Pre-release testing installation to Program Files and Standalone builds

Release Notes 4.0.4

Another preview release of TiXL focused on stability.

Feature Highlights

• Rewrote the compilation of projects and assemblies. This should fix custom UI for most operators.
• Added rotate and scale gizmos.
• Improved editing with time clips (see Documentation).
• Added horizontal snapping of operators to improve connection layout.
• Added keybinding editor (♥ @newemka).

Fixes

• Fixed crash when deleting snapped operators.

Timeline Editor

• Time clips can be split with Ctrl+X.
• After splitting, clips are automatically reconnected.
• Improved dragging and snapping interaction.
• Improved layout of the context menu.
• New: Edit Clip Times editor.
• Time clip changes can be undone.

UI Fixes

• Improved memory performance (♥ @mrvux).
• Improved UI scaling in the graph toolbar (♥ @newemka).
• Added [VideoClip] proof-of-concept.

New Operators and Improvements

• Renamed [SetCommandTime] → [SetTime].
• Fixed [Counter].WasStep output with multiple connections.

SDF, Fields, and Raymarching

• New [OctahedronSDF] (♥ @newemka).
• New [PyramidSDF] (♥ @newemka).
• Breaking: Changed behavior of [FieldDistanceForce].

Release Notes 4.0.3

Another preview release of TiXL that comes with a lot of improvements and new features.

Feature Highlights

• Based on the support from @banidu, @nr4, @Messy, and @yoda, we implemented and tested how to control stage lights via Art-Net/DMX with TiXL. This allows you to combine visuals with tightly synchronized and controlled stage light effects.

• In live performance mode, TiXL uses advanced audio analysis to follow the current music tempo and automatically adjust phase and BPM to stay in sync.

• Added scale gizmo to most operators.

Mag Graph Interface

• Improved visibility of snapped connection arrows.
• Horizontal snapping when dragging operators to avoid overlapping connections.
• Operators can be added by clicking on vertical inputs. Improved insertion between vertically snapped operators.
• Improved dragging and snapping of annotations (♥ @newemka).
• Slightly tweaked output picking (now also works with click).
• Mag Graph now supports focus mode interaction.
• Output nodes rendered with their type and additional styling.
• Input nodes are highlighted if updated (i.e., prevent caching).
• Added right padding in operators with custom UI to avoid interfering with additional output indicators.
• Prevent background dragging while adjusting infinity slider position.
• Fixed editing of embedded gradient sliders.

Parameter window

• FloatLists can now be edited in the parameter window and reordered by dragging indices.
• Parameter names with PascalCase are shown as separate words (can be toggled in Settings).
• Bypass buttons are disabled if not available.
• Optional parameter edit smoothing (see Settings) to improve live performances.
• Multiline string input fields grow with content.
• User settings for connection style (♥ @newemka).

UI Improvements

• Added FloatList and IntList output styles with new grid view.

• Prompt before exiting the editor.

• Link to releases in the Help menu.

• Improved image sequence rendering and screenshot support (♥ @newemka).

• Show elapsed compilation time in the console (♥ @newemka / @mrvux).

• Option to disable keyboard shortcuts (useful for live performances).

• Increased resolution of sample images.

• Fixed Shake disconnect on high frame rate displays.

Even More...

• Parameters can be excluded from presets.
• Strings can be part of presets.
• Added monospaced font (for multiline text).
• Increased minimum canvas scale factor for greater zoom-out.
• Show custom titles of symbols in pinned view (♥ @nikki).

UI Fixes

• Fixed unintended creation of connections while dragging operators.
• Fixed item hovering and clicking of animated properties in the dope sheet to center the animated operator.
• Fixed theme dropdown (♥ @newemka).
• Fixed issues related to modifying certain numbers.
• Fixed value output graph scaling with UI scaling.
• Fixed Undo/Redo of transform gizmo actions.
• Editor now ignores mouse if it's on the output window (♥ @newemka).
• Fixed crash when connecting from the parameter window.
• SpaceMouse can control locked camera without output window focus.
• Fixed camera interaction with keyboard while holding the left mouse button.
• Fixed preset thumbnail rendering.
• Canvas grid color uses theme color (♥ @newemka).
• Fixed potential exception when curves were modified while saving (also cleaned up curve code).
• Screenshot button now displays the save location.

