Weekly Reports (2022)

[KonstantinDmitriev]

Weekly Report (December 28 - January 2)

Happy New Year to all Synfig users! Last week brought a lot of changes for Synfig code, see them all below.

Improvements

• Sometimes, when linking Group to Bone, the user (accidentally) selects the wrong control point, which is responsible for origin of Group Transformation. Now Synfig recognizes such situations and asks if user really wants to do so, suggesting to link group’s transformation instead (#2468).

Fixes

• Fix rendering of some glyphs in Text Layer (#2480).
• SVG import: Fix missing last vertex in cubic path segment (#2473)
• Bone Tool: Fix regression on Bone Width auto change when constructing Skeleton Deformation Layer (#2483).
• Fixed regression on loading and saving of settings Distance type (#2485).
• Fixed loading of some non-value lists (#2482).

Code cleanup

• Minor cleanup on TypePair<Bone,Bone> usage (#2486).
• Remove deprecated “set_alignment()” method from Bone Tool (#2484).
• Change type of “Layer_Sound” from Layer_Composite to Layer_Invisible (#2478).

That’s all for today! Many thanks to all contributors and stay tuned for the next report!

[KonstantinDmitriev]

Weekly Report (January 3 - 9)

Greetings to all Synfig users! Here’s what’s new in Synfig code for the last week:

Fixes

• Now it is finally possible to select Text Layers by clicking them on workarea - see attached gif demo for details (#2499).

• Fixed issue with opening a file from a network folder on Windows (#2505).
• Fixed crash when using Width Tool on Skeleton Layer (#2500).
• Bone Tool: Fixed issue where skeleton “name” wasn’t updated as new Layers are created (#2493).

Code cleanup

• Make UIInterface::confirmation() implementation consistent to signature (#2487).
• Avoid decimal point in Distance strings due to i18n issues (#2489).
• Removed unused alert message about experimental features (#2490).
• Updated GitHub actions/cache version (#2492).

That’s all for today! Many thanks to all contributors and stay tuned for the next report!

[KonstantinDmitriev]

Weekly Report (January 10 - 16)

Greetings to all Synfig users! Here’s what’s new in Synfig code for the last week:

How to import artwork from Krita to Synfig (CoaTools)

• Synfig is now capable to import CoaTools JSON files - see the plugin here. This allows to quickly transfer layered artwork from GIMP/Krita to Synfig - see this video demonstration attached. You can find more details about COATools here.
• Fix text layer hit check for Text Layer - the issue when size was too small (#2514).
• The “Create Child Bone” menu action is available again now, as its absence confuses users who are learning Synfig from old tutorials (#2507).
• Code cleanup: Remove unused variables (#2502).

That’s all for today! Many thanks to all contributors and stay tuned for the next report!

[kwilco]

Pleading to you! I probably use the Transformation settings in the Parameters box a hundred times a project. For the love of god, I cannot figure out why these settings have to be in a collapsed menu! When I set one parameter and hit enter, the menu collapses. This means I have to open it again to set another parameter. It DOES NOT MAKE SENSE. Please, please, please just list these parameters along with the others. I have been supporting Synfig for several years now and plan to continue. I ask for this one small thing.

[KonstantinDmitriev]

Hi Kevin!
Are you talking about this issue?
Or, would you also like to have Transformation parameter always un-collapsed by default?

[KonstantinDmitriev]

Weekly Report (January 17 - 23)

Greetings to all Synfig users! Here’s what’s new in Synfig code for the last week:

• Fixed bug with wrong value returned by “FileSystem::Identifier::empty()” function (#2510). This fix is required for upcoming support for reading Krita and OpenRaster files.
• Fixed building on Debian 9, which is required for generating packages for next release (#2517).
• Enabled localization for the name of “Background” layer (which can be created by default on startup, if you enable relevant option in preferences) (#2515).
• Fix text in error messages of Target_Scanline render (#2511).

And at the end of this report I would like to feature one of many fun animations made by @veermetri05 (BTW, you can support him here) -

Icon transition

That’s all for today! Many thanks to all contributors and stay tuned for the next report!

[KonstantinDmitriev]

Weekly Report (January 24 - 30)

How to import Krita artwork to Synfig (CoaTools)

Greetings to all Synfig users! Here’s what’ we’ve got for the last week:

• Fixed the issue with layer order in CoaTools Importer. You can check the video demonstration on how it works attached at the top of this post.
• Optimization of searching character in a string (recommended by PVS-Studio, warning v817) (#2523).
• GUI code now uses “Gtk::Application” class instead of deprecated “Gtk::Main” class (#2497).

