Big Update and Start of Open Beta!
We’re excited to announce the start of open beta testing for the EdenSpark project! Details and a list of changes are included!
Hey everyone! Starting today, the EdenSpark platform’s functionality is becoming available to a wider audience. We’re launching open beta testing! Simply download the app from the project’s official website and begin your game development journey with no registration or signups required. We’ve prepared a major update that includes a new engine build, new content, long-awaited visual improvements, and important architectural changes. Let’s talk about them in more detail.
Visual and infrastructure improvements
The major technical upgrade is the implementation of high-resolution rendering with global illumination (HD Render with GI), which will take image quality in community projects to a new level. To optimize workflow, a standalone installer has been introduced to simplify platform deployment. Line drawing functions (draw_line/draw_sphere, etc.) are now always visible, and symmetrical versions of draw_debug_xxx have been added for development; these are only visible in the editor and are not visible in the final game. Very useful for debug drawings!
The Outline component has been added, adding a color-coded outline around your 3D model. Now you can highlight important gameplay objects much more easily!
Flexibility: the Outline component supports three operating modes: ZTestOff, ZTestOn, ZTestInverted.
Convenience: this component collects all nested Mesh and SpriteRender components and interprets them as a single object, so you do not need to attach an Outline component to each nested node!
User interface update
We’ve fixed some bugs and improved usability. The launcher has a refreshed interface, adding quick logout buttons, sections for managing likes and downloads, and game session counters. While working on a project, pressing the “Esc” key will bring up a pause menu with game settings.
New content
The updated engine comes with several new demos and samples that showcase the updated rendering and gameplay mechanics. Get inspired!
Important for developers: breaking changes
Along with the new features, the team has made some adjustments that require attention when updating existing projects.
- The global input module is no longer part of the engine’s core. It must now be added to your project configuration. We strongly recommend switching to Input Actions as the preferred method of handling input.
- Due to the unification of the input system, numerous changes have been made, including converting GamepadButton to an enumeration and a major reworking of TriggerAction.
- The settings for emissive materials have been changed. If your projects used emissive materials, you’ll need to reconfigure them.
So, we’re at the beginning of the home stretch to EdenSpark’s release. Let’s experience this adventure together! Welcome to the open beta!