I announced this update for December, then pushed it to the end of February. It's now March, so where is it?
The honest answer: I underestimated the scope of what I wanted to do. What started as a simple update (some refactoring, built-in image optimization, a few minor improvements) turned into a deep dive into the project's foundations. I ended up tackling technical debt and making a meaningful investment in SimPictures' future.
That investment is already paying off. The code is noticeably cleaner and easier to work with, and building new features going forward will be significantly faster because of the work done here.
Why does this matter to you?
- When SimPictures goes open-source, contributing to the codebase will be much more approachable. Cleaner code means a lower barrier for new contributors.
- Future features will arrive faster. Less friction in the code means less time spent untangling things before building something new.
Along with the refactoring, 1.2.2 brings a lot of visible improvements too. The upload form and settings pages have been significantly redesigned. The biggest new feature is built-in image optimization: compressed versions of images will be used when needed, making the site faster especially for lower-end devices or users with slow internet. A new custom watermark positioning tool will let you control the position, size, and opacity of your watermark, or not apply it at all.
SimPictures 1.2.2 will feature improved UI in settings
Upload form has also been updated
A new version of the Guidelines is also in progress. It covers many cases that weren't addressed before, making the standards clearer for both screenshot authors and screeners. Several internal screening and highlighting processes have been rethought as well, which should bring more consistency to decision-making over time.
So when will it be ready?
Honestly, I'm not going to give you another specific date I might not be able to keep. What I can tell you is where things stand right now:
- ✅ Refactoring for this release is complete
- ✅ UI improvements are done across the whole app
- ✅ Built-in image optimization is ready
- 🔧 Custom watermark positioning is in progress
- 🔧 Guidelines and internal process improvements are in progress
Because this update touches so many parts of the app, thorough testing will be needed before release, and that takes time too. My best estimate is still a month or two, but I'd rather be honest with you than hand you another deadline I can't guarantee.
Thank you for using SimPictures!
