[Colladamaya-updates] Short 0.64 Release and Issues Database Migration

[Guillaume L. <gui...@gm...>]

Hello everyone!

We are releasing a new build today with a few improvements: improved
support for IK animations and joint clusters and clean-up of a few
more "sid"s.

There's also a few additions by Christian on the physics project:
"I updated the physics export code to the very latest spec.
Rigid bodies and rigid constraints are now defined and instanced
in two steps. This version also includes a lot of minor fixes to
conform to the spec."

More importantly: we have migrated the issues database to use SourceForge's
trackers. They are publicly available, so they are there for you to use.
With them, you can see our progress on the features/issues that you submit.
I've also updated the documentation and posted the latest conformance test
results!

You can get the new version of the plugin here:=20
http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/colladamaya/ColladaPluginForMaya-0.64.zi=
p?download

Your feedback is always welcomed!
Guillaume Laforte
Feeling Software Inc.
http://www.feelingsoftware.com

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Recent Changes:
12/07/05 (Release 0.64)
(gla...@fe...)
Mantis Issue #386: Fixed the validation to remove parenthesis from animatio=
n=20
ids and completely remove <param> names when they are empty, rather than=20
export name=3D"".
Mantis Issue #387: IK Conformance Tests. Fixed exception thrown when there=
=20
are no weights associated with a controller's vertex. Fixed sampling of IK=
=20
handle animations: the wrong time was being sampled by the animation cache.=
=20
Improved the support of joint cluster export: fixed joint cluster iterator=
=20
to skip groupParts nodes and tweak nodes. On import, support parented meshe=
s=20
with same names when connecting using groups.

11/07/05
(gla...@fe...)
Mantis Issues: #379: Removed the export of the "sid" attribute on the=20
<boundingbox>, <min> and <max> nodes. #378: When exporting a node's name is=
=20
Collada, pass it through the string checker for invalid characters such as=
=20
':'. #377: Simplified the retrieval of a file texture's TexCoord set index.
XML Schema Validation: Fixed a few more places where the exported name=20
attribute did not go through the string checker. Fixed regression with=20
shaded, skinned meshes.

(cla...@fe...)
Physics: modified physics material export to use the "multi-representation=
=20
parameter" convention. Removed rigid body controllers.
Physics: Set default rigid body's useMassOrDensity to "mass" for backward=
=20
compatibility. Updated to latest spec: Use "rigid_body" instead of=20
"rigidbody". Use INITIAL_LINEAR_VELOCITY and INITIAL_ANGULAR_VELOCITY=20
instead of "initial_velocity" and "initial_angular_velocity", and use=20
multi-param representation for these two params. Use GRAVITY instead of=20
gravity.=20
Physics: <physics_environment> is now declared in <library type=3D"PHYSICS"=
>=20
and referenced from <scene>.=20
Physics: Updated the params within the physics environment (e.g. default=20
gravity and timestep) to use multi-representation convention.=20
Physics: No longer export rigid body's initial position/orientation in=20
definition. Now, the correct way to get this information is from the scene.
Physics: Finally updated the rigid body instancing to the latest spec! No=
=20
longer export rigid body's initial position/orientation in definition. Now,=
=20
the correct way to get this information is from the scene.