOS, or with hardware-bound encryption on Windows.
  • Mod discovery will keep its ShooterGame.log files. They can be found in Beacon's data folder.
  • Mod discovery will skip over mods that are included with Beacon.
  • Import threads will be dynamically reprioritized to better balance performance and user interface.
  • Blueprint UUIDs stored in a project will be corrected during project load.
  • Fixed exception when editing a creature spawn replacement that has an orphaned row.
  • Fixed blueprint caching bug.

1.6.3b1

  • Fixed exception near the end of the mod discovery process.
  • Fixed Quick Edit Creature Spawns tool not actually making any useful change.
  • Fixed blueprint alternate names not saving to database.
  • Sessions are renewed with a more secure challenge & response exchange.
  • Supports two step authentication.
  • User identity files and session tokens will remain encrypted on disk.
  • Added a "Login automatically" checkbox to the login window. User passwords will be stored in the keychain on macOS, or with hardware-bound encryption on Windows.

1.6.2.3

  • Fixes a lockup bug while importing or exporting multiple servers.

1.6.2.2

  • Changed log writing to hopefully remove lockup possibilities.
  • Config file parsing performance has been reduced to improve app usability while importing many servers.
  • Database updates will delete the entire database file, rather than trying to empty the database.
  • Min and max item sets fields will correctly lock and unlock when switching between loot drops.
  • "Setup Fibercraft Server" will skip items tagged with "no fibercraft."

1.6.2.1

  • Fixed mod discovery on systems or volumes with 8.3 alias generation turned off.
  • Fixed database concurrency issues, which will solve issues where Beacon can get stuck while updating its database.
  • Fixed a handful of exceptions while trying to use a project before any database info has been loaded.

1.6.2

  • Improves support for macOS 13 Ventura.
  • Devices running Windows 7 and 8 are no longer supported. Beacon requires Windows 8.1 or newer.
  • Beacon now runs natively on Windows computers running 64-bit ARM processors. The automatic updater will switch to the best available version.
  • Major feature: Mod discovery. Beacon can now use a Steam version of Ark on Windows to temporarily run a server to automatically discover mod info. See the "Discover Mods" button in the Blueprints view.
  • New project tool: Compute GFI Codes. Will generate a CSV file with the shortest GFI codes available for all items, including enabled mod items.
  • Adjusted deployment behaviors to better support Ark Switch servers.

1.6.2b2

  • Mod discovery now builds its servers in a hidden at the root of the drive Ark is installed on. While annoying, this solves path and junction limitations.
  • Mod discovery will now explicitly download and extract mods instead of relying on Ark's automanagedmods feature.
  • Adjusted deployment behaviors to better support Ark Switch servers.

1.6.2b1

  • Improves support for macOS 13 Ventura.
  • Devices running Windows 7 and 8 are no longer supported. Beacon requires Windows 8.1 or newer.
  • Beacon now runs natively on Windows computers running 64-bit ARM processors. The automatic updater will switch to the best available version.
  • Major feature: Mod discovery. Beacon can now use a Steam version of Ark on Windows to temporarily run a server to automatically discover mod info. See the "Discover Mods" button in the Blueprints view.
  • New project tool: Compute GFI Codes. Will generate a CSV file with the shortest GFI codes available for all items, including enabled mod items.

1.6.1.3

  • Improved in-app browser with title and navigation buttons.
  • If the in-app browser cannot play a video, it will be opened in the user's browser.
  • Loot templates respect the single item, prevent grinding, and stat multiplier settings.
  • The export window's map menu will work correctly for projects that do not have any servers defined.
  • Added Nitrado service id to the ip address space in the Servers editor and deploy window.

1.6.1.2

  • Actually fixed the spawn set replacement paste bug.
  • Blueprint path field supports more formats, such as cheat codes and quoted values.
  • Fixed item set hashing bug causing the item set list to get confused and hide item sets that should not be hidden.

1.6.1.1

  • Added numeric quality to Beacon's loot quality menus.
  • Beacon will no longer reverse the NoBattleEye setting when deploying to Nitrado.
  • Loot entry defaults will include the blueprint chance.
  • Pasting into the creature spawn set replacements list works.

1.6.1

Since Beacon introduced the Creature Spawns section, the list of creatures in a spawn set has had a weight value which maps to the NPCsToSpawnPercentageChance property. Turns out, this isn't a weight. It's perfectly valid to have every creature in the set with 100% spawn chance. This is how you'll always find 3 carnos with 1 yuty, for example. So Beacon has updated the language and behavior to better reflect how this works.

With this change in place, you will probably want to redeploy your servers. No changes to your project will be necessary, but Beacon's math during deploy will be corrected.

Other Changes

  • Added more values to the /Script/ShooterGame.ShooterGameUserSettings section in GameUserSettings.ini to prevent the ini files being reset when deploying to single player with the "Erase server Game.ini and GameUserSettings.ini files" option turned on.
  • Adding a new loot entry will default to the same settings as the last created or edited loot entry.
  • Servers list now hides Beacon's server id by default. It can be shown again using the view menu.
  • The server list in the deploy window matches the server list in the Servers editor.

1.6.0.10

  • "Prevent Taming" option is now available for all three Creature Adjustment modes.
  • FTP with TLS now has the option to not require a valid certificate on the server.
  • The "Convert Creature Replacements to Spawn Point Additions" tool is now more accurate.
  • "Manage config sets…" option has been moved near the top of the config sets menu.
  • Fixed importing from other projects.
  • The "Windows Store Compatibility" option will now simply duplicates the entire /script/shootergame.shootergamemode section into ShooterGameMode_Options.
  • The [Beacon] section of the ini files will now include map info, to assist with debugging.
  • Deploy in "delete mode" will match the original line endings of the file being erased.
  • Added more points where a deploy can be cancelled, to help prevent some exceptions.

1.6.0.9

  • Fixed verification of Game.ini when using Smart Copy and Smart Save with Windows Store versions of Ark.
  • The "Windows Store Compatibility" setting will be ignored for Nitrado and GSA deploys, as the setting is only useful for single player.
  • Fixed reading item sets with no contents.
  • Game.ini verification during deploy will no longer warn about the use of the Windows Store header.
  • Imported blueprints will be included with support tickets.

1.6.0.8

  • Fixed merging config sets that use custom config.
  • Fixed extra "Base" config set showing up in config set chooser in export window.
  • Added "Create and switch to new config" menu option to config set switcher.
  • Added the ability to decrypt user cloud files using the "user info" window.
  • Clicking the deploy button when no servers are linked will no longer offer to start an import.
  • Improved filename sanitization to improve config backups on Windows.
  • Fixed some buttons that appeared to be cut short on Windows.
  • New picker for mods, templates, and spawn points that is more obvious on Windows 11.
  • Improved support for the Windows Store version of Ark. Beacon will automatically use this version's different header in Game.ini, but this can be overridden in project settings.
  • The "Setup Fibercraft Server" tool will now skip over engrams tagged with "Forged."
  • Fixed another possible blueprint loss bug.

1.6.0.7

  • Increased the XP limit from 2,147,483,647 to 4,294,967,295 to match Ark's new limit.
  • Blueprint update checking will happen automatically every six hours.
  • Removed the excess "Report a Problem" item from the Help menu.
  • Rather than failing silently, if there is a problem with the user's identity file and Beacon cannot automatically refresh the authorization info, the user will be asked to sign in again. This should correct issues where saving cloud projects becomes impossible due to unauthorized errors.
  • Fixed the "Create Blueprint Entry" feature.
  • To prevent file write errors, Beacon and its installer will not let each other run at the same time.

Note: 1.6.0.6 was reissued as 1.6.0.7 with one additional change to how Beacon and its installer interact

1.6.0.5

  • Fixed bug causing the wrong custom loot container receiving changes made in the loot drops editor.
  • Loot item sets with duplicate names will be renamed to become unique, to prevent oddities with multi-editing.
  • Engram control will include the levels and points for engram overrides, even if unchanged, if the project is using engram whitelisting.
  • Tek engram overrides will be included in Game.ini if the project is using engram whitelisting.
  • Fixed bizarre and unusable interface when editing multiple blueprints.
  • Importing blueprints no longer tries to match paths with the official engrams. This would allow (for example) full S+ engram import, even where SS engrams overlap.
  • Imported blueprints will default to having full map compatibility.

1.6.0.4

  • Fixed "Go to Issue" button in project issues dialog.
  • Reverted the change causing objects with no availability mask to be available on all maps.
  • Reworked the project saving code to solve an exception that happens while saving a project as its being closed.
  • Fixed an exception while trying to set a crafting ingredient to a value less than 1.
  • The "Prevent Transfer" checkbox in Creature Adjustments is now available in replace and disable modes.
  • Engram Control now exports OverrideNamedEngramEntries in more cases to ensure auto-unlocked engrams unlock at their desired level instead of their original level.
  • Fixed the enforcement of minimum item set counts.
  • Default loot sometimes uses multiple copies of identical item sets, which will no longer confuse Beacon.
  • Loot weights can no longer have a weight of zero, which should fix an infinite loop / "Not Responding" error in the loot simulator.
  • Fixed excess edit behavior when rapidly clicking between two list rows.
  • Fixed an exception during export/deploy if a config key is not known by Beacon's database.

1.6.0.3

  • Added reason to project loading error message.
  • Exporting or deploying to GameServerApp.com servers will use GSA's special template placeholders where appropriate.
  • Fixed bug sorting and editing non-Nitrado servers in the Servers editor.
  • Blueprints with no availability are now considered compatible with all maps instead of no maps.
  • Fixed OnlyDecayUnsnappedCoreStructures always exporting/deploying as false.
  • Fixed issue with the Tools menu duplicating each day.
  • Fixed loot template entries not saving.
  • Fixed potential exception while checking for updates.
  • Updating old language that still used preset instead of template.
  • Fixed the editing of item sets and item set entries that were copied and pasted into the same parent.
  • Reading files is now done in chunks to improve multithreading behaviors.

1.6.0.2

  • Fixed exception during sign out if an Omni-exclusive editor was visible.
  • Added support for additional formatting control for text-based settings in General Settings. The first setting to utilize this is Active Mods, so Beacon can now filter away characters that don't belong to ensure a properly-formatted setting.

1.6.0.1

  • Fixes an issue migrating custom blueprints from older version of Beacon.

1.6.0

Major Features

  • Beacon knows the default loot contents for all drops except the Genesis loot crates. Just like Creature Spawns, check the "Load Default Contents When Available" checkbox when adding a drop (or drops) to a project.
  • Dark mode support on Windows 10 and 11! This follows the system setting unless overridden in preferences.
  • Beacon's code areas, such as for Custom Config, are now powered by Scintilla, the same text engine used by Notepad++. All code areas support syntax coloring and improved performance, while Custom Config also supports autocomplete.

Other Features

  • Added lots more search fields.
  • Opening a project will now remember which config set was last used.
  • Added option to deploy to allow new config files to be created from scratch, rather than building off the config files already on the server. This option only works with backups enabled, but Beacon will make that obvious.
  • Added menu item to re-show the "What's New" window.
  • Beacon software updates are now fully automated and silent. This feature is optional and can be turned off from the Preferences / Options window.
  • User can now choose an update channel. The default of automatic preserves the current behavior of only updating to more stable versions.
  • Support tickets created inside Beacon can now include additional attachments instead of just the project and related files.

Changes

  • Presets have been renamed to Templates. They are otherwise identical.
  • "Custom Loot Source" has been removed. Instead, users should create new drops in the Blueprints section of Beacon.
  • Beacon is using a more reliable means to identify hardware. As a side effect, users will need to log in again.
  • To improve loot quality consistency, loot drop overrides will explicitly include a QualityPower value set to 1.0.
  • New item set weights will default to the average of the existing item sets in the drop.
  • Mods selector is now paginated and searchable.
  • The Creature Spawns editor can scale down even smaller, making it more usable on very small screens.
  • Web content is now handled by Chrome Embedded Framework on Windows. Although this doubles Beacon's installed and downloaded size, all other attempts to get quality web content rendering on Windows have proven unreliable.

Bug Fixes

  • Projects with compression disabled are again properly formatted on Apple Silicon Macs.
  • Leading and trailing newlines and periods are removed from filenames during sanitization to help when naming server backup folders.
  • Creature Spawns editor no longer overflows off the right edge on Windows when Beacon's window is very small.
  • Fixed values not being removed from the "end" section of GameServerApp templates.

1.6.0b1

  • Fixed bug editing multiple loot entries at the same time.
  • When creating a loot template from an item set, the item set will remember the newly created template so it can be rebuilt if the template changes.
  • Updated DinoHarvestingDamageMultiplier to 3.2 to match Ark's defaults.

1.6.0a5

  • Fixed bug loading saved projects causing Custom Config's Game.ini to be replaced with GameUserSettings.ini.
  • Added code to check for updates on Mac, since the Sparkle framework was supposed to be doing that on its own but wasn't.
  • Added preference for overriding system dark mode. Windows 10 defaults to light mode, Windows 11 and Mac default to match the system setting. Unfortunately on Windows, there is no way to force dark mode when the system is set to light.

1.6.0a4

  • Fixed Windows update checking.
  • Removed QualityPower from loot item set entries.
  • Fixed code editor font size on Windows.
  • Custom config should not be imported by default, matching the stable behavior.
  • Fixed some bugs with detecting changed values when editing multiple loot item set entries.
  • The "Deploy This Server" option in the Servers editor works correctly again.
  • The "Convert Creature Replacements to Spawn Point Additions" tool works correctly again.
  • Removed unnecessary Difficulty settings when using the "Setup Guided Editors" tool.
  • Crafting Cost recipes are no longer one step behind the user's changes.
  • Beacon should no longer lock up on Windows while downloading large files that do not advertise their size.
  • Deploy window will no longer show ∞% for downloads that do not advertise their size.
  • Choosing "replace" in the merge mode column of the import results window will no longer immediately switch back to one of the merge options.
  • The "checking project" dialog should appear sooner when deploying or exporting.
  • Updated the included Microsoft Visual C++ redistributable. Windows users that do not have this already installed by Windows Update should expect the installer to request a system restart.

1.6.0a3

Thanks to some problems discovered with cloud project management and data import, Beacon's online services have received some significant changes. This update will break many online features for previous 1.6 alphas as a result.

  • Fixed blueprint import of "nested" items, such as crafting cost ingredients.
  • Fixed import of last line of local files import.
  • "Report a Problem" buttons open the in-app ticket window instead of directing the user to the website.
  • Increased logging of software update system.
  • Fixed exception while creating a new local mod.
  • Removed excess bApplyQuantityToSingleItem keys from loot drops.
  • Editing a server in the Servers editor will mark the project as unsaved.
  • Fixed the text color in the deploy window on Windows in dark mode.
  • Fixed an exception while loading news.

1.6.0a2

  • Fixed the database update time on Home view.
  • Increased the weight limit of loot item sets to prevent system beep when loading certain default item sets.
  • Fixed a number of control sizes throughout Beacon.
  • Fixed crafting costs editor not actually making any changes.
  • Fixed syncing blueprints between devices.
  • Fixed values not being removed from the "end" section of GameServerApp templates.
  • Fixed exception while starting an import from Nitrado.
  • Restoring an editor to default works again.
  • Import results shows server names in results window again.
  • Fixed empty engram names with the engram is unknown to Beacon.
  • Fixed comparison of server entries, which allowed linking a server to a project more than once.

1.6.0a1

Major Features

  • Beacon knows the default loot contents for all drops except the Genesis loot crates. Just like Creature Spawns, check the "Load Default Contents When Available" checkbox when adding a drop (or drops) to a project.
  • Dark mode support on Windows 10 and 11! This follows the system setting.
  • Beacon's code areas, such as for Custom Config, are now powered by Scintilla, the same text engine used by Notepad++. All code areas support syntax coloring and improved performance, while Custom Config also supports autocomplete.

Other Features

  • Added lots more search fields.
  • Opening a project will now remember which config set was last used.
  • Added option to deploy to allow new config files to be created from scratch, rather than building off the config files already on the server. This option only works with backups enabled, but Beacon will make that obvious.
  • Added menu item to re-show the "What's New" window.
  • Beacon software updates are now fully automated and silent. This feature is optional and can be turned off from the Preferences / Options window.
  • User can now choose an update channel. The default of automatic preserves the current behavior of only updating to more stable versions.
  • Support tickets created inside Beacon can now include additional attachments instead of just the project and related files.

Changes

  • Presets have been renamed to Templates. They are otherwise identical.
  • "Custom Loot Source" has been removed. Instead, users should create new drops in the Blueprints section of Beacon.
  • Beacon is using a more reliable means to identify hardware. As a side effect, users will need to log in again.
  • To improve loot quality consistency, loot drop overrides will explicitly include a QualityPower value set to 1.0.
  • New item set weights will default to the average of the existing item sets in the drop.
  • Mods selector is now paginated and searchable.
  • The Creature Spawns editor can scale down even smaller, making it more usable on very small screens.
  • Web content is now handled by Chrome Embedded Framework on Windows. Although this doubles Beacon's installed and downloaded size, all other attempts to get quality web content rendering on Windows have proven unreliable.

Bug Fixes

  • Projects with compression disabled are again properly formatted on Apple Silicon Macs.
  • Leading and trailing newlines and periods are removed from filenames during sanitization to help when naming server backup folders.
  • Creature Spawns editor no longer overflows off the right edge on Windows when Beacon's window is very small.

1.5.3.2

  • Fixed an issue with the harvest rate conversion and fibercraft setup tools that would select too many items to override.

1.5.3.1

  • The tag picker, seen when choosing creatures or engrams, now uses a menu to make it more clear what is happening with each color. Tag states can be rapidly switched like before using a right-click instead.
  • Tags can be hidden from the picker entirely.
  • Tags for mods that are not enabled will not be shown.
  • Fixed a bug that could lead to Beacon forever thinking it was importing blueprint updates.
  • Fixed a bug that would leave behind tag data when deleting a blueprint, causing trouble later if the blueprint was added again later.

1.5.3

This update brings three new ways for admins to control their loot drop contents:

  • Single Item Quantity: By default, Ark's loot generation is inefficient. For example, a drop containing 1,000 simple rifle bullets will run its loot selection 1,000 times even though the result will always be a simple rifle bullet. This new setting tells Ark to select the item first, then increase its quantity accordingly. To improve server performance, Beacon will automatically apply this flag to item set entries that have a single item. Item set entries with multiple items can choose have turn this feature on. For backwards compatibility, the default is off.
  • Prevent Grinding: Item set entries can now prevent their contents from becoming grinder fodder.
  • Stat Limit Multipliers: Servers which utilize item stat limits can now adjust the limits for each item set entry. For example, a server with a 1000 damage limit will cap a longneck rifle to 110% damage. A multiplier of 2 will increase the limit to 2000, allowing the longneck to reach 120% damage. A multiplier of 0.5 would reduce the limit to 500, keeping the longneck down to 105% damage. These adjusted limits apply only to the items generated by the item set entry. Remember, these are limits. These values allow an item to reach certain stats, not guarantee it will.

