This roadmap has a full set of spline related tools in Layout as a goal. Since we want to release at least one new plugin every month to our patrons, the development is split up into small steps, each of which adds to the capabilities of the spline toolkit.
There may be some cases where the development takes more than a month (such as the initial spline editor) but we try to keep these rare.
Following the base stage, the following modules may be added but some may depend on others.
This adds CSplines (the ones used by default for LightWave envelopes) as well as B-Splines. Splines can be converted, but only the control points are translated. The shape of the curves will change.
Add more functionality to the spline editing tool such as the ability to multi-select. Also performs various general tweaks - better automatic smoothing, improved alignment. Might even get rid of the tool to incorporate it into the spline primitive directly (no need to activate the tool, just select the spline and edit).
Done, but left here because part 2 references it.
Adds a node and a deformer plugin to deform a mesh along a spline.
Requires splines to be animatable as well as the proximity node.
Add the ability to use a spline as the source shape as well.
Allows for splines to be rendered. http://www.pbr-book.org/3ed-2018/Shapes/Curves.html
Instance along a spline. This requires a custom instancer.
A new Primitive Type1) will be developed, called “db&w Spline”.
Initially this will host a Bezier Spline2) which can be open or closed. When selected, it can be edited using a Gizmo3).
Internally, the splines will be managed using a global plugin4) to allow other plugins to discover and use the splines.
To make the spline useful, we'll add a motion plugin as well as an evaluation node that can be used for motion node graphs.
The spline will be static - the control points can not be animated at this stage.
Due to the complexity of getting the architecture right, The Base Stage will be a two months project on Patreon.
Allows for the whole spline shape to be animated using a single envelope.
Might adds envelopes to the spline controls points and handles and updates the gizmo to allow for keyframing the points and handles.
Allows knots and control points to follow other items.
A node that computes the closest distance to a spline, this can be used for shading.
A prerequisite for spline based deformations.
Adds a node and a deformer plugin to deform a mesh along a spline.
Requires splines to be animatable as well as the proximity node.
This has been split into two parts
Axis aligned deformations only, using a spline as a target shape.