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Core

Overriding Resource Directories

It is now possible to override all USER and SYSTEM paths using environment variables:

  • BLENDER_USER_RESOURCES (accessed via bpy.utils.resource_path('USER')).
  • BLENDER_SYSTEM_RESOURCES (accessed via bpy.utils.resource_path('SYSTEM')).

Previously, sub-directories could be overridden via environment variables such as BLENDER_USER_CONFIG and BLENDER_SYSTEM_PYTHON (see the --help message for a full list). However there was no way to override the top level directories which scripts could access via bpy.utils.resource_path. Now the top-level directories can be overridden so the default USER or SYSTEM resource paths aren't used by accident (bf4926b30c).

Fonts

  • New stack of fonts for improved language and symbol coverage (e9bd6abde3).
  • FreeType caching to allow more simultaneous fonts with less resources and increased performance. (d39abb74a0)
  • Avoid loading fonts that are not actually used (c0845abd89).
  • Font sizing now always assumes 72 DPI, simplifying code. DPI argument to blf.size() is now optional and deprecated. (cd1631b17d)
  • Gamma correction for text output for improved anti-aliasing. Result is also slightly fuller and brighter. (d772e11b5a)

Performance

  • Create preview thumbnails of WebP images a little quicker while using much less RAM. (8851790dd7)
  • View layer sync operations are now postponed until the sync results are needed. This greatly speeds up scripts that create many objects in a single operation (68589a31eb).
  • Depsgraph: Optimize evaluation of dependencies of disabled modifiers (f12f7800c2)

Others

  • Metaball objects are now evaluated as meshes. Render engines now only need to process the corresponding evaluated mesh object and can skip the evaluated metaball object. (eaa87101cd).
  • Support extracting frames from WebM videos that dynamically change resolution. (d5554cdc7c).
  • Video rendering: Support FFmpeg AV1 codec encoding. (59a0b49c10).
  • libOverride: RNA API: Add option to make all overrides editable in override_hierarchy_create (a67b33acd0).
  • Support for the Wayland graphics system is now enabled for Linux (f9ab2214ae).