Scoop of Oatmeal, March '26

Progress has been sporadic the past few months, but finally getting back into the groove.

Paint a galaxy

The big Paint a Galaxy redesign has been released! This was almost a complete re-write of the web app. The highlights:

• Save/load multiple projects, so you don't need to lose a map to start a new one
• Undo/redo now works for all edit actions, not just painting
• Pan and zoom the map

This also lays the UI and technical foundation for many other requested features. My plan back in December had been to work on Paint a Galaxy for the next month-ish, then go back to StellarMaps. We're well past that, and this project still has my attention. New plan: work on it until I lose interest. I'd like to implement at least the following, with some minor features and usability improvements mixed in:

• Custom names for systems
• Choose where specific players and pre-designed AI empires spawn
• Choose where unique systems spawn
• Configurable grid with snap-to-grid functionality for painting, generating, and tweaking
  • Multiple grid types: square, hex, triangle, radial
• Configurable symmetry tools (both bilateral and radial) for painting, generating, and tweaking