Grasshopper 0.8.0050 available for download

Hello All,

a new, fairly major, update is now available for download. This release features breaking changes to the Grasshopper SDK and component libraries compiled against older versions may no longer work.

Be aware, this release breaks file-forwards compatibility. You will not be able to open gh and ghx files saved with 0.8.0050 on previous versions, though of course you should be able to open old files without problems. If this is not the case, please yell loudly.

If you're having trouble loading Grasshopper, note that you must have the latest Microsoft C++ Runtimes installed on your machine. They can be downloaded from the microsoft website.

The new release can be downloaded from the usual location.

Here's a list of changes, additions and fixes since 0.8.0013:

File format forwards compatibility has been broken. You will not be able to open files saved with 0.8.0050 on earlier versions.
This release contains many breaking changes and GHA libraries compiled for older version may not work anymore.
Grasshopper Binary files (*.gh) are now saved as compressed data.
Grasshopper Binary files (*.gh) are now the default format.
Support for ancient versions of the Text Panel (still called Post-It from back then) has been removed.
Support for ancient versions of the Path Mapper (still called Path Lexer from back then) has been removed.
Placeholders for ancient versions of the Graph Mapper have been removed.
Gradient input parameters now show state tag icons (Reversed, Flatten etc.).
Geometry Cache name changes are now updated on every key press.
Geometry Cache name changes can now be cancelled with Escape.
Geometry Cache name changes can now be undone.
Mesh|Mesh intersection component now uses a different algorithm. The old behaviour is still available from the component menu.
Warning and Error balloons are now drawn as part of a Canvas Widget and will no longer show up in the Hi-Res image export.
Galapagos now accepts multiple fitness values. The true fitness will be the average of the collection.
Galapagos wires are drawn much fainter when the Galapagos object is unselected.
Medium fast redraw mode in Galapagos now immediately redraws instead of at the end of each generation.
Redesigned all Grasshopper file format icons and added larger size icons for high-dpi explorer views.
Redesigned the Most Recently Used files menu, it should now display much quicker.
Compass widget has been rewritten in an attempt to increase display performance.
Added preferences section for Compass widget.
Added preferences section for Align widget.
Added preferences section for Default Preview colours.
Added preferences section for Document Preview colours.
Added preferences section for the Most Recently Used files menu.
The Area component now accepts Breps, Meshes and Planar Closed Curves.
The Area Centroid component now accepts Breps, Meshes and Planar Closed Curves.
The Volume component now accepts Breps and Meshes.
The Volume Centroid component now accepts Breps and Meshes.
Added Merge Faces component (Surface.Util panel).
Added a Mesh Smooth component (Mesh.Util panel).
Added a Curve Seam component (Curve.Util panel).
Added Interpolate Curve With Tangents component (Curve.Spline dropdown).
Added GrasshopperFolders command to open Settings, Components and UserObject folders without loading the core plugin.
The window that reports on certain Loading Errors now has a Copy button.
Added Simplify post-process filter to parameters (in addition to Reverse, Flatten and Graft).
Parameter post processes (Reverse, Flatten, Graft & Simplify) can now also be assigned to output parameters.
Version History window now has formatting (not happy with this, I'm working on something better).
The Process Info window is gone.
Main menu has been redesigned.
Canvas toolbar has been redesigned.
Canvas context menu has been replaced by a Radial Menu.
Canvas now has a radial menu which will pop up on Middle Mouse Button clicks.
It's possible to switch between Radial and Legacy menus in the Preferences (Interface.Canvas section).
'Save As Copy' feature has been replaced by 'Save Backup' which is a GUI-less save including date+time stamp.
Added a 'Show in Folder' item to the File menu.
AutoSave settings are no longer available from the File menu, you now need to use the Preferences.
Selection shifts now also modify the view so you can use Ctrl+Left and Ctrl+Right to navigate up and downstream.
Mesh Edge display can now be toggled with Ctrl+M.
Preview modes now have shortcuts (Ctrl+1 = no preview, Ctrl+2 = wireframe, Ctrl+3 = shaded).
Solution States now have a default name.
Data Viewer window now responds to all required events.
Data Viewer window can now handle input and output parameters as well.
Canvas Navigation pane can now be dragged using the icon in the upper left corner.
The Persistent Data Editor has been redesigned.
It's now possible to select multiple items in the Persistent Data Editor list and edit their properties.
It's now possible to drag multiple items at the same time in the Persistent Data Editor list.
Item addition to the Persistent Data Editor is much improved.
The Persistent Data Editor is now non-modal.
The Canvas would remain black upon maximizing the Rhino window, this is fixed.
Sliders would cause multiple updates under certain conditions, this is fixed.
Digit Scrollers would cause multiple updates under certain conditions, this is fixed.
Pipes were inside out. This is fixed.
The curve component would not adjust invalid nurbs degrees, this is fixed.
Curves referencing Brep edges failed to load, this is fixed.
Points referencing Brep edges failed to load, this is fixed.
Referenced dlls in the VB/C# components sometimes resulted in invalid imports statements, this is fixed.
Pasting geometry in Rhino would cause a recompute of the Grasshopper solution, this is fixed.
Importing a file into the Rhino document would cause a recompute of the Grasshopper solution, this is fixed.
Galapagos would trigger superfluous solutions, this is fixed.
Mesh Solid Difference had a wrong name and description, this is fixed.
Several menu items were not greyed out despite not being usable, this is fixed.
The position and size of the Grasshopper window failed to get stored on Rhino shutdown, this is fixed.
The Persistent Data Editor would crash on parameters that did not support data proxies, this is fixed.

