GDTF Builder Release Summer 2023 Improvements

The editor to create and edit GDTF files - the GDTF Builder has received a big update and the list of changes and improvements is huge.

3D View Performance Improvement

The first thing to mention is the massive speedup of the 3D view of the Geometry tab. Before the update, each operation or each switch of a view in the Geometry tab would cause a full redraw of the 3D geometries window, which - in case of complex geometry trees - could take a significant amount of time. See this comparison of old (left side) and new (right side) behavior on the video below. Basically… the left view - the new behavior - is ready as soon as the 3D view is clicked, while the right side - the old way of rendering - keeps iterating through the elements of the Geometry tree:

Next new features are also related to geometries, both are available in the menu in the Geometry tree list:

Wiring objects insert tool

A new fast insertion tool for Wiring Geometries can generate predefined sets of typical connectors of a lighting device. There are three sets available - each inserts different list of predefined objects:

• Group one: DMX XLR3 In and Out, DMX XLR5 In and Out, Network RJ45 and TRUE1.
• Group two: DMX XLR3 In and Out and TRUE1.
• Group three: DMX XLR5 In and Out and TRUE1.

After using the tool, one should check and edit these new Geometries and fill in details for example of the Power consumption data and so on.

Geometry duplication and arrangement tool

When creating for example LED panels, the Builder can now duplicate and arrange a selected geometry, to speed up creation of these arrays.

Complete list of changes

There are many other very useful additions and changes, like the ability to copy/paste wheels between files, displaying of default and high-light values in DMX Mode overview, better error handling and of course many bug fixes. There is also a new universal login which preserves the login state between the GDTF Share and the GDTF Builder. The complete list of changes posted in the GDTF Forum is very long, see it listed below verbatim:

New Features

• Copy / Paste Wheels between different fixtures
• Display user name in the title bar
• Start using ModifiedBy in revisions to be able to see where an issue possibly comes from
• Show Channel Highlight and Default values in DMX Mode overview
• Geometry tree operations are now much faster
• Add predefined Wiring Object types
• Arrangement Wizard for Geometries

Improvements

• Upload of large meshes does not give the user any feedback
• The duplicate UUIDs error should give the user more guidance on how to resolve it
• Add option to allow DMX count to continue from previous DMX Break range in the DMX Mode overview screen
• Display RDM/SW in decimal
• DMX Table in DMX Mode Overview should be multi line instead of heaving a scroll bar
• Give more detailed information about the csv for spectral data
• When starting “a new” device file from an “old” one, indicated this in revision history
• Visually separate DMX modes, for example do a zebra table of DMX modes
• Visually mark attributes without Pretty name
• Duplicating DMX mode will paste channels with Initial channel function reset to first channel function
• DMX Logical Channels can collapse
• Add more detailed information to the edit prism facet dialog
• The duplicate UUIDs error should give the user more guidance on how to resolve it
• Display RDM/SW in decimal
• Sorting dmx channels by coarse when channels have the same break

Bugfixes

• Model: can not remove Low/High model glb and 3ds and svg top / front / side
• Sort channels should consider break, rather then sorting 1 1 2 2 each after the other
• If DMX Mode is missing link to a Geometry, Builder shows an error which cannot be found
• No error is displayed if a gdtf is imported, that has two geometries with the same name
• With multiple geometry trees, the builder doesn’t highlight beam geometries of the second three
• Geometry size is affecting model size
• Tool tip of glb meshes says 3ds instead of glb
• SVG offset lost upon viewing
• Instant crash if i clear value of a geometry rotation’s axis and switch to another axis
• New Geometry in Paste Mode is missing scrollbar
• Additional measurements of a emitter are exported with physical = 0
• Message is displayed that a top level geometry is not referenced even if it is referenced to by a geometry reference.
• Fix crash on summary click after duplicating DMX Mode with virtual dimmer with attribute relations
• After creating a Duplicated DMX Mode with virtual dimmer, you cannot delete attribute relations in the duplicated mode
• Revision time is one hour back when saving GDTF
• History of revisions is lost if I consecutively work on the same file
• Builder freezing with specific file
• The builder should respect the timeout of the cookies and prompt the user a login popup once the cookie expired
• Fixing re login error
• Adding seed verifying request for relogin modal
• Missing attribute while copy/paste DMX channel in dev. version
• Fixing do not upload to the Share checkbox lost
• Fix crash copy, paste dmx channel, then delete previous channel and go to summary
• The GDTF Share button in the builder editing always points to the live share
• Templates miss icon after cookie expires
• When i open a file which has white emitter linked to a beam geometry, the builder doesn’t show it
• If DMX Mode is missing link to a Geometry, Builder shows an error which cannot be found
• Add option to allow DMX count to continue from previous DMX Break range in the DMX Mode overview screen
• Fix can not copy and paste wheelslot with no filter
• Copy/paste mode lost attribute issue. Attributes that did not exist in the fixture before pasting are lost during saving.
• Use Parent Physical Warning shows even in legitimate usage cases