Dear Friends of 3DE!

Today we have released 3DE4 R4b3 - our latest beta software. It provides a number of new features to the world of 3DEqualizer:

Plane- and Line Constraints

Each individual component (position X/Y/Z) of exactly surveyed points can now either be defined by the user or it can be calculated by 3DE. For instance, this can be used to force initially survey free points to stick on the ground (position y = 0.0, plane constraint) or to stick to the vertical edge of a window (position x & z = 0.0, line constraint).

Approximately Surveyed Radius

Every approximately surveyed point now has an additional radius parameter which defines how far away it is allowed to travel from its initial position, during calculation.

Multiple Distance Constraints

Each point group can now contain an unlimited number of distance constraints. In low-parallax, survey free situations this can be used to contract or expand the point cloud, as needed.

Parameter Adjustment via Scripting

We added a set of new python commands for manipulating every possible project attribute during 3DE's parameter adjustment procedure. That means, pretty much everything in 3DE is adjustable from now on... To demonstrate this we added a few scripts for the beginning. There are new scripts for optimizing the translation & orientation of a group of survey points, the secondary zoom curve of a stereo project, the i/o curve of a stereo project, as well as the distance of a single distance constraint. This feature can even be used in connection with 3DE's new network calculation mode!

Long/Lat Conversion

3DE can now handle long/lat sphere maps by converting them into a regular nodal pan image sequence on-the-fly.

Dynamic Distortion Driven by Focal Length & Focus Distance

We added a third dynamic distortion mode which allows to define a 3D surface for each distortion parameter. In addition, there is a new interactive script which allows to view and edit these surfaces.

Over 100 new Python Commands

In comparison to r4b2 we added a large number of new python commands; for accessing much more point- and camera attributes, for creating 3D user interfaces, for "custom" parameter adjustment, for reading metadata of OpenEXR files, and more...

Finally, there is a new video which demonstrates the major new features of Release 4 all together.

Cheers, Rolf

r4b3

• added a new feature for handling multiple distance constraints per point group
• added a new survey point feature which allows to define less than three coordinates (plane/line-constraints)
• added radius parameter which forces 3DE to keep approx. surveyed points within a certain distance to their original position
• added a new near/far-point constraint feature (avoid inverted point clouds)
• added python commands for reading/writing new point constraint attributes
• added a new feature which allows to adjust "custom" project parameters modeled through special python scripts
• added a number of specific python commands for "custom" parameter adjustment
• added a new adjustment script for optimizing the 3D translation and/or orientation of a group of survey points
• added a new adjustment script for optimizing the distance parameter of a distance constraint
• added a new adjustment script for optimizing the scale and/or offset of an existing stereo interocular curve
• added a new adjustment script for optimizing the offset of a secondary stereo camera's zoom curve
• added a new feature to drive dynamic distortion by focal length and focus distance (2D lookup table/2D LUT)
• added a number of new python commands for accessing a lens object's 2D LUT dynamic distortion attributes
• added a new python widget for rendering 3D object trees (3DAreaWidget)
• added a number of new python commands for building up 3D object trees
• added a new, interactive script for editing 2D LUTs
• added a new "re-apply distortion" mode to python command "saveRenderCacheFrame()"
• updated script "save out rendered frames" (v1.4, new option "re-apply distortion")
• added a new (multithreaded) commandline tool for creating 3DE buffer compression files (makeBCFile)
• added a new script for easily running "makeBCFile" directly from 3DE's GUI (thanks to Helder!)
• added a new feature for importing long-lat spheremap files and converting them into regular image sequences on-the-fly (nodal pan)
• added new features to warp4 which allows to define output fileformat options and output scale (v1.4b3)
• added new python command for reading the meta data of openexr files
• added new python command which returns the filepath of the image file of a specific camera/frame
• added a new python timer callback infrastructure
• added a new python command which forces 3DE to flush its GUI event queue
• added a new python command which allows to perform a "new project" action
• added a large number of python commands for accessing all kinds of camera attributes
• added a large number of python commands for accessing all kinds of point attributes
• added new scripts for copy/paste of curve editor curves
• script "export rolling shutter to nuke" now behaves exactly the same as 3DE's buildin "remove RS" functions
• fixed a bug which caused 3DE's "nuke export" script to generate "euler flipping" problems
• added a few new options to 3D orientation controls for disabling the selection of points, 3d models, geo objects and constraints
• 3D orientation controls can now be used in presence of cameras containing no footage
• added a new option to 3D orientation controls which allows to parent the viewport to the current object point group
• read only textfields now allow it to copy its content to the clipboard
• lineup controls' horizon rendering feature now shows some small markings below the horizon line
• added a "remove pose" button to lineup controls
• fixed a bug which caused "posed" reference frames to be displayed incorrectly (lineup controls)
• patched a problem which caused lineup controls' "project points" function not to work correctly (rare, near clipping plane = 0.01)
• fixed a minor rendering bug of option "show 3d points perspectively"
• slightly increased the sensitivity areas of tracking boxes (motiontracking controls)
• fixed a bug which could cause a problem in parameter adjustment window (rare, ignoring new result samples, frame range enabled)
• fixed a bug which could cause function "find badly tracked points" to hang (rare)
• added a cancel button to function "find badly tracked points"
• added new "hidden/visible" filter option to "filter points" requester
• fixed a bug in script "reverse reel in" not working correctly in connection with object point groups
• fixed a problem with 3DE's license server software flcd4 sometimes returning different "system id" values (v1.0b8, windows only)
• fixed a python related problem within 3DE's startup script (thanks to Weta, linux only)
• fixed a bug which caused 3DE's "locked channels" constraint feature not to work correctly in connection with sync'ed cameras
• fixed a bug which caused 3DE not to display "8bit color conversion" changes immediately (rare)
• fixed a bug which caused 3DE to display a gray checkerboard instead of the actual footage in parts of the frame (OSX only)
• fixed a bug which caused 3DE's python command "setCameraPath()" not to initialize some "8bit color conversion" settings properly
• added an additional parameter to python commands set/getLensLDAdjustableParameter() to support 2D LUTs properly 
• fixed a number of calculation core related bugs

