Version 2.1 (messiah:studio) and 5.1 (messiah:animate) contain several new features as well as fixes and modifications.  The list below will fill you in on what's new.

Features & Modifications

KeyCommandManager

Particles

Onionskin

• New Target Types

• • Select Object: choose an object to "onionskin"

  • Select Group: choose a group to "onionskin"

  • Use Item List: current list items will be onionskinned

  • Issue: when selecting a new target type, the interface doesn't update.  Just click on a sub-tab and click back to force the update.  This will be addressed.

• Customize Menu->OnionSkin

• • Use Current Object

  • Note: will select the current object as the target.  The object will be locked to onionskin even if you select another object.  Choose another target to release it.

• Use Current Primary Group

• • Note: will select the current primary group as the target.  The target will be locked to onionskin even if you select another object/group.  Choose another target to release it.

• Use Item List

• • Note: Uses the current items in the main list as the target.

Play-->Animation Preview

• AVI Labeling

• • Label: the desired label to draw in the lower left of the AVI

  • Frame: draw the frame number

  • FPS: draw the fps

  • Time Code: draw the time code

EditSphere CoordSys Alignment

• The Edit Sphere will align to the chosen coordinate system.

• • Issue: Parent coords may provide difficult mouse movements.

• Only the channel group controls will be visible when editing

• A ghost of the original position is left on screen

LMR Mouse Buttons On Minisliders (floats only)

• Using the Left, Middle, & Right mouse buttons gives a greater degree of control.  When using the Control key, the Middle & Right buttons modify the values in smaller increments (respectively).  Without the Control key the values will be modified in larger increments.

TextureMap (messiah:studio)

Gradient & Fresnel (messiah:studio)

ShaderFlow (messiah:studio)

Plug-Ins

Taron has updated several of his plug-ins and added a couple of new ones.

• Ansiotropic (New)

• Basic Shader

• Color Correction

• Doll Eyes 1.2 (Now supports Global Illumination)

• MinMax (Now has "Clamp" and "Smoothstep" per channel)

• TextureDeformer (New -- as seen in the CG Talk threads about the "Neckling")

Functions

• ChainTwist - banks a chain of objects. Can also produce a roll effect

• EffectEnable

• EffectDisable

• EffectIsEnabled

• EffectToggle

Fixes

• No longer crashes when lights reside above lightmasters in the Item List

• Gradient is more stable

• Curve point order no longer shifts when exiting Setup

• Flexmotion and the AlignToCurve funcs now respect the Vector Object

• No longer crashes when adding procedural shaders (via shader channel popup)

• No longer crashes when objects can't be found when loading setup files

• Connection reordering now functions properly

• Floats are converted to/from vectors on node connections

• "Surface" removed from the File->New Item block

•  Metablob now functions properly when using bump.

• Fixed false coloration problem on image control samples when using HDR, OpenEXR, and other high dynamic range images.

API

Features

Modifications

Fixes

   - Choice control now functions properly with fxConParam

Note1: If you recompile old plug-ins with these new headers, you will have to modify your fxInterfaceBlockSet calls in your interface code.

Note2: Use a flag (FX_BLOCKSET_DEFAULT) to set the default block for your interface.

Issue1: the FX_BLOCKSET_DEFAULT flag only works for shader interfaces, but not for effects or tools.  This will be addressed in a later update.