You need to use `VS2013 with update 3` to use `Cocos2dShaderCompiler` used to compile precompiled shaders for WP8.
**lua**
All internal lua files are copied into `src/cocos` when creating a new lua project. And we added `cocos/init.lua` to load all these internal lua files. `cocos/init.lua` is loaded by default which means you don't have to load these lua files by yourself. So you have to remove all these codes in your lua codes:
* require "Cocos2d"
* require "Cocos2dConstants"
* require "bitExtend"
* require "DrawPrimitives"
* require "extern"
* require "json"
* require "Opengl"
* require "OpenglConstants"
* require "CCBReaderLoad"
* require "AudioEngine"
* require “CocoStudio”
* require “StudioConstants”
* require “ControllerConstants”
* require “ExtensionConstants”
* require “NetworkConstants”
* require “GuiConstants”
* require “experimentalUIConstants”
`luaj` and `luaoc` are special. They can not be loaded in `cocos/init.lua` because they will return an object to be used in codes. So you have to replace the codes like this:
All lua files used for deprecated API are not loaded by default. If you want to use deprecated API, you should uncomment a line in `src/main.lua` like this:
To make 3d objects looks realistic, we add lights to this version. cocos2d-x supports four types of lights, directional light, point light, spot light and ambient light.
`DirectionLight` is meant to represent an extremely distant light source (like the sun or moon). Rays cast from directional lights run parallel in a single direction from every point in the sky, and are typically used to simulate the sun light.
`PointLight` casts illumination outward in every direction from a single, infinitely small point in 3D space. It is useful for simulating any omnidirectional light source.
`SpotLight` emits a cone shaped light field from a single point in space. It can be used to simulate desk lamps, overhead cone lighting, etc. Note that `SpotLight` will take more GPU time.
Note that we use forward render method, the number of lights can effect the performance. You can set the max number of lights supported in the shader in a the configuration file.
Spine runtime is updated to latest version `v2.0.18`. This version supports `Free-Form-Deformation(FFD)`, which allows meshes to stretch, squash, blend and bounce in ways that aren't possible using rectangle images.
`Spine rutnime has updated its license which only allows engine to use unmodified version even it has bugs. So you guys don't send pull requests for spine runtime, we can not merge them.`
Please refer to `tests/cpp-tests/Classes/SpineTest/SpineTest.cpp` for usage.
Because in iOS, there is an function named `openURL` in `UIApplication`, so we added this function in Application too. You can use this function to open a url.
* Many other small features added and many bugs fixed
# Features in detail
## BillBoard
`BillBoard` is a rectangle always faces to the camera. It is useful in the 3D world. People use BillBoard to create trees in some racing games. It looks real, but the cost is much lower than 3d tree.
`BillBoard` inherits from Sprite, so it also supports animate. Here is example of creating BillBoard.
```c++
//create billboard from .png
auto billboard = BillBoard::create("Images/Icon.png");
addChild(billboard);
//create camera that is looking at this billboard. Otherwise, it is seen by the default camera
auto camera = Camera::createPerspective(60, (GLfloat)s.width/s.height, 1, 1000);
camera->setCameraFlag(CameraFlag::CAMERA_USER1);
addChild(camera); //add this camera
//This billboard is only seen by the camera with flag CameraFlag::CAMERA_USER1.
We have enhanced auto batching feature by introduce `TrianglesCommand`, the rendering of the `Triangles` can be auto batched. Now if we have anything which can be rendered by `Triangles`, we can use `TrianglesCommand` or inherit from `TrianglesCommand` to take use of auto batching feature and gain rendering improvements. The `QuadCommand`, which is used for `Quad` rendering, is a good example of inheriting from `TrianglesCommand`.
To improve performance, `Triangles` will hold a weak reference to the vertices and indices data to be rendered, which is the same like `QuadCommand`. The userer should not release any rendered data before the `Command` is executed by `Renderer`.
WebView is an new widget type which allows you to display web content inside Cocos2D-X. We only provide iOS and Android implementation currently, more platform might be added in the future.
The class is under `cocos2d::ui::experimental` namespace.
As we clarified the `experimental` namespace before, the `experimental` namespace doesn't mean the widget is incomplete, but only due to the lack of full platform support. Feel free to use the WebView
widget in your game.
To display the website Google in a WebView, we could simply write:
For full test case, please refer to [WebViewTest](https://github.com/cocos2d/cocos2d-x/blob/v3/tests/cpp-tests/Classes/UITest/CocoStudioGUITest/UIWebViewTest/UIWebViewTest.cpp)
## New audio
New audio is more powerful than old one, and it is not compatible with old one. We will deprecated old one when new audio is ready on all supported platforms. Now it only supports iOS and Android. We plan to finish it on v3.4.
What's enhanced in new audio engine:
* can play more than one backgournd music
* can have a call back when an audio(music or effect) finishs
* can get duration of an audio
* can get/set playback position of a playing audio
* can change loop state when playing
The difference compared to old audio engine
* all functions are static, which means you can more easy to invoke function, such as `Audio::play2d()`
* there is only one method `play2d()` to play music or effect
* should use `Audio::getState()` to determine an audio is playing, paused
* its class name is `cocos2d::experimental::AudioEngine` in c++, and its module name is `ccexp.AudioEngine` in lua-binding
* there is not preload function, you can play an audio immediately
Full test case please refer to `tests/cpp-tests/Classes/NewAudioEngineTest/NewAudioEngineTest.cpp`.
This version of camera is powerful than 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:
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.
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.
`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`.
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
