Ready for Big Sur!
Thursday, November 12, 2020
Timeline 3D v5.2 was released today on the Mac App Store (both in-app and education version).
I rewrote all of the rendering code to use Metal/Swift migrating from OpenGL/C++ which should keep it compatible with Apple platforms as they evolve. For example, it renders with the new M1 chip that was just announced.
I also updated the user interface to the new Big Sur patterns including dark mode, which looks pretty cool. Kenichi Yoshida, who has been contributing beautiful illustrations to Timeline 3D for over a decade, has updated the icon to match the new Big Sur style.
I hope you enjoy the update. Thanks for your continued support. Some of you have been with me on this journey for over 15 years! If you are feeling generous, please consider leaving a positive review on the app store. Cheers!
Labels: Big Sur, Dark Mode, timeline 3D, update
Timeline 3D w/ macOS Big Sur
Saturday, August 08, 2020
I have been testing Timeline 3D with Big Sur as well as iOS 14 (both are currently in beta). The bad news is that it looks like Bug Sur has changed the OpenGL pipeline such that it breaks the 3D rendering features. Apple has asked developers to move from OpenGL to Metal so it is unlikely that Apple will prioritize a fix.
The good news is that I am working on a free upgrade to Timeline 3D v5. I am rewriting our custom rendering pipeline with Metal for better graphics and battery life. I am also modernizing the user interface to support Dark Mode and other Big Sur features.
Furthermore, I have obtained a Mac Transition Kit featuring the new Apple Silicon so I will be working to make sure that Timeline 3D will be compatible with the new hardware when it becomes available.
Software development is difficult to predict, but I already have the basic features ported to Metal and am aiming to have the update ready in September. If you depend on Timeline 3D for macOS, please avoid updating to Big Sur until that update is available. iOS 14 seems to run Timeline 3D just fine so far though it is also being upgraded.
I released the first version of my Timeline software 15 years ago! That is a long time for an indie sofware application, and I am proud that some of my customers from that first year and still actively using the software today. I'm looking forward to upgrading Timeline 3D for the next generation of Apple operating systems and hardware.