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Wall Worm 2.5 is Released. This is a milestone release in several ways. It's had a lot of testing and probing over the last couple of months. It is the prelude to the release of WW Pro (which is now available in Alpha from the WW store)

The update adds a ton of new features. New Wall Worm team member Orvid King and I have worked for over two months on this one update. There may still be some kinks, but at this point it's time to unleash it.


Version 2.5  released on 1-14-2015

   * Wall Worm Pro (WW Pro) support integrated.
   
   * Updated installation scripts to include the WW EULA. Now users must agree to the EULA before using WW. WW has always had a EULA in the downloaded readme.txt file, but many users have never bothered to read this. Now WW enforces users to read it.
   
   * DMX: Added DMX export support when WW Pro is installed. Does not yet support animation or flex, but will be added soon.

   * SMD Exporter: Optimizations for SMD output to truncate small decimal values.

   * SMD Exporter: Updated standalone SMD Exporter to control what nodes export as geometry and what nodes export only as bones.

   * SMD Exporter: When WW Pro is installed, exporting skinned models or explicit normals is now extremely fast.

   * WWMT: Updated WWMT to allow exporting of models that have multiple Morphed objects in a WWMT setup. This means that you can have a morphed object (such as a head) included in a larger hierarchy (such as entire player character).
   
   * WWMT: added new properties to include multiple WWMT models as $include or as $model with the export of the parent WWMT.
   
   * WWMT: Fixed bug in the WWMT UI that was always compiling the QC even if the user only clicked the Write SMDs button.
   
   * WWMT: Fixed a bug in WWMT UI when adding or selecting weightlists.

   * WWMT: Updated WWMT to no longer automate $jigglebone data from the IK when $jointconstrain is turned on. Now the user must set the Jigglebone properties explicitly, which are in the new Bone Custom Attribute (see below).
   
   * WWMT: Added $exeposition helper.
   
   * WWMT: Added Eyes to WWMT modify tab.
   
   * Displacements: Updated Sculpt Mesh commit function to work far faster than previously worked. In tests, a sculpt mesh composed of 1800+ Power 2 displacements committed in 30 seconds. Before this update, the commit took 10 minutes.

   * VMF Exporter: Updated the exporter to not start writing to the VMF until the output contents are fully ready. This alleviates a file lock if the exporter encounters some unexpected exception.
   
   * VMF Exporter: Optimized many functions to work faster and more efficiently.
   
   * VMF Exporter: When WW Pro is installed, exports up to 40% faster.
   
   * VMF Exporter: Fixed problem loading Anvil logo in some installations.

   * FGD: When WW Pro is installed, the FGD parser and entity cache function now takes only a few seconds to run.

   * Material Library Generator: When WW Pro is installed, entire libraries can be imported in a couple minutes instead of hours.
   
   * Materials: Fixed bug in the MACROScripts for adding WW Material Custom Attributes to scene objects or to materials in the material editor that occurred when running the macroscripts before some other functions in Wall Worm were already called (often making the scripts fail on the first run).
   
   * Textures: Added a new Custom Attribute for textures. This CA stores information about a texture that the VTF exporting functions can use. A few of the functions work in the general WW, but the majority of them only work with WW Pro installed. Among those settings are all VTF texture flags, the ability to Export arbitrary texture maps (even non-bitmap texture nodes), fine control over animated VTFs, VTF dimensions and even setting specific/arbitrary texture types for the VMT (such as $basetexture, $bumpmap, $customtextureslot1, $customtexture2, etc).
   
   * Textures: Updated functions in WW to utilize the new Texture CA above. This includes functions to check for valid dimensions, valid bitmap types, etc. In WW Pro, there is no longer a restriction on bitmap types (where the standard WW limits to exporting bitmap textures of TGA, PSD and IFL). However, at this moment, WW Pro does not yet write VTFs natively, so WW Pro is falling back to VTEX which still requires specific bitmap types and dimensions.
   
   * Assets: Optimization to the asset collection functions. Making a RES File from a large scene is now much faster.

   * SMD Importer: Fixed problems with Skin Weights.
   
   * SMD Importer: Now only makes one mesh per SMD regardless of the material count.
   
   * SMD Importer: Fixed bug when importing an SMD that has staggered node IDs ranges.
   