New Operators and Improvements

• Almost all operators now have documentation (♥♥♥ @1x-vision).
• Added [Spout] support (♥♥♥ @nikki).
• Fixed spelling mistakes in all operator documentation.

⚠ Breaking Changes

• Removed [DepthOfField] command input.
• [TorusSDF] uses separate parameters for radii.
• Replaced [RepeatWithMirror] with [RepeatAxis] and a mirror parameter.

SDF, Fields, and Raymarching...

• New [CustomSDF] for live coding and converting shaders, with many effects.
• New [PlaneSDF].
• New [MovePointsToSDF], a versatile point modifier.
• New [FieldToImage] to convert a 3D field slice into a texture.
• New [Image2dSDF] for using 2D textures to create SDFs.
• New [RotateAxis] to improve performance.
• Added [VisualizeFieldDistance] transform gizmo.
• Refactored and cleaned up [TwistField].
• Added uniform scale to [BoxSDF].
• Added mirror parameter to [PolarRepeatSDF] (reduces artifacts and looks nice).
• Fixed [TorusSDF] axis update issue.
• Fixed [RaymarchField] behavior inside scaled transforms.
• [RaymarchField] now respects group color overrides.

More

• New [AnimInt] to switch random seeds on beat.
• New [ParticleSystem] Update trigger to freeze simulations.
• New [Dot] and [Cross] product ops (♥ Martin K).
• New [HSE] (Hue, Saturation, Exposure).
• Added TextureFormat parameters to [LinearGradient], [RadialGradient], and [FractalNoise].
• Added amount parameter to [VolumeForce].
• [SetEnvironment] now implements proper caching and auto-converts to cubemap if needed.

New Examples

• [TorusMeshExample]
• [PointTrailExample]
• [SimForceOffsetExample]
• [MoveToSDFExample]
• [EaseExample]
• [PointsToArtNetLightsExample]
• [Image2dSDFExample]
• Improved [SimForceOffsetExample]
• Updated [CombineSDFExample]
• Updated [DrawBillboardExample]

Fixes

• Fixed pixel glitches with [LinearGradient] and [RadialGradient] in ping-pong repeat mode (♥ @newemka).
• Improved [Distort] image parameters and options.
• Improved [GetPointLightOcclusion] parameters.
• Fixed [DrawMeshAtPoints] AlphaCutOff.
• Fixed [RepeatMeshAtPoints].
• Fixed [LinePoints] Twist parameter.
• Fixed [NumberPattern] (♥ @newemka).
• Fine-tuned AudioReaction parameter ranges (♥ @sense).
• Fixed [IntsToBuffer] caching issue.
• Clarified undefined [MidiInput] device names until configured.
• Fixed caching for [PointsOnMesh].
• Refactored [GetTextureSize] to return IsCubeMap.
• Fixed [SpreadLayout] with a single child.
• Fixed [SelectPointsWithField].
• Fixed [SequenceAnim] triggering with multiple connected ops.
• Fixed [LoadObj] status icon messages.

Performance Improvements

• TextureReadAccess now buffered to avoid frame drops.
• Audio analysis now applied directly after receiving the audio buffer, improving latency slightly.
• Fixed JSON document exporter.
• Added typeless support for Output (♥ @mrvux).
• Fixed null reference due to incorrect build version (♥ @mrvux).
• Fixed GPU memory leak in the editor (♥ @mrvux).
• Backup and restore tessellation and geometry shader stages during UI drawing (♥ @mrvux).
• Added option to disable DirectX debug mode for the device (♥ @mrvux).

