API Migration

• Added a new Signal class.
• Added a set of new FMOD classes.
• Added a new LandscapeMapFileCompression class.
• Added a new CigiEnvironmentPolygonControl class.
• Added a new MeteoCameraEffects class.
• Added a new WeatherLayer class.
• Added a new WeatherLayerCloud class.
• Added a new WeatherLayerPrecipitation class.

The get_version() method previously returned the Engine's version (UNIGINE_VERSION) and compilation flags for which the plugin was built. It was renamed to getCompilationFlags() because now it returns only the compilation flags.

plugin->get_version();

plugin->getCompilationFlags();

New Functions

The new set of methods allows users to set the custom icon for the final application. Specify the path to the icon as an argument of the setWindowIconPath() method.

New Functions

getBuildConfig() used to return the build configuration along with the precision type of the Engine. This method has been removed. Use the getBuildConfiguration() and getPrecision() methods to replace it.

Unigine::EnginePtr engine(UNIGINE_VERSION, argc, argv);
const char *build_config = engine->getBuildConfig();

Unigine::EnginePtr engine(argc, argv);

Unigine::Engine::BUILD_CONFIG build_config = Unigine::Engine::getBuildConfiguration();
Unigine::Engine::PRECISION precision = Unigine::Engine::getPrecision();

The version number has been removed from the arguments list of Engine::Init() methods. Delete the first argument to initialize the Engine properly. The new InitParameters structure has been introduced to provide the way to set the following application parameters:

• window_title — the title of the window.
• window_icon_path — the path to the window icon.
• app_path — path to a directory where binary executable file is stored.
• home_path — path to the user's home directory.
• project — project name.
  Notice

  If the project name parameter is set, it forces the engine to store rewritable data (such as log file, cache files, config files) in the user profile rather than in a directory with binaries.
• password — password for the filesystem archives.
• app — an instance of the CustomApp class.

Unigine::EnginePtr engine(UNIGINE_VERSION, "Custom Window Title", argc, argv);

Unigine::Engine::InitParameters init_parameters;

init_parameters.window_title = "Custom Window Title";

Unigine::EnginePtr engine(init_parameters, argc, argv);

Set of arguments changed#

const char* features = Unigine::Engine::getFeatures();
Unigine::Log::message(features);

The Engine’s mathematical library (MathLib) has been divided into two separate implementations for C++ and C# APIs to make it more efficient and faster. This along with bug fixes leads to some discrepancies in the libraries’ features.

C++ MathLib Improvements#

Unigine::BoundBox bb = Unigine::BoundBox();
	
const Unigine::Math::vec3 min = bb.getMin();
const Unigine::Math::vec3 max = bb.getMax();

Unigine::Math::BoundBox bb = Unigine::Math::BoundBox();

Unigine::Math::vec3 min = bb.minimum;
Unigine::Math::vec3 max = bb.maximum;

C# MathLib Improvements#

New Conversion Methods#

float a = dtof(b);

float a = Unigine::Math::toFloat(b);

Global Constants Changed#

Material description file formats no longer contains the material name. To migrate your materials, delete the name from the material file.

<base_material name=”drawing”>

<base_material>

The material management is now implemented via GUID or material file path:

// find the mesh_base material
MaterialPtr mesh_base = Materials::findMaterial("mesh_base");
 
// inherit a new material from it and assign the path to asset to be created on save() call in the data project folder
MaterialPtr my_mesh_base= mesh_base->inherit("my_mesh_base", "my_mesh_base.mat");
 
// save the material asset to the path specified earlier
my_mesh_base->save();
 
// set the created material to the static mesh by name
ObjectMeshStaticPtr material_ball = checked_ptr_cast<ObjectMeshStatic>(World::getNodeByName("material_ball"));
material_ball->setMaterial("my_mesh_base","*");

// find the mesh_base material
MaterialPtr mesh_base = Materials::findManualMaterial("Unigine::mesh_base");
 
// inherit a new material from it
MaterialPtr my_mesh_base = mesh_base->inherit();
 
// save the material asset to the specified path 
my_mesh_base->createMaterialFile("materials/my_mesh_base.mat");
 
// set the created material to the static mesh by path
ObjectMeshStaticPtr material_ball = checked_ptr_cast<ObjectMeshStatic>(World::getNodeByName("material_ball"));
material_ball->setMaterialPath("materials/my_mesh_base.mat", 0);

Materials can now be separated into different namespaces to avoid engine and user materials name collision. Default engine and editor materials have got their own namespaces (Unigine and Editor respectively). The Material::getNamespaceName() method returns the namespace of a material, if it was assigned to one.

The names can now only be used to access manual materials via Material::getManualName(). The name comes from a file name. If the manual material is defined in a namespace, it must be specified before the name: Namespace::FileName.

All GUIDs for base and preset materials have been changed. Auto migration is supported for non-manual materials. To migrate a manual material that derives from a default base or preset one (stored in the core folder), specify the required namespace before the name of a base material.

<material base_material="mesh_base" editable="0" manual="1">
</material>

<material base_material="Unigine::mesh_base" editable="0" manual="1">
</material>

Any runtime material that is not saved on disk is called an internal material. To save it on a disk call Material::createMaterialFile() method and provide a path to save.

Textures now have two sets of flags: sampler and format flags. Sampler flags can be changed dynamically at runtime, when the format flags require texture reinitialization to take effect. Moreover, sampler flags can be changed in the user materials, but the format flags are read-only (editable only for base materials).

When mesh objects are created, they are assigned the mesh_base material by default.

The Time class now has all the methods required to get the current time in different formats. It also has special methods to convert time representations (see MicrosecondsToSeconds() etc).

Timer::getTime();

Time::get();

Timer::getFloatTime();

Time::getSeconds();

The Timer structure is responsible for timer functionality. You can start it and measure the time elapsed between checks (see end(), endSeconds(), endMilliseconds() methods).

We have added a set of new tonemapper modes:

• ACES
• Mix ACES With Reinhard
• Reinhard
• Reinhard Luma-Based

New Functions

To increase the performance in Release applications on Windows the NDEBUG flag has to be turned on, since the Engine’s library has the same flag enabled and they must match. Open your application’s solution in your Visual Studio IDE and add the NDEBUG flag to the list of preprocessor’s definitions (Project Properties -> C/C++ -> Preprocessor -> Preprocessor Definitions).

If the NDEBUG flags in the Engine and in your application do not match you will get the fatal error message at the start of the application.

The Spatial Tree was optimized to increase performance:

• Branches of the spatial tree are now discarded based on the minimum and maximum visibility distance parameter.
• More effective shadow culling based on the visibility distance.
• Shadows and world Intersections are now calculated in parallel.

New Constants

New Functions

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Added Function Overloads

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Added Function Overloads

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New Constants

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New Constants

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New Enums