I'll add some additional information regarding some of the new UI features in subsequent posts.

David Rutten

david@mcneel.com

Poprad, Slovakia

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Giulio Piacentino on August 6, 2011 at 3:11pm

Yes, a new version of the component compiled for this version of Grasshopper is now available on food4Rhino.

- Giulio
________________
giulio@mcneel.com
McNeel Europe

Permalink Reply by Evan C on July 31, 2011 at 11:54pm

excellent...

How about an option to edit the buttons available on the main toolbar? I like the middle-click pop-up menu, but it would be nice to have the Bake button back where it was, for instance. (A lot of people in my office are "casual users" and I field a lot of "where's the ____ button?" questions with every update....)

Permalink Reply by David Rutten on August 1, 2011 at 12:23am

Hi Evan,

people have also wished for a way to edit the canvas menu content and although I can see the point of having a customizable UI, it's not going to solve your immediate problem is it? In fact, you'll get even more questions than before because now the buttons are not merely missing, but you're going to have to use the toolbar editor interface to retrieve them.

If it turns out that buttons are really lacking from the toolbar I'll put put them back, but I feel that doing so 'for old time's sake' is not a good reason. I'm hoping the Radial menu will be an improvement over the toolbar (fewer clicks and definitely fewer mouse miles), and I'd like people to use it as much as possible so I can get some good feedback quick. I still move the mouse towards the toolbar area all the time as well, I'm definitely not used to the Radial menu yet.

David Rutten

david@mcneel.com

Poprad, Slovakia

Permalink Reply by Nathan Miller on August 1, 2011 at 12:52am

I have to say... the radial version is so much more convenient after some 'habitual adjustment'.

A very slick feature... I give it both a "Like" and a "+1".

Permalink Reply by Evan C on August 1, 2011 at 1:12am

Thanks for the reply David... I certainly think I'll get used to it; but in general I prefer "old timey" interfaces where you can see all the buttons laid out before you...

my main concern is that in instructional scenarios, it's just much easier to explain "click the Bake button - it looks like an egg" than to say "hold down the middle mouse button, on a blank part of the canvas - but don't let go - now roll over the bake icon, it's the egg, now release the button...." --- I work in an office where we're trying to get more people designing with Rhino & Grasshopper, and I think "hiding" these essential tools in the middle-click menu takes the usability down a notch and makes the learning curve just a little steeper...

That said, in the time I took to write this, I could have gone around the office and explained the change to everyone who's currently using GH.... ;)

(btw, love the post-process options, and looking forward to checking out the other changes....)

Permalink Reply by David Rutten on August 1, 2011 at 1:33am

All these tools are also still available on the main menu, where people most expect to find them I think.

Maybe you're right, all of us will need a few days/weeks to adjust and time will tell whether the toolbar needs to be repopulated, or whether it needs to be customizable, or....

David Rutten

david@mcneel.com

Poprad, Slovakia

Permalink Reply by Luis Fraguada on August 11, 2011 at 4:26am

I would vote for a default canvas toolbar layout as it was before with the option to customize if people want. There is just empty real estate there now where before there were useful things.

Permalink Reply by Danny Boyes on August 11, 2011 at 4:51am

There could be a "Show Full Toolbar" option like the components.

Also any movement on the Wire Display modes for selected components. (Can be limited to menus as suggested)

Permalink Reply by Mohamed Naeim on August 1, 2011 at 4:18am

hi David

i think SSI IFC cannot be installed in the new version

Permalink Reply by Jon Mirtschin on August 1, 2011 at 5:10am

Hi Mohamed,

I am busy rebuilding all my plugins for the new version. If you email/private message me with the plugins you have installed, I will send you links for already built new versions. I won't update links on the downloads page until I have rebuilt all (as I have changes that cause Rhino start up crashes if you don't update all plugins).

Cheers,

Jon

Permalink Reply by Otto Ng on August 1, 2011 at 5:15am

everything looks good. nice new features. can't wait to try them all

For the change to the main UI, I just wonder if crtl+G can be [toggle preview] instead of [enable preview], otherwise can it be simply "G" to minimize confusion in the next revision?

For the radial menu ... I personally don't like to hold down the middle button and move my mouse. This is exhausting. It'd be great to have it back on the tool bar. We can also have it floating on the side.....

thanks for keeping up the good work!

Permalink Reply by David Rutten on August 2, 2011 at 5:34am

Ctrl+G is grouping, I assume you meant Ctrl+Q.

I removed the shortcuts for Preview On/Off and Enabled On/Off, added a Toggle Enabled menu items and assigned Ctrl+Q and Ctrl+E to the Toggle Preview and Toggle Enabled menu items respectively. I agree it makes a lot more sense this way.

Also, Toggle Preview didn't do anything, I fixed this.

David Rutten

david@mcneel.com

Poprad, Slovakia