axmol/docs/RELEASE_NOTES.md

# cocos2d-x v3.3alpha0 Release Notes #

**Table of Contents**  *generated with [DocToc](http://doctoc.herokuapp.com/)*

- [cocos2d-x v3.3alpha0 Release Notes](#user-content-cocos2d-x-v33alpha0-release-notes)
- [Misc Information](#user-content-misc-information)
- [Requirements](#user-content-requirements)
	- [Runtime Requirements](#user-content-runtime-requirements)
	- [Compiler Requirements](#user-content-compiler-requirements)
	- [How to run tests](#user-content-how-to-run-tests)
		- [Mac OSX & iOS](#user-content-mac-osx--ios)
		- [Android](#user-content-android)
		- [Windows](#user-content-windows)
		- [Linux](#user-content-linux)
	- [How to start a new game](#user-content-how-to-start-a-new-game)
- [Highlights of v3.3alpha0](#user-content-highlights-of-v33alpha0)
- [Features in detail](#user-content-features-in-detail)
	- [Camera](#user-content-camera)
	- [Reskin](#user-content-reskin)
	- [Attachment](#user-content-attachment)
	- [Better support for FBX](#user-content-better-support-for-fbx)
	- [New fbx-conv](#user-content-new-fbx-conv)
	- [AABB, OBB and Ray](#user-content-aabb-obb-and-ray)
	- [ui::Scale9Sprite](#user-content-uiscale9sprite)
	- [c++11 random support](#user-content-c11-random-support)
	- [RenderTexture save function](#user-content-rendertexture-save-function)
	- [Primitive](#user-content-primitive)
	- [Consistent way to set GL context attributes](#user-content-consistent-way-to-set-gl-context-attributes)
	- [Only two libraries left](#user-content-only-two-libraries-left)

# Misc Information

* Full Changelog: https://github.com/cocos2d/cocos2d-x/blob/cocos2d-x-3.3alpha0/CHANGELOG
* v3.0 Release Notes can be found here: [v3.0 Release Notes](https://github.com/cocos2d/cocos2d-x/blob/cocos2d-x-3.0/docs/RELEASE_NOTES.md)

# Requirements

## Runtime Requirements

* Android 2.3 or newer
* iOS 5.0 or newer
* OS X 10.7 or newer
* Windows 7 or newer
* Windows Phone 8 or newer
* Linux Ubuntu 14.04 or newer
* ~~Browsers via Emscripten~~ N/A for the moment

## Compiler Requirements

* Xcode 5.1 or newer for iOS or Mac
* gcc 4.9 or newer for Linux
* ndk-r9d for Android
* Visual Studio 2012  or newer for Windows (win32)
* Visual Studio 2012  or newer for Windows Phone 8

## How to run tests

### Mac OSX & iOS

* Enter `cocos2d-x/build` folder, open `cocos2d_test.xcodeproj`
* Select `iOS` or `OS X` target in scheme toolbar
* Click `run` button

### Android

You can run the samples...

**Using command line:**

    $ cd cocos2d-x
    $ ./setup.py
    $ cd build
    $ ./android-build.py cpp-empty-test -p 10
    $ adb install cocos2d-x/tests/cpp-empty-test/proj.android/bin/CppEmptyTest-debug.apk
    
Then click item on Android device to run tests. Available value of `-p` is the API level, cocos2d-x supports from level 10.

**Using Eclipse:**

    $ cd cocos2d-x
    $ ./setup.py
    $ cd build
    $ ./android-build.py cpp-empty-test -p 10
    
Then

* Import cocos2d-x Android project into Eclipse, the path used to import is `cocos/2d/platform/android`
* Import `cpp-empty-test` Android project into Eclipse, the path used to import is `tests/cpp-empty-test/proj.android`
* Build `cpp-empty-test` Android project and run

### Windows

* Enter `cocos2d-x/build`, and open `cocos2d-win32.vs2012.sln`
* Select `cpp-empty-test` as running target
* Click run button


### Linux

    $ cd cocos2d-x/build
    $ ./install-deps-linux.sh
    $ cd ../..
    
