Godot 4.2 Dev Snapshot 4: What's New?

[Godotoot]

Godot 4.2's development is in full swing and is progressing steadily towards the beta stage with the release of the fourth dev snapshot, following a faster-paced release cycle established after the 4.0 launch. In just over three weeks since the last dev snapshot (dev 3), we've merged almost 250 pull requests. The master branch is on track for beta in October 2023 and stable in November 2023. This latest snapshot packs in numerous improvements and enhancements across the board.

Highlights:

• C# on Android Support: Initial support for C# on Android, previously merged in dev 3, is now ready for broader testing. Official export templates are available in the .NET ("Mono") build, allowing you to export C# projects to Android. .NET 7.0 is required as the target framework. Some limitations exist, notably incompatibility with arm32 architecture.

• Rendering Enhancements: Several rendering bug fixes and improvements include motion vectors for skeletons, blend shapes, and particles, setting the stage for implementing AMD's FSR 2.2 into Godot. A crash related to a limit on Lights, Decals, and ReflectionProbes in a scene has been fixed. Rendering contributors are actively preparing to implement more items from the rendering priorities list.

• Input Bug Fix: An infamous input bug affecting character movement (e.g., WASD + D-Pad) has been resolved, though some regressions are expected.

• GDScript Improvements: GDScript has received bug fixes and new features, including static typing for for loop variables, improved documentation generation, and the ability to use local constants as type hints.

• GDExtension for Windows: Enhancements for GDExtension on Windows include copying DLLs to a temporary location before opening them, allowing for DLL overwriting without Windows file locking conflicts. Live reloading of GDExtension is also in development.

• Editor Usability: The editor has seen usability improvements, such as custom color support for project folders in the FileSystem dock and enhancements to the signals connection dock.

• Import Updates: Support for the KTX image format has been added for using Basis Universal with GLTF.

• Content Scale Stretch Modes: A project setting has been introduced to define content scale stretch modes, enabling integer scaling out of the box.

While each dev snapshot aims for stability, remember that this is pre-release software. Frequent backups and version control systems are essential for project safety. Download Godot 4.2 dev 4 from here and participate in testing to help improve Godot 4.2.

Known Issues:
No known issues have been introduced in this release.

Bug Reports:
As a tester, you're encouraged to report any issues. Be sure to check the existing issues to avoid duplicates.

Support:
Godot is an open-source project heavily reliant on contributions and donations. Support the project through the Godot Development Fund or explore alternative donation methods. Your support ensures the engine's continuous development. For the complete list of updates and more information, check out the official release notes.

Happy game developing!