r4b2

• fixed a number of bugs which caused many calculation core related problems (stereo & sync)
• improved some aspects of 3DE's calculation requester (clipping planes, button behaviour, etc.)
• added two python commands for converting 3D data to/from object point groups
• updated "import kuper" script, now properly taking care of object pointgroups (v1.4)
• added 12bit dpx support for 3DE and warp4
• improved performance of warp4 under certain conditions (import of .3de file containing links to large objs)
• fixed an update problem with deviation browser (show selected points only option)
• fixed another update problem with deviation browser (python interface)
• fixed a bug which caused python command "filterPGroup()" not to work properly (stereo)
• fixed a bug which caused various lineup controls functions not to work properly (stereo)
• added "key+/" functions to "edit 2D tracks tool" script (v1.4)
• slightly improved the behaviour of autotracking spline masks (now enabled by default)
• added a visibility attribute for geo line objects (python)
• updated script "geo line attributes" (v1.1, "visible" toggle)
• parameter adjustment window now disables more buttons while adjustment procedure is running
• improved the behaviour of script "export 3d models as obj" (v1.5, lines now handled correcty)
• fixed a significant number of calculation core related problems

r4b1

• introduced a new framework for network calculation (parameter adjustment, dynamic curve calculation)
• python command saveRenderCacheFrame() now provides subpixel accuracy (offset_x/y parameters)
• python command saveRenderCacheFrame() now uses a black background
• python command saveRenderCacheFrame() is now about 10% faster
• updated "render out" script taking changes to saveRenderCacheFrame() into account (v1.3)
• added python command saveRenderCacheZBuffer() for saving out depth map image files
• added script "render out depth mpas" (overview controls)
• added an option for defining the line rendering width used by 3DE's overview controls and render output
• added python commands for accessing 3DE's new line rendering width attribute
• added python commands for accessing a project's motionblur samples
• added a number of python commands for accessing 3DE's image controls features
• added a script for animating image controls (motiontracking controls)
• fixed a problem which caused python scripts not being able to modify camera paths properly
• added 2D & 3D point color settings to 3DE's "point defaults" script (v1.1)
• patched an OpenGL performance problem (OSX 10.8 or higher)
• added playback range indicators to deviation browser, curveand timeline editor
• added duplicate lens script (object browser>context menu)
• improved script "import raw lidar scan" (y-up/z-up option, reduce point density option, v1.1)
• disabled 3DE's "auto levels" feature (import float footage, 8 bit color conversion)
• added a new script for modifying a 3D model's pivot point (orientation controls)
• added new frame range options to script "reel in points" (v1.4)
• updated script "create dyn. curve keys" now allowing to choose between focus and focal length (v1.1)
• reduced min. focus limit to 1 cm (calculate dynamic curve requester)
• added a new option to lineup controls which forces 3DE to ignore non "lineup only" points for calculation
• updated script "match frame all" (ignore non "lineup only" points option, v1.1)
• hidden 3D models are now displayed in dark grey (object browser)
• added python commands for accessing a camera's shutter angle
• added a script for reversing the tracking curves of all selected points (motiontracking controls)
• fixed a number of calculation core related bugs