L3DT release 2.5a

Released on the 8th of June, 2007 (see announcement)

• Read core count from process thread count, and enable multithreading by default (supports up to 8 cores).
• Enable multithreading on calculations for terrain normals, light map and texture map.

• Support custom maps project and I/O
  • All project file I/O.
  • CMainFrame::OnOptionsFiletypes
  • CMainFrame::CheckGroupFormatsBeforeSave
  • Fix map scales
  • HTML summary
  • Update PROJ format to v1 to support custom maps (original is now considered v0).
• Render custom maps in main view
  • Support for byte, word map rendering.
  • Changed view mode handing to use map name.
  • Support for DWORD rendering (RGBA).
  • View→Show map…(choose from combo sel)
• Menu options for custom maps
  • File→Export→Export map… (choose from combo sel)
  • File→Close→Close map… (choose from combo sel)
  • File→Load→Reload map… (choose from combo sel)
  • File→Save→Save map… (choose from combo sel)
  • Utilities→New map layer…
• Allow plugins to add new map layers to the project with project_CreateMap function.

• Added visual display for brush radius in main window.
• Added brush tool for attributes map.
• Added brush tool for BYTE maps.
• Added brush tool for RGB maps (LM, TX, custom).
• Added thermal erosion brush to HF tools.
• Added cliffs brush to HF tools.
• Replaced individual tool icons on toolbar with one 'edit active map' icon.

• Add blending/anti-aliasing support to texture generator.
• Add blend radius parameter to land types, land type editor, CLI file I/O.
• Handle AM/TX ratios in texture algorithm.
• Add 'max anti alias' in TX wizard.
• Abolish per-pixel land types generator (use high-res AM instead).
• Enable multi-cast shadows (4x by default).
• Add 4x res texture layer to rock types, with min res of 32x, for ultra high-res textures.
• Pre-load all textures/bump-maps of project climates at beginning of normals/light/texture mapping calcs.

• Add 'Operations→Heightfield→Edit in 3D' option (using Sapphire).
• Allow image drape to overlay other maps in the project.
• Allow 2^n+1 sizes in Export to Atlas UI.
• Uncheck by default the 'split map into tiles' option in the export wizard, regardless of whether the map is a mosaic or not.

• Set PixelsPerMetre in FreeImage formats (BMP, JPG, PNG, TGA).
• Set DPI in CxImage formats (PCX).
• Added RGBA support for TGA format.
• Write .proj and .def.xml files to log when loading.
• Created L3DTio_BigBitmap
• Added support for patching settings using '.patch.txt' files, with simple set/del syntax.
• Add mosaic export support for PCX.

• atCalc_FFT
• atCalc_HF_Thermal
• atCalc_HF_Terrace

• Add 'blank heightfield' algo option.
• 'Hot loading' of plugins from command line, without requiring restart.

• More functions (core):
  • WriteToLog
  • filesel_InitFS
  • filesel_GetFilename
• More functions (via zeofuncs):
  • application.GetExeDir
  • application.GetIcon
  • settings.GetPresetsList
  • project.CreateMap
  • project.LoadProject
  • project.SaveProject
  • project.SaveProjectAs
  • project.SaveProjectAsUI
  • classes.landtype.GetTexturePixelByID
  • settings.GetPath

• Fixed initial enable state for format options button in mosaic wizard (see this thread).
• Fixed loading of water body list (this had broken delete water body tool.)
• Fixed export wizard when exporting mosaic texture.
• Fixed message for out-of-memory errors, and make error box modal.
• Fixed title in 'file→save→active map' (it said 'save map map as')
• Fixed heightfield import before a project is loaded (I had skipped init of default map types).
• Call ExtShutdown in plugins before closing app, to prevent Sapphire from crashing when user closes app window.
• Use try-catch statements for all plugin member functions (e.g. ExtLoadMapFile).
• Use try-catch statement for threaded calls to zeolite extension functions.
• Fix typo in 'Initialised OK' message when initialising mosaic.
• Fix export selected area menu enable.
• Fix xmax/ymax edges in atExportArea plugin.
• Fix flood tool to allow flooding with negative water levels.
• Don't use mosaic swap map when re-sizing (and export resizing) maps in L3DT Standard edition!
• Fix deletion of arglists in zeofunc_ExecuteThreaded API call.
• Fix filename bug in mosaic tile export in L3Dio_RAW_HF

• Unify GG & Bundysoft versions, using switchable activation modules.

• Updated walkthrough.