Improvements to FeatureScript - April 13th, 2016

ilya_baran

With the most recent update, we are continuing to improve the experience of using FeatureScript:

1. You no longer need to select which Feature Studios you use in which Part Studios.  All available features from Feature Studios within your workspace automatically appear in the Part Studio FeatureScript menu.

2. FeatureScript is designed to work with the just-released linked documents, so you can define features in one document and use them in any Part Studio.  To do so, click on the new "Add feature types to toolbar..." button in the FeatureScript menu.  I have created a version in the "FS Examples" document so you can use the features there in any document that has the FeatureScript EVP.

3. We have made many improvements to std and language documentation and are continuing to make more.

4. Your features can now report custom error messages when they fail to regenerate.  Just write:

throw regenError("Not enough doodads to create widget. Please select more doodads.");

5. Custom features now have automatically generated icons.  We plan to have customizable icons in the future.

Please continue providing great feedback -- you are a great help in improving FeatureScript!

traveler_hauptman

Love it!

It took me a minute to find 'show code' in the part studio right click menu.

ilya_baran

@traveler_hauptman Ah, yes, I forgot about that change -- thanks for mentioning it!

adamohern

> It took me a minute to find 'show code' in the part studio right click menu.

Where are you seeing that?

ilya_baran

@adamohern Right click on the Part Studio tab.

adamohern

Oh. Lordy. You just made my day. My week even. This is unbelievable. Thanks!

ilya_baran

@adamohern Thanks!  I believe the new using-feature-studios workflow is very similar to what you suggested the first time we discussed FS.

adamohern

It's a bit more complex than I had in mind, but at least that comes with great power. I hope that over time the code will get simpler and easier to use. I am especially interested in a hybrid approach, where we could create features that feed into one another in powerful ways, similar to how Grasshopper nodes can be shuffled to create generative design ideas. I hope that over time we develop FS features that provide a middle-ground between traditionally explicit modeling and full-on programmatic FeatureScript.

emagdalenaC2i

Nice improvement

fastwayjim

@ilya_baran - It looks like when I add a custom feature to the toolbar, and then use it, it is frozen at the version which is shared, right? If I update the FS code, I need to reversion and then un-add/re-add it to the toolbar, even if it is all in the same doc?

ilya_baran

If you add it to the toolbar, yes, you need to reversion.  But for working on features in the same document (in the same workspace, really), you don't need to add them to the toolbar -- the latest is always available from the FeatureScript menu in every Part Studio.

dave_cowden

Welcome changes!