   * SMD Importer: Fixed a weight bug for faces that were only weighted to one bone and that bone wasn't the initial bone in the hierarchy.
   
   * VTA Importer: Added VTA importer to the SMD/QC importer. Now you can import a standalone VTA file. Also, VTA files found in the QC will be imported in the QC importer.
   
   * QC Importer: Added the following properties to import from a QC that previsouly did not import: $definebone , $alwayscollapse, $jigglebone (and all properties of jigglebones), $weightlist, $attachement, $hbox, $hboxset, $skipjoint, $rootbone, $root, $eyeposition, eye, Flexfiles, $illumposition, $masscenter. Also, if $origin is found, the vertices will be offset accordingly. ($origin support in the importer is not yet widely tested.)
   
   * QC Importer: Fixed frame offset in $sequence import.
   
   * QC Importer: Fixed the importer not assigning $sequence lines to the WWMT helper after imported.
   
   * QC Importer: Added Time Tags in Max timeline relating to sequences.
   
   * QC Importer: Updated file searching to look in relative paths.
   
   * Entities: Optimized some entity functions to work a little faster.
   
   * Entities: When using WW Pro, entity functions are consolidated to use less memory.
   
   * Bone Tools: Updated Bone properties to be stores in custom attributes instead of in propData. Added several new properties that can be stored.
   
   * Bone Tools: Updated Hitbox functions to both export and import correctly.
   
   * Bone Tools: Moved all Jigglebone data into the new bone properties custom attribute.
   
   * VMT Importer: Optimized VMT importer to use less resources and work faster. When WW Pro is installed, it is even faster.
   
   * Settings: Fixed bug in Max 2012 where the SMD exporter was always defaulting to a legacy SMD exporter.
   
   * VMF Importer: Fixed bug in the Save Cache function.
   
   * WW Extras: Added Paste Properties and Randomize UVW tools to the Wall Worm Extras menu.

[wallworm]

And in classic WW style, immediately followed by WW 2.501. Removed some debug text output to texture exporter console... speeding up the model texture exporter.

[wallworm]

2.502 Released

Fixes a few bugs in the collecting texture paths for various functions in non-WWPro environments.

[wallworm]

Version 2.503  released on 1-15-2015

   * QC Importer: Updated QC Importer to place $attachments in World coordinates when the absolute command is detected.
   
   * QC Importer: Removed some settings from the QC importer that should only be used with the SMD import.
   
   * SMD/QC Importer: Added new options Single Mesh. When on (default) the imported geometry is a single mesh. When off, each node is brought in.
   
   * SMD/QC Importer: Fixed error when the user clicks the Batch Import button but does not choose a path.
   
   * SMD Importer: Fixed error when importing a single SMD rather than a QC.
   
   * SMD Importer: Added new $cdmaterials field to tell the SMD importer where to look for materials.
   
   * Settings: Fixed global settings always setting to Wall Worm Pro as the SMD Exporter when WW Pro is installed. Now only sets this to WW Pro as default if WW Pro is installed and activated.



Also, we discovered that there are some materials that the VMT importer fails to import when using WW Pro. See the WW Pro readme file to use the MAXScript VMT importer instead of PRO if this is affecting you. We will address this bug as soon as possible.

[wallworm]

Version 2.504 released on 1-16-2015

   * WWMT: Fixed Hull Count function to not crash WWMT if a hull node was deleted or invalid.
   
   * Settings: Updated global settings UI to open the content folders when the buttons are right-clicked.
   
   * Hull Helper: Added a MacroScript for the Detach and Hide function. You can find it as "Detach Faces and Hide" under the "wallworm.com" category in your Max customization UI.

[wallworm]

Version 2.51 released on 1-18-2015

   * VMF Exporter: Fixed a bug exporting scenes where the node has a property named "handle" like a Teapot. Go figure.

   * VMT Exporter: Fixed a bug the could happen if the bitmap file for the Specular Level slot was not found.

   * VMT Importer: WW Pro VMT Importer has been updated to support Patch materials and the $include command.
   
   * SMD/VTA Importer: Fixed bug importing SMD or VTA with empty time entries in the skeleton block.
   
   * Extras: UV Randomizer updated to include step controls.
   
