[Bf-committers] Blender 2.8 - the Workflow release

Tue Jul 21 14:33:06 CEST 2015

Hi,

I'm collecting feedback about the big picture and the overall picture still. We have time on our side. 

I also want to have good insight in what we can achieve with the current team, and/or what we need new talent or developers for. Lotsof communication to be done.

"The pipeline part": if you mean my proposal to work on better workflow integration of Blender in non-Blender (non-open) pipelines? That we definitely need a lot of help for - especially by the stakeholders. And not so much in telling us what to do, but in offering help to realize it!

Finding active studio-stakeholders is one of the things I will use SIGGRAPH for.

I also will need help by people to organize it all here, and to define which of our online services we'll use for this... let's keep this an open discussion for a while, and get to work more practically 2nd half of August, after 2.76 is done?

Laters,

-Ton-

--------------------------------------------------------
Ton Roosendaal  -  ton at blender.org   -   www.blender.org
Chairman Blender Foundation - Producer Blender Institute
Entrepotdok 57A  -  1018AD Amsterdam  -  The Netherlands

On 21 Jul, 2015, at 10:32, Thomas Volkmann wrote:

> That sounds great!
> Where can/should we put suggestions for the pipeline-integration part (or the
> other stuff)?
> 
> cheers,
> Thomas
> 
>> Ton Roosendaal <ton at blender.org> hat am 20. Juli 2015 um 15:49 geschrieben:
>> 
>> 
>> Hi all,
>> 
>> (also posted on http://code.blender.org)
>> This is a proposal for work focus on blender.org for the coming year.
>> 
>> I've written this because we keep missing bigger development targets - we
>> don't have enough time for larger projects. Instead too much time goes to
>> releases, bug fixing, reviews, maintenance and support topics. The bug and
>> patch tracker duties are keeping the best of our developers away from their
>> own targets. As a result we then don't have time for design docs, for
>> planning, logs and in-depth sessions with the module teams, and have no time
>> for the artists who are involved to make sure we're well aligned and know what
>> to do. I think everyone has noticed that we're floating too much, things are
>> not clear. Where are we heading? Who does what, and how do we decide on
>> things?
>> 
>> So - it's time to act and gather the troops to refocus and get back energy, to
>> maximize involvement from everyone who's active in blender.org and make sure
>> Blender can survive for many more years.
>> 
>> ----- Blender 2.8 - Workflow release -----
>> 
>> Just like for 2.5, the proposal would be to take a bigger leap to a bigger
>> release by not releasing for a year. The 2.76 release then would be the last
>> 'real' version we do until 2.80 somewhere in 2016.
>> 
>> Obviously, for the crucial fixes and smaller (stable) features we can do
>> update releases 2.77, 2.78 and 2.79.
>> 
>> Topics to finish for 2.8 could be:
>> 
>> - UI work: wrap up Python configurability project, make Workflow based
>> configuring possible
>> Proof of concept: the stripped "Blender 101" for high school kids.
>> - Viewport project, including a PBR quality engine/editor that could replace
>> BI and GE render.
>> - A better designed integration of physics simulation in Blender
>> - Invite the GE team to rethink game logic editing, to use viewport and new
>> physics
>> - Don't add the half finished Gooseberry targets but take the time needed to
>> code it well:
>> Particle nodes, hair nodes, simulation nodes, modifier nodes...
>> - Asset managing and browsing, linking, references, external files in general.
>> - Integration in non Blender pipelines.
>> 
>> Practical considerations:
>> 
>> - Move development to special 2.8 branch(es)
>> - Module teams are empowered to cleanup quite radically and get rid of legacy
>> code.
>> - The 2.8 series is allowed to be not 100% compatible with 2.7x. (Physics,
>> particles, games).
>> - Spend time on organizing ourselves better, agreed designs should lead to
>> more empowerment.
>> 
>> And some core principles to agree on:
>> 
>> - We reconfirm and where needed update the 2.5 spec docs.
>> - Stick to existing Blender data structures and code design for as much as
>> possible.
>> - Make Blender ready to survive until 2020, but...
>> ... start collecting the list of bigger redesign issues we need to for a 3.0
>> project
>> - Bring back the fun in Blender coding! :)
>> 
>> The code.blender.org article for the roadmap of 2014-2015 is still valid in my
>> opinion. We just need to take a break of 9-12 months now, to make it work for
>> real.
>> Blender 2.8 Workflow Sprint
>> 
>> In the coming months we can discuss and review the plans and make sure we're
>> 100% aligned on the 2.8 targets and for other work during the coming years. We
>> should also meet and have good feedback sessions on it. So I propose to use
>> the Blender Conference in October as a deadline, and organize a workshop in
>> the week before.
>> 
>> - Four days of workshops and design sessions, in the week before Blender
>> Conference.
>> - Travel and hotel covered for by BF (and Dev Fund, or a new fund raiser?)
>> - We should try to get someone from every (active, involved) module team on
>> board. Also key user/contributors have to be on board. But it's also more
>> efficient to keep it compact.
>> - Proposal: we do this invitation-only: First we invite the 5 most active
>> contributors of past years. Together they then invite persons more, until we
>> have 12 (?) people.
>> - Sprint sessions can be in parallel too - UI, Viewport, Physics, etc. Let's
>> make it public as good as possible.
>> - The Sprint results get presented and reviewed during further on sessions
>> during the Blender Conference.
>> 
>> Seven years ago, back in 2008, we also took a break of over a year, to get the
>> 2.5 project started up. It was a very exciting period where a lot of new
>> things were possible and could happen, even though we didn't finish
>> everything... it gave us quite a solid foundation to build on, attracting a
>> lot of new developers and great features.
>> I realize we have to realistic now, not everything will possible. But we also
>> shouldn't stop dreaming up a good future for Blender. Let's take a break from
>> our demanding release cycle, rethink it all, but not for too long. Let's
>> cherish what we agree on and enjoy the freedom of a configurable workflow that
>> will enable you to do what you think is best... for making 3d art, games, film
>> and animation!
>> 
>> Feedback very welcome!
>> 
>> -Ton-
>> 
>> --------------------------------------------------------
>> Ton Roosendaal - ton at blender.org - www.blender.org
>> Chairman Blender Foundation - Producer Blender Institute
>> Entrepotdok 57A - 1018AD Amsterdam - The Netherlands
>> 
>> 
>> 
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