Boxshot 5.4 beta
22 Oct 2021
This update adds object instances, improves gizmo, speeds up OpenGL scene preview and more.
Instances
An instance is a lightweight copy of an object that has all its properties and can be placed anywhere in the scene. When you change the main object — the instance get changed too, if you change the instance — the main object is also changed. You can have multiple instances of the same object.
Instances can be created using the Tools menu in the main or context menu of Boxshot. There is a Create Instance command that does the job and also Detach instance command that converts the instance back to the standard object.
Tools like Stack and Step and Repeat now use instances by default, but let you revert back to copies if needed. Using instances instead of copies significantly speeds up scene generation, loading and rendering, so we highly recommend using them where possible.
Gizmo Updates
Gizmo (those colored arrows in the middle of the selected object) got multiple selection support. If you select several objects, the gizmo will be displayed at their center so you can move, rotate or scale all the selected objects together.
Also gizmo supports various coordinate systems (parent, local aligned and local rotated) by holding Alt/Option and Control/Command keys in all three modes: translation, rotation and scale.
OpenGL Preview
The hardware–accelerated OpenGL preview has been re–worked for speed, so if you have a huge and slow scene — give it a try with the new version, you will definitely see the difference.
Other Changes
Besides that, some other issues have been addressed:
- Stack tool now supports extruded objects, 3d texts and some other shapes;
- Image manager displays full file names in tooltips;
- Scene tree state is now saved with the project.
Cheers!