Other improvements

  • Significantly improved the performance of listing blueprints. This should have an impact on nearly every part of the app.
  • Fixed error while trying to show the welcome window on a Windows system with an unusual install of WebView2.
  • Improved database update performance by only optimizing after all imports are complete.
  • Potentially fixed bug causing custom blueprints not to restore after an update. In case the bug is not as fixed as desired, additional logging has been added to help track down the problem.

1.5.2.6

  • Fixes bug causing search fields to send UTF-16 encoded strings instead of UTF-8.
  • In the community projects view, the delay between when the user stops typing and the search triggers has been increased. The search can be triggered immediately using the return or enter keys.
  • Custom engrams (those defined directly in the Engram Control window) will always output their config lines, rather than trying to determine what has changed, since the original/default values are not known by Beacon.
  • Newline characters in loot item set and spawn set names will be removed, since they cause parsing errors for Ark.
  • The Import Results window will show config set names when importing from a Beacon project with multiple config sets.
  • Import results window properly manages the merge mode column when importing from a Beacon project with multiple config sets.

1.5.2.5

  • Beacon will include player level and unlock point requirements in OverrideNamedEngramEntries even if the values are unchanged, because Ark assumes 0 instead of default in this case.
  • Fixed empty "What's New" / "Welcome to Beacon" window.

1.5.2.4

  • Fixed missing "Advanced" tab when editing a blueprint.
  • Fixed some exceptions related to toolbar usage.
  • Fixed issue with Engram Control not allow Tek unlocks to be set back to their original state.
  • Fixed issue with changing an engram's level requirement when the "Disable Engrams by Default" option is used.

1.5.2.3

  • Web content, such as the Help view and "what's new" window, will no longer try to write to the application directory.
  • Added mod name column to Engram Control editor.

1.5.2.2

  • Beacon will no longer hit an exception on launch of an internet connection is not available.
  • Deleting multiple servers will no longer skip some servers.
  • "Auto Levels" wizard takes a little longer to compute more accurate numbers.

1.5.2.1

  • General Settings will not show PC-exclusive settings when the project is set to console-safe mode.
  • Deploy and Export will not include PC-exclusive settings when the destination is a console server.
  • Fixed lockup of approximately 8 seconds during first launch.
  • White space will be removed from server names.
  • Right-clicking a Nitrado server in Beacon's Servers editor will show a "Open Nitrado Dashboard" option.
  • Updated web content control on Windows to improve the experience on Windows 11.
  • To prevent accidental change of some settings in the General Settings editor, menus will no longer react to the mouse scroll wheel.

1.5.2

Presets

  • Preset modifiers are now called Preset Selectors, since they are used for selecting presets to be modified.
  • Preset selectors can be managed in the Presets view under the Selectors tab.
  • Preset selectors can now be crafted from JavaScript rather than only regular expressions. The guide is available in the help section.
  • Mods can now be filtered in the presets editor.

Mods

  • Users can now create any number of "custom" mods that are available only to their user account. The "User Blueprints" mod is now considered a custom mod.
  • Custom mods have their own section in the project mods picker.
  • Rearranged items in the mod editor toolbar.
  • Blueprint import can now parse the output provided by the DataDumper mod.

Servers Editor

  • Servers can be tagged with a color to help visually organize. Colors will appear in the Servers editor and in the deploy window.
  • The Servers editor now has a "View Options" menu that can change how server names are displayed and the servers are sorted. Servers can currently be sorted by name, address, and color.
  • Servers can be deployed directly from the Servers editor.

Quality of Life

  • Config lines related to engram control can be pasted directly into the Engram Control editor.
  • Blueprint updates will be checked every four hours while the app is running.
  • Min and Max Item Sets fields will be disabled when "Add to Default Loot" option is selected, since they have no effect.
  • Added Mutagen settings to Stat Multipliers editor.
  • Added Tek Bow and Tek Phase Pistol to the Item Stat Limits editor.
  • Added "Quick Edit Creature Spawns" tool to the Tools menu that can rapidly edit the colors and levels for creatures.
  • Fixed deploy backup permissions issue.

General Settings

Even with all the stuff Beacon can do, there are about 200 settings that Beacon does not natively handle. For them, admins will need to use the Custom Config editor and reference the Ark wiki.

Or they did.

This update introduces the new "General Settings" editor that has support for nearly every option Ark has available, with nice easy-to-read names and clear descriptions. This editor also supports all 216 settings provided by Super Structures.

This editor fully supports config sets. Items that have been changed will appear in bold to better help figure out which ones will be included in each set.

Use the "Setup Guided Editors" tool in the Tools menu to automatically convert available settings from the Custom Config editor into the new General Settings editor. In the future, newly introduced editors will automatically migrate settings from the General Settings editor as necessary.

1.5.2b3

  • Makes sure blueprints are not double-imported after a software update.
  • Better level override guidance in bulk spawn editor.
  • Map and mod selection windows have titles on Windows.
  • The first mod in the mods editor list is now deletable.
  • During Nitrado import, guided servers that fail to return their user-settings.ini will be skipped instead of triggering an implementation error.
  • Exporting presets now creates a format that is compatible with older versions of Beacon.
  • Using the Import option from the File menu will allow multiple file selection, so users can import multiple presets at the same time.
  • Significantly increased project loading.
  • Fixed general settings in config sets overwriting each other.
  • Beacon's installer no longer requires admin permission, allowing Beacon to be installed for the current user only.

1.5.2b2

  • Reworked bulk spawn editor to be certain no creature is skipped that should not be skipped.
  • Other Settings editor has been renamed General Settings.
  • General Settings is now sorted in a way that is more usable, instead of strictly alphabetically.
  • Options in General Settings can be disabled based on the value of other options.
  • General Settings now allows selecting values from a list, where appropriate.
  • Fixed merge issues with General Settings and Crafting Costs. This would most commonly present itself as giving the Base config set priority over other config sets during deploy.
  • Caught some text input exceptions.
  • Fixed exception while trying to import creatures and spawn points from the DataDumper mod.

1.5.2b1

Presets

  • Preset modifiers are now called Preset Selectors, since they are used for selecting presets to be modified.
  • Preset selectors can be managed in the Presets view under the Selectors tab.
  • Preset selectors can now be crafted from JavaScript rather than only regular expressions. The guide is available in the help section.
  • Mods can now be filtered in the presets editor.

Mods

  • Users can now create any number of "custom" mods that are available only to their user account. The "User Blueprints" mod is now considered a custom mod.
  • Custom mods have their own section in the project mods picker.
  • Rearranged items in the mod editor toolbar.
  • Blueprint import can now parse the output provided by the DataDumper mod.

Servers Editor

  • Servers can be tagged with a color to help visually organize. Colors will appear in the Servers editor and in the deploy window.
  • The Servers editor now has a "View Options" menu that can change how server names are displayed and the servers are sorted. Servers can currently be sorted by name, address, and color.
  • Servers can be deployed directly from the Servers editor.

Quality of Life

  • Config lines related to engram control can be pasted directly into the Engram Control editor.
  • Blueprint updates will be checked every four hours while the app is running.
  • Min and Max Item Sets fields will be disabled when "Add to Default Loot" option is selected, since they have no effect.
  • Added Mutagen settings to Stat Multipliers editor.
  • Added Tek Bow and Tek Phase Pistol to the Item Stat Limits editor.
  • Added "Quick Edit Creature Spawns" tool to the Tools menu that can rapidly edit the colors and levels for creatures.

Other Settings

Even with all the stuff Beacon can do, there are about 200 settings that Beacon does not natively handle. For them, admins will need to use the Custom Config editor and reference the Ark wiki.

Or they did.

This update introduces the new "Other Settings" editor that has support for nearly every option Ark has available, with nice easy-to-read names and clear descriptions. This editor also supports all 216 settings provided by Super Structures.

This editor fully supports config sets. Items that have been changed will appear in bold to better help figure out which ones will be included in each set.

Use the "Setup Guided Editors" tool in the Tools menu to automatically convert available settings from the Custom Config editor into the new Other Settings editor. In the future, newly introduced editors will automatically migrate settings from the Other Settings editor as necessary.

1.5.1.6

  • Beacon no longer creates dozens of FTP error messages on Windows.
  • Beacon no longer shows the generic loot source icon when two containers exist with the same class.
  • An exception that can occur when trying to retrieve a loot source's icon as been fixed.
  • Fixed a bug parsing the GMT offset for timestamps.
  • RCONEnabled, RCONPort, and RCONServerGameLogBuffer will no longer be imported into Custom Config.
  • The "Override Server's Map" checkbox in the Export window will once again work for Nitrado servers.
  • Deploying to local files, such as single player, will correctly handle UTF-16 and UCS-2 files.
  • Fixed a bug preventing users from being removed from shared documents.

1.5.1.5

  • This update has a number of performance adjustments related to its database. Engram search time will be measured at launch and Beacon will automatically attempt repairs if database is performing poorly.
  • Blueprint data will automatically be refreshed each version update to ensure the latest data is available.
  • Beacon's installer will allow installation on ARM-based systems. Beacon for Windows is not yet ARM-native though, so your mileage may vary.

1.5.1.4

  • Cloud saving is significantly faster and supports much larger projects. If there is a project size limit, we don't know it yet.
  • Added "Replace Crafting Ingredient" tool for swapping ingredients in all recipes.
  • Levels and XP editor now supports copy and paste.
  • Entire editors can be copied and pasted by right-clicking them in the editor list.
  • 0 quantities are now allowed in the Loot Drops editor.
  • Added some additional log messages to help diagnose API and file writing errors.
  • Newly introduced maps will no longer uncheck themselves.
  • "Save As" will not generate a new Document UUID until actually saved, preventing "document mismatch errors" if cancelled.
  • Fixed some publish errors in the Blueprints view.
  • Cyan and Orange drop colors will now be supplied by the system so they look better with macOS dark mode and assistive features.

1.5.1.3

  • Fixed exception during deploy on Windows systems set to regions other than US English.
  • Fixed typo on Decay and Spoil editor.
  • Harvest Rates list is now sorted.
  • Fixed width of some toolbar titles on Windows.
  • Decay and Spoil editor shows correct times when auto destroy is enabled.
  • Decay and Spoil editor will warn the user when structures will be destroyed sooner than they decay.
  • FTP import will look for URLs on the clipboard and attempt to fill in information automatically.

1.5.1.2

  • Added support for Ark's new PreventTransferForClassNames config. This can be set using the Creature Adjustments editor.
  • Breeding Multipliers editor will make better use of its space on small screens.
  • To better match Ark's defaults, some additional settings in the Decay and Spoil editor will default to false.
  • Blueprint import will allow the selection of JSON files.
  • Export window map and config set options will be disabled until the override options are turned on.
  • On Windows, Beacon now uses a different system call for displaying alert windows. This should fix the invisible alert issues that some users have experienced.
  • Fixed strange behaviors when checking to see if there is any "What's New" content to show at launch.

1.5.1.1

  • Fixed strange behaviors with difficulty in config sets.
  • Filename sanitizer will trim whitespace.
  • Fixed number formatting in preset modifiers list.
  • Editing multiple blueprints will actually save now.
  • Fixed missing discard button next to Loot Drops editor.
  • Config sets can be switched even if the active editor is not valid for the requested config set.
  • Preset editor contents can be edited by right-clicking.
  • Notification sounds can be disabled using a new preferences window.

1.5.1

  • Added keyboard shortcut for switching to the Base config set. The shortcut is Control-B on Windows and Command-B on Mac.
  • Import and deploy transactions are now limited to three HTTP requests at a time. In practice, most users won't notice this happening. The goal is to prevent unintended timeouts by sharing bandwidth more intelligently.
  • Importing files from your computer will automatically try to find similarly named ini files. For example, selecting a file named "ExtinctionGame.ini" will also look for "ExtinctionGameUserSettings.ini" in the same folder.
  • Custom Config editor now has a button to toggle commenting of lines.
  • Update checks now happen while Beacon is running, rather than only at launch.
  • Update notifications are much more obvious.
  • Added gentle audible cues to import and deploy process.
  • Archives attached to support tickets will utilize end-to-end encryption.
  • Having backups enabled when deploying to Nitrado servers with expert mode turned off will save content that is useful for debugging.
  • Deploy window will now show upload and download progress.
  • Breeding multipliers editor can now display values computed for various modes such as single player and event rates.
  • Editor list now includes close buttons. This is used to indicate which editors are in use by each config set, including the base config set, as well as allow users to easily reset the editor back to its default. Items in the editors list will no longer show dimmed when not in use.
  • Document merge now supports importing pieces directly into config sets. Users can manage their config sets directly in the results window.
  • Added support for new hosting provider: GameServerApp.com.
  • Creature spawn sets can now override creature colors.
  • Spawn entry level override calculation will be based on the Base difficulty if there is no difficulty override for the active config set.
  • Removed Editor menu. There is now a Tools button in the project toolbar to replace it. Editors can also be right-clicked in the Editor list to show relevant tools.
  • Fixed a bug with empty NPCDifficultyLevelRanges values when only some creature entries in a spawn set include level overrides.
  • Fixed coloring bug in dark mode on Apple Silicon Macs.

1.5.1b2

  • Fixed GameServerApp.com integration on Windows.
  • Fixed error message presented when GameServerApp.com integration fails.

1.5.1b1

  • Added keyboard shortcut for switching to the Base config set. The shortcut is Control-B on Windows and Command-B on Mac.
  • Import and deploy transactions are now limited to three HTTP requests at a time. In practice, most users won't notice this happening. The goal is to prevent unintended timeouts by sharing bandwidth more intelligently.
  • Importing files from your computer will automatically try to find similarly named ini files. For example, selecting a file named "ExtinctionGame.ini" will also look for "ExtinctionGameUserSettings.ini" in the same folder.
  • Custom Config editor now has a button to toggle commenting of lines.
  • Update checks now happen while Beacon is running, rather than only at launch.
  • Update notifications are much more obvious.
  • Added gentle audible cues to import and deploy process.
  • Archives attached to support tickets will utilize end-to-end encryption.
  • Having backups enabled when deploying to Nitrado servers with expert mode turned off will save content that is useful for debugging.
  • Deploy window will now show upload and download progress.
  • Breeding multipliers editor can now display values computed for various modes such as single player and event rates.
  • Editor list now includes close buttons. This is used to indicate which editors are in use by each config set, including the base config set, as well as allow users to easily reset the editor back to its default. Items in the editors list will no longer show dimmed when not in use.
  • Document merge now supports importing pieces directly into config sets. Users can manage their config sets directly in the results window.
  • Added support for new hosting provider: GameServerApp.com.
  • Creature spawn sets can now override creature colors.
  • Spawn entry level override calculation will be based on the Base difficulty if there is no difficulty override for the active config set.
  • Removed Editor menu. There is now a Tools button in the project toolbar to replace it. Editors can also be right-clicked in the Editor list to show relevant tools.
  • Fixed a bug with empty NPCDifficultyLevelRanges values when only some creature entries in a spawn set include level overrides.

1.5.0.8

  • Fixed excessive cpu usage after opening cloud projects.
  • Reduced frame rate of project loading animation to further reduce cpu usage.
  • Adding an engram to Engram Control without changing any settings will correctly add the engram to the list.
  • Fixed issues with engrams added directly to Engram Control not being included in generated ini files.
  • Engram Control list will be updated after switching mods or editing blueprints.

1.5.0.7

  • Fixed the import of some decay and spoil settings if they exist only in the ini files.
  • The auto destroy settings in the decay and spoil editor will now default to off, to match Ark's default settings.
  • Improved error messages generated by the "create support ticket" window.
  • Added additional logging to deploy process.
  • Fixing a false error when saving a single blueprint.
  • Fixed a bug causing Beacon to exclude unrecognized lines from the "custom game.ini settings" field during Nitrado non-expert deploys.
  • Eliminated some excess drawing in the editor list and toolbars.

1.5.0.6

  • Fixed exception while listing files during FTP import.
  • Deploying to Nitrado servers with expert mode turned off will no longer set the same key over and over again.
  • Deploy, Smart Copy, and Smart Save will correctly update settings defined as launch options, such as ServerAdminPassword.
  • Changed formula for calculating OverrideOfficialDifficulty from the max dino level. For example, setting the max dino level to 400 would produce a difficulty of 13.3333. However, Ark rounds down, so the effective max dino level was 399 because 13.1333 x 30 is 399.9999. This change means Beacon would compute 13.3334 from 400 to produce the desired outcome.
  • When converting an all-numeric text value, Beacon will no longer use scientific notation on Windows.
  • Beacon deploy logs will reference the server uuid, seen in the servers list, instead of the random identifier used previously.
  • Reverted verbosity changes to the Engram Control editor. It will no longer explicitly set engrams to require 0 points if auto unlocked. This returns Beacon to its behavior in earlier than 1.5, as the change did not have the intended effect.
  • Project, Blueprint, and Preset tabs can shrink when there is not enough room. In the extreme case that there are more tabs than can fit even at their minimum width, an overflow menu will be displayed on the right.
  • Pressing "Discard Changes" when exiting Beacon with multiple edited tabs will again actually discard the autosave files.
  • Fixed empty view when closing a project tab to the left of the active tab.
  • Deploying to a Nitrado server with expert mode turned off will again properly determine required changes to larger values, such as OverrideNamedEngramEntries.
  • Deploying to a Nitrado server with expert mode turned off will set PerLevelStatMultipliers correctly.
  • "Convert Creature Replacements to Spawn Point Additions" will now only generate spawn point additions that are compatible with the selected maps.
  • When using a tool from the Editor menu, such as "Setup Fibercraft Server" the effects will be applied to the frontmost project instead of the newest project.
  • Choosing "Accounts" or "Servers" from the Editor menu while a custom config set is active will switch to the Base config set in order to show these editors.

1.5.0.5

This update is extremely urgent to any user that has deployed or used smart copy with any of the Beacon 1.5 versions. A bug has been discovered that causes Beacon to remove settings it should not be removing. Those interested in the specific details, stick around until the end of the notes.

  • Fixed an exception while setting up certain views such as the FTP import view.
  • Loot source icons will always match the text color when selected.
  • The blueprints editor will fail more gracefully and less often.
  • Minimum system version for Mac users had to be increased to macOS 10.12 Sierra. This may drop back down to 10.11 in the future.
  • Added some additional logging to assist deploy debugging.