Another preview release that should address a lot of issues of v4.0.1

Release video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7L7h3EXdF34

Updates Since v4.0.1

🧠 Improvements

• Better layout in Help → About dialog
• Early support for automatically detecting and using dedicated graphics cards
• [RemapUi] can now be dragged to adjust bias and gain
• Vec2 parameter controls now support undo/redo
• [MagGraph] now supports Focus Mode (F12)
• [MagGraph] now supports parameter popups
• Most "Tooll" references updated to TiXL

🧩 MagGraph Improvements

• Fix: dragging an op from horizontal snaps no longer breaks connections
• Split horizontal connections at drag position
• Improved collapsing of horizontal stacks after ungroup
• Snapped connections to additional inputs can now be split
• Correctly collapse disconnected input lines
• Connected inputs can now be replaced via snapped connection line

🆕 New Operators

• [GetScreenPos] — helps with 2D annotations (check out the example!)
• [TwistField] — a new field operator
• [ScreenCloseUp] — a post-effect simulating content shown on a digital screen

🛠 Fixes

• Fixed: hovering/updating Presets and Snapshots caused unwanted operator changes
• Prevented project creation with duplicate names
• Fixed: bypassed operators remained active after reload; bypassing again broke their update
• Fixed: interaction issues with [AnimVec2] and [AnimVec3] in the graph
• Fixed: symbols with only one child couldn’t be opened
• Fixed: connecting input-output sockets in some cases led to crashes
• Fixed: inserting invalid ops between vertically snapped ops caused crashes
• Prevented camera movement via keyboard while editing input fields
• Fixed stride size handling for [CombineMeshes]
• Fixed: [PlayVideo] now correctly picks local .mp4 files and handles nullables more cleanly

Another preview release that should address a lot of issues of v4.0.0

Release video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7L7h3EXdF34

An early pre-release for TiXL.

This is a preview release. Consider it an experimental nightly build.

The purpose of this release series is to identify and address compatibility issues across various systems and to give the community a sense of what's coming in the next major version.

Do not use this productively! Expect breaking changes in the format, meaning projects created with this version might not be loadable in future releases.

The installer should install all dependencies.

First Steps (These may change in the near future)

1. Run Editor.exe.
2. Click the + to create a new project.

You might want to use Windows -> Settings to change the Graph style to Legacy.

Please Help

Report all issues on Discord in the #dev-main channel.

This is a preview release. Consider it an experimental nightly build.

The purpose of this release series is to identify and address compatibility issues across various systems and to give the community a sense of what's coming in the next major version.

Do not use this productively! Expect breaking changes in the format, meaning projects created with this version might not be loadable in future releases.

The installer should install all dependencies.

First Steps (These may change in the near future)

1. Run Editor.exe.
2. Click the + to create a new project.

You might want to use Windows -> Settings to change the Graph style to Legacy.

Please Help

Report all issues on Discord in the #dev-main channel.

This is a very early preview release with many known critical issues. Consider it an experimental nightly build.

The purpose of this release series is to identify and address compatibility issues across various systems and to give the community a sense of what's coming in the next major version.

Do not use this productively! Expect breaking changes in the format, meaning projects created with this version might not be loadable in future releases.

The installer should install all dependencies.

First Steps (These may change in the near future)

1. Run Editor.exe.
2. Click the + to create a new project.

You might want to use Windows -> Settings to change the Graph style to Legacy.

Please Help

Report all issues on Discord in the #dev-main channel.

This is a very early preview release with many known critical issues. Consider it an experimental nightly build.

The purpose of this release series is to identify and address compatibility issues across various systems and to give the community a sense of what's coming in the next major version.

Do not use this productively! Expect breaking changes in the format, meaning projects created with this version might not be loadable in future releases.

The installer should install all dependencies.

First Steps (These may change in the near future)

1. Run Editor.exe.
2. Click the + to create a new project.

You might want to use Windows -> Settings to change the Graph style to Legacy.

Please Help

Report all issues on Discord in the #dev-main channel.