That’s all for today! Many thanks to all contributors and stay tuned for the next report!

[KonstantinDmitriev]

Weekly Report (January 31 - February 6)

Greetings to all Synfig users! Here’s what’ we’ve got for the last week:

Skeleton Tool

• Show bone shape when Skeleton Deformation layer is disabled (#2467). See demonstration attached at the top of this post.
• Fix selection of active bone when clicking on a bone control point (#2488).

Code cleanup

• Removed “using namespace std” where possible (#2520).
• Fixed code mistakes identified by PVS-Studio (warning v656) (#2524).

That’s all for today! Many thanks to all contributors and stay tuned for the next report!

[KonstantinDmitriev]

Weekly Report (February 7 - February 13)

Greetings to all Synfig users! Last week we’ve got some code cleanup and infrastructure maintenance:

• Added the ability to select a compression method for zstreambuf (#2518). This fix is required for upcoming support of improting Krita and OpenRaster files.
• Minor cleanup in code part which handles icons (#2534).
• Migrate GtkSettings class form plain C to C++ (#2532).
• Removed unused “using namespace etl;” statements (#2530).
• Our documentation now has a page which describes how to install Synfig Studio.
• Our build environment (the one which we use to generate binary packages for Windows and Linux) was migrated to use Docker containers (see PR#34). This is a first step in effort to simplify our build infrastructure and it will make it easier to maintain packages and fix packaging-related bugs (like this one).

That’s all for today! Many thanks to all contributors and stay tuned for the next report!

[KonstantinDmitriev]

Weekly Report (February 14 - February 20)

Greetings to all Synfig users!

Main news: we have submitted an application to participate in Google Summer of Code! Please join the discussion here if you have suggestions for project ideas or just wish to lend us a hand with organization routines.

Last week we’ve got some code cleanup and infrastructure maintenance:

• Fixed fontconfig issue for Linux Appimage builds (see issues #2397 and #1849).
• Fixed crash on exit in Synfig Studio on MacOS (#2540).

That’s all for today! Many thanks to all contributors and stay tuned for the next report!

[KonstantinDmitriev]

Weekly Report (February 21 - February 27)

Greetings to all Synfig users! Here’s what’ we’ve got for the last week:

Features

• Now it is possible to set custom codec when using FFMpeg target for rendering (#2541).

Code cleanup & refactoring

• BlinePoint Origin is not coordinates, but a relative position (0.0-1.0) (#2548) [core]
• ETL test: avoid clash between ETL::hermite and std::hermite (#2547).
• Fixed ETL CMake tests (#2545).
• Removed tests for fixed class (#2521).
• Added description to FFmpeg units for “Video Bit Rate” field (kbps) (#2542).
• Create Widget_Interpolation: avoid code duplication and ease maintenance (#2543).
• Removed unused “using namespace etl;” (Part 2) (#2537).

That’s all for today! Many thanks to all contributors and stay tuned for the next report!

[KonstantinDmitriev]

Weekly Report (February 28 - March 6)

Greetings to all Synfig users! Here’s what’ we’ve got for the last week:

Fixes & Improvements

• Luma Key now ported to Cobra renderer engine (#2551).
• Fix Clamp Layer not rendering (#2550).
• Fix displayed Bone Shape of Skeleton Deformation Layer when affected by Transformations (#2535).
• Add color to buttons in quit confirmation dialog (#2498).
• Show GL as workarea preview option, if available (#2552).

Code cleanup & refactoring

• Simplify “Render Mode ComboBox Changed” callback (#2552).
• Added documentation for rendering-related code (#2549).
• Some cleanup on headers of synfig-core (#2561).
• Add unit tests for synfig::Node class (#2558, #2559).
• Added extra check to ensure computed GUID is not zero (#2560).
• Add “check” action to “build.sh” script for running tests (#2557).
• Enable translation for Interpolation Widget (file was not listed in POTFILES.in) (#2556).

That’s all for today! Many thanks to all contributors and stay tuned for the next report!

[KonstantinDmitriev]

Weekly Report (March 7 - 13)

The main news of the last week - our project got accepted to participate in Google Summer of Code program! See full announcement here.