   * Settings: New Engine setting. Can choose Goldsrc, Source or Source 2. At this time, choosing Source 2 is equivalent to Source. Choosing Goldsrc forces WWMT to export SMDs in HL1 format and modifies some fo the content of the QC output. Goldsrc support is now partially implemented (see below). NOTE: At this time, the Goldsrc support has quirks in the workflow which is not yet documented well. These tools are currently still under development.
   
   * Textures: Now there is a function to Export Textures to WAD in the Materials menu. This will allow you to export a bitmaps to a WAD file for Goldsrc.
   
   * SMD Exporter: There is now support for HL1 SMDs. This feature is currently only available in the WWMT exporter UI and only works if the global setting for Engine is set to Goldsrc.
   
   * MAP Exporter: You can now export to the MAP format to make levels for Goldsrc.

[wallworm]

Version 2.511 released on 1-18-2015

   * Settings: Fixed a bug in the Settings storage functions when saving a relative paths that end with a Backslash (\). See WW forums for fixing corrupted configs.

This bug was brought to my attention today and has been a bug in WW for years. Essentially, if you entered a default material or default model path into the global settings UI that had a trailing backslash, your WW settings got corrupted.

The fix should enforce future edits to always delete the trailing slash (as well as convert them to forward slashes). It's just easier to maintain.

If you already have a config set up for WW that has this error, you can fix it manually. You must take these steps:

1) Open a text editor like Notepad or Notepad++.
2) Click Open and browse for C:\Users\WINDOWSUSER\AppData\Local\Autodesk\3dsMax\20## - 64bit\ENU\scripts\WallWorm.com\config\sourcePresets.ms
3) Replace all instances of:

Code Select Expand

\"
with

Code Select Expand

/"
4) Save the file.
5) Reload your config settings.

[wallworm]

Version 2.521 released on 1-19-2015

   * Settings: Fixed a bug when installing Wall Worm or Wall Worm Pro for the first time.
   
   * Settings: Fixed bug where users with Wall Worm Pro installed could not change the SMD Exporter from Wall Worm Pro.
   
   * SMD Exporter: The rotation of the coordinate system now only happens with the Rotated Model option, and not when certain combinations of Origin settings triggered it. At this time, the world is rotated if $staticprop is on or Rotated Model is on. Rotated Model may be removed in future versions of WW.
   
   * VTA Exporter: Minor optimization to VTA export code.

###################################

Version 2.52 released on 1-18-2015

   * WWMT: Fixed bug exporting models after bad logic checking for which Engine to use (Goldsrcs/Source).

###################################

Version 2.511 released on 1-18-2015

   * Settings: Fixed a bug in the Settings storage functions when saving a relative paths that end with a Backslash (\). See WW forums for fixing corrupted configs.

[wallworm]

Version 2.523 released on 1-25-2015

   * VMF Exporter: Updated the VMF Exporter to use the update logic for  SMD rotation based on the model being a $staticprop or using the Rotated Model option when exporting WWMT/WWMT Proxy props.
   
   * VMF Exporter: Updated the prop exporter to detect WWMT prop orientation when using Forest prop scattering based on the update above.
   
   * MacroScripts: Added two new Macroscripts under wallworm.com category: Increase Grid Spacing and Decrease Grid Spacing. You can assign these to keyboard shortcuts to emulate Hammer's grid increase/decrease.
   
   * WW Pro: Fixed bug parsing left4dead2.fgd.
   
   * Installer: Updated installer to not re-open the EULA agreement immediately after install.

[wallworm]

Version 2.525 released on 1-27-2015

   * VMF Importer: Fixed long-standing bug in VMF importer where brush geometry was corrupted if any of the brush coordinates were stored in scientific notation in the VMF.

   * DMX Exporter: The DMX exporter in WW Pro now supports morphed keyframes as flexes. Non-keyframed morph targets and wrinklemaps not yet implemented. Animation support started but not finished.
   
   * QC Importer: Fixed import of collision model. The collision model was being excluded in most simple models.
   
   * SMD Importer: Updated the SMD importer to check for valid float values for vertex positions, UVs, etc. Sometimes the SMD files included values such as NaN (Not a Number) and it crashed the SMD importer.