About those settings getting removed

For the context of this description, deploy could be the actual deploy process, as well as the smart copy and smart save features. The issue happens over two deploy actions. When Beacon does a deploy, it blends the old ini content with the new content. In order to do this effectively, it keeps track of what it changed in the [Beacon] section of each file. This way if you added a line with Beacon, then later removed it, Beacon would know you wanted that line removed. Other lines that Beacon does not manage would be left alone.

The bug in this process is that Beacon was declaring in that [Beacon] section that it was responsible for all lines. So on the first deploy, all seems well because it did its job almost right. On the second deploy, Beacon trusts the [Beacon] section in the file and believes it should be removing settings that it did not put there.

Beacon 1.5.0.5 and later will not trust the [Beacon] sections of ini files generated by any older version of Beacon 1.5. Files generated by Beacon 1.4.8.4 or earlier will still be trusted. This will allow automatic correction of ini files that have been deployed to only once since Beacon 1.5 launched. Unfortunately, files deployed to two or more times have likely had lines removed and Beacon is unable to automatically recover them. The recommended solution is to restore a backup if available, then deploy again. You can find Beacon's backups using the "Open Data Folder" option from the Help menu in the menubar. They will be inside the Backups folder organized by server name and date. Beacon is unable to keep backups of Smart Copy and Smart Save actions, so hopefully users of those features have their own backups.

I am sorry this was not caught sooner, and I will help in any way I can to repair ini files damaged by this process. I have also made Beacon 1.4.8.4 available on the downloads page again, for users that wish not to trust Beacon 1.5 for the moment, but be aware that Beacon 1.4 versions cannot open projects saved by Beacon 1.5.

1.5.0.4

  • Fixed bug with Beacon removing command line options from GameUserSettings.ini during deploy.
  • Fixed a code duplication issue when first deploying with 1.5 to an ini file last deployed to using Beacon 1.4.
  • Fixed crash at launch on macOS 10.13 and lower.
  • Fixed sorting of config keys that have attributes, such as PerLevelStatsMultiplier_Player.
  • Added additional info to the [Beacon] section added to ini files to assist debugging.

1.5.0.3

  • Fixed issue with AutoDestroyStructures being turned on if the new Decay and Spoil editor was used, even if the option was supposed to be off.
  • Fixed logic handling in Custom Config editor.
  • Fixed exception when pasting a creature spawn limit from older versions of Beacon.
  • Fixed exception while deleting a creature from spawn points creature replacements list.
  • Fixed an exception caused by a timeout checking for Nitrado authorization status.
  • Fixed some "invalid url" exceptions.
  • Fixed possible exception while exiting Beacon.

1.5.0.2

New Features & Changes

  • Beacon's app icon has been updated. The new design embraces Beacon's origins as a loot drop editor by featuring all six colors of Ark's loot drops.
  • Beacon's main window has been redesigned to make it more discoverable. Across the top of the window are new tables for Home, Projects, Blueprints, Presets, and Help.
  • Beacon is moving from the beaconapp.cc domain to the usebeacon.app domain.

Projects

  • Beacon documents have been renamed projects. Beacon projects cannot be opened in versions of Beacon before 1.5.
  • The projects view allows sorting and searching cloud and community projects.
  • Projects may now contain multiple "config sets" and always include a "Base" config set. Config sets allow server admins to design smaller batches of changes that can be applied in any order to any (or all) linked servers or ini file pairs. These allow admins to maintain entire clusters of servers from a single project file while still allowing server-specific differences.
  • In the export window, the "Rewrite Clipboard" and "Update File" buttons have been renamed to "Smart Copy" and "Smart Save."
  • Beacon projects saved to the cloud are now versioned. Right click any project in the cloud projects list, and choose "Older Versions" to retrieve a list of every version of the project that has ever been saved to the cloud.
  • The editor popup menu has been replaced with a large list, making it easier to find specific editors. Some editors have been moved or renamed.
  • Map selection is now done using a button in the project toolbar, instead of using the Maps editor.
  • Mod selection is now done using a button in the project toolbar, instead of using the Document Properties editor.
  • The Breeding Multipliers editor has new settings "Anyone Can Imprint" and "Disable Imprint Buff." The "Imprint Period" field can now be edited, and Beacon will compute the correct multiplier automatically.
  • Added a new Decay and Spoil editor that is free for all users.
  • Beacon will now update Nitrado's general settings based values set using the Custom Config editor. For example, to turn Nitrado's "Forced Respawn of wild Dinos at server restart" setting, add ForceRespawnDinos=True to the [ServerSettings] section of GameUserSettings.ini of the Custom Config editor. To find the correct keys to use, click the "Show internal names (like in the configuration file)" option at the top of Nitrado's general settings.
  • Servers editor has a place for notes. These are not sent to the server in any way, they are just there for organization purposes.
  • Servers editor now supports admin, spectator, and join passwords.
  • Users can now create "simple" servers in the Servers editor. These may be linked to files on disk to enable the deploy feature, or may simply be used to help organize content in the export window.

Blueprints

  • The Blueprints view now has access to all the features and settings of official Beacon blueprints. Engrams support crafting costs, engram entry strings, unlock requirements, and stack sizes. Creatures support breeding times and stats. Spawn points support the full spawn point editor.
  • Editing a blueprint will have a "Common" tab for settings that are common to all blueprints, and an "Advanced" tab for settings that are unique to the blueprint type.

1.5.0.1

  • Reordered import options to match Beacon 1.5
  • Beacon will set Nitrado boolean properties using lowercase values to work around their launch option issues.
  • Editor list will update its dimming after an import.
  • Renaming a config set no longer adds duplicate entries to the priority choosers.
  • Fixed merging issues with Harvest Rates, Stack Sizes, and Engram Control.
  • Fixed issue with export not correctly overriding a server's chosen config sets.
  • Fixed exception while determining if Beacon is busy.
  • Projects will enable their menus after a "Save As" again.

1.5.0

  • Logging more information about these strange "error #5" connection errors to Nitrado.
  • Fixed an exception while duplicating a stack size override.
  • Adjusted filename sanitization, which might fix the rare backup save error.
  • Attempting to fix exception cause by closing a deploy in progress.
  • Custom Config scroll position will no longer get confused when clicking the currently active file.
  • Toolbar items which are disabled will no longer react to being clicked.
  • Stop message prompt will only appear once per deployment.

1.5.0b2

  • Fixed an issue with the spawn points editor crashing or acting weird after importing a config containing a creature Beacon doesn't know about. (From 1.4.8.4)
  • Merging Custom Config editors (part of the process building a final config from multiple config sets) should work correctly now.
  • Restored multi-editing in Blueprints tab.
  • Lots of updates to the Decay and Spoil editor. Layout has been refined, hover tips added, interval fields provide more feedback, lists sort better, and more.
  • Beacon will no longer complain about Nitrado's strange log file sizes.
  • MOTD and passwords will be taken from Custom Config if not provided by the Servers editor.
  • Added a "What's New" window on platforms that support modern web content. This will appear as needed, though its content right now is very boring.
  • Fixed issue with the Add Loot Source window not marking the project as dirty.
  • Fixed autosave recovery. You may get spammed with a bunch of projects that Beacon has been ignoring. Sorry about that.
  • Logging more information about OAuth errors.
  • Added two additional options to the Breeding Multipliers editor.
  • Fixed some inconsistent colors on Windows. Controls will now use the system accent color.
  • Fixed "About Beacon" menu item.
  • Fixed output of spawn point ini lines.
  • Fixed output of Beacon version number in ini files.

1.5.0b1

Beacon 1.5 is now in the beta stage. That means planned new features are all implemented. The focus now is bug fixes.

  • New editor: Decay and Spoil. Control nearly all aspects of decay and spoil timers, including charts to view the effects in realtime.
  • Servers editor allows control of ServerPassword, ServerAdminPassword, and SpectatorPassword values.
  • Creating a new server in the Servers list allows selecting Game.ini and GameUserSettings.ini files.
  • Another attempt at fixing a strange exception while checking on Nitrado server status.
  • Creature Spawn editors will be merged to obey Beacon's add/remove/replace rules.
  • "Other Beacon Project" option in import window has been fixed and restored.
  • Uploading and downloading files during deploy will include more detail and verification.
  • Downloading files from Nitrado will check the expected file size against the number of bytes actually downloaded. This should allow Beacon to detect transmission issues, since Nitrado won't provide hashes.

1.5.0a4

This is likely to be the last alpha. There is one more feature being worked on, so the next build should be beta 1.

  • Fixed flickering when dismissing alert windows.
  • Added warning about publishing unsaved documents.
  • Project tabs will no longer allow empty titles.
  • Preset tabs will update when saved.
  • Deleting cloud documents works again.
  • Fixed potential exception while closing the main window.
  • Difficulty settings will no longer be included in config sets unless intentionally changed.
  • More adjustments to the ini rewriter. These changes should improve how Beacon considers a config unique and fix ordering issues, but please keep a close eye on your ini files.
  • Tab views will remember their usage order. This means closing the active tab will no longer take you to the first or closest tab, but the most recently used tab.
  • Connection error messages include a button to check the system status.
  • Preset editor has its new toolbar.
  • The "mod is disabled" warning now includes the disabled mod name.
  • Users can now create "simple" servers in the Servers editor. These are not capable of deploying, but can be used with Export for additional organization options.
  • Added tooltips to stat multipliers to make truncated values more accessible.
  • Added edit menu to dialogs on Windows, which will enable keyboard shortcuts such as Ctrl-A to select everything in a list.

1.5.0a3

  • New toolbars for additional clarity.
  • Fixed tabs becoming out of sync with their contents when opening multiple documents at the same time.
  • Changed how config groups are created. This should solve the issue of missing config groups that can happen for some users.
  • New exception reporter will save the exception details to disk first, allow comments without the website, and submit exceptions on the next launch. In short, the exception reporter is more reliable.
  • Importing from other Beacon documents has been disabled for now. The introduction of config sets makes this feature especially challenging, and the discovery of a potential data loss bug means it is safer to disable this feature until a solution can be found.
  • Help tags have been turned on for toolbars that need them.
  • Loot drop item set editor can be made smaller than before.

1.5.0a2

This update features a new ini generator that was needed for another new feature that will be explained in a moment. As such, please pay close attention to the ini files that Beacon produces, especially during deploy. While the new generator should be matching the behavior of the old one and passed all its tests, tests are not perfect.

The reason for this new generator is to make Nitrado deployments even smarter. There are certain config keys that show up in GameUserSettings.ini, such as OxygenSwimSpeedMultiplier, that are ignored in favor of the values set in Nitrado's general settings, even in expert mode. This can not only be confusing, but also does not work well with Beacon's config sets feature. So Beacon now knows how to set those values in Nitrado's general settings based on its generated content. This means you could add ForceRespawnDinos=True to ServerSettings of GameUserSettings.ini of Beacon's Custom Config editor, and Beacon will turn that on during the next deploy. This feature fully supports config sets, and all Nitrado servers regardless of expert mode setting.

The rest of this release is mostly bug fixes:

  • Exporting or deploying a server that does not have config set overrides now works.
  • GameUserSettings.ini custom content is now merged into the correct section when using config sets.
  • Discord links in the Support tab will always open in the user's browser.
  • Servers editor has a space for notes. These are never sent to the server, only stored in Beacon for organizational purposes.
  • Cancelling the server stop message during deploy will cancel the deploy as well.
  • Config set manager will show the correct server usage counts.
  • Based on user feedback, the config set chooser has been moved to the top of the editors list.
  • An exception will no longer be thrown when clicking inside the header, dragging the mouse out, and releasing.
  • Removed /Script/Engine.GameSession and ScalabilityGroups from GameUserSettings.ini required sections.
  • Toolbar buttons in the export window will enable/disable correctly.
  • Message of the Day will no longer duplicate newline characters on Windows.
  • Spawn point defaults will include their limits again.
  • Beacon will no longer consider two servers with the same name to be equal.
  • Configs are sorted in the ini files based on the whole line, not just their keys.
  • Menu items, such as Save and Save As, will affect the frontmost view instead of the first view to respond to the item.
  • Increased blueprint lookup performance.

1.5.0a1

This is an alpha version. There will be bugs. The purpose of alpha testing is to find and report those bugs. Beacon will make backups of its database files, so if you need to revert back to the stable version, that will work fine by simply installing it. However, Beacon's document format has changed, so any files saved with Beacon 1.5 cannot be opened by older versions of Beacon. Make backups of anything you aren't willing to lose.

Beacon 1.5 represents months of work to allow Beacon to grow into the future. There are some significant changes, so buckle up. Many of these changes have been introduced in a new Whats new in Beacon 1.5 video.

  • Beacon's app icon has been updated to embrace its origins as a loot drop editor, featuring all six colors of Ark's loot drops.
  • Beacon's main window has been redesigned to make it more obvious to access common features. Across the top of the window are new tabs Home, Projects, Blueprints, Presets, and Support.
  • Beacon is moving from the beaconapp.cc domain to the usebeacon.app domain.

Projects

  • Beacon documents have been renamed projects, as they are now much more than simple formats.
  • The projects view allows sorting and searching cloud and community projects.
  • Projects may now contain multiple "config sets" and always include a "Base" config set. Config sets will allow server admins to design smaller batches of changes that can be applied in any order to any or all linked servers or ini file pairs. In short, these allow admins to maintain entire clusters of servers in one project, while still allowing server-specific changes. Admins could setup a config set for PvP, or adjust a single harvest rate for a single server, for example.
  • In the export window, "Rewrite Clipboard" and "Update File" have been renamed "Smart Copy" and "Smart Save" to better guide users.
  • As mentioned in the large bold warning, Beacon projects have been updated to a new format that is not at all compatible with older versions. This new format is faster, however older format projects will take longer than normal to open in Beacon 1.5. Once saved again using Beacon 1.5, they will be updated to the new format and will open faster than ever.
  • Beacon projects in the cloud are now versioned! Right click any project in the cloud projects list and choose "Older Versions…" to retrieve a list of every version of the project that has ever been saved to the cloud.
  • The editor menu has been replaced with a list, making it easier to find specific editors. Some editors have been moved or renamed.
  • Map selection has been moved from a dedicated editor to its own button in the document toolbar.
  • Mod selection has been moved from the Project Settings editor to its own button in the document toolbar.

Blueprints

  • The Blueprints view now has access to all the features and settings of official Beacon blueprints. This means Engrams support crafting costs, engram entry strings, unlock requirements, and stack sizes. Creatures support breeding times and stats. Spawn Points support the full spawn point editor.
  • Editing a blueprint will have both a Common tab for settings that are common to all blueprints, and an Advanced tab for settings that are unique to the type of blueprint.
  • These features are available to mod authors as well. Mods are now registered and maintained from this Blueprints view.

Presets

  • The Presets view is largely unchanged from previous versions of Beacon, but is now larger so longer preset names can be visible.

Support

  • The Support view opens Beacon's help website. For this first alpha, there is nothing special about it. But expect the site to get refined as testing continues.
  • The help site will load into Beacon's window on Windows 10 and macOS, but will load into the user's browser on older platforms that do not support modern web standards.

Home

  • Added a News column which lists minor notes, software updates, and blog posts.

Known Issues

  • On macOS Big Sur, export compatibility warnings are too large for the alert windows. Text will be cut off.

1.4.8.4

  • Fixed an issue importing ini files from some Nitrado servers that would manifest itself as an inability to save.
  • Fixed an issue with the spawn points editor crashing or acting weird after importing a config containing a creature Beacon doesn't know about.

1.4.8.3

  • Fixed bug causing missing settings when importing from Nitrado servers with expert mode turned off.

1.4.8.2

  • Fixes exception that happens when opening very old Beacon documents.
  • Attempted to work around crash when opening the entry editor on Windows with scaling factors set to values other than multiples of 100.
  • Mods now have a minimum version. Beacon will no longer import mod info that is newer than it can support.

1.4.8.1

  • The [MessageOfTheDay] group is no longer required to exist in GameUserSettings.ini.
  • Fixed an infinite loop while trying to parse a Message of the Day line with imbalanced tags.
  • Beacon will no longer try to open a document version newer than it knows how to read.
  • Added ImprintAmountMultiplier to breeding multipliers sharing link.

These notes previously belonged to the 1.4.8 update that was pulled.

1.4.7

  • Fixed bug with the 'Prevent Taming' setting being restored from saved files.
  • Update window will prevent exceptions due to double clicking the download button.
  • Rewriter will transform the ScalabilityGroups.sg group into ScalabilityGroups.
  • Custom Config Content will ignore ScalabilityGroups.sg just like it does ScalabilityGroups.
  • Increased stack size maximum from 65,535 to 2,147,483,647 to match Ark.
  • Export window will show both maps and servers instead of one or the other.
  • Removed the blueprint space from the Resolve Issues dialog.
  • Added "Max Crystal Wyvern" field to difficulty editor.

1.4.6

This is a relatively light update, but contains some changes to help track down an issue some users are experiencing while trying to deploy to Nitrado.

  • Fixed a rare case where unknown engrams (those not known to Beacon or its Blueprint Manager) would have a blank name after importing an ini file.
  • Mac: The system will now size the map selector on the preset editor. This will fix the issue with the selector being cut off on the right edge on macOS 11.
  • Added exact connection error number logging to the Nitrado deploy and login processes. If you experience an "Error occurred while receiving response from server" error while deploying, please share the error number Beacon lists with the message. The easiest way to do that is by opening a support ticket using Create Support Ticket from Beacon's help menu, but the Beacon Discord server is a good way to share the error number too.
  • If there is an error during deploy (such as the one mentioned in the last note) Beacon will offer advice in the deploy logs.
  • Added a 1 second delay between requesting permission to upload a file to Nitrado, and actually uploading it. The hope is this reduces connection errors.
  • Deploy will refuse to upload files that are missing their required headers/groups. The goal is to prevent users from accidentally uploading ini files that will cause their server to wipe because groups such as ScalabilityGroups from GameUserSettings.ini are missing.
  • Similarly, Export will perform the same checking, but will warn the user instead of outright refusing.

1.4.5

  • Added "Match Official Availability" option to preset editor.
  • If Beacon does not know the map for a server, the export button will generate the ini for all maps.
  • Deploy logs will be a little more detailed on upload failure.
  • Local import (single player, copy & paste, or files) will not require content in both the Game.ini and GameUserSettings.ini sections.
  • Spawn point creature dialog will not load creature level overrides by default.
  • Fixed Beacon's user-agent not being sent with all requests.
  • Deploy backups now limit server name length to avoid hitting Windows' 260 character path limit.

1.4.4.1

Sorry for two updates in as many days. Sometimes bugs are significant enough that it's needed.

