Librelancer Files

Welcome to this year's edition of Librelancer, with a whole bunch of new features and accuracy fixes! Mission 1A is now completely playable in-engine.

NOTE: Windows 7 support is dropped in this version, the minimum supported version is Windows 10

LancerEdit

General:

• Quick file browser panel implemented (View->Files)
• LancerEdit should no longer block the screensaver
• 'Check Faction Hashes' menu option added, checking the open data for any collisions for faction hashes.
• Utf nodes now can be dragged and dropped to re-order and move in/out of other nodes.
• Ctrl-C/X/V hotkeys enabled in utf editor
• More documentation for the model editing pipeline! (See Help->Topics)
• When file associations are used, files opened from explorer will be opened in an existing LancerEdit instance if needed.
• Update utility available at Help->Check for updates. For privacy reasons this only checks for updates when clicked. To disable this functionality, delete the lib/updates.ini file in the release.

Model Viewer:

• Hardpoint editor no longer generates matrices with negative determinants (compatibility with maxlancer).
• Added mouse manipulation for hardpoint editing.
• Added camera presets, allowing saving of camera settings.
• Rendered PNGs now have correct transparency for cockpits etc.
• Rendered PNGs smaller in size. For web use, it is still recommended to compress these with e.g. zopfli to get the smallest possible file size.
• Warning added when rendered model is using textures with sizes not compatible with vanilla Freelancer

Model Import/Export:

• Blender 4.x is now supported
• Export .blend files from the Model Viewer
• Experimental support for importing/exporting pris+rev animations
• Textures are exported to .glb/.blend files
• Emissive textures are now imported/exported
• Collada export is now hidden by default, and can be re-enabled in the Import/Export tab of settings.
• glTF and .blend files now have diffuse color exported in the right colorspace.

System Editor (new!, beta):

• Universe editor, allowing repositioning systems on the map, editing systems + creating new systems.
• 3D visuals for the system, zones and light sources.
• Edit properties and archetypes for system objects.
• Edit lights in real time
• Create and resize zones. Property editing here is limited.

Game Engine

Gameplay:

• Tradelane disruption implemented
• Dry fire sound when in cruise/tradelane
• Shield batteries/nanobots
• Comm heads now render when NPCs talk to you
• Target leading when firing weapons
• Fixed loading objects without a mesh (e.g. m10_navbuoy)
• Powercore usage for weapons
• Missions follow sequence (M01A goes to M01B)
• RTC/Ambient scripts from missions loaded/saved in save games. Allows loading save game after FP7 cutscene and before Donau scene

Multiplayer:

• LLServerGui app created, allowing MP servers to be launched without the command line.
• Added banning accounts
• Projectile firing is now handled server-side
• Added scheme to try and reduce amount of buffered packets with time-dilation.

Thn:

• Fixed incorrect camera transitions by finding the main monitor object
• Thorn VM can now run small amounts of code (heavily sandboxed)
• Implemented CONNECT_HARDPOINTS so characters can now pick up objects
• Fixed root motion, so characters walk along correct paths.
• Attenuation animations for sounds

Renderer:

• Now supports arbitrary D3D blendmodes, used in Alchemy
• Now supports arbitrary FVF data, fixes compatibility with many modded models
• Characters connect heads and hands to body correctly (Thanks to @mrmbernardi)
• Character models calculate accurate visibility information, fixing culling
• Increased compatibility in the TGA loader
• Alpha blend is now forced on starspheres, matching Freelancer
• More accurate planet rendering
• Interpolates object positions between fixed ticks, allowing smooth movements at high framerates

Audio:

• Trimming of sounds is now accurate to vanilla Freelancer, stops some cutting off early.
• Librelancer now moves the audio stream correctly when the default output device changes

Physics:

• Moved to BepuPhysics, a new high-performance C# physics engine.
• Many fixes to collision detection, with workarounds for some of Freelancer's more broken .surs
• Asteroid field collision is enabled server-side and client-side for players and NPCs.

Infocards:

• Fixes loading resources where the .rsrc section length is incorrect (see [#106])