FX Composer 2.0 Release Notes (May 2007)
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Please make sure to read through this document, as well as the accompanying "Getting Started" guide, before using FX Composer 2 Beta.

1. Make sure to use a Release 90 driver for full OpenGL and Frame Buffer Object functionality.  We recommend the latest public driver available at:

   http://www.nvidia.com/content/drivers/drivers.asp.

2. FX Composer 2.0 Beta brings an additional set of new features listed here:

a. Start Page
The Start Page contains links to assist users to get started with common FX Composer uses. It also contains an RSS feed of the latest NVIDIA developer news.

b. Effect and Project Wizards
These wizards allow the user to go through a guided step-by-step procedure to create new effects or project based on the available templates.

c. Shader Library Panel
This panel allows a direct access to NVIDIA’s online Shader Library for a quick deployment of these shaders within your FX Composer project.

d. Shader Authoring useability enhancements
Improved support for Shader Code Include files
- Compilation errors in include files are reported properly
- Recompilation of included files triggers recompilation of source dependent files

e. Shader Profile conversion
FX Composer 2 can convert Microsoft Effect (FX) to Cg Effect (CgFX) files. Certain construct cannot be converted and require manual fixing for completing the effect conversion.

f. Improved GUI
- Drag-and-drop works throughout FX Composer for shaders, textures, geometry, light binding, and more
- Material Panel and Texture Panel are now unified
- The old image panel has been renamed Texture Panel
- Several predefined layouts are available

g. Time-based playback animation
The animation is now played back using a real-time timer.

h. Optimization for playing back animated scenes
Playback of animated scene and especially skinned characters has been significantly optimized.

i. COLLADA support
- Support for animated material parameters
- Support for Lights and Camera
- Management of COLLADA FX Render Targets
- COLLADA asset tags are supported for the root node
- Light object parameters can be bound to material parameters
	
j. Plug-in SDK
New sample plug-ins with source code for developers to leverage
- FBX, X, 3DS geometry file importers

3. The following limitations exist in this Beta release of FX Composer 2:
a. Per object SAS scripts are not yet supported.  In practice, all non-scene effects are by definition per-object, but these will only break if they do SAS scripting inside the pass; and a small number of our effects actually do this (less than 5).  fur.fx is one such example

b. Limited availability of effects and project templates

c. Common profiles can only be bound to one light

4. Bundling with mental images’ Mental Mill Artist Edition
FX Composer 2 Beta is now bundling Mental Mill Artist Edition to provide FX Composer 2 users with an artist-friendly user interface for creating Microsoft FX and NVIDIA CgFX effect files.

5. FX Composer 2 Support
Issues can be reported via email to fxcomposer@nvidia.com or bugs can be filed online on the NVIDIA Registered Developer site: http://nvdeveloper.nvidia.com.