  • OverrideNamedEngramEntries now always include the EngramPointsCost and EngramLevelRequirement keys. In the past, leaving these off would have Ark use the default values, so admins could change the cost without changing the level. Since the latest patch (313.5 on PC) this seems to have changed, so omitting the a value would set the value to zero. Users who have used Engram Control are advised to update their server to use Beacon's improved code.
  • Beacon will require users to enable Expert Mode on their Nitrado servers if certain config fields require more than 65,535 characters. This is a limitation with Nitrado that was recently discovered and can lead to bad deployments. See https://beaconapp.cc/help/nitrado_expert_mode for more details.

1.4.4

  • The import window shown by the "not ready to deploy" warning will no longer restrict local file import.
  • When importing a local ini file, its sibling file will only be imported if other field is empty. This will help reduce confusion while importing pairs of config files.
  • Log messages generated by the deploy engine will contain an id to help determine which messages belong together.
  • Beacon will check screen size at app launch and display a warning if the largest available screen is less than 1280x720 points. This warning will only happen once per screen size change, not every single launch.
  • Beacon no longer uses a dynamic minimum window size. This means switching editors can no longer make the window larger.
  • Breeding Multipliers editor now dynamically rearranges fields in more columns, making more efficient use of screen space.
  • The Creature Spawn Points editor can now become slightly more compact. The Spawn Points and Spawn Sets columns have a smaller minimum size, and the Spawn Set column can become as small as the offset fields.
  • Fixed issue with the map selector in the blueprint manager from being unnecessarily cut off at smaller window sizes.
  • The document merge window is now resizable and should play nicer with long server names. The merge column is now narrower and the config group name is shown on a second line.

1.4.3

  • Fixed bug preventing "Convert Creature Replacements to Spawn Point Additions" tool from working.
  • Added "Create Support Ticket" option to Help menu. This tool will easily allow the user to attach the document they are working on, and include log files and config backups to aid in issue resolution.
  • Fixed a bug preventing engram updates from importing correctly if mod information changed. Luckily, that doesn't happen often.
  • Beacon will offer to enable its Prim+ support when importing from a Nitrado server that has Prim+ enabled.
  • Potentially fixed an exception while writing a document.
  • Beacon's HTTP requests will now include a User-Agent header to aid in user session management features coming later.
  • Update checker supports ARM processor detection. This currently has no real change, but will allow the update system to reply with a more appropriate version should it ever become available. This will be more useful for systems running Apple Silicon.

1.4.2

  • Spawn point defaults are only loaded when needed, dramatically improving the speed of the Creature Spawn Points editor.
  • Fixed incorrect display of some spawn point names from maps not activated.
  • Beacon will not bring itself to the foreground after Nitrado authorization completes.
  • Deploy will now also keep a copy of the new ini files uploaded if the backup feature is turned on.
  • Deploy backups will only trigger after the changes have been approved, if the approval feature is turned on.
  • Loot drop loading now handles much more fine-grained errors, allowing Beacon to recover more of the file's loot drops should a problem arise. Along with this is a significant increase in the amount of logging when a loading error occurs.
  • With the increased logging is a more detailed logging system. Logs are now separated by date and automatically cleaned up after 30 days instead of piling up forever. Old log files will be migrated to the new system.
  • Since crafting skill does not work with "quality 0" blueprints, Beacon now adds a very small amount of quality to its Primitive preset. This should have very little impact on qualities in the game, but should be enough for primitive blueprints generated by Beacon to be affected by the player's crafting skill.
  • When bOnlyAllowSpecifiedEngrams is turned on, Beacon will include the engram level and point requirements in its config generation so Ark does not treat them as free engrams.
  • Fixed issue with Engram Control not loading the point requirements for edited engrams.
  • Engrams that are added to Engram Control that are not part of Beacon's database will no longer be assumed to be tek engrams.
  • Added Tropeognathus saddle to Item Stat Limits editor.
  • Fixed some missing toolbar borders.
  • Fixed sorting of the remaining columns in the Breeding Multipliers editor.
  • Fixed bug with Beacon prompting to recover autosave files that didn't exist.
  • Fixed tag pickers being drawn too tall.

1.4.1

  • Added support for BabyImprintAmountMultiplier. Beacon's calculations will show the effect of this multiplier, and the imprinting wizard will consider it too.
  • Engram Control list will specify which mod the engram comes from when necessary to provide disambiguation.
  • Adjusted how Engram Control describes tek unlocks.
  • Beacon will show a detailed error message if there is an error while discovering servers, instead of showing an empty server list.
  • Fixed exception while toggling "raw mode" in an empty Message of the Day editor.
  • Added more detail to Nitrado connection error messages.
  • Deploy window will correctly open in its last position.
  • Fixed some dialogs opening on the wrong screen.

1.4.0.2

  • Fixed "file does not exist" issue while importing Nitrado servers that are not in expert mode and never used the "Custom Game.ini Settings" field in Nitrado's engine settings.
  • Fixed exceptions due to network connectivity issues while deploying.
  • Improved behaviors when Nitrado account linking fails.
  • Fixed exception while importing servers with empty or missing "message of the day" settings.
  • Fixed issue causing Beacon to import settings from non-expert mode Nitrado servers that Nitrado does not have settings for, which would cause Beacon to need to enable expert mode on deploy.

1.4.0.1

  • FTP deployments are no longer lazy and will actually do the work they're supposed to.
  • When deploying to a server that was last deployed with a version of Beacon less than 1.4, Beacon will not remove the sections from GameUserSettings.ini that Ark needs to start up.
  • When exporting, Beacon will no longer include the generic SessionName value. This will allow the SessionName to fall back to the value from Custom Config if provided, or the existing value on the server if using the Update File or Rewrite Clipboard buttons.

1.4.0

New Deploy Engine

Beacon has a brand new deploy system that is more flexible, verifies changes better, and for Nitrado servers, no longer requires enabling expert mode for most servers. The new deploy system also allows users to review the new ini files before they are uploaded to the server.

Improved FTP Support

For users with FTP access, Beacon now uses CURL for its FTP work instead of having Beacon's server do the work. This is both more secure and more compatible. Hosts which Beacon could not previously support, such as GTXGaming, are now working as expected.

New Engram Control Editor

Beacon now allows admins to very easily control every engram on their server. Users can change level requirements, point requirements, points earned per level, when and which engrams are auto unlocked, and turn off engrams completely. The new engram control wizard will automatically configure the entire server's engrams to common designs such as "unlock everything at spawn" and "unlock tek at level."

New Quality of Life Tools

The Document menu has been replaced with the Editor menu. The bottom of this menu will contain editor-specific tools to allow rapid changes. For example, a "Setup Fibercraft Tools" while using the Crafting Costs editor will automatically add crafting cost overrides for every engram set to 1 fiber. The "Convert Creature Replacements to Spawn Points" tool in the Creature Adjustments editor will automatically convert all the "replace creature" choices with spawn point overrides, since Ark's NPCReplacements barely works. There are many new tools that users should check out.

Other New Features & Changes

  • Beacon documents support multiple Nitrado accounts.
  • Creature Adjustments can prevent creatures from being tamed.
  • Rather than automatically recovering autosave files, which some users have found confusing, Beacon will ask the user if they'd like to recover them.
  • Document tabs now show cloud or community icons to give the user a better indication of where they're being stored.
  • Document loading is more resilient, preventing an error in one config group from halting loading of the whole document.
  • Config import will completely skip unnecessary sections, such as [/Script/ShooterGame.ShooterGameUserSettings] in GameUserSettings.ini.
  • The Export window now allows exporting server-specific files, instead of map-specific files.
  • Importing from files or copy+paste allow selecting the map at import time, allowing Beacon to better guide the user later.
  • Servers imported from files or copy+paste will show in the Servers list and work with the server-specific custom config directives.
  • Deploy now supports deploying to server-specific local files.
  • Added mating interval calculation to Breeding Multipliers editor.
  • Crafting Costs editor can load default costs when adding overrides.
  • Beacon allows for greater precision in the ini files. The previous limit of six decimal places has been increased to nine.
  • Users will now be warned before importing Custom Config content.
  • Added Accounts editor for managing the Nitrado accounts linked to a file.
  • Added Message of the Day field to the Servers editor. The message can be set for each server, just like the server name. See the Editor menu for a tool to copy the message to all servers linked in the file.
  • Added item to Help menu to open the server config page on the Ark wiki.
  • New documents only have the "vanilla" mods enabled by default.
  • Mod selections are stored in a more detailed format that allows Beacon to better understand user intentions.
  • Lists now support typeahead. Simply click the list to make sure it is the focused control, then press a few keys on the keyboard. Beacon will move the selection to the first match.
  • For the sake of performance, realtime validity checks have been disabled. This means the rows in Loot Drop Contents will no longer turn red. Beacon will still check the items before a deploy or export.
  • In an attempt to fix a rare crash on Windows, the ability to enter a cheat code into the engram search field has been removed. Users should use the Blueprint Manager to enter their spawn codes instead.
  • For users trying Beacon on the macOS 11 Big Sur beta, Beacon has a custom accent color defined.
  • Added "Max Tek Level" and "Max Wyvern Level" to the Difficulty editor.
  • Stack size editor will enforce Ark's stack size limit of 65,535 even when using the global stack size multiplier.
  • The import from ini process now uses the destination document's difficulty if difficulty is not defined in the ini being imported. This will help resolve quality issues when pasting loot drop override ini content into Beacon.
  • Beacon can now merge many editors. This makes it possible to combine the crafting costs from multiple documents or multiple server imports.

Bug Fixes

  • Fixed exception while clearing values from the spawn point set offset fields.
  • Fixed exception caused by cloud files attempting to sync immediately after the user signs out.
  • Fixed creature adjustments dialog opening with US English formatted numbers on systems with other formatting styles.
  • Fixed another bug with loading custom loot sources from older file formats.
  • Fixed a typo on the experience wizard.

1.4.0b3

  • Fixed issue with Nitrado imports not correctly detecting the server platform.
  • Mod selections are now stored in a more detailed format that allows Beacon to better understand user intentions.
  • New documents have only the "vanilla" mods enabled by default.
  • More adjustments to MOTD encoding and decoding.
  • Added "Unlock all except Tek while leveling" option to the Engram Control wizard.
  • The "Unlock Points" in Engram Control will shrink at smaller sizes.
  • Lists now support typeahead. Simply click anywhere in the list to ensure the list is the focused element, and press a few keys. Beacon will automatically select the first row that matches the pressed keys.
  • For the sake of performance, realtime validity checks have been disabled. This means the rows in Loot Drop Contents will no longer turn red. Beacon will still check the items before a deploy or export.
  • Some threads, such as those related to deploy, engram import, and cloud syncing, have reduced priority in order to make Beacon feel more responsive.
  • Fixed a bug causing unnecessary interface refreshes while deploying.
  • In an attempt to fix a rare crash on Windows, the ability to enter a cheat code into the engram search field has been removed. Users should use the Blueprint Manager to enter their spawn codes instead.
  • For users trying Beacon on the macOS 11 Big Sur beta, Beacon has a custom accent color defined.

1.4.0b2

  • Reverted back to system libraries for server communication. While not as reliable, Beacon should feel much more responsive when there's any kind of interaction with Beacon or Nitrado happening.
  • The Message of the Day editor can handle more encoding formats.
  • Fixed exception while clearing values from the spawn point set offset fields.
  • Fixed exception caused by cloud files attempting to sync immediately after the user signs out.
  • The stop message is now asked for only once per deploy, instead of once per server.
  • Added a share button to the Message of the Day editor. This will copy the raw RTF data that Beacon stores. This data can be pasted into another editor for a perfect copy.
  • A file that has expired or missing Nitrado accounts will not need to re-authenticate for every server.
  • Added a link in the Help to the Ark Wiki's page on server config options.
  • Beacon will more aggressively try to obtain a new session token when its has expired. Previously, this would only happen at launch.

1.4.0b1

  • Added mating interval calculation to Breeding Multipliers.
  • Crafting Costs editor can load default costs when adding engrams.
  • Added "Adjust All Crafting Costs" menu item to the Editor menu when using the Crafting Costs editor.
  • Fixed exceptions during login.
  • Beacon allows for greater precision of decimals in the ini files. Previous limit was six decimal places, now increased to nine.
  • Improved speed of Nitrado import to Beacon 1.3 speeds for expert mode servers.
  • Fixed bugs with updating the [MessageOfTheDay] section.
  • Fixed exception while merging Custom Config Content.
  • Users will now be warned about Custom Config Content before importing it.
  • Potentially fixed a seemingly random exception caused by cancelling an import.
  • Engram Control is more resilient to importing config lines it cannot make sense of.
  • Added an "Accounts" editor for managing the Nitrado accounts linked to a Beacon file.
  • Fixed a large number of account and authorization related bugs when deploying to Nitrado.
  • After a deploy finishes, the logs will still be viewable.
  • Added alert when deploy has finished.
  • Improved accuracy of Creature Stat Multipliers.

1.4.0a3

Major new feature: Beacon now supports deploying to your Nitrado server without enabling expert mode. Whichever mode your server is in when the deploy is starts is the mode that Beacon will maintain while deploying. Please test this as much as you can. The only time Beacon will need to convert a server from guided mode to expert mode is if there are settings that need to go into GameUserSettings.ini and Nitrado does not have a dedicated setting in their control panel. You will be warned if this needs to happen, which will include the offending config key. This feature is less than a week old, so it needs LOTS of testing. Please report anything unusual when deploying to a server that has expert mode turned off.

Other changes and fixes

  • No longer including bUseSingleplayerSettings=False. There will be a better way to handle this, but for now, Beacon will stop setting it.
  • Fixed creature adjustments dialog opening with US English formatted numbers on systems with other formatting styles.
  • More settings will be imported, even if their values are default. This plays nicer with merging.
  • Fixed another bug with loading custom loot sources from older file formats.
  • Restored server stop message support during deploy.
  • Beacon will now import the OverrideEngramEntries config key and convert to OverrideNamedEngramEntries on export/deploy.
  • Added support for Crystal Isles.
  • Better handling of FTP connection errors.
  • FTP errors no longer get Beacon into a stuck state.
  • FTP certificate validation is no longer required for plain unsecured FTP connections.
  • Double-clicking a row will focus on the editable column, when possible.

1.4.0a2

  • Brought forward a fix for autosave cleanup that was listed in the last release notes. That turned out to be incorrect, but the fix is actually in this build.
  • Fixed issue with loading loot drops when the file contains a custom loot source.
  • Simulator works again.
  • Adding new harvest rates works again.
  • The import from ini process now uses the destination document's difficulty if difficulty is not defined in the ini being imported. This will help resolve quality issues when pasting loot drop override ini content into Beacon.
  • The "Remove Prerequisites" checkbox of Engram Control works as expected.
  • Improved support for SFTP servers.
  • Fixed a typo on the experience wizard.

1.4.0a1

The first alpha of Beacon 1.4 is here! Hold onto your butts, because there's a lot of good stuff in this build to go over!

Because this is the first alpha, it is very likely to have some major bugs. Some changes are not fully polished yet, which is why this is an alpha instead of a beta.

  • New Engram Control editor: Beacon now allows admins to very easily control every engram on their server. Set level requirements, point requirements, points earned per level, auto unlock engrams, and/or disable engrams. What makes this editor really powerful is its wizard. Click the magic wand icon in the toolbar, and Beacon will present a list of options to build common engram setups instantly. Want to unlock everything at spawn? Sure thing. Auto unlock while leveling? No problem. Only auto unlock the engrams not available in the cluster? Piece of cake.
  • Message of the Day added to Servers list: Now setting the Message of the Day for each server is easier than ever. Beacon's editor supports newlines, colors, and raw input.
  • Completely new deploy process: The new Deploy window will allow users to review changes to their ini files before sending them to the server. For Nitrado servers that need Expert Mode enabled, the user will be asked before anything else happens. For all deploy targets, Beacon will confirm every file is exactly byte-for-byte as intended on the server before continuing.
  • Brand new FTP code: No more relying on Beacon's server to do FTP work, Beacon can now connect directly to FTP servers and support a much broader range of servers.
  • Deploy to local files: When importing from files on disk, Beacon will optionally remember those files so Beacon's one-click deploy process can update them too.
  • Export server-specific configs: Importing from clipboard still allows a "File Link" option like a local file import. This will show up in the Servers list too, granting access to server name and message of the day settings to literally all usage types. When exporting, the server choices will be listed in the top left corner of the window.
  • New quality of life tools: The Document menu has been replaced with the Editor menu. On the surface, this menu allows jumping to other menus just like the menu that has been in use for ages now. But there are new options available depending on the current editor. These are all designed to make admin lives more convenient, such as a "Setup Fibercraft Server" tool in the Crafting Costs editor, "Convert Creature Replacements to Spawn Points" in the Creature Adjustments editor, "Setup Guided Editors" in the Custom Config Content editor, and "Convert Global Harvest Rate to Individual Rates" in the Harvest Rates editor.

Other Stuff

  • Now admins can support servers spread across multiple Nitrado accounts.
  • Added support for tame prevention to Creature Adjustments.
  • Autosave now prompts the user to recover the lost files instead of opening them automatically. Also fixed issues with orphaned autosave files that just won't go away.
  • Document tabs now have cloud or community icons when necessary.
  • Better handling of database corruption issues.
  • Loot source management has been significantly reworked so that "meta" drops could potentially be added. At this phase in testing, the goal is to confirm that loot drop editing works exactly the same as it did before. So ideally, this should be an upgrade that users can't see at all.
  • Document loading is now better segregated, so an error in one config group will not halt loading of the entire document.
  • Config import will completely skip unnecessary sections.

1.3.6

  • Fixed false equivalence of spawn sets created at the same time with identical names.
  • Catching errors inside the document loading loop more frequently to prevent errors in one setting group from preventing loading of other setting groups.
  • Fixed another bug with autosave cleanup.
  • Creature adjustments dialog will start with system-formatted numbers instead of US-formatted numbers.
  • Added support for Crystal Isles.

1.3.5

  • Fixed exception while attempting to edit a spawn point limit with multiple spawn points selected.
  • Fixed bug with list scroll position not resetting correctly on Windows.
  • Beacon no longer produces "compact" experience configs, as they have been confirmed to cause issues on Xbox. It is possible the issues exist on all platforms, but the problem definitely exists on Xbox.
  • "Create Blueprint Entry" will respect the weights of the source entries.
  • Added "Edit" option to list contextual menus.
  • Fixed inconsistent engram weighting between export and import.
  • Added contextual menu items to the item set list to merge and split entries.
  • Fixed incorrect main window dimming on Windows when using a scaling factor that is not a multiple of 100.
  • Working around a crash on Windows during Nitrado import when using a scaling factor that is not a multiple of 100.