Then

    $ mkdir build
    $ cd build
    $ cmake ../cocos2d-x
    $ make -j4
    
Run

    $ cd bin/cpp-empty-test
    $ ./cpp-empty-test
    
## How to start a new game

Please refer to this document: [ReadMe](../README.md)

# Highlights of v3.3alpha0

* 3d: `Camera`, 'Reskin', 'Attachment', 'Better support for FBX', 'New fbx-conv', `AABB`, `OBB` and `Ray`
* ui: added `Scale9Sprite`
* FileUitls: added `isDirectoryExist()`, `createDirectory()`, `removeDirectory()`, `removeFile()`, `renameFile()` and `getFileSize()`
* Device: added `setKeepScreenOn()` on iOS and Android 
* Added c++11 random support
* RenderTexture: added a call back function for `saveToFile()`
* Primitive: Support Points, Lines and Triagles for rendering
* SpriteFrameCache: support loading from plist file content data
* Added a consistent way to set GL context attributes for all platforms
* Only two libraries in cocos2d-x, one for c++ codes, another one for lua-binding codes
* Many other small features added and many bugs fixed

# Features in detail

## Camera

This version of camera is powerful then previous one. And you can add it as a child anywhere. If you want to let a Node to be visited by a camera, Node's camera mask should include Camera's flag:

```c++
// let sprite to be visited by a camera
auto sprite = Sprite::create("myFile.png");
sprite->setCameraMask(CameraFlag::USER1);
auto camera = Camera::createPerspective(60, winSize.width/winSize.height, 1, 1000);
camera->setCameraFlag(CameraFlag::USER1);
scene->addChild(camera);
```

If you have many Nodes that want to be visited by a camera, there is a convenient way:

```c++
auto layer = Layer::create();
auto sprite1 = Sprite::create();
auto sprite2 = Sprite::create();
layer->addChild(sprite1);
layer->addChild(sprite2);
// it will set camera mask for all its children
layer->setCameraMask(CameraFlg::USER1); 

auto camera = Camera::createPerspective();
camera->setCameraFlag(CameraFlag::USER1);
scene->addChild(camera);
```

Full test case please  refer to `tests/cpp-tests/res/Camera3DTest/Camera3DTest.cpp`.

## Reskin

It is a powerful feature, all the user change the appearance of character.

For example, there a model named girl.c3b, which has two coats, coat0 and coat1. 
The character's coat can be changed like this,

```c++
//load the girl from file
auto sprite3d = Sprite3D::create("girl.c3b");
//get the mesh named coat0
auto mesh0 = sprite3d->getMeshByName("coat0");
//you can change texture of this mesh if you like
mesh0->setTexture("cloth.png");
//you can change visibility for this mesh, too
mesh0->setVisible(true);
//hide coat1
auto mesh1 = sprite3d->getMeshByName("coat1");
mesh1->setVisible(false);
```

Full test case please refer to 'tests/cpp-tests/Classes/Spret3DTest/Sprite3DTest.cpp'

## Attachment

Allows to attach a node to a bone

Usage,

```c++
auto sprite = Sprite3D::create("girl.c3b");
auto weapon = Sprite::create("weapon.c3b");
auto attachNode = sprite->getAttachNode("left_hand");
attachNode->addChild(weapon);
```

Full test case please refer to 'tests/cpp-tests/Classes/Spret3DTest/Sprite3DTest.cpp'

## Better support for FBX

support multiple mesh
support multiple material
bones bind to each mesh limited to 40. But the FBX model can contain more meshes. So the model can contain much more bones.

## New fbx-conv

It can export more complex model, which contains multiple meshes and multiple materials.

## AABB, OBB and Ray

AABB means Axis Aligned Bounding Box
OBB means Oriented Bounding Box
Ray has a origin position and direction

Each Sprite3D or Mesh has its own AABB.
AABB and OBB can be picked by Ray.

Usage,

```c++
//get ray from camera
Vec3 nearP(location.x, location.y, -1.0f), farP(location.x, location.y, 1.0f); 
auto size = Director::getInstance()->getWinSize();
camera->unproject(size, &nearP, &nearP);
camera->unproject(size, &farP, &farP);
ray._origin = nearP;
ray._direction = farP - nearP;
ray.intersects(sprite3d->getAABB( ) );
```

Full test case please refer to 'tests/cpp-tests/Classes/Spret3DTest/Sprite3DTest.cpp'

## ui::Scale9Sprite

Now we have implemented a new Scale9Sprite class under ui module. Its internal implementation is concise than the previous one plus more features.
The main reason of reimplementing this class is that the Scale9Sprite is heavily used in ui module. Now the ui module is not dependent from extension module.
By applying the new ui::Scale9Sprite, the code inside many widget classes are more cleaner and elegant.

We could manually toggle "slice 9" feature by one function call:

```c++
//ui::Scale9Sprite is slice 9 enabled on default
auto sprite = ui::Scale9Sprite::create("foo.png");
sprite->setScale9Enabled(false);
```

It also supports Flipping now.

```c++
auto sprite = ui::Scale9Sprite::create("bar.png");
sprite->setFlippedX(true);
sprite->setFlippedY(false);
```

Since the ui::Scale9Sprite is a Node rather than a Sprite, so you can't add it to a batch node. If you do want to do some actions on the internal sprite, 
you could call `sprite->getSprite()` to access it. 

