Version 2.2.0 Released!

Hey everyone! Version 2.2.0 of Twisted IK 2 was just released, and it has a bunch of new additions and bug fixes. Lets jump right into what has changed.

First, there is now a Twisted_PhysicsBone2D node! Here's a GIF showing it in action:

The node is slightly different than the Twisted_PhysicsBone3D node, as its a standalone node that requires a Twisted_Bone2D node to function. This is because the 2D mesh skinning functions would be lost if the node doesn't extend Bone2D, but the physics needs to use a RigidBody2D node in order to work. Because of this, the Twisted_PhysicsBone2D node works with a Twisted_Bone2D node, combining the best of both worlds! The Twisted_PhysicsBone2D node extends RigidBody2D, so all the normal physics functions, joints, and more all work as expected. Test scene 9 in the 2D folder has an example setup showing how it can be used.

Next, a new modification has been added for both 2D and 3D: A SliderJoint modifier! Here's it working in 2D in the Godot editor:

This modifier constraints the movement of a bone on a line formed by two points, where it will try to place the bone as close to the target as possible while staying on the line. You can also optionally have the bone rotate to face the target position as well. This modifier is great for creating mechanical joints that slide, like those on a 3D printer for example. And of course, just like all the other modifiers, the SliderJoint can be mixed and matched with existing modifiers to get really interesting and complex IK setups. This new modifier works great in both 2D and 3D! Test scene 8 in the 2D folder shows the SliderJoint modifier in 2D, while test scene 11 shows the SliderJoint modifier working in 3D.

This release also includes a utility scripts folder in the example project. This folder currently only contains a single script for setting the magnet position of a 3D FABRIK modifier through GDScript. This works similar to how the Pole node works in TwoBoneIK, but for FABRIK magnet positions instead. This folder will continue to get new stuff, in both 2D and 3D, as more utility scripts are made.

Some bugs for the 3D versions of FABRIK and TwoBoneIK have also been fixed. Previously, the 3D solvers would give different results as the entire assembly (Skeleton, Twisted_Skeleton3D, targets, etc) were rotated. This was a problem, as if all of the data and positions are in the same place relative to each other, it should always give the same result. This issue has now been fixed for the 3D version of FABRIK and TwoBoneIK. Now you can rotate the entire assembly and everything will just work.

I checked the 3D versions of the other IK solvers and I wasn't able to reproduce the issue, so I think just FABRIK and TwoBoneIK are affected. That said, if you find any issues, please do not hesitate to let me know! The 2D IK solvers should not have any of these issues, the bugs seemed to be 3D specific.

Additionally, the Twisted_PhysicsBone3D now properly turns off the physics calculations when disabled. Previously it only turned off applying the physics but it would still calculate them, wasting performance. This change shouldn't cause any noticeable effects beyond the performance gain.

That's all for this release! Going forward, I plan to look at adding 2D physics motor support, as well as continuing to improve the code base and fix bugs.

Thanks for reading and for your support!