The first beta release of Illumination Software Creator 2.0 has landed for MacOS X!

If you’ve used Illumination on Windows or Linux, you know exactly what to expect.  Everything is exactly the same… only now you can visually develop your software projects on MacOS X as well.

You can grab the beta version for MacOS X from the Illumination page on the top right (says “Mac OS X (Beta)”).

Also be sure to take a look at the MacOS X Support Files page to make sure you can run applications built with Illumination on your Mac.  (You need to have PyGTK installed — the instructions and files you’ll need are located on that page… don’t worry, it’s simple!)

Illumination 2.0 Beta 1 is only available for MacOS X.  Windows and Linux versions of Illumination 2.0 will be available in the next Beta release (when Adobe Flex/AIR support begins to roll out).

If you are new to Illumination entirely, check out the online tutorial and example projects to give you an idea of how easy it is to build your own applications without writing any code.  If you have questions, bug reports, suggestions or simply want to hang out with other Illumination users, the Illumination Support Forum is the place to be.

I should also reiterate that anyone who purchases Illumination Software Creator now gets a free upgrade to 2.0 (and all 2.1, 2.2, etc. releases) when it ships.  You can get an idea of what’s coming in Illumination 2.0, 2.1, and onward in the roadmap.

Update:

I think maybe I gave the wrong impression with this post originally.  So let me clarify.

I am happy, myself with Illumination’s pricing.  And there are many, many people using Illumination that are also happy with it.  So this isn’t about earning more revenue.

This is purely about making sure that Illumination is available to as wide of an audience as possible (while still funding active development).  I firmly believe this is an important piece of software, and very much want people to be able to experience it.

Based on what I’ve received so far (and thank you to the swarm of people instant messaging and emailing me right now with your thoughts), we’ve got a few ideas on how to better serve educational institutions and the like.

To sum up:

The price is, absolutely, remaining the same.  $49.95.  And that price will give you a free upgrade to version 2.0 (and potentially quite far beyond — but our roadmap is currently focused on 2.0 right now).

Thanks everyone for the feedback!

And, of course, you can buy Illumination from the Radical Breeze Online Store.

I’m going to go ahead and call this an awesome day.

The first big update to Illumination Software Creator (version 1.1) has shipped for Linux and Windows!

Lots of new features to help you build ever more powerful applications in a %100 visual way.

There are three big ones (in my opinion):

• There is now an official “loop” block, so you can easily have real “do while loops” in your applications.
• Full ability to handle text files (with proper open/save dialogs, etc.).
• And, of course, you can now run shell scripts directly from Illumination-built applications.  Which makes it super easy to build interfaces to automate command line tools.

And all of that power is still super easy to use even if you  have zero programming experience.

This is, of course, a free upgrade for existing users.  New users can try out the demo version and purchase a copy over at the store.

Here’s the big, beefy list of new features:

• New window control: Multi-line “TextField”
• New Variable Type: “Text File”
• New Block: “Do While” loop
• New Block: “Close Window”
• New Block: “Run Shell Script” (contained within the new “System” block section)
• New Block: “Open Text File Dialog”
• New Block: “Save Text File Dialog”
• New Block: “Read All Text From File”
• New Block: “Save All Text To File”
• New Block: Get and Set blocks for TextField control
• New Project Settings option in Project Menu
• Can now adjust the height and width of a project working area to any size (big or small) within the Project Settings

There are also some updated examples that show off some of these new features.

And, once again, a big thanks to the community for sending in their feedback and bug reports during beta!

Now that version 1.1 is out, the attention is turned to version 2.0 (which will also be a free upgrade) and bringing full Adobe Flash/Flex/AIR support (in addition to the existing Python/GTK support).

The 2.0 version of the coolest, 100% visual software development tool on the planet, Illumination Software Creator, has been announced.  (You can read the press release here.)

Okay, I’ll admit it… I’m a tad biased.  But, even if I weren’t, this 2.0 upgrade… great guacamole, Batman.  This is some seriously good stuff.

I’ll cut straight to the big points:

• Now includes a native MacOS X version of Illumination Software Creator itself.  (So now all of our Mac friends can come hang out with us.)
• Full support for building Adobe Flex websites.
• Full support for building Adobe AIR desktop applications.
• 2.0 will be a free upgrade to everyone who has purchased, or will purchase, Illumination 1.0.
• Public Beta for 2.0 will be available in the coming days and will be announced here and on the official support forum.

This is where things start to get really cool.

So now you can build your own software.  Completely visually, without writing a single line of code (you don’t even need to have any programming experience to dive right in).

And then you can run that software on:

• Linux, Windows or Mac Desktops using either Python or Adobe AIR (take your pick!)
• On your Nokia Tablet using Python
• On your website using Adobe Flex
• Or on any device where Flash is supported

If that’s not awesome, I don’t know what is.  We’re talking “T-Rex with a jet pack and lasers” kind of awesome here.

You can check out version 1.0 (for Linux and Windows).  Take part in the Beta over at the Support Forum (the Beta for version 1.1 is set to wrap up in the next few days, after which “2.0 Beta 1″ will be made available).

And, of course, you can buy a license over here for $49.  (Which is less than the cost of most video games.  Or as someone, somewhere, probably has said, “Why I do declare!  That’s a super dandy deal!” … We don’t hear the phrase “super dandy” enough…)

The third Beta, of the 1.1 release, of the coolest visual software development tool this side of Jupiter has landed!

What’s new in this release, you ask?  So, very much.

• A new “Text File” variable type.
• New block: “Open Text File Dialog”
• New block: “Save Text File Dialog”
• New block: “Read All Text From File”
• New block: “Save All Text To File”
• As well as two blocks to Get and Set the text in the new multi-line TextField control.
• A new “Color” variable type.  (More on this in the next Beta.)

The net result?  You can now read and write text files, and work with multi-line text, within Illumination.

Just to help you get started I’ve put together a (very, very simple) Text Editor example project.  That screenshot on the right is the project itself.  It’s a thing of beauty.  With only adding 7 blocks to a brand new project, you can have a, fully functional, text editor that can save and load text files.  Absolutely glorious.

Downloads:

• 1.1 Beta 3 for Linux
• 1.1 Beta 3 for Windows
• Text Editor example project

All the cool kids are hanging out over at the Illumination Software Creator official support forums.  That’s the place to provide feedback and get help from the community.

On a related note: We’ve added bulk discounts to Illumination purchases.  Go to the Radical Breeze Online Store, enter the number if Illumination licenses you need and, presto, the discounts will be automatically applied.  (Purchases of more than 15 copies get a 35% discount, etc.)

(And, of course, if you only need one copy of Illumination… that’s okay too. )