1.3.4

  • Reverted the change in 1.3.3 that attempts to optimize the harvest rate configs placed on a server.
  • Fixed exception when editing a creature replacement that has "bad" replacement data.
  • Fixed exception when deleting stack size overrides.
  • Fixed spawn limits dialog not including the creature being edited.
  • Added ability to do a full refresh of the local database. Hold Option/Alt while clicking the "Update Engrams" link in the menu - the three dots in Beacon's drawer. The link will update to say "Refresh Engrams" when holding the correct key.

1.3.3

The two main highlights of this release:

  • Proper Genesis support. Beacon has the correct map code now, which fixes issues with import and deploy.
  • Support for dino drop inventories.

Full Change List

  • To build a more lean config file Beacon will not include configs, such as harvest rates and spawn overrides, on maps that can't use the config.
  • Fixed an exception while deleting a preset.
  • Support for a new style of loot source sorting.
  • Fixed issue with loot source name disambiguation.
  • Fixed placement of Genesis in the map selection menus.
  • Tab title will immediately update when the document title changes.
  • Config backups folder will be cleaned up at launch and after each deploy. The policy is to retain the first backup and the most recent three.
  • Fixed exception while switching back and forth between database versions.
  • Fixed issue with cloud syncing silently stopping when trying to delete a file that has already been deleted locally.
  • Fixed an exception in creature adjustments when choosing a replacement creature before choosing the target creature.
  • Spawn point limits menu puts creatures defined in the spawn point at the top of the list.
  • Fixed Genesis map name. Beacon will be able to figure out which map your server is running now.
  • Fixed "Waiting per Nitrado recommendations" failure during deploy when the server has no log files.

1.3.2

  • Fixes exception when pressing the "Go to Issue" button in the issues window.
  • Code areas will have standard edit menus on Windows.
  • Fixed failed Game.ini generation caused by bad data in the player stats.
  • Fixed exception caused by opening a Beacon document that has no map selected, before any other document has been opened or created.
  • More defense against exceptions while editing crafting costs.
  • Updated link icon to look more familiar.
  • The Breeding Multipliers share button is now the link button to avoid confusion with the document share button.
  • Beacon will clean up duplicate presets at launch.
  • Spawn set wizard has its proper default radius value.

1.3.1

New Features

  • Spawn Set Wizard. Use the wand icon at the top of the Spawn Sets column in the Creature Spawn Points editor to quickly generate a high-quality spawn set complete with suggested weight and offsets.
  • Selecting multiple Loot Sources now shows all Item Sets. In the past, Beacon would only show Item Sets that were identical between all selected Loot Sources.
  • Day and Night Cycle editor includes space for Aberration day and night times.

Fixes and Changes

  • Fixed an exception in Crafting Costs editor where deleting an ingredient would not remove the ingredient from the list. The next action would trigger an exception.
  • Fixed a bug causing "transient" engrams - those entered directly into Beacon's engram selection search field - to be marked as invalid, despite Beacon actually having all the data it needs.
  • Fixed an exception triggered by attempting to select a replacement creature in the Creature Spawn Points editor before selecting the creature to be replaced.
  • Fixed an exception that would trigger if database migration failed at startup.
  • Fixed an exception in stat multipliers when the values stored in the file are the wrong data type.
  • Player and Tame Experience can import more unique configurations and export more compact code.
  • Fixed an exception that can trigger while importing an ini from the File menu.
  • User cloud file syncing should be more resilient to clock problems.
  • Renamed "No Cost Scaling" to "Prevent Substitutions" because the column name was completely wrong.
  • When switching from an anonymous to a "named" account, Beacon will retain the old private key to assist with decrypting files saved to the user's computer.
  • Fixed a bug with the local database not closing correctly when Beacon exits.

1.3.1b2

Turns out a second beta of 1.3.1 will be necessary, so here's the changes since the last version.

  • Fixed crafting cost ingredients not being removed from the list when deleting. The next attempt to delete or interact with the crafting code override would cause an exception.
  • Fixed a typo in the crafting cost editor.
  • Fixed issue with temporary engrams being marked as invalid, despite Beacon having all the data it needs to complete the export.
  • Fixed exception caused by attempting to add a replacement creature before selecting the creature to be replaced.
  • Overhauled the Beacon account merging system. Account merging happens when switching from an anonymous account to a named account. Turns out the system was broken when the cloud files system was introduced. Account merging will now preserve encrypted data, so users should not find themselves with things like empty admin passwords just because they signed into their account.
  • Fixed an issue with cloud files not being deleted.
  • Locally-stored cloud files and presets will be organized in a per-user manner, making it less likely for data to "bleed" from one account to another when switching accounts.

1.3.1b1

As well as the fixes in Beacon 1.3.0.2, Beacon 1.3.1 has the following changes:

  • Day & Night Cycle editor has a section to compute Aberration cycles.
  • Day & Night Cycle editor allows 0 multipliers for servers that don't want time to move at all.
  • When restoring an editor to default or importing the active editor, the control with the focus will be updated too.
  • Renamed the "No Cost Scaling" of the Crafting Cost editor to "Prevent Substitutions."
  • Loot Drop Contents editor uses the new multi-selection behavior that the Creature Spawn Points editor does. This means selecting multiple loot drops will show the item sets from all the selected drops, instead of only the ones common to all the selected drops.
  • Added a wizard to the Spawn Sets column of the Creature Spawn Points editor. This allows users to quickly setup high quality spawn points with little effort.

1.3.0.2

Beacon 1.3.0.2 is a bug fix update, there are no new features. However, Beacon 1.3.1b1 is available on the website's download page for users willing to test some extra changes.

Fixes:

  • Day & Night Cycle editor will use the correct routines to get the official times from Beacon's server, allowing it to recognize increased accuracy recently implemented.
  • Fixed bug causing cloud files to read into the wrong paths on Windows.
  • Fixed exception when entering a cheat code directly into the filter field while adding engrams to a drop.
  • On Windows with Beacon already launched, double-clicking a Beacon file in Windows Explorer will cause Beacon to open the file again.

1.3.0.1

Beacon 1.3 is finally here with loads of new features for both free and Omni users. Here are some of the highlights, as well as detailed change logs below.

New Editors

  • Player & Creature Stat Multipliers: Adjust the amount each stat point is worth to players, tamed creatures, and wild creatures.
  • Day & Night Cycle: Easily change the day and night lengths using minutes instead of multipliers.
  • Item Stat Limits: Prevent item stats from ever getting too high. Beacon will do the match to show users exactly what the effects are.
  • Creature Spawn Points: For Omni users, this editor allows adding or removing creatures from spawn points, or replacing the creatures at the spawn point entirely.

New Features

  • Detailed document sharing allows players to grant write-access to specific users, which is great for teams of admins.
  • Saving of uncompressed documents is now faster.
  • Beacon will allow users to specify custom stop messages when stopping or deploying to Nitrado servers.
  • Player & Tame Levels editor will calculate the difference between each level and compute the amount of time players would need to sleep in a Tek Sleeping Pod to complete the level.

Other Fixes and Changes

  • Fixed issues with ini values being ignored during import.
  • Fixed exception while trying to save a document that imported data from Nitrado.
  • Fixed issue with minimum window height being shorter than desired.
  • Fixed a tag bug white migrating the local database from previous versions of Beacon.
  • Fixed a crash on Mac while dismissing dialogs.
  • Fixed an exception while loading stat multipliers that do not have changes in every category.
  • Fixed some editors not importing configs from ini.
  • Fixed issue with autosave files not being cleaned up when discarding multiple files at the same time.
  • Performance improvements when loading objects from the database.
  • Fixed preset editor minimum width.
  • Fixed exception while importing presets.
  • Better blueprint name prediction.
  • Harvest Rate editor's "Effective Multiplier" will be rounded more similarly to Ark's in-game math.
  • The "Database" drawer has been renamed to "Blueprints" to more accurately describe its purpose.
  • Restored the ability to paste loot drop configs from an ini file directly into Beacon's Loot Drop editor.
  • Deploy button is now always enabled. Will advise the user if additional steps are required.
  • Share button is now always enabled. If the document is not saved to the cloud, the button will offer options.
  • Preferences are now written to disk immediately instead of after a short delay, which should reduce the chances of a preferences file being reset.
  • Fixed an exception while syncing cloud content.
  • More intelligent rounding of decimal numbers.
  • Fixed issue with Min Item Sets and Max Item Sets not saving edits.
  • Fixed issue with Custom Config Content properly parsing bracketed keys such as PerLevelStatsMultiplier_Player[0].
  • Number fields will work with the numpad's enter key.
  • Stack size editor will sort its contents now.
  • Renamed crafting cost "Require Exact" column to "No Cost Scaling" to better represent what it actually does.
  • Mod selection in Document Properties now has its "Console Safe" column to the left of the mod name.
  • During import, an error in a single line of loot drop configs will no longer halt the parsing of all loot drops.
  • Beacon will automatically correct curly quotes in ini files.
  • Improvements to autosave cleanup.
  • Fixed an exception caused by some imported/custom engrams.
  • Discovery and Deployment will be able to handle more Nitrado errors to better guide the user in the case of unplanned outages.
  • A whole host of bugs were fixed with the mod manager.
  • The Blueprint Manager will allow the use of a class string instead of a blueprint path. The user will be warned that this is not recommended though.
  • Presets will no longer scale quantities out of control when used in multiple loot sources.

Compatibility Changes

  • Document version has increased to v4. Beacon 1.2.9 and lower will not be able to open documents saved with Beacon 1.3 or newer.
  • Database version has been updated to v10. Please follow the backup instructions on the download page if you want the ability to return to Beacon 1.2.9.

1.3.0

Beacon 1.3 is finally here with loads of new features for both free and Omni users. Here are some of the highlights, as well as detailed change logs below.

New Editors

  • Player & Creature Stat Multipliers: Adjust the amount each stat point is worth to players, tamed creatures, and wild creatures.
  • Day & Night Cycle: Easily change the day and night lengths using minutes instead of multipliers.
  • Item Stat Limits: Prevent item stats from ever getting too high. Beacon will do the match to show users exactly what the effects are.
  • Creature Spawn Points: For Omni users, this editor allows adding or removing creatures from spawn points, or replacing the creatures at the spawn point entirely.

New Features

  • Detailed document sharing allows players to grant write-access to specific users, which is great for teams of admins.
  • Saving of uncompressed documents is now faster.
  • Beacon will allow users to specify custom stop messages when stopping or deploying to Nitrado servers.
  • Player & Tame Levels editor will calculate the difference between each level and compute the amount of time players would need to sleep in a Tek Sleeping Pod to complete the level.

Other Fixes and Changes

  • Fixed issues with ini values being ignored during import.
  • Fixed exception while trying to save a document that imported data from Nitrado.
  • Fixed issue with minimum window height being shorter than desired.
  • Fixed a tag bug white migrating the local database from previous versions of Beacon.
  • Fixed a crash on Mac while dismissing dialogs.
  • Fixed an exception while loading stat multipliers that do not have changes in every category.
  • Fixed some editors not importing configs from ini.
  • Fixed issue with autosave files not being cleaned up when discarding multiple files at the same time.
  • Performance improvements when loading objects from the database.
  • Fixed preset editor minimum width.
  • Fixed exception while importing presets.
  • Better blueprint name prediction.
  • Harvest Rate editor's "Effective Multiplier" will be rounded more similarly to Ark's in-game math.
  • The "Database" drawer has been renamed to "Blueprints" to more accurately describe its purpose.
  • Restored the ability to paste loot drop configs from an ini file directly into Beacon's Loot Drop editor.
  • Deploy button is now always enabled. Will advise the user if additional steps are required.
  • Share button is now always enabled. If the document is not saved to the cloud, the button will offer options.
  • Preferences are now written to disk immediately instead of after a short delay, which should reduce the chances of a preferences file being reset.
  • Fixed an exception while syncing cloud content.
  • More intelligent rounding of decimal numbers.
  • Fixed issue with Min Item Sets and Max Item Sets not saving edits.
  • Fixed issue with Custom Config Content properly parsing bracketed keys such as PerLevelStatsMultiplier_Player[0].
  • Number fields will work with the numpad's enter key.
  • Stack size editor will sort its contents now.
  • Renamed crafting cost "Require Exact" column to "No Cost Scaling" to better represent what it actually does.
  • Mod selection in Document Properties now has its "Console Safe" column to the left of the mod name.
  • During import, an error in a single line of loot drop configs will no longer halt the parsing of all loot drops.
  • Beacon will automatically correct curly quotes in ini files.
  • Improvements to autosave cleanup.
  • Fixed an exception caused by some imported/custom engrams.
  • Discovery and Deployment will be able to handle more Nitrado errors to better guide the user in the case of unplanned outages.
  • A whole host of bugs were fixed with the mod manager.
  • The Blueprint Manager will allow the use of a class string instead of a blueprint path. The user will be warned that this is not recommended though.

Compatibility Changes

  • Document version has increased to v4. Beacon 1.2.9 and lower will not be able to open documents saved with Beacon 1.3 or newer.
  • Database version has been updated to v10. Please follow the backup instructions on the download page if you want the ability to return to Beacon 1.2.9.

1.3.0b2

This beta is mostly quality-of-life stuff, but it does fix a critical bug with how spawn points are loaded form a document. Unfortunately, multiple load+save cycles will have added many more spawn sets to each defined spawn point than intended. Users are very strongly recommended to delete all their spawn point definitions and start again.

Other fixes and changes:

  • Spawn point editor's "Spawn Chance" field renamed to "Weight" because it is likely that Wildcard mislabeled the value.
  • Adjustments to calculating creature level range in the spawn point editor. Hopefully this formula is correct, but please test to confirm.
  • Discovery and Deployment will be able to handle more Nitrado errors to better guide the user in the case of unplanned outages.
  • Fixed explanation of spawn point creature replacement.
  • Added a small warning to the item stat limits editor.
  • A whole host of bugs were fixed with the mod manager.
  • Unsupported spawn points, such as those provided by third party maps, can now be added to the Blueprint Manager just like engrams and creatures.
  • The Blueprint Manager will allow the use of a class string instead of a blueprint path. The user will be warned that this is not recommended though.
  • Duplicating a spawn point will not show the mode controls.
  • Fixed missing border below the spawn points toolbar.
  • Loading a file with saved spawn points will no longer load an additional set of spawn sets and limits.
  • Sharing write access with another user may now be done by email address or username.
  • Sharing dialog will look up usernames in the write access list.
  • Spawn point dialogs have their OK and Cancel buttons swapped on Windows.

1.3.0b1

The big new addition to Beacon 1.3 Beta 1 is the "Creature Spawn Points" editor. This is a massive new editor designed to make it easier to customize the spawn points in Ark.

At this time, there is no documentation for the new editor. That is intentional. The goal is to see what kind of questions arise from users discovering the interface on their own. This allows interface adjustments if necessary, before screenshots are taken for the documentation.

Be aware that this is a brand new beta feature. There will be bugs. Please report them.

Other fixes and changes:

  • Fixed loot drop entries list rows missing their commas.
  • Fixed exception while cancelling a Nitrado authorization.
  • More intelligent rounding of decimal numbers.
  • Fixed issue with Min Item Sets and Max Item Sets not saving edits.
  • Fixed issue with Custom Config Content properly parsing bracketed keys such as PerLevelStatsMultiplier_Player[0].
  • Fixed Preset editor map selector not allowing multiple selection.
  • Number fields will work with the numpad's enter key.
  • Stack size editor will sort its contents now.
  • Renamed crafting cost "Require Exact" column to "No Cost Scaling" to better represent what it actually does.
  • Mod selection in Document Properties now has its "Console Safe" column to the left of the mod name.
  • During import, an error in a single line of loot drop configs will no longer halt the parsing of all loot drops.
  • Beacon will automatically correct curly quotes in ini files.
  • Improvements to autosave cleanup.
  • Fixed engram selector simulation not running when multiple engrams are selected.
  • Fixed an exception caused by some imported/custom engrams.

1.3.0a7

Lots of bug fixes in this one, hopefully this is a stable version and we can get to beta soon.

  • New free editor: Item Stat Limits. This editor allows the user to utilize Ark's ItemStatClamps config. Beacon will compute the effective stat limit for a selection of notable items. Users may also click to edit the effective stat limit, and Beacon will compute the necessary value. It will not be possible for Beacon to list every item in this preview though, so suggestions for items to add to this editor are welcome. The ClampItemStats command line option is required for this feature to work. Beacon will be able to set this option on Nitrado servers, but users with other hosts will be required to enable it themselves.
  • Harvest Rate editor's "Effective Multiplier" will be rounded more similarly to Ark's in-game math.
  • Beacon will no longer hang when trying to open a document from the browser or Windows Explorer while Beacon is already running.
  • Fixed exception caused by cancelling a Nitrado authorization in progress.
  • The "Database" drawer has been renamed to "Blueprints" to more accurately describe its purpose.
  • Fixed bug on the Import Window allowing too many options to be selected at once.
  • Restored the ability to paste loot drop configs from an ini file directly into Beacon's Loot Drop editor.
  • Fixed issue with empty values (such as when disabling a creature with NPCReplacements) being imported as 0.0 instead.
  • Deploy button is now always enabled. Will advise the user if additional steps are required.
  • Share button is now always enabled. If the document is not saved to the cloud, the button will offer options.
  • Share system has been improved significantly. Sharing a document with the community is now done with the share button and will show the current status. The "List this document in the community" checkbox on Document Properties has been removed in favor of the Share button.
  • Fixed login on Windows.
  • Preferences are now written to disk immediately instead of after a short delay, which should reduce the chances of a preferences file being reset.
  • Fixed an exception while syncing cloud content.

1.3.0a6

This is a minor alpha update. While there have been 38 noteworthy changes according to the code history, most of the changes involve the spawn point editor, which is still a work in progress. The spawn point editor is not included in this build.

The socket changes from Alpha 5 are not included in this build either. They may return in the future, but for now, they are not needed.

  • Fixed blueprint manager not saving.
  • Performance improvements when loading objects from the database.
  • Fixed preset editor minimum width.
  • Fixed exception while importing presets.
  • Better blueprint name prediction.

1.3.0a5

  • Fixed bug with HTTP uploads, which affected cloud saving, user creation, and deployment.
  • Fixed bug creating duplicate engrams and creatures.

Because alpha 4 was pulled relatively quickly, the release notes for alpha 4 are included:

This alpha is mostly unchanged from 1.3.0a3, except for one area that needs lots of testing: server communication. The socket library in this version is different than every other version of Beacon. In theory, users should see no functional difference with pdate checking, user login, Nitrado authentication, Nitrado deployment, FTP connections, and mod management. In practice though... well that's the point of testing. The reason for the change is to stop relying on the system library on each platform, which means no more requiring Windows uses to run Windows Update.

This alpha is to test the effects of the new library. As a result of the change, a bug new to Beacon 1.3 has been fixed with Nitrado import and deployment.

