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Version 5.0.2 - September 29, 2006 - This is a modification to the installation process. This version is more robust to varying Microsoft OS versions and Service Pack levels. If you dowloaded version 5.0.0, and had an installation error, use this new version. (The StackView application has not changed from v5.0.0, just the installation script.)

Version 5.0.0 - September 25, 2006 - This is a major upgrade to StackView  This new version includes the following changes:

  1. A major new feature is the ability to create separate Piles of cards.  There is complete control for how the Piles are created.  Once Piles are created, there are many Events that you can execute with the Piles.
  2. In the Deck window, the position values of the cards are shown just below each card (in a gray color).  The stack values are shown just above each card (in black).  Any combination of these indicators can be turned on or off.  In addition, you can specify that the position values count from the back of the deck or from the face of the deck.
  3. StackView now allows you to reverse cards in the deck.  Just about every Event in StackView now has some degree of control to reverse one or more cards in the deck.  When a card is reversed, its back design is shown.  On the Tools menu is a new Set Back Design dialog box which provides you many current and historical brands to choose from.
  4. Double-clicking on the face of any card in the Deck window will reverse that card in the deck.  If you are recording a Session, a ReverseCard(X) Event for that specific card will be recorded; in this case, the “X” will be the name of the card.  At playback of the Session Event, that specific card will become reversed, regardless of where it is in the deck. If you double-click on any of the Position Value indicators, the card at that position will become reversed.  While the effect of double-clicking on the card face or the Position Value is the same, the difference is in what is recorded in Sessions.  If you double-click on the Position value while recording a Session, whatever card is at that specific position will be reversed at playback.  The recorded Event will be ReverseCard(X), where “X” will be a numerical Position Value.  The ReverseCard Event does not work while viewing a Poker Deal.
  5. In previous versions of StackView, the word “reverse” was used to perform an Event backwards.  For example, if you did a Faro shuffle followed by a Reverse Faro shuffle, the deck would be back to its starting order.  In the current version of StackView, the work “reverse” now is associated with a card that has been turned over (reversed) in the deck.  The new word for reversing Events is “inverse.”  Now, doing an Inverse Faro after a regular Faro will return the deck back to its starting order.
  6. In the Poker Deal, you can now deal up to 10 hands.  While the Deck window is displaying the poker hands, you can double-click on any card in play, and StackView will discard that specific card.  It will be replaced with the next card from the remaining talon.  The discarded card is replaced to the bottom of the remaining talon.  If you double click on a card’s Position Value, the card at that specific position will be discarded. The discard specification of double-clicking on either the card face or its position allows for more precise control when recording StackView Sessions. The discard feature will help the curious explore and develop rich poker routines.
  7. The Ireland Stack has been added to the standard list of stacks in the drop-down listbox.
  8. In the StackView Test module, you can use Mnemonic hints to help you learn your stack.  The Aronson mnemonic pairings are the default set.  However, you can customize your own set and save it for use by StackView.
  9. There is a new Advanced Test module that will be of significant value in gaining full control of your stack.  (My strong advice is that you do not use the timer when you are first using this tool.)
  10. Martin Joyal has provided kind permission for me to include his ShuffleMeter deck analysis tool.  For more information on the ShuffleMeter, see his book The Six-Hour Memorized Deck, Appendix B.
  11. In the StackView Control window, on the Control tab, there is a new button called “Refresh Deck View.”  This button will force the Deck window to be displayed in the standard view if you currently have Poker Hands or Piles showing.  If Poker Hands are showing, it is equivalent to assembling the poker hands with the “Assemble Poker Deal Backwards” Event.  If Piles are showing, the Refresh Deck View button will re-stack the piles in order, so that Pile 1 is at the top of the deck, and the last Pile is at the bottom.
  12. StackView has traditionally shown the deck faces without regard to what might actually being done with the cards.  StackView now handles this situation by assuming that the cards are spread face down on the table.  The standard view now assumes that you are looking at the card faces from the bottom and through the table surface.  A new feature now allows you to toggle your view of the cards to look at the cards also from the top of the table.  Since cards can now be reversed in the deck, and there is more flexibility with Piles, it became important to be able to look at the deck from both sides.  The directional view feature is available in the StackView Control and Piles Control windows, but not for Poker Deals.
  13. In the Deck window, if you hover your mouse arrow over any face down card with your mouse, a small “tool tip” image will appear to show you what the card is.
  14. On the Selections tab of the StackView Control window, there is a new button that will reverse all of the currently selected cards.
  15. As a new card selection Event, you are now able to Swap two cards in the deck under a multitude of procedural controls.  For example, you can Swap different colors, same suits, etc.
  16. In the Piles Control window, there is an option in the Riffle Shuffle Event that allows you to visually explore the Gilbreath Principle.
  17. In the Piles Control window, you can now fully explore the impact of the Australian Deal with many new customization control parameters.
  18. In the Piles Control window, you can also explore Elmsley and Jordan counts, and their affects.
  19. Your saved Session files are now macros that can be called from other Session files.  This allows a sequence of Events to be referred to by a single macro Event that can be used in other Sessions.
  20.  The Custom Deck module has been moved from the StackView Control window (as a tab) to its own window.  It can be accessed from the Tools menu.  A new feature of the Custom Deck window is more visual clarity of whether your custom deck is retaining the stack values of the original deck from the Deck Window.
  21. A complete User Guide has been written.

Version 4.0.0 - November 11, 2003 - Continuing to push the peanut.  This new version includes the following changes:

  1. You can now search for sequences of manipulations to get from one known deck order to another.
  2. There is a new "Shift Top Block" command in the control section.
  3. There is a new "Move Card" command in the control section.
  4. New options and functionality with Faro shuffles.
  5. Significant new options and control of "StackView Test."
  6. You can view any special StackView file with a View menu command.
  7. Added the "New Deck (Fournier)" selection in the standard deck listbox.
  8. Updated Help file and miscellaneous errata corrections.

Version 3.0.0 - September 3, 2003 - This was another significant increment.  This new version includes the following changes:

  1. You can now record sessions, save them and open them for later use.
  2. You can print any of the window images.
  3. There is a full featured quizzer called "StackView Test."
  4. There is more control and flexibility available in the "Custom Deck" section.
  5. Saved stack files (.svf) now retain the stack position values in addition to the card values.
  6. There is a "Run Single Cards" command in the control section.
  7. There is a "Reset Deck" command to return the current stack to its original order.
  8. There are now "Reassemble Poker Deal" options to choose from.
  9. Updated Help file and errata corrections.

Version 2.0.1 - August 8, 2003 - Minor bug fixes and Help file errata corrections

Version 2.0.0 - August 2, 2003 - This was a significant increment.  This new version includes the following changes:

  1. You can now save and open stack files.
  2. You can save a stack as the default file to open automatically.
  3. You can create your own custom stacks interactively.
  4. You can explore creating variations of the Stanyon stack interactively.
  5. A complete Help file has been added.

Version 1.0.1 - July 17, 2003 - The Osterlind Breakthrough Card System by Richard Osterlind was added.

Version 1.0.0 - June 12, 2003 - The originally released version of StackView.  This version contained the following stacks: Aronson, Eight Kings, Joyal (CHaSeD), Joyal (SHoCkeD), New Deck (Bicycle), Nikola, Si Stebbins (3), Si Stebbins (4), Stanyon, and Tamariz.