Godot 4.6 Dev 2 released
The second development snapshot of Godot 4.6 has been released. With over 300 improvements and enhancements, the community is eagerly anticipating the delivery of many long-awaited features in this latest version.
One of the most notable additions is the ability to build the Godot Engine as a library, dubbed LibGodot internally. This feature has been a common request from developers who need to access Godot in an isolated context for certain workflows. Although it's still not a fully-fledged integration, Gergely Kis has made significant progress on this front, allowing users to create a functional baseline for these specialized scenarios.
Another highly anticipated feature is the ObjectDB Profiler tool, contributed by first-time contributor Aleksander Litynski. This powerful tool enables users to take snapshots of the current ObjectDB state during debug sessions and compare them at different points. Users can now easily find or export a diff between states, making it simpler than ever to diagnose and resolve issues.
The mesh simplifier has also received a significant upgrade with the addition of automatic mesh LOD using component pruning. Arseny Kapoulkine's work on this feature enables topologically complex sections of a larger mesh to reach the desired LOD target more easily.
In addition, two popular features from 3D modeling programs have been implemented in Godot: rotation visualization and snapping. Robert Yevdokimov has expanded the 3D Transform gizmo to visualize the current delta angle during rotation operations, while passivestar has integrated orbit snapping functionality into the 3D Viewport.
Another area that has seen significant progress is HDR support. Allen Pestaluky's PR improves visual quality for all users and sets the stage for HDR output support by blending glow before tonemapping for all rendering methods and blend modes, except soft light. Additionally, the default blend mode has been changed from soft light to screen for all renderers.
This update is just a taste of what's new in Godot 4.6 Development Snapshot 2. With so many exciting changes, users are encouraged to check out the interactive changelog for a more thorough dive into the latest features and enhancements. As with any major update, early testing and reporting will be crucial in catching regressions as quickly as possible.
Some other notable improvements include:
- The addition of reserve_exact to CowData and changing the growth factor to 1.5x
- Adding reserve functions to Array, Vector, and String
- Unique Node IDs have been added to support base and instantiated scene refactorings
- Jolt Physics integration is no longer labeled as experimental
- Game speed controls have been added to the embedded game window
- File locations are now displayed with source lines on POT generation
- Errors and warnings in the Output panel can be clicked on to navigate to the corresponding file
These changes, along with many others, demonstrate Godot's commitment to delivering high-quality features and improvements that benefit developers and users alike. As always, feedback and community engagement are crucial to shaping the future of the engine, and we look forward to seeing how these new features will be put to use by the developer community.
Dev snapshot: Godot 4.6 dev 2
Open the floodgates!