Any unusual behavior with the following features should be reported so the viability of the new socket library can be properly evaluated:

  • Update Checking
  • User Login
  • Nitrado Authentication
  • Nitrado Import and Deploy
  • FTP Servers
  • Mod Management

Sorry this build isn't chock full of exiting new features, but this stuff is important.

1.3.0a3

  • It is now possible to specify custom stop messages during deploy and general server stop.
  • Fixed a tag bug white migrating the local database from previous versions of Beacon.
  • Fixed a crash on Mac while dismissing dialogs.
  • Fixed an exception while loading stat multipliers that do not have changes in every category.
  • Fixed some editors not importing configs from ini.
  • Fixed issue with autosave files not being cleaned up when discarding multiple files at the same time.

1.3.0a2

This build of Beacon 1.3 has the same fixes and changes as Beacon 1.2.9, plus the following changes.

  • New Player & Creature Stat Multipliers editor.
  • New Day & Night Cycle editor.
  • Fixed issues with ini values being ignored during import.
  • Improved document saving performance when using uncompressed documents.
  • Fixed exception while trying to save a document that imported data from Nitrado.
  • Database version has been updated to v10. Please follow the backup instructions on the download page if you want the ability to return to Beacon 1.2.9.
  • Fixed issue with minimum window height being shorter than desired.

1.3.0a1

Beacon 1.3 Alpha Testing

Beacon 1.3 is a special kind of release that warrants an alpha period. Please, read this document carefully.

  • Beacon 1.3 uses a new document format! This new "v4" document allows multiple users to share the same file. This means you could give access to your file to another Beacon user, and they can administer your server (including start/stop/deploy) without giving them access to your Nitrado account! For non-Nitrado users, the benefit is proper decryption of values in Custom Config Content. However, since the file format is new, back up your document files! Beacon versions before 1.3 will only be able to read parts of the v4 format. Any encrypted data, such as server links and Custom Config Content protected values, will be lost if opening in an older version. Document sharing also requires all users of a shared document to be running a 1.3 version.
  • Beacon 1.3 removes use of the Chrome Embedded Framework. This means a new login window, update window, and Nitrado account linking process. Please test these as much as you can. The benefit to this is a lower memory footprint, smaller app on disk, no possibility of orphaned cefsubproc processes, and no use of high-powered graphics cards.
  • While there are some new features, the planned new editors have not been implemented yet.
  • JSON performance is much slower than it should be, which will affect file reading and writing performance. This will be resolved before shipping, hopefully sooner.

What the alpha is really about

The development tool Beacon is built with, Xojo, is going through a transition period. Many things like dates and file access calls have been replaced, and many other things have been renamed or tweaked. While many developers have taken the attitude of "I'll deal with the changes later," I have decided to jump in feet first. Beacon has adapted to all the changes being made by Xojo, and that requires more testing than usual. At the time of this writing, the release of Xojo is still in beta, so there is time to catch bugs and report them. The best way to catch bugs is with a real-world project, and Beacon being the third most starred Xojo project on GitHub makes it a prime candidate.

So... there will be bugs. Report them to me so I can determine if the issue is with my code or Xojo's changes.

Wrapping up

Anybody still interested in testing Beacon 1.3 should head to the download page and choose the download under the "Prerelease Version" section. Report bugs either in Discord, GitHub, or the support page.

1.2.9

Quality values have been tuned as of this build. Because of this, Beacon will reset the Loot Quality Scaling value and notify users when opening documents when a non-default scaling value. See https://beaconapp.cc/blog/september_2019_quality_tuning for specific details.

  • Added a date to the [Beacon] section in ini files, so it is easier to keep track of when Beacon actually modified the file.
  • Breeding Multipliers sharing link will maintain proper multiplier precision.

1.2.8

  • Fixed bug where BabyImprintingStatScaleMultiplier would not be imported.
  • Fixed error while attempting to log a connection error.
  • Sidebar will not vanish while double-clicking an icon.
  • Welcome window will be more descriptive about the reason for a connection error.
  • By default, Beacon will now always produce ASCII files. Non-ASCII characters will be simplified when possible (such as é to e) or replaced with ? when it is not possible to simplify. Users can enable "Generate UCS-2 files when necessary" in Document Properties to allow Beacon to generate UCS-2 files if non-ASCII characters are encountered, such as in the server name. Be aware that UCS-2 files still cannot represent every possible character, so any 4-byte character (such as emoji) will still be replaced with ?. Many text editors also have trouble with UCS-2 files, so most users prefer not to use them.
  • Breeding Multipliers config editor now has a sharing button, so you can get a shareable link to your breeding chart. Be aware that the online chart will not update if you change your values. You'll need to generate a new link in that case.
  • Breeding Multipliers now allow 0 values.

1.2.7

  • Fixed Nitrado import error when the user has a server without a game assigned, such as a pre-ordered game server.
  • Fixed issue where signing in would still think the user is signed out.
  • Fixed exception while trying to log the output of an import or deploy connection error.
  • Fixed exception when the recent items contained a file reference with invalid UTF-8 characters.
  • Transient engrams, which are those added directly to a config rather than importing into the local database, are now compared by class instead of blueprint path, since the blueprint path will be unknown. This fixes various issues, such as crafting costs overwriting each other when pasting a config.
  • Fixed exception when entering very large values into item set weight or entry count fields.
  • Fixed various exceptions caused by closing a window while it is performing work, such as communicating with the server.
  • Fixed an exception caused by attempting to decrypt improperly encrypted data. The reason for the improperly encrypted data is still unknown.

1.2.6

  • If no maps are selected, the loot source selector and menu will inform the user why no sources are visible.
  • Fixed bug causing loot sources to duplicate while editing.
  • Adding support for Ark: Genesis.
  • Changed "Used by Map" text on loot source selector to "Spawns on Map" to better indicate which drops are used by the selected maps.
  • Fixed a type in the loot source selector.
  • Improved list updated speed on Windows.
  • Tag selector can no longer get into a state where it requires tags that no longer exist in the user's database.
  • Beacon will now log responses on errors by the Nitrado API when importing or deploying. They will be logged to the user's Events.log file in their data folder. The goal is to potentially track down unexpected responses and either issue fixes or improve the error messages.
  • Fixed crafting cost editor copy and paste.

1.2.5

  • Improved rewriter is more responsive for large configs, produces better organized ini files, and more resilient to accidental data loss.
  • Fixed "not responding" errors during deployment while downloading large log files on Windows.
  • Fixed error caused by closing a window with a tag picker before the window has fully opened.
  • Fixed issue causing pc-exclusive mods not to be disabled when importing from a console server.
  • Simplified Breeding Multipliers editor to more accurately reflect the in-game outcomes. The imprinting wizard no longer requires a threshold value.
  • Duplicate loot sources will be filtered out both when importing, and when opening a file.
  • Disabled config import and issue detection for Omni-exclusive editors until Omni has been purchased.
  • Exporting and deploying will warn the user if Omni-exclusive config content will be excluded because Omni has not been purchased.
  • Importing a config previously generated by Beacon will no longer result in inconsistent loot qualities.

1.2.5b2

This build, like the last beta, has just a very small change. However it may have a big impact. Users with the "Beacon has stopped responding" issue during the "downloading log file" step of deployment should see the problem resolved with this version.

1.2.5b1

This version of Beacon is identical to 1.2.4 with one major difference: the rewriter. This beta is to test out a new rewriter that should prevent Windows from thinking Beacon is not responding while it does its work. The new rewriter is also more resilient to ini content loss due to using a new Beacon document on a server previously edited with Beacon. And other fixes and optimizations too.

This version should be safe to switch back and forth between the stable and beta version. Still, normal backup advice still applies. These changes specifically affect how deployment to Nitrado and FTP servers are done, so be smart when testing.

1.2.4

  • During deployment, failure to backup the ini files should not produce an error. This is less alarming than it sounds, because when the error happened in the past, the ini files had already been updated anyway. So this equates to more of an error suppression than change in behavior.
  • Fixed very rare exception at launch due to syncing cloud data before identity is loaded.
  • Imprint and mature time columns of Breeding Multipliers editor will sort correctly.
  • Blueprint chance slider of engram picker works correctly again.
  • Slightly improved performance of loading a document.
  • Loading progress window will be dismissed before an error dialog is shown.
  • Multiple SessionName keys in a config pair will no longer disrupt Beacon's ability to offer a Server Link config item.
  • Tag picker will use a different color for excluded tags if the required tag color is too similar to the excluded tag color.
  • Tag picker no longer needs to be scrolled.
  • Beacon will once again request a new session token if the old session token has expired.
  • Save errors will be presented to the user immediately, instead of only being delivered to the notifications pane.
  • Issues detector will do a better job of correctly highlighting problem engrams.
  • Issues detector will no longer complain about drops that are not used by any selected map. The rewriter just won't include them.
  • Enabling a map will ensure the mod which provides it is also enabled.

1.2.3

Beacon 1.2.3 fixes the problem with "Add Loot Source" buttons doing nothing.

1.2.2

Sorry about so many updates so frequently, they'll slow down.

This build fixes the issues button problems by removing the button entirely. Issue checking now happens when pressing the export or deploy buttons. Since checking for issues no longer happens as the file is edited, there is no need for caching the state, which was to blame for the bug. Plus some users found the icon confusing, so this is a win-win solution.

1.2.1

  • Fixed error when importing a preset that was already imported.
  • Fixed error when using the close box to dismiss the creature adjustment dialog instead of the cancel button.
  • Fixed issue detection caching too aggressively.
  • Fixed issue when detecting which architecture is required when downloading updates.

1.2.0

New Features

Omni-Exclusive Features

  • The Harvest Rates editor, similar to the Stack Sizes editor, allows users to override both the global harvest rate multiplier and resource-specific multipliers.
  • The Creature Adjustments editor allows users to adjust creature damage and vulnerability, replace creatures with another, or disable a creature entirely.

Free Features for All Users

  • New Breeding Multipliers editor! Supports all of Ark's 10 breeding-related multipliers, and includes a wizard for computing perfect the imprinting interval multiplier.
  • Tagging! Engram and Creature selectors include a tag selection field for quickly filtering lists.
  • Document Properties now allows users to select which mods to enable. Selection lists will only include engrams and creatures for enabled mods. This feature replaces the "Show only console-safe engrams" checkbox. Older documents set to console-only will have only console-safe mods enabled.
  • Documents are now compressed by default. This makes even complex files take up a tiny fraction of the space they used to, which means they upload faster too. The Document Properties editor also includes a checkbox to disable compression, for users who need to store their files in the older format.
  • Engram, creature, and presets now sync in the cloud!
  • Engrams manager has been completely replaced with a new database manager, since it handles more than just engrams. The new database manager will extract spawndino cheat codes, and adds tagging support to the objects. It's even possible to edit the map compatibility and tags for many objects at the same time.
  • Custom Config Content supports nested server-specific blocks. This power-user feature means users can set different values for each of their servers in a single location.
  • Presets now support separated minimum and maximum quality tiers.
  • Beacon's ini rewriter is now map-aware. Beacon will avoid setting loot drop configs not used by the map the config is being built for.
  • Export window now has a map selection menu in the upper left to update the content for the intended map. This means users unable to use the Deploy feature can also receive the ini rewriter improvements.
  • FTP deployment servers have a map setting to support the improved rewriter. Nitrado servers will be detected automatically.

Other Changes

  • Moved error id so it is always visible.
  • Update notifications now show as a banner at the top of the window.
  • Refreshed the icons in the Library.
  • Creating a preset will not save it to the library until actually saved by the user.
  • Presets created from an item set will default to modified.
  • Improved performance due to more efficient issue checking.
  • Beacon now uses dedicated 32-bit and 64-bit installers.
  • Beacon is now fully signed on Windows.
  • Beacon now requires macOS 10.11 or later.

Bug Fixes

  • Fixed bug causing the welcome window to fail to detect a connection error, thus not allowing the user to use the app.
  • Choosing to save a preset while closing its tab will actually close the tab.
  • Fixed exception caused when creating a blueprint entry in a preset containing an engram not known by Beacon's database.
  • Old update files get cleaned out of data folder.
  • The mini browser used for Nitrado authentication will now show error messages instead of sitting silently at a white window.
  • Config parser can handle = characters in values such as SessionName.

1.2.0b4

  • Installers are now produced in dedicated 32-bit and 64-bit downloads, to reduce the wasted bandwidth. The combo installer is still available as well, which will be downloaded by Beacon versions not reporting their system type to the update checker.
  • Beacon and its installer is now fully signed on Windows. Hopefully this will reduce false positives by over aggressive malware protection.
  • Beacon now requires macOS 10.11 or greater.
  • Fixed "unauthorized" errors when loading the Mods manager.
  • Tag picker is slightly taller to make it a little more obvious that it can be scrolled.
  • Tag picker now remembers more specific choices.
  • Config parser can handle = characters in strings such as SessionName.
  • Loot editor will check for things like "Any Resource" that cannot be placed in a drop, despite being an engram.
  • Beacon will only check for issues after a small delay, which should make the app feel much faster.
  • Imprint wizard can compute an imprint multiplier greater than 1.0 for servers with low mature speeds.
  • Added 5 additional harvest-related settings to the harvest rates editor.
  • Fixed bug with creature adjustments not restoring to default when requested.
  • Fixed false error when signing into Nitrado on Mac.

1.2.0b3

  • Fixed issue with engrams and creatures being missing when updating without an internet connection.
  • Fixed issue when trying to list user cloud files.
  • Changed "vulnerability" to "resistance" in creature adjustment editor to correctly match the game behavior.
  • Improved performance of issue detector. Users should see very significant improvements to app performance, though most noticeable in the custom content editor.

1.2.0b2

This second beta fixes a few important issues discovered shortly after testing of Beacon 1.2 began.

  • Database migration has been fixed. Beacon should successfully carry over engrams and presets when launching 1.2 for the first time.
  • Old update files get cleaned up now. Sorry about that.
  • Fixed exception when trying to show the new database manager twice.
  • Reverting changes to multiple engrams/creatures now works.
  • Creating a new database object will perform some sanity checks first, rather than simply erroring on missing data.
  • The mini browser used for Nitrado authentication will now show error messages instead of sitting silently at a white window.
  • Database manager can once again export its contents to CSV. The import process has been improved to handle the additional data.

1.2.0b1

New Features

Omni-Exclusive Features

  • The Harvest Rates editor, similar to the Stack Sizes editor, allows users to override both the global harvest rate multiplier and resource-specific multipliers.
  • The Creature Adjustments editor allows users to adjust creature damage and vulnerability, replace creatures with another, or disable a creature entirely.

Free Features for All Users

  • New Breeding Multipliers editor! Supports all of Ark's 10 breeding-related multipliers, and includes a wizard for computing perfect the imprinting interval multiplier.
  • Tagging! Engram and Creature selectors include a tag selection field for quickly filtering lists.
  • Document Properties now allows users to select which mods to enable. Selection lists will only include engrams and creatures for enabled mods. This feature replaces the "Show only console-safe engrams" checkbox. Older documents set to console-only will have only console-safe mods enabled.
  • Documents are now compressed by default. This makes even complex files take up a tiny fraction of the space they used to, which means they upload faster too. The Document Properties editor also includes a checkbox to disable compression, for users who need to store their files in the older format.
  • Engram, creature, and presets now sync in the cloud!
  • Engrams manager has been completely replaced with a new database manager, since it handles more than just engrams. The new database manager will extract spawndino cheat codes, and adds tagging support to the objects. It's even possible to edit the map compatibility and tags for many objects at the same time.
  • Custom Config Content supports nested server-specific blocks. This power-user feature means users can set different values for each of their servers in a single location.
  • Presets now support separated minimum and maximum quality tiers.
  • Beacon's ini rewriter is now map-aware. Beacon will avoid setting loot drop configs not used by the map the config is being built for.
  • Export window now has a map selection menu in the upper left to update the content for the intended map. This means users unable to use the Deploy feature can also receive the ini rewriter improvements.
  • FTP deployment servers have a map setting to support the improved rewriter. Nitrado servers will be detected automatically.

Other Changes

  • Moved error id so it is always visible.
  • Update notifications now show as a banner at the top of the window.
  • Refreshed the icons in the Library.
  • Creating a preset will not save it to the library until actually saved by the user.
  • Presets created from an item set will default to modified.

Bug Fixes

  • Fixed bug causing the welcome window to fail to detect a connection error, thus not allowing the user to use the app.
  • Choosing to save a preset while closing its tab will actually close the tab.

1.1.10

This is an extremely minor update that I was hoping not to have to release, but here we are...

The main reason for this version is to solve the stuck downloads happening on Windows. Though there are two bug fixes:

  • Handling filename sanitization more correctly on Windows. This should solve the deploy-time errors for servers with characters such as question marks in their name.
  • Added missing Valguero checkbox to the mod item editor.

1.1.9

The Valguero Update! This build adds support for the new Valguero map! That's about it.

1.1.8

This update is a little more significant than the last few.

For users of Beacon's Nitrado integration, there has been an important change to the deployment process to prevent loss of settings. For servers with Expert Mode turned off, Nitrado only updates the Game.ini and GameUserSettings.ini files on server start. This means users who have kept their server off while making changes, then decide to use Beacon for something like loot drops, the deploy process would turn Expert Mode on, causing Nitrado to discard all the pending changes. To solve this problem, if Expert Mode is turned off when Beacon does its deployment, an extra server boot cycle will be performed before turning on Expert Mode so that Nitrado can update the Game.ini and GameUserSettings.ini files. This means a server that is running will be stopped, started, and stopped again. A server that is not running will be started and stopped. If the server is in Expert Mode already, no extra boot cycle is necessary.

Other changes

  • Preset modifiers now support a blueprint chance multiplier.
  • Added support for AES 256 encrypted private keys.
  • Fixed bugs with autosave files not being cleaned up consistently.
  • Engrams added to a Beacon file without being added to a user's Library will be considered console safe. This means finding a file online that contains something like BushBerry Seeds will not be flagged as unsafe for consoles in Beacon.
  • Engram spawn code parser will require only "giveitem" instead of "cheat giveitem."

1.1.7

Here's another bug fix release

  • Fixed loading of numeric types that don't exactly match the intended type. This will most readily be visible by correctly loading the global stack size multiplier.
  • More ini parser tweaks to more accurately represent the devkit defaults.
  • Fixed exception caused by painting the tab bar too quickly.
  • Updated defaults for new item set entries.
  • Rebuilding an item set from its preset will update the min and max entries.

