Beta versions are not as thoroughly tested as stable

Beta versions are not as thoroughly tested as stable

Beta branch

Construct 3 r365

Updated alpha effects; more WebGPU improvements; bug fixes

31 October, 2023 ()

Email Me New Releases

Don't miss out on the latest and greatest new features in Construct 3

Create an Account

Notes

We're continuing to focus on stability while we work towards a new stable release in the next couple of weeks. One of the main changes in this release is to the Alpha clamp effect. It turns out that due to a mistake in the calculation it does, it's actually been processing the wrong effect since its introduction in 2014! This presents a tricky backwards-compatibility problem, as there could be thousands of projects that are designed to use the effect as it is. To solve this we've renamed the old Alpha clamp effect to Alpha cutoff, and kept it working the same, so existing projects will keep working as they are. Then we've introduced a whole new effect called Alpha clamp to replace the old one, which works correctly - so new uses of the Alpha clamp have the correct effect. We take backwards compatibility very seriously and this shows the care we take to ensure we don't break anyone's projects, even when they are technically affected by a bug.

Separately we've also introduced a new Alpha ramp effect. This is similar to Alpha clamp, except it allows having soft edges, as the alpha ais ramped down instead of abruptly changed.

Finally there's a batch of bug fixes, including more updates to ensure the WebGPU renderer is working as well as the existing WebGL renderer. WebGPU support is due to arrive on Chrome for Android soon, so browser support is gradually increasing, and in future we hope to make WebGPU the new default.

Like this Release?

Let us know with a thumbs up!

33
Launch r365

New Additions

9 favourites
Add new 'Alpha clamp' effect which properly handles premultiplied alpha
11 favourites
Add new 'Alpha ramp' effect

Changes

3 favourites
Rename old 'Alpha clamp' effect to 'Alpha cutoff'
6 favourites
Windows WebView2: update to WebView2 SDK v1.0.2088.41

Bug Fixes

3 favourites
Car behavior: possible NaN result with max speed of 0
4 favourites
'Set position to another object' with 3D shape could lag behind a frame
5 favourites
Possible errors moving dynamic layers in the layers tree
6 favourites
Changing dynamic layers did not always cause a redraw
4 favourites
Possible error rendering effects with certain layer scale/rotation
4 favourites
JSON: could return incorrect values after array manipulation actions
6 favourites
WebGPU: 'Alpha cutoff' (formerly 'Alpha clamp') effect not rendering same as WebGL
6 favourites
WebGPU: possible blank screen using Z elevation in low quality fullscreen mode
6 favourites
WebGPU: particles with effects not rendering correctly
6 favourites
WebGPU: particles not rendering in editor
6 favourites
WebGPU: possible error rendering instances with effects when using 3D camera
6 favourites
WebGPU: could sometimes fail to render background blending effects correctly
6 favourites
WebGPU: incorrect handling of non-default vanishing point
6 favourites
WebGPU: incorrect handling of near distance (regression r364)

Scripting updates

2 favourites
WebView2: polyfill window.moveTo/window.resizeTo
3 favourites
Fix some more TypeScript definitions
1 favourites
Removing layers did not always immediately update instance lists

Share Construct 3 Release r365 Now

  • 8 Comments

  • Order by
Want to leave a comment? Login or Register an account!
    • [-] [+]
    • 1
    • Fib's avatar
    • Fib
    • 1 points
    • (0 children)

    New effects, cool! I always thought the alpha clamp effect was weird. I was never able to get the result I wanted.

  • Good to see bugs fixed despite backwards compatibility.

    The renaming idea is a good work around.

    Perhaps it could be a good approach going forward, for instance if some addon desperately needs fixing but the concern for breaking projects is too high, then just rename it?

    e.g. "platform v2" or "platform (deprecated)"

      • [-] [+]
      • 2
      • Ashley's avatar
      • Ashley
      • Construct Team Founder
      • 2 points
      • (0 children)

      Replacing an effect with a few lines of code is one thing, but I think replacing a behavior with a couple of thousand lines of code used in thousands of projects is another matter, and would probably end up being a total support nightmare.

  • Thank you so much for keeping us compatible!

  • You could name shader what ever it is, every software can have it's own alpha clamp, which also processes the effect differently. If this is not true. Then where is the universal blueprint design which descripts what each effect should do or how it should look?

    If something is 9 years old, should'nt it kept its name.

    C3 designs the effects based by other engines, or some art software(photoshop?).

  • Cool, but lately many effects from addons have not worked, I haven’t tested it on this version yet, but they crash construct 3 in the browser.

  • re: scripting - would it be possible for the typescript definitions to auto-complete sprite animation names?