Updates on Godot 4.5: A Comprehensive Guide
Godot Engine 4.5, the latest iteration of the popular open-source game development software, has been released. This update brings a host of improvements for game design, VFX work, and new platform support.
For developers working with Godot, one of the most significant changes is the ability to preview translations directly within the editor viewport. This feature, along with other workflow improvements, makes the animation editor more efficient.
Godot 4.5 also addresses the needs of animators, introducing new constraints for binding bones to other bones. The introduction of BoneConstraint3D and new modifiers offers more control and flexibility in animation creation.
Improvements for debugging are also a key feature in Godot 4.5. The update adds backtracing and custom loggers, providing detailed error information to help developers troubleshoot more effectively.
The system for 2D tilemap physics has been reworked, merging cell shapes into bigger collision shapes to improve performance in scenes that rely heavily on physics. Another new feature is stencil buffer support, which can be used to create effects like cutaway-style rendering, X-ray effects, outlines, and selective post-processing for specific objects.
The Apple Vision Pro is the latest platform supported natively by Godot, thanks to the introduction of Apple's XR platform, visionOS. Currently, export is only possible as a "windowed app" for the Apple Vision Pro, but plans for future updates include support for fully immersive experiences.
The shader baker is another new feature in Godot 4.5, addressing long startup times associated with shader compilation. When enabled in the export settings, the shader baker pre-compiles shaders in the right format used by the driver on the target platform. The Godot team reported a 20x decrease in load times for their TPS demo when targeting Apple and Windows devices, using Metal and D3D12 respectively.
For a general introduction to Godot Engine, see the explainer "what is Godot Engine?" Godot Engine is a free, open-source game development software noted for its ease of use with its GDscript scripting language. It is particularly popular for light 2D mobile games.
The developer group behind Godot Engine, the Godot team, consists of many contributors and engine teams collaborating on the release. Future updates are planned to continue expanding the capabilities of Godot Engine, making it an even more powerful tool for game developers.
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