1.1.6

Yet another bug fix release

  • Fixed issue causing encrypted custom config content not to be written to documents on Windows.
  • If online access is disabled, the save process will jump directly to the "save to disk" dialog.
  • Fixed exception when cancelling a Nitrado import before closing the Nitrado login window.
  • Engram extractor can handle curly quotes and apostrophes.
  • Loot quality scale will properly restore on document load.
  • Item set ini parsing tweaked to better match Ark defaults.
  • Fixed exception caused by having a [Beacon] section in the custom config content.
  • On a related note, [Beacon] sections in custom config content, which were caused by re-importing a Beacon-produced ini file, will now be completely ignored by Beacon.

1.1.5

This is a bug fix release to solve some of Beacon's most common exceptions / crashes.

  • Server names with characters <, >, |, or " will no longer cause an exception during deployment.
  • Fixed an exception that could occur while trying to use the "Enable Cloud & Community" features menu link.
  • Fixed an exception that could occur when dismissing the "Add Engrams" window while a search or filter was still in progress.
  • Fixed an exception that could occur after editing an item set entry.
  • Preset modifier editor will include custom loot sources from open documents when previewing matched sources.

1.1.4

  • The rows in the Add Loot Source dialog can now be double-clicked!
  • The simulator should no longer appear as a little wedge at the bottom of the window. Unless your window is very short, that is.
  • Dialogs, such as when adding a loot source, will now be shown above the main window instead of being centered on the system's primary screen.
  • More attempts have been made to solve the mysterious exception (aka crash) when saving a document to disk. This issue has haunted the program for a while, so fingers crossed this release finally solves it.
  • Nitrado's idle wait time is now pulled from the Beacon server, allowing it to be adjusted without a new build, should the need arise.
  • Exception reports will now include the user's anonymous uuid.
  • The [Beacon] ini group has been reformatted to avoid unconfirmed issues on Xbox. Beacon 1.1.4 and newer will recognize both the new and old format, but older versions will not recognize the new format of course.
  • Beacon will now determine the line ending character of a file or copied content and use the same character, rather than reformatting to LF. Beacon's export window will also more consistently use the platform's line ending character to improve compatibility.
  • Fixed an exception in the item set editor.
  • The Beacon Smart Rewriter will now remove old rows from the ini that were previously not part of the Custom Config Content editor. For example, adding bUseCorpseLocator=true to Custom Config Content will replace the line bUseCorpseLocator=false that was already part of the ini being updated. Previously, Beacon would maintain both lines.
  • Pasting preset modifiers will flag the preset as modified.
  • Fixed incorrect preset modifier count in deletion warning dialog.
  • Custom Config Content has been reworked behind the scenes to be MUCH faster on Windows.

1.1.3

Sorry for two updates in one week. Version 1.1.2 was pulled due to critical issue on Windows. This update, version 1.1.3, fixes that issue. The notes for version 1.1.2 have been included as well.

Version 1.1.3:

  • Fixed issue while loading Custom Config Content that caused Beacon to lock up for a significant amount of time.
  • Fixed an exception while loading Stack Sizes config.
  • Potentially fixed exception in item set editor.

Version 1.1.2:

This is a bug fix release intended to improve stability.

  • Fixed a bug causing duplicated loot sources to not duplicate item sets that were built from a preset that is not part of the user's library. That's a mouthful.
  • Improved handling of UTF-16 encoded ini files. It's not obvious why some ini files are encoded this way, but Beacon now supports them.
  • Fixed a bug where the global stack size multiplier field always showed 1.0, regardless of what was saved to the Beacon file and ini.
  • Fixed post-deploy language when deploying to multiple servers at the same time.
  • Added some log messages regarding database migration.
  • User-supplied engrams are now considered console-safe.
  • Due to the potential frustration and confusion caused by not understanding what the Custom Config Editor does, combined with the manual steps required to decouple the data without harming the original ini, Custom Config Content import now defaults to off.
  • Changes have been made to how Beacon handles threading. The goal is to fix some unexplainable errors users have been having while saving, as well as other places.

1.1.1

This is a minor bug fix release to fix some significant bugs.

  • Minor adjustments to a couple toolbar icons to improve clarity.
  • Fixed an exception (commonly called a crash) when switch between crafting costs that had a different number of recipe engrams.
  • Fixed 'Global Stack Size Multiplier' having no effect on the GameUserSettings.ini output.
  • Added copy & paste support to preset modifiers.

1.1.0

Major New Features

  • Introducing Beacon Omni, a paid version of Beacon which supports more configuration options.
  • New "Player and Dino Levels" config editor. Set the max level, total experience, and build an experience curve of your own.
  • New "Crafting Costs" config editor. Beacon makes it a little less tedious to edit engram crafting costs.
  • New "Custom Content" config editor. You can now edit both your Game.ini and GameUserSettings.ini files directly inside Beacon. Beacon will blend its changes with the content in this editor and the content already on the server.
  • New "Stack Sizes" editor for Ark's new ItemStackSizeMultiplier and ConfigOverrideItemMaxQuantity config options.
  • New preset editor with dynamic loot source modifiers.
  • New "Add Item Sets to Default" checkbox in loot source settings allows Beacon to add its item sets to the default item sets, rather than replace them. It is unclear exactly what the min and max item set values do in this case though.

Minor New Features

  • Now possible to reset a config to default. Using the "Restore" option in the "Document" menu, this option will completely remove Beacon's changes to the config, putting it back to the Ark defaults.
  • Beacon is more efficient editing item sets across multiple loot sources, meaning doing this should feel much faster.
  • New option to import configs from other open documents.
  • Beacon will now warn you when mod items have been added to a document that has "console safe mode" enabled.
  • Loot source, item set, and preset min/max values are no longer range limited. This makes some advanced designs possible, but also allows you to do funny things like set the minimum greater than the maximum.
  • Nitrado deployment now analyzes log files to determine how long to wait for the server to stop. This prevents the issue where the user could stop the server with the "Servers" panel, then immediately deploy to skip the wait time, which would result in the changes not being preserved.
  • Nitrado deployment now makes a complete configuration snapshot before making changes. These will show up in the Nitrado control panel under the "Configuration Profiles" section.
  • Beacon no longer adjusts the weight values it generates. This allows greater flexibility, such as setting an item set's weight to 100000000 like Ark's default loot does to nearly guarantee something in a drop.
  • Windows ini parsing speed has been dramatically improved.
  • FTP deployment now has file browser. No more guessing the correct path to include.

Bug Fixes

  • Beacon's window can no longer get tucked under the taskbar / menubar.
  • Fixed missing whitespace in generated config files.
  • Fixed default and cancel buttons being swapped all over the app.
  • Fixed bizarre scrolling behavior of the notification list.
  • The item sets status bar moves when resizing the simulator.
  • Potentially fixed a number of nonsense exceptions by changing some backend frameworks. Sorry for the vague note, there's not a good way to describe this.
  • Preset editor's "Create Blueprint Entry" option will correctly use only the selected items, rather than all items.
  • Beacon will no longer lock up while performing the final step of parsing an ini file.
  • Duplicating a loot source will now duplicate custom item sets too.
  • INI parser will no longer report false errors.

Other Changes

  • More vibrant loot source icons.
  • During export/deploy, if Beacon's computed minimum quality is greater than the maximum quality, Beacon will use the minimum for both. This should improve accuracy of loot generation.
  • Publish status will be cleared when loading community documents. This will prevent users from accidentally re-publishing a document they loaded from another user when they save it to their own account.
  • Generated config files now have markup added to assist Beacon in differentiating between changes it has made and changes made by another source.
  • The Library drawer will overlap the main content on Windows, just as it does on Mac.
  • Beta builds now expire after 30 days.
  • Importing a preset will automatically save it to the Library.
  • Disabled spell checking on ini content fields, such as in the import and export dialogs.
  • Possible fix for exception caused while parsing engram spawn commands.
  • Increased SQLite cache size.
  • Engram importing now requires "cheat giveitem" before the blueprint path to prevent importing cheat codes such as "cheat summon" used for summoning creatures.

1.1.0b5

Plans for B4 to be the last 1.1 beta didn't work out. The primary reason for this build is a completely rebuilt "Player and Tame Experience" editor. The previous editor simply was not good enough and resulted in multiple admins deploying changes they didn't realize had been made.

The new editor is much smarter and will perfectly preserve imported values. Beacon is also aware of Ark's default experience values and limits, and will warn admins of issues with their experience values.

Other changes

  • Custom Config Content and Document Description fields will now sanitize content. This means certain values, such as null characters will be removed from both fields, and complex characters such as emoji will be removed from the Custom Config Content field.
  • Preset editor's "Do you want to save" dialog will save the preset now.
  • Preset editor will no longer show duplicated content lines.
  • Possible workaround for mystery exception while saving.
  • Engram importing now requires "cheat giveitem" before the blueprint path to prevent importing cheat codes such as "cheat summon" used for summoning creatures.
  • Fixed bug when restoring "Stack Sizes" and "Crafting Costs" to defaults.
  • Dino experience values will not be added to the ini if they have not been edited.

1.1.0b4

This is a bugfix update and hopefully final beta of Beacon 1.1.

  • Crafting Cost and Stack Size editors support pasting raw ini content.
  • Stack Size editor will mark the document as modified when cutting or pasting.
  • Fixed exception when editing a crafting cost recipe after deleting and ingredient.
  • Custom Config Content will automatically encrypt the AuctionHouse.MarketID config.
  • Disabled spell checking on ini content fields, such as in the import and export dialogs.
  • Possible fix for exception caused while parsing engram spawn commands.
  • Increased SQLite cache size.

1.1.0b3

This is a minor beta update for Beacon 1.1.

  • New stack size editor. This is a very new feature for Ark, so your mileage may vary.
  • Fixed "wobbly" notification pulse animation.
  • Embedded engrams data is correct, so offline installations will work correctly again.
  • Importing from clipboard no longer includes the copied text style.
  • Fixed dialog claiming engrams were updated when they were not.
  • Maximum experience for the experience editor should be consistent between 32-bit and 64-bit versions.

1.1.0b2

This is the second beta of Beacon 1.1. This is a major feature and bugfix update.

Major New Features

  • Introducing Beacon Omni, a paid version of Beacon which supports more configuration options. For this beta, Beacon Omni features will be free to all users.
  • New "Player and Dino Levels" config editor. Set the max level, total experience, and build an experience curve of your own.
  • New "Crafting Costs" config editor. Beacon makes it a little less tedious to edit engram crafting costs.
  • New "Custom Content" config editor. You can now edit both your Game.ini and GameUserSettings.ini files directly inside Beacon. Beacon will blend its changes with the content in this editor and the content already on the server.
  • New preset editor with dynamic loot source modifiers.
  • New "Add Item Sets to Default" checkbox in loot source settings allows Beacon to add its item sets to the default item sets, rather than replace them. It is unclear exactly what the min and max item set values do in this case though.

Minor New Features

  • Now possible to reset a config to default. Using the "Restore" option in the "Document" menu, this option will completely remove Beacon's changes to the config, putting it back to the Ark defaults.
  • Beacon is more efficient editing item sets across multiple loot sources, meaning doing this should feel much faster.
  • New option to import configs from other open documents.
  • Beacon will now warn you when mod items have been added to a document that has "console safe mode" enabled.
  • Loot source, item set, and preset min/max values are no longer range limited. This makes some advanced designs possible, but also allows you to do funny things like set the minimum greater than the maximum.
  • Nitrado deployment now analyzes log files to determine how long to wait for the server to stop. This prevents the issue where the user could stop the server with the "Servers" panel, then immediately deploy to skip the wait time, which would result in the changes not being preserved.
  • Nitrado deployment now makes a complete configuration snapshot before making changes. These will show up in the Nitrado control panel under the "Configuration Profiles" section.
  • Beacon no longer adjusts the weight values it generates. This allows greater flexibility, such as setting an item set's weight to 100000000 like Ark's default loot does to nearly guarantee something in a drop.
  • Windows ini parsing speed has been dramatically improved.
  • FTP deployment now has file browser. No more guessing the correct path to include.

Bug Fixes

  • Beacon's window can no longer get tucked under the taskbar / menubar.
  • Fixed missing whitespace in generated config files.
  • Fixed default and cancel buttons being swapped all over the app.
  • Fixed bizarre scrolling behavior of the notification list.
  • The item sets status bar moves when resizing the simulator.
  • Potentially fixed a number of nonsense exceptions by changing some backend frameworks. Sorry for the vague note, there's not a good way to describe this.
  • Preset editor's "Create Blueprint Entry" option will correctly use only the selected items, rather than all items.
  • Beacon will no longer lock up while performing the final step of parsing an ini file.
  • Duplicating a loot source will now duplicate custom item sets too.
  • INI parser will no longer report false errors.

Other Changes

  • More vibrant loot source icons.
  • During export/deploy, if Beacon's computed minimum quality is greater than the maximum quality, Beacon will use the minimum for both. This should improve accuracy of loot generation.
  • Publish status will be cleared when loading community documents. This will prevent users from accidentally re-publishing a document they loaded from another user when they save it to their own account.
  • Generated config files now have markup added to assist Beacon in differentiating between changes it has made and changes made by another source.
  • The Library drawer will overlap the main content on Windows, just as it does on Mac.
  • Beta builds now expire after 30 days.
  • Importing a preset will automatically save it to the Library.

1.0.1

This release fixes the following bugs and is recommended for all users.

  • Fixes mysterious parse error on Windows when code executes too quickly.
  • Clearing publish status when downloading documents from the community to prevent accidental publishing requests.
  • Uses new internal build numbering to better support multiple branches of development.

1.0.0

This is it. Finally calling Beacon 1.0 finished. Out of beta and ready for everybody to enjoy. Here's what has changed.

  • Fixed bug when importing local files.
  • Another attempt to fix a "random" exception that was previously believed to be fixed.
  • Added missing Extinction map filter to engrams manager.
  • Fixed a handful of other exceptions related to issue resolution and empty engram sets.
  • The process of converting Beacon data into JSON so it can be saved to disk or uploaded to the cloud is now handled in a low priority thread. This should prevent all saving, including autosave, from locking up the app while it happens. For users with exceptionally large files, this should make autosave feel much less noticeable.
  • Beacon will prevent users from closing documents that are busy, such as while being saved.
  • Export window will correctly write new files, instead of failing silently.
  • Document-level "Rebuild Item Sets from Presets" will function again.
  • Turns out there are more 32-bit copies of Windows out there than there should be. So Beacon has a 32-bit version once again.

1.0.0fc1

In an ideal world, this build (39) will be relabelled 1.0.0 and Beacon will officially be out of beta after much too long.

This build is mostly a bug and quality of life build.

  • Revamped set of base quality values. Users who have been advised to set their "Loot Drop Quality Scale" lower should reset to 100% and deploy/export their config.
  • New top-tier quality class: "Perfected" - this tier equals 100 quality in Ark, the maximum possible.
  • The Mac version is fully signed and sandboxed.
  • Using "Save As" will generate a new document UUID. This allows users to download another user's file and "Save As" into their own account without ownership conflicts.
  • Duplicate SupplyCrateLootQualityMultiplier lines will no longer cause a parsing error. Only the last value will be retained.
  • Added status bars to most of the loot config interface.
  • Fixed bug causing empty Simulator after editing a loot source.
  • Document export now has an "Update File" to make the behavior more obvious. "Save As" would update the file previously, but since the operating system asks about replacing the file, this was not obvious. So the behavior as been separated.
  • Importing engram data is now threaded. This should prevent "Beacon has stopped working" errors when parsing content, especially from websites.
  • Beacon will more reliably restore the last used config view when opening a file.
  • Significant updates to the mod editor view. Now includes a column for Extinction, along with a bunch of quality-of-life improvements.
  • On OS X 10.10 and 10.11, Nitrado authorization will now be handled in the user's browser since their website is broken before WebKit 602.2.14.
  • Fixed bug with server importing not correctly detecting the server's map.

1.0.0b28

  • It is now possible to add multiple loot sources at once.
  • Beacon automatically saves backup documents every minute.
  • Tabs will show an indicator while saving is in progress.
  • Double-clicking a loot source will show the loot source edit dialog.
  • Fixed bug preventing the simulator from respecting the "prevent duplicates" settings.
  • Fixed bug causing issues view to duplicate the same issue over and over again.
  • Fixed showing Document menu as disabled.
  • Beacon is more resilient to switching between database-incompatible version. It is still not recommended to switch backwards to old versions, but the situation will be handled better going forward.
  • Fixed error on start caused by Beacon's inability to write to its log file.
  • Other minor fixes

1.0.0b27

This is a minor bug build to fix a couple significant issues.

  • Fixed error when moving the cursor over a toolbar that has not fully drawn yet.
  • Fixed error with item set entry quantities not respecting the desired value.
  • Fixed error with empty or zero quantity fields.

1.0.0b26

To be honest, there's too many changes to list. 430 commits were made to Beacon's GitHub repository since beta 25, which represents 42% of all commits made to Beacon. This is a massive release. So this change log will be more of a highlight reel.

  • Major redesign
  • Added Extinction map support.
  • Beacon now integrates with Nitrado, making server management easier than ever. If your server provider has an API Beacon can use, let us know via [email protected].
  • Added "Show only console-safe engrams" document option, which hides engrams from mods not supported by consoles.
  • Added simulator view at the bottom of the item sets list. Allows previewing of loot source contents.
  • Added support for SupplyCrateLootQualityMultiplier config.
  • New export window shows changes for Game.ini, GameUserSettings.ini, and command line options.
  • Library and Developer windows have been moved to a drawer on the left side of Beacon's window.
  • Beacon documents and Preset files use a new format. Old formats will be imported, but are not compatible with older versions of Beacon.
  • Users can now sign into a Beacon account, allowing easy access to cloud documents from multiple computers.
  • Beacon is now a 64-bit app on Windows. 32-bit versions of Windows are not supported.
  • Mac version supports dark mode.
  • Mac minimum support operating system increased to 10.10 Yosemite.
  • Tuned loot quality formula. Loot should more closely match intended qualities.
  • Importing ini files is dramatically faster.
  • Increased number of supported digits in quantity fields to 4. This means values up to 9999 are possible.
  • Weight scale increased from 100 to 1000. This change does not affect any existing content, it only allows more precision in weight values.

1.0.0b25

This release works around an unexpected behavior when Ark is running as a server process. Single player instances are not affected. All server admins should rebuild their loot overrides using this version to get more diverse loot distribution.

Do not use Beacon to import your current Game.ini, as your qualities will be adversely affected. The config lines that Beacon produces are intended to be used by Ark and are pre-multiplied by Ark's multipliers. Importing, however, must assume the values are not pre-multiplied. The recommended way to rebuild your config is by opening your saved ".beacon" file and going to File -> Deploy.

Here's the nitty gritty details Per numerous discussions online, Ark's weights should all total to 1.0. So two item sets with equal weight should be 0.5 and 0.5. In single player, this appears to be true.

