The latest version of the Godot game engine, 4.5, has arrived with an impressive arsenal of features and improvements that promise to optimize the development experience. From advanced support for visual effects to enhancements in accessibility and performance, this update aims to cater to the needs of both new and experienced developers. Below are some of the most significant improvements in this version.
Support for Stencil Buffer
One of the standout innovations in Godot 4.5 is the introduction of support for stencil buffers, which provides new visual possibilities in creating effects. With this feature, developers can visually "punch" a wall to observe the player on the other side. By encapsulating the shape of the character in an invisible sphere and writing its geometry to the stencil buffer, shaders on the wall can be made to render only when the target pixel is not covered. This advancement allows for much more sophisticated control over rendering, similar to the depth buffer but with more flexibility.
Integration of Screen Reader Support
The new support for screen readers is essential to ensure that the software is accessible to people with visual disabilities. Through AccessKit, Godot has integrated this functionality into Control nodes, allowing customization of the behavior of any type of node to be compatible with screen readers. It is important to note that this feature is still in its experimental phase and currently only applies to the Project Manager and some standard UI nodes.
Script Backtrace Tracing and Custom Loggers
With the new backtrace tracing, developers can pinpoint exactly where errors occur in the code, even in "Release" builds. Additionally, custom loggers make it easier to intercept messages and errors, enabling both developers and players to report problems with more precise information about their origins.
Shader Baking
This functionality addresses one of the common issues faced by players: waiting times for shader compilation. Although compilation in the pipeline is still necessary, Godot now allows precompilation of shaders ahead of time, drastically reducing load times when launching the game. In recent tests, using the shader baker on Apple and Windows devices reported a decrease of up to 20 times in load times.
Translation Preview for Internationalization
Godot 4.5 introduces a tool that allows developers to preview translations directly from the editor's viewport. This improvement facilitates the testing of graphical interfaces in multiple languages, helping to validate how new UIs behave in different languages such as French, simplified Chinese, and Hindi.
Merging the 2D Collision Map System
The restructuring of the collision map system expands the physics of a single body per tile to a merging of collision shapes in larger areas. This optimizes performance in 2D scenes that depend on physical interactions.
New Enhancements in Resource Duplication
The new deep duplication functions offer more precise control over what is duplicated in data structures such as arrays and dictionaries. Previously, the Resource.duplicate() function did not produce consistent results, but now the new selections allow for more effective management of duplicates.
Improvements in Build Customization
Since version 4.0.1, users have been able to access engine build configuration through the "Customize Engine Settings" option. Godot 4.5 expands these capabilities by detecting not only classes but also setting correct build options based on the GDExtension extensions used in the project.
In-Game Mute Functionality
The new option to mute the game in the editor view allows developers to quickly disable audio without having to cut the speakers entirely.
Grouping Remote Nodes
Developers can now select multiple remote nodes at runtime. This feature enhances accessibility and allows the editing of common properties across multiple nodes at the same time.
Ability to Change Editor Language on the Fly
It is no longer necessary to restart the editor to change its language. This option is especially useful for plugin developers testing their translations.
Toggleable Inspector Sections
The user experience in the inspector has been enhanced, allowing sections to be activated or deactivated in an intuitive way, making developers' work easier.
New Improvements in Script Editing
The addition of a variable type selector when exporting Variant type variables makes it easier for developers to assign any compatible value. Additionally, a color selector has been added to allow for more convenient editing of color values.
Updates in Signal Management
The "Append Source" option in advanced settings when connecting signals makes it easier to manage them, improving code reuse and simplifying the debugging process.
UI Improvements and Optimization
Performance on high-definition displays has significantly improved, thanks to a reoptimization in rendering editor elements. In addition, the FoldableContainer node has been incorporated to provide a more organized and accessible view of extensive details in the user interface.
New Possibilities for Players and Game Developers
Godot 4.5 presents significant updates in support for Android, including the ability to connect imaging devices, a dedicated navigation system for 2D, and loading .NET assemblies directly from APKs. Additionally, support for D3D12 in OpenXR allows for the development of more intuitive applications for virtual reality environments.
The addition of these functionalities and improvements in Godot 4.5 positions the engine as an even more powerful and flexible tool for developers of all skill levels.
For other interesting developments and articles, feel free to keep exploring more on the blog.