Full test case please refer to `tests/cpp-tests/Classes/UITests/CocostudioGUITest/UIScale9SpriteTest.cpp`.

## c++11 random support

Since `rand()` is not good(refer to [this document](http://c-faq.com/lib/randrange.html)), we use c++11 random library to do generate random number, and provide a function to easily using:

```c++
int randInt = cocos2d::random(1, 10);
float randFloat = cocos2d::random(1.f, 10.f);
```

## RenderTexture save function

`RenderTexture::saveToFile()` will not save rendertexture when the function returns, because it just send render command to renderer. The file will be saved after render command is executed. It is not convenient if you want to use the saved file to do some work. So we added a parameter in `RenderTexture::saveToFile()` to set a call back function when the file is saved.

```c++
renderTexture->begin();
...
renderTexture->end();

renderTexture->saveToFile("myFile.png", true, callback);

```

## Primitive

`Primitive` is added to support `Points`,`Lines`,`Triangles` rendering. Previously, if we want to draw a custom geometry(sphere, line), we can only do this by using `CustomCommand`. Now, what is need is to create a Primitive, set datas, and use the corresponding `PrimitiveCommand` to draw the Primitive. 

Here is a simple example of rendering a quad in `Sprite`.

1. create verexBuffer

	```c++
	auto vertexBuffer = VerexBuffer::create(sizeof(V3F_C4B_T2F), 4);
	vertexBuffer->updateVertices(&_quad, 4, 0);
	```

2. create vertexData

	```c++
	auto vertexData = VertexData::create();
	vertexData->addStream(vertexBuffer, VertexStreamAttribute(0, VERTEX_ATTRIB_POSITION, GL_FLOAT, 3, fasle));
	vertexData->addStream(vertexBuffer, VertexStreamAttribute(12, VERTEX_ATTRIB_COLOR, GL_UNSIGNED_BTYE, 4, true));
	vertexData->addStream(vertexBuffer, VertexStreamAttribute(16, VERTEX_ATTRIB_TEX_COORD, GL_FLOAT, 2, fasle));
	```
3. create IndexBuffer
	
	```c++
	auto indexBuffer = IndexBuffer::create(IndexType::INDEX_TYPE_SHORT_16, 6);
	short indices[6] = {0,1,2,3,2,1};
	indexBuffer->updateIndices(indices,6, 0);
	```
4. create primitive
	
	```c++
	auto primitve = Primitive::create(vertexData, indexBuffer, GL_TRIANGLES);
	primitive->setStart(0);
	primitive->setCount(6);
	```
5. add command to renderer
	
	```c++
	_command->init(globalZorder,textureID, glprogramState, blend, primitve, modelViewMatrix);
	renderer->addCommand(&_command);
	```

Primitive supports three typs of primitives (POINTS, LINES, TRIANGLES), vertex and index sharing, multiple streams. It has some constrains:

1. The size of vertex and index Buffer is fixed, which means data must be pre allocated.
2. Batching is not supported.

## Consistent way to set GL context attributes

Now you can set GL context attributes by override `Application::initGLContextAttrs()`, then set GL context attributes there.

```c++
void AppDelegate::initGLContextAttrs()
{
    // r:8 g:8 a:8 depth:24 stencil:8
    GLContextAttrs glContextAttrs = {8, 8, 8, 8, 24, 8};
    GLView::setGLContextAttrs(glContextAttrs);
}
```

Now can only support setting bits of `r`, `g`, `b`, `a`, `depth buffer` and `stencil buffer`. We will support other attributes if needed.

## Only two libraries left

Now there are two libraries left: one for all c++ codes and another one for lua-bindings codes. 

If you are developing with c++, you only have to link to `libcocos2d`. `libcocos2d` includes all c++ codes:

* cocos2d(including 2d and 3d)
* network
* cocosstudio
* ui
* cocosbuilder
* spine
* chipmunk
* box2d
* ...

Not used codes will be stripped by linker.

If you are developing with lua, you should link to `libcocos2d` and `libluacocos2d`. You can comment codes in `lua_module_register.h` if you don't want to some module.

```c++
int lua_module_register(lua_State* L)
{
    register_cocosdenshion_module(L); // comment this line to remove cocosdenshion
    register_network_module(L);       // comment this line to remove network
    register_cocosbuilder_module(L);  // comment this line to remove cocosbuilder
    register_cocostudio_module(L);    // comment this line to remove cocostudio
    register_extension_module(L);     // comment this line to remove extension
    register_ui_moudle(L);            // comment this line to remove ui
    register_spine_module(L);         // comment this line to remove spine
    register_cocos3d_module(L);       // comment this line to remove 3d
    return 1;
}
```