Now Available: Scratch 1.2.1
A new version of the Scratch software is now available. This is the first release since the public launch of Scratch on May 15, 2007.
This version includes important new features and bug fixes, based on suggestions by Scratch community members. Other suggestions from the community are high on our "wish list" for future releases. Scratch 1.2.1 is also packaged with a brand new set of sample projects, including some projects that were uploaded to the Scratch website by members of the Scratch community.
Download Scratch 1.2.1
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New to Scratch? See support page.
Scratch 1.2.1 Release Notes
Interface Improvements
You can now insert blocks in the middle of a stack.
Project notes now scroll.
The upload dialog now has checkboxes for some common tags.
It is now possible to "unlock" (
> 
) sprites so that they are draggable in presentation mode and in the web player. See more information in the Scratch 1.2 Reference Guide.
New Blocks
Any sprite can find out the properties or variables of other sprites (such as the x position of another sprite):
Control the volume of sounds:
Control tempo (of the "play note" and "play drum" blocks):
Insert a musical rest:
Compute math functions (includes several trigonometric functions):
(Note: The 
block has been removed; the absolute value function is now available in this math function block.)
Find out the number of the current costume or background:
(For example, you can use this to switch to the previous costume with: 
)
The wording of these blocks has changed:
replaces 
replaces 
replaces 
replaces 
Please visit the updated help screens page for further help on these new blocks.
Language Translation
Everyone (not just the MIT team) can now add or edit language translations of Scratch. To change a translation, simply edit the files in the "locale" folder in the "Scratch" folder.
In this release, translations are still limited to the Latin character set. We are working on support for other character sets. We expect to have that support ready by mid-2008.
The entire user interface can now be translated, not just scripts and command blocks. In this release, only a few language translation files include a translation for the entire user interface; we will release more complete translations on the Scratch website as they become available. Please post on the forums or contact the Scratch team if you create a language translation. Instructions for how to add a translation can be found on the Scratch in Many Languages page
Block translations have been added for Catalan, Danish, Finish, Galician, and Norwegian.
Better Media Compression
Sound and image compression are now done automatically when you share your project. This will make it easier to fit projects within the 10 Mb uploading limit, and it will reduce upload time and startup time for projects on the website. (Note: This automatic compression does not affect your local copy of the project, only the uploaded copy.)
Sound Improvements
Scratch now handles the recent extension to the '.aiff' file format, making it easier to import tracks from CDs in Mac OS X.
The note block now has a nifty pop-up keyboard:
and now accept number blocks.
File Security
Under Windows, hidden files and folders do not appear in the Scratch file dialog boxes.
System administrators can now control which drives are visible.
Additional Features
It is now possible to export a screenshot of the scripts in the scripts pane from the right-click menu.
Costumes, Backgrounds, and Sounds are numbered and appear in the block menus in that order.
The storage size is shown for images and sounds (this size reflects any compression in use).
Bugs Fixed
- the paint editor can no longer get dragged off screen so you can't get it back
- dragging a thumbnail from "all sprites" to the script or palette area no longer deletes the sprite
- large numbers no longer overflow & cause the application to crash
- there is no longer an error/crash due to setting a sprite's x or y to infinity
- the random number generator no longer generates the same sequence of numbers every time you start Scratch
- with 1-pixel costume, stamp and touching-color are no longer offset by 1-pixel (in Scratch but not in the web player)
- the talk/think bubbles are no longer covered by other sprites
- when editing text, the backspace and delete keys no longer replace the paste buffer
- very large or small decimal numbers in block arguments no longer become expontential notation which is not read correctly
- the Scratch file dialogs no longer show hidden files and folders
- on MacBooks, Scratch no longer ignores trackpad gestures for right-click and scrolling
- hidden sprites no longer can block clicks on other sprites in presentation mode
- the tempo block monitor now looks global, rather than sprite-specific
- fixed the "change tempo by _" block
- default time for "say" and "think" blocks is now back to 2 seconds
- key names ("space", "left arrow", etc.) now translate correctly
- at startup, sprite and costume names show in the current language
- better image compression for some images
- fixed tooltip message for the sound delete button
- in the Macintosh disk image all Scratch subfolders and files are writable by all
