Dear Friends of 3DE!

today we published the first beta version of a new 3DEqualizer major release (R6). Since there have been a number of smaller feature requests sitting there for some time now, we decided to split the development in two parts. With r6b1, we are concentrating on several different areas, such as improved pipeline integration, streamlining the UI, more options for importing/exporting external data, etc.

Some highlights are:

• a native distortion export for Flame which makes use of GPU shaders
• a Python GUI Editor
• import & export of Alembic files
• a new, anamorphic distortion model for addressing rescaling problems
• import of stMap distortion files
• greatly improved image buffer memory management
• SXR image files support

We made a little video which shows a collection of these new features in action: Featurette Release 6 beta 1

The upcoming second part of R6's development cycle will concentrate on less, but more sophisticated features! So, stay tuned and in the meantime check out the changelog below...

Cheers, Rolf

r6b1

• added new script "Align Point to Ref. Pattern"
• added a new script for exporting distortion to Flame
• added a new script for importing "undistort stMaps" and converting them to a matrix
• added new python commands for retrieving specific pixel information of a given image file
• added new python commands for reading and writing 3DE's preferences
• added a new, interactive script for importing alembic files
• added a new script for exporting an alembic file
• added new functions for extracting 3D survey coordinates from lines and polygons of 3D models (F6)
• added a new display option to lineup controls for hiding all 2D tracking points no matter what
• improved the rendering of dense points clouds (F6, z buffer)
• improved line rendering performance up to 300%
• added a "FOV crop mask" feature to F1, F2 and F5
• added a script which allows to define "FVO crop mask"
• added actual point colors to points object being displayed in the object browser
• object browser now allows to rearrange the order of 3D models (RMB)
• added little dots to the 2D tracking curves (F2)
• significantly improved performance of 3DE's timeline editor (reference frames, many points)
• added features for rotating the overlay grid (F2)
• added a new "foreground rendering" feature to overview controls
• improved script "Save out Rendered Frames" now allowing to define a number of different rendering modes
• added a python command for setting various rendering modes used by command "saveRenderCacheFrame()"
• added a new mode to prefs which forces 3DE not to import any compressed buffers into memory (instead always loading those from file)
• improved the speed for importing .obj file by nearly 50%
• added a new option to script "Object PGroup Z Distance Tool" which allows to set a tracking point as pivot
• added a requester which asks for permission to import any "reference only" 3D models (open project)
• 3DE now deletes deviation curves of disabled points (calc all from scratch)
• added script "Calc Lens Distortion Overscan Bounding Box"
• added script "Insert Track" (many thanks to Wolfgang!)
• added new python commands for supporting hierarchies of list widget
• added an option to 3D area widget which allows to catch raw mouse events
• added a new distortion model "3DE4 Anamorphic - Rescaled Degree 4"
• added a GUI editor for python scripts
• added some minor improvements to script "export maya" (v2.6)
• added a few python commands for reading and writing openexr camera attributes
• fixed a bug which caused curve editor to "generate" new keyframes (object point groups, global space option enabled)
• added new python commands for manipulating a scene node's selection state
• added a new python command for saving out a screen capture of the main window
• added a new python command for setting the selection state of a curve key
• added a new camera attribute for importing openEXR data- or display window
• added a new camera attribute for importing the left or right eye of openEXR files (sxr "extension")
• added display/data window, sxr support to warp4 (v1.6b1)
• added a "-scale" command line option to warp4
• added a "-sxr_import_right_eye" command line option to warp4
• added a new option to 3DE's "Nudge Tool" (frame toggle - explicit frame)
• added a feature to parameter adjustment window which forces 3DE to display samples with a deviation greater than 10 pixel
• 3DE now automatically adds a scrollbar to "docked' python panels
• improved font rendering performance by up to 50%
• added a progress requester to script "Reload 3D Models"
• improved stability of 3DE's license server software "flcd4" (v2.1b1)
• fixed an annoying bug which caused the system ID of a machine to change on a regular basis (Windows only)
• fixed an update problem when importing footage through python (setCameraSequenceAttr() command)
• fixed a problem were zoom curves became unintendedly replaced (calc zoom curve, frame range calculation)
• fixed a bug which caused 3DE to crash when loading a project (rare)
• fixed a bug which caused 3DE to crash during parameter adjustment procedure (windows, many to-be-adjusted parameters)
• fixed a large number of calculation core related bugs
• fixed a bug which caused 3DE to partially create flatlines in their 3D pos/rot curves (segments with low number of points)
• improved performance of parameter adjustment window (cancel complex adjustment procedure)
• fixed a bug which caused 3DE's solver to cancel a calculation (10000+ frames)
• improved performance of 3DE's network calculation feature (rare, small projects)
• fixed a bug which caused 3DE to crash when generating a UV texture map (sync/mocap)
• fixed a bug which caused 3DE to crash (calc all from scratch, mocap, extract overall motion manually)
• fixed a bug which caused 3DE's solver to mix up zoom values and fixed focal length (dynamic distortion)
• fixed a bug which caused script "triangulate points" to create "bad" point positions (rare, v1.2)
• improved script "export fast buffer compression file" (thanks to Unai)