And in addition to that we’ve got two big features arrived:

• Allow to render videos with alpha channel into WebM (VP8/VP9) and MOV (HAP) formats (#2563).
• Support for importing .kra (Krita) and .ora (OpenRaster) image formats (#2513).

Code cleanup / optimization:

• Eliminate the need to call set_time() function when search for bones (#2504).
• Windows build: Updated list of Msys2 packages to avoid error when building using autotools (#2566).
• Fixed PVS-Studio warning v730 (#2522).

That’s all for today! Many thanks to all contributors and let’s rock next week!

[Vinny58]

Wow! This will save some much of my time having to export each part of the rig as .pngs!

[KonstantinDmitriev]

Weekly Report (March 14 - 20)

0 to 100 Animations Progress in Synfig Studio

Greetings to all Synfig users!

The video attached at the top of this post features an outstanding work by Veer Metri, who has made a set of 100 vector animations and also published sources for all of them.

And here’s what’ we’ve got for the last week:

Changes & new features

• Changes for keyboard shortcuts:
  • ‘#’ key now used to Enable/Disable Grid (#2581).
  • ‘Ctrl+G’ allows to Group layer, just like in Krita and other apps (#2581).
  • ‘Alt+PageUp’ selects parent layer (#2567).
• New converter: “Modulo” (#2568). See details in this thread.

Code cleanup & refactoring

• MSYS2: Fixed dependencies (#2575) & removed patch for libintl, as it is not required anymore (#2576).
• Layer SuperSample: Remove unused parameters and minor code cleanup (#2580).
• Simplify Widget_Sublayer by using Gtk::ComboBoxText (#2578).
• Fixed RendDesc::get_pixels_to_world_matrix() function (#2574).

That’s all for today! Many thanks to all contributors and let’s rock next week!

[KonstantinDmitriev]

Weekly Report (March 21 - 27)

Synfig experiments

Greetings to all Synfig users! Here’s what’ we’ve got for the last week:

• Fixed crash of Blur effect in debug build (#2570).
• MSYS-CMake build: Added the ability to set debug build type from the command line (#2573).
• Now it is possible run regression tests from source code (#2585).

The top video attached to this report features awesome work by KEgg. Check out more in this thread.

Many thanks to all contributors and stay tuned for the next report!

[KonstantinDmitriev]

Weekly Report (March 28 - April 4)

Greetings to all Synfig users! Here’s what’ we’ve got for the last week:

• We have fixed issues with building Windows packages in our Docker scripts. That means we are ready to continue with release procedures for Synfig 1.4.3 and 1.5.2.
• Also, we have updated version of NSIS, which is used to generate Windows installers. This fixes the issue with starting Synfig installer from a folder with Arabic symbols (see issue #2142).
• List of contributor names is updated now (#2600).
• Improved output readability of unit tests for test_base.h (#2583).

The animation attached at the top of this report features awesome work by @microvswind. You can find more of his works in this thread.

Many thanks to all contributors and stay tuned for the next report!

P.S. You probably noticed this report is released one day late - on Tuesday instead of Monday. And I will probably stick with Tuesdays from now on, as it better fits my new schedule.

[KonstantinDmitriev]

Weekly Report (April 5 - 12)

Greetings to all Synfig users! Here’s what we’ve got for the last week:

• Fixed crash when switching workspaces (#2591).
• We have made testing packages for Windows and Linux with all latest features from the master branch. Please help us to test them and report all found issues here.
  • SynfigStudio-1.5.1-testing-2022.04.06-win64-e54c2.exe
  • SynfigStudio-1.5.1-testing-2022.04.06-linux64-e54c2.appimage

That’s all for today! Many thanks to all contributors and stay tuned for the next report!

[KonstantinDmitriev]

Weekly Report (April 13 - 19)

Greetings to all Synfig users! Here’s what we’ve got for the last week:

• Various typos fixed in source code (#2614).
• Fixed issue #2410 - Can’t import file into a saved SIF animation (if both are on the same disk).

That’s all for today! Many thanks to all contributors and stay tuned for the next report!

[KonstantinDmitriev]

Weekly Report (April 20 - 26)

Greetings to all Synfig users! Here’s what we’ve got for the last week:

• Fixed build of 32bit packages (#60).
• Removed old .cvsignore files (#2616).

That’s all for today! Many thanks to all contributors and stay tuned for the next report!