However in server processes, this logic was producing an unbalanced distribution of item sets. Some item sets, decided by an unknown factor, would have a zero or near-zero percent chance of selection. Others would be selected too often. This might actually explain why water jars and crop plots appear in the official drops so often.

The solution was to use a whole integer value instead. Weights now total to 1000, which gives plenty of resolution even at low weights. Immediately, loot should feel more diverse. Single player instances work exactly the same using these new values too.

1.0.0b24

  • Fixes the completely broken mods view.
  • Fixes the lockup Beacon would experience on Windows while updating. Installing this update will still appear to get stuck towards the end of the update download, but just leave it, the download will finish. However, this should be the last time, this new version does not have the problem.
  • Fixes a bug that would prevent engram updates if loot sources were reordered.
  • The installer now installs/updates the Windows Universal Runtime on systems that need it.

1.0.0b23

This minor release adds an easier way for console admins to deploy Game.ini updates. Also fixes a bug with custom loot sources not saving their type.

1.0.0b22

Fixes bug causing CSV parsing to fail on Windows.

1.0.0b21

This release fixes a critical bug that would trigger an exception in the new engrams export feature.

1.0.0b20

  • New Feature: Automatic Deployments
    Besides exporting to a new Game.ini or updating an existing Game.ini, Beacon can now connect to game servers via FTP and update the Game.ini right on the server!

  • New Feature: Cluster Support
    Admins can now select multiple maps when creating or editing a document. Even better, the deployments feature supports multiple servers, so changes can be deployed to the entire cluster at once.

  • New Feature: Engram Import and Export
    The engrams list in the Library window now has an "Export All" button which creates a CSV file with all custom engrams. The "Import File" button will now recognize CSV files so they can be imported again. Note: just as before, the import function will NOT overwrite previously imported engrams. So users looking to use this feature to edit engram names in another editor should clear their engrams before importing the edited csv.

  • Fixed bug causing only the first API action to be correctly authenticated on Windows.

  • Game.ini builder will produce a cleaner file, at the cost of stripping unnecessary whitespace.

1.0.0b18

  • Fixed spelling of Aberration.
  • Fixed crash caused by an empty preset grouping value.
  • Fixed exception caused by a bad engram blueprint path.
  • Fixed invisible "Edit" checkbox next to "Weight" when editing multiple item set entries.
  • Fixed preset editor's "Create Blueprint Entry" working on all the preset's entries instead of only the selected entries.

1.0.0b17

  • Fixes issue when working with presets that would create duplicates and prevent deleting.
  • Fixes a bug with saving the entry created from the "Create Blueprint Entry" option inside an item set.
  • Fixes a bug where the item set list could become out of sync with the actual loot source contents when renaming an item set would cause the list to be re-sorted.

1.0.0b16

  • Added feature to rebuild all item sets in a document using their original preset.
  • It is now possible to change the map. Doing so will also offer to rebuild the item sets to match the new map.
  • Added an "Open Recent" item under the "File" menu.
  • Custom presets are now stored inside the Library.sqlite file. For most users, this should have no functional change. Users copying their data to another computer should be aware of this organization change however.
  • Fixed exception caused by opening the Library without an internet connection.
  • Fixed exception triggered when defining a custom loot source.
  • Added Abberation checkbox to the custom loot source wizard.

1.0.0b15

  • Fixed bug that would silently prevent saving of engrams if a duplicate was found.
  • Fixing an exception that would occur while saving a document with no map key.
  • Support for Abberation DLC.

1.0.0b14

  • No longer causing an exception when the export dialog is cancelled.
  • Weight slider appears when editing multiple entries.
  • Fixed editing engram weights in the entry editor.

1.0.0b13

  • Significantly improved loot quality math. Now difficulty is included in quality calculations, making loot quality significantly more consistent across servers.
  • Files are now limited to a single map per file. If you currently have multiple maps worth of loot sources in your file, please use cut/copy and paste to separate the loot sources into separate files.
  • A number of output format improvements have been made, but should have no functional change.
  • Importing from an ini file always assumes 1.0 difficulty.
  • "Pretty" JSON has been improved and is enabled again on Windows.
  • Exporting now offers to update an existing Game.ini file, rather than only creating a new file. When updating, all unrelated lines will be left alone.
  • Entry editor now shows the mod name.
  • Weight slider has been added back to the entry editor. Sorry this was forgotten!

1.0.0b11

  • Fixing bug extracting incorrect blueprint paths from cheat codes.
  • Update window will now display all changes between the current version and new version.

1.0.0b10

  • Beacon files finally show up with their own icon and can be used from Windows Explorer.
  • Engrams view in the Library will refresh after importing.
  • Recognizing more cheat/spawn codes as valid.
  • Added support for the beacon:// url scheme to Windows.
  • Added an option when defining custom loot sources to increase compatibility with mods that do not support blueprints in loot definitions.

1.0.0b9

  • Removed JSON pretty printing on Windows because it was much too slow.

1.0.0b8

This build has a significant number of refinements to its config generation code. Most notably, it no longer generates two config entries for every item set entry. This was done previously to counteract Ark's odd selection system. This caused other problems, such as preventing the "Prevent Duplicates" option from working correctly.

It is very strongly recommended that users not only rebuild their configs, but also inspect some of their item set entries. There is a new "Simulation" section in the entry editor that will give you an idea of how Ark will pick its loot. There is a very good chance this will not be what you expect, so adjustments to your file are likely necessary.

Custom Items

Beacon has changed from using class strings (such as PrimalItemResource_Wood_C) to blueprint paths. For most documents, this will be an inconsequential change. For documents using custom/mod engrams, there are two side effects:

  1. Most importantly, since blueprint paths are unique, there is no possibility of conflict. There are some mods which share the same class strings which confuses Ark's loot generation. Using blueprint paths solves this issue.
  2. Beacon must have a blueprint path for each item. Since custom items were only supplied with class strings in the past, this means Beacon cannot generate a proper config for documents which have custom items. So Beacon has a new "problem resolution" dialog which will alert authors for problems such as this. The solution is to simply paste in cheat/spawn codes. Beacon will extract what it needs automatically. Despite these changes, the Beacon document format remains backwards compatible.

Library

The "Preset Library" has been moved into a new "Library" window. In addition to the presets previously available, the Library now contains a document browser and engram manager.

The document browser allows users to discover popular configurations, publish their own, or unpublish previously published documents.

The engram manager allows users to import lists of spawn/cheat codes to maintain a persistent list of custom items. The import process will attempt to guess at item names, but users can adjust the name and other settings.

Preset Updates

Presets can now specify The Center and Ragnarok as targets. Right-clicking one or more entries in the preset editor will bring up a menu option "Create Blueprint Entry" which will set all the selected blueprint chances to 0% and create a new entry with all the blueprintable engrams at 100% chance. The purpose of this is to act closer to Ark's default loot system. This feature may introduce multiple blueprint entries to keep the items properly contained within their selected maps.

The Center & Ragnarok

Because these maps use the same loot sources as The Island (with some exceptions) the switcher at the top of the Loot Sources list now directs how presets will build their contents.

Here's an example of what this means. The Mantis is available on Scorched Earth and Ragnarok, so its kibble should only be available on those two maps. However, Ragnarok uses The Island's loot sources. So, if adding the "Dino Consumables" preset to the "Island White (Level 3)" loot source with "The Island" selected, "Kibble (Mantis Egg)" will not be included. Doing the same thing with "Ragnarok" selected will include the Mantis Egg Kibble.

Users are advised to keep this menu set to the intended map for best results.

Other New Features & Changes

  • Beacon documents and presets now format their contents nicely, making them easier to version control.
  • Beacon now supports mods! Mod authors can register their mods with Beacon and manage the items within the mod for Beacon users to easily use. Just give Beacon a file of spawn codes or a URL to the codes online, and it'll try its best to parse out all the items. Mod authors may also publish their engram lists to their own servers in JSON or CSV format, and Beacon will maintain its database accordingly.
  • Improved identity management. All Beacon users have an "identity" file which authenticates their online actions. Now this identity can be backed up and restored, as well as making it easy to view the identity key pair.
  • Public Beacon API! Anybody can manage documents, mods, and engrams however they please. The new "Developer Tools" window has built-in an "API Guide" section for learning about the API, and an "API Builder" section for generating sample API code.
  • New admin spawn code list at https://beaconapp.cc/spawn/ - if Beacon knows about it, including mod items, you can find it and its spawn code here. Mod authors may even link to this from their Steam page using https://beaconapp.cc/spawn/?mod_id= to show only items for that mod.
  • It is now possible to paste a spawn/cheat code or blueprint path into the entry editor's filter field.
  • Entry editing has a new UI! Per-engram weights are now supported, and there is a new "Simulation" section. This will give you a live idea of how Ark will choose items based on your settings.
  • Item Set list now allows multiple selection.

Bug Fixes

  • Fixed an issue with engrams not automatically updating.
  • Improved tab order in most, if not all, views.
  • Fixed some UI elements being too short on Windows.
  • Default and Cancel buttons have been swapped on Windows to better match system standards.
  • Beacon will swap min/max values when the maximum is less than the minimum.
  • Weight values from imported configurations will be respected down to 0.0001 instead of 0.01.
  • Fixed an issue with custom items not appearing in the entry editor when editing an existing entry.
  • Fixed bug which caused the delete confirmation to appear when cutting an item.

1.0.0b7

  • This update fixes a critical issue with editing presets on Windows. Adding and editing preset entries was not working correctly in beta 6. In order to fix this issue, presets have become documents rather than modal dialogs. Rather than "Cancel" and "Save" buttons, saving a preset is done like any other document: with keyboard shortcuts or menu items.
  • Mac version is now a 64-bit binary. Users should not notice any difference. Windows 64-bit support is likely a few more months away.

1.0.0b6

  • Fixes exceptions on Windows caused by user account paths containing non-ASCII characters.
  • Fixed issue preventing update checking, engram updates, document publishing, mailing list subscription, and all other online functions from working on Windows 7 and Windows 8.0.
  • Fixed issue with importing config files which had excess spacing around keys.

1.0.0b5

  • Removing the special considerations for Scorched Earth desert crates. This means exporting an entire ini file is possible. Beacon will automatically adapt the loot source accordingly. Rebuilding your ini files is recommended.
  • No longer possible to paste duplicate item sets into loot sources. This would end up hiding the sets entirely, only to become visible in the export. Beacon will automatically clean up loot sources which might have been affected by this in the past.

Regarding the desert loot crates

I had previously concluded, based on Google search results, that SE desert crates and Island deep sea crates used the same class string. It turns out this is incorrect, so all the special workarounds I implemented needed to be removed. My thanks to Ark Community member Gumballz who pointed this out to me. The correct information was right in front of my in the dev kit, and I just didn't notice.

1.0.0b4

  • Now offers to subscribe users to the Beacon Announce mailing list. This only happens during the first launch, the dialog will never be seen a second time.
  • Special considerations are now made for the desert loot crates in Scorched Earth. Most users will never notice anything peculiar about this loot source. However, in order to support this particular crate, exporting both The Island and Scorched Earth configs at the same time is no longer possible.
  • Fixed loot source color and sort order of duplicated sources.
  • Fixing bug with showing the engram database date incorrectly on Windows.
  • About window now has a button to update engrams automatically. This should still happen automatically at startup, but the button will provide confirmation of success or failure.
  • Added offline logging to help track down certain bugs. This is stored in %AppData%\The ZAZ\Beacon on Windows or ~/Library/Application Support/The ZAZ/Beacon on macOS.

1.0.0b3

  • About window now shows when the engram database was last updated.
  • Now possible to import engram definitions. If for some reason your copy of Beacon cannot update definitions automatically, they can be downloaded from the Beacon website and imported using the Import menu item. See https://beaconapp.cc/download/ to download definitions.
  • Deleting a loot source or item set now has a confirmation dialog.
  • Adding custom loot icons for the boss sources.

1.0.0b2

All users should rebuild their configs using this version. Quality values were not correct in previous builds.

  • Now possible to duplicate a preset.
  • Entry editor engram list will correctly sort on the checkbox column.
  • Item set entries can now be double-clicked to edit.
  • Added steppers to item set min and max fields.
  • Item sets will correctly default to NumItemSetsPower=1 rather than 0.
  • Fixed critical issue where Beacon was truncating the decimals from loot source multipliers.
  • Fixed exception caused by trying to create a new preset from an item set that was previously created from a preset which no longer exists.

1.0.0b1

The first beta is here! This means Beacon is now considered feature complete for now. Development focus going forward will be on bug fixes, polishing, and setup of support resources such as the website and tutorial.

Not only is this the first beta, it's also one of the largest updates since the initial release. Here's the release notes.

Loot Sources

  • Loot source list now includes icons and can be filtered to show all sources, island sources, or scorched sources.
  • New loot source wizard. Selecting a defined source is clearer, allows adding presets while adding a loot source. Custom loot sources now have a full range of settings available to ensure proper loot calculation on export.
  • Loot sources are now sorted by design instead of alphabetically.
  • Editing or duplicating a loot source allows the item sets added by a preset to be reconfigured. This is useful when duplicating a standard beacon into a bonus beacon, for example, as it will adjust qualities and quantities accordingly.

Item Sets

  • Added right-click option to reconfigure item sets from their preset.
  • Item sets now know which preset defined them. This allows an item set to be renamed, but can still be reconfigured by the loot source wizard without altering the other settings such as name and weight.

Item Set Entries

  • Editing multiple entries is now much nicer, as the "edit" checkboxes will default to off, and automatically enable when changing a setting.
  • No longer possible to set an entry's blueprint chance if no blueprint exists for the engram.
  • Exporting no longer creates set entries for blueprints if the engram has no blueprint.
  • It is now possible to change the engrams in a set entry.
  • When adding multiple engrams, it is now possible to choose between creating one entry per engram (the previous behavior) or adding all engrams to a single entry. This is useful, for example, to include both a Quetzal Saddle and Quetzal Platform Saddle in the same entry so the game will pick one or the other, but not both.
  • Set entries list now supports multiple item copy and paste.

Presets

  • Built-in presets are now updated automatically by the server.
  • Added "Preset Library" to the "Window" menu, which is used for managing presets.
  • Option/Alt while selecting a preset from a menu will no longer trigger an edit action. Instead, edit presets from the preset library.
  • New per-item options for presets to prevent modification of quality and or quantity based on the loot source.

Other

  • Added increased resolution icons, supporting Windows scaling settings up to 300%.
  • Improved engram lookup speed, which should make the loading files faster.

1.0.0a7

  • Fixing cast issue with importing from text.

1.0.0a6

  • Added missing items to presets: night vision goggles, tapejara saddle, metal sword, pike, water jar, and canteen.
  • Added new presets: SCUBA Gear, Player Consumables, and Dino Consumables.
  • Now possible to unpublish previously published documents.
  • Fixed bug causing imported configurations to have their quality scaled too low.
  • Local database of loot sources and engrams is now automatically updated online.
  • Missing items added to engram database: Tapejara Egg, and Archaeopteryx Egg.

1.0.0a5

  • Fixed KeyNotFoundExceptions on subsequent launches for some users.

1.0.0a4

  • Fixed crash while importing an empty config.
  • A beacon is know known as a loot source, since Beacon works for more than just beacons.
  • UI elements will be sized nicer on each platform.
  • It is now possible to edit multiple loot sources at the same time. Select multiple loot sources and only the sets common to all selected sources will be shown. Adding, editing, and removing sets will affect the all selected loot sources.
  • Set entry sorting is now correct.
  • It is now possible to create, edit, and customize presets! This is a power user feature, so it is hidden, but possible. First, setup an item set in any beacon. Include all possible items for both The Island and Scorched Earth. Right-click the set in the list and choose “Create Preset” to show the editor dialog. From here, items can be unchecked to exclude them from each map. More details available on the edit dialog itself. To edit a preset, hold the Option/Alt key while selecting the preset from the “Add Item Set” menu.
  • Introducing document sharing! This couldn’t be simpler. Just open your Beacon document and choose “Publish Document…” from the “Document” menu. Give the document a title and description, that’s it! The document will be stored online and a shareable URL will be returned. Need to make changes? Just publish again, the URL will stay the same!
  • Hidden multipliers for all loot sources are now known. Thanks to https://survivetheark.com/index.php?/profile/290980-qowyn/ for the missing Scorched Earth multipliers.

1.0.0a3

  • Now supports copy & paste. Users can now copy a beacon and paste it into another document or even directly into their text editor. When pasting into a text editor, the text is a properly constructed ConfigOverrideSupplyCrateItems line ready for use. It is also possible to go in the opposite direction. Copy a ConfigOverrideSupplyCrateItems line from a text editor and paste into Beacon.
  • Fixed an artificial minimum quality.
  • Updated document format for more future-proofing.
  • Added application and document icons.
  • Added Tapejara Saddle to known engrams database.
  • Beacon can now check for updates.
  • Added three new quality options. Careful with these, they will produce some very powerful gear. The current Ascendant multiplier is 7. The new multipliers are Epic (9), Legendary (12), and Pearlescent (16).
  • Quality values will no longer change when moving a beacon from one location to another.
  • Changed how blueprints are handled. This will prevent excessive blueprints found in loot sources.
  • Added "Report a Problem" to the Help/Application menu.

1.0.0a2

  • Added "Import Config" under the File menu. An existing Game.ini file can be imported into Beacon. A new beacon document will be created from it which can be customized, saved, and exported again. This process will parse all ConfigOverrideSupplyCrateItems lines in the file.
  • Multiple set entries can be edited at the same time. Simply select multiple lines with shift or control/command, and press edit. Checkboxes on the right of each value allow users to edit only the intended values.
  • Multiple set entries can be added at the same time. Adding an entry now uses checkboxes in the class list. Simply check off multiple classes and all will be added when the process is complete.
  • Added a footer bar as an alternative means of control.
  • Clicking the "+" button in the beacon list will bring up the "Add Beacon" dialog. Holding the "+" will bring up an "Add Beacon" menu. This new menu has a power user option at the bottom called "New Custom Beacon" which does exactly what it sounds like.
  • Like adding a beacon, adding a set to a beacon can be done with a click or a hold action. Clicking adds a new empty set, holding presents the preset menu.
  • Beacon now knows some of the hidden quality multipliers of the loot crates themselves. This information will be used to craft quality values specific to the loot crate being edited. The set entry list now uses quality names such as Primitive, Ramshackle, etc. instead of the raw quality values.
  • Quality values have been adjusted. The last build used the values from the wiki, which appear to be too high. Thanks to extensive testing from Reddit user Hickey464.
  • Fixed all saddles presets missing a value. The result caused all saddles to use their weight value as the max quality, and max quality value as min quality.
  • Added an About window.
  • All known loot sources have been defined.

1.0.0a1

  • Initial release
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