v1.4.0

[1.4.0] Python API enhancements, various usability improvements and bugfixes

Added

• Added better support for feature levels in the GUI application
  • Default feature level for new projects can now be set via the preferences dialog.
  • Added "File/Upgrade Feature Level" submenu to upgrade the currently active project to a higher feature level. This will first save the project. Afterwards it will load the project again while upgrading to the desired feature level.
  • Loading a project which uses an external project with a higher feature level will show a dialog allowing the user to upgrade the feature level of the loaded project to the feature level of the external project.
• Added mesh metadata display for unbaked Meshes, e.g. gltf-extras values (currently string values only)
• Python API improvements
  • Added feature level parameters to functions reset and load.
  • Added keys() member function to objects and properties.
  • Added property access via indexing operator [] for objects and properties.
  • Added hasSubstructure() member function for properties.
  • Added more checking of error conditions.
  • Added getInstanceById(id) function to get a specific instance.
  • Added isRunningInUi() function to query if RaCo is running in gui application.
  • Added minFeatureLevel() and maxFeatureLevel() functions to determine currently supported feature levels.
  • Added isReadOnly(), isExternalReference() and isResource() member functions to objects.
  • Added getPrefab(), getPrefabInstance() and getOuterContainingPrefabInstance() member functions to objects. These return either None or the respective prefab/prefabInstance.
  • Added isReadOnly(), isValidLinkStart() and isValidLinkEnd() member functions for properties.
  • Added getErrors() function to read active errors as a list of ErrorItem.
  • Added metadata() member function to get any mesh metadata for a mesh object.
  • Added raco_gui python module, which is only available when running the composer in the GUI and needs to be imported separately.
  • Added getCurrentSelection() function to the raco_gui module, returning a list of the currently selected editor objects.
  • Added importGLTF(path, parent) to import a whole glTF file into the scene. path can be either relative to <projectFolder>/meshes/ or absolute, parent argument is optional. If not provided, the object will be attached to the scene root.
  • Added -y command line option for both headless and GUI application to set additional python module search paths. Multiple -y options may be specified to add multiple directories. The additional paths are added before the default search path.

Changes

• Made URIs case-sensitive on Windows systems.
• Made Export Dialogue less confusing
  • Removed Export Path Field.
  • Added buttons to select export target files.
  • Export Paths now use relative paths to increase readability.
  • Split the export summary to make it easier to differentiate between Scene Graph items and Resources.
• Errors and Warnings of externally referenced projects are now highlighted in Error View
  • Their visibility can now be toggled on and off.
  • Added a context menu option to directly open the referenced project.
• Changed Python runner in UI from a dialog to a dock with added output functionality.
• Error messages regarding external references now contain more information.
• Object Name tooltips now display the name an object will have after export.
• When importing resources, Git LFS Placeholder files are now detected and yield a helpful error message.
• Retain tree view item name during an in-place edit until user changes it.

Fixes

• Fixed Lua Runtime errors not being displayed within Error View in nested prefabs.
• Realigned LuaInterface color picker/property expansion behavior with LuaScript behavior.
• Fixed Linux linker errors when compiling with a higher gcc version than 7.5 (i.e. gcc-9 in Ubuntu 20.04 or gcc-11 in Ubuntu 22.04).
• Fixed wrong glTF scenegraph getting shown when trying to import scenegraphs from .gltf files that have not been yet used in the project.
• Changed naming of logfiles: create logfile names based on process id and remove the oldest ones based on modification time.
• Added error item for inconsistent blend option settings in Material and private material of Meshnodes.
• Optimize link removal to speed up saving of large projects.
• Fixed a crash when pasting text from the clipboard without having anything selected.
• Fixed preview "best fit" scaling to avoid showing scrollbar for all scene and preview dock size combinations.
• The origin of the displayed coordinates when mousing over the preview dock is now in the lower left.