The open-source engine Godot hits a new development milestone with its 4.6-dev5 snapshot. As the project moves toward feature freeze (scheduled for 3 December 2025), this build bundles a wide set of changes across rendering, export workflows, patching and editor usability.

Use D3D12 by default on Windows

For Windows users the default rendering backend now switches from Vulkan (or older defaults) to Direct3D 12 (D3D12). This reflects long-standing concerns about Vulkan stability on Windows, particularly around GPU driver reliability. The change only affects new projects created in 4.6-dev5 or later. For existing 4.5 projects you must manually set rendering/rendering_device/driver.windows = d3d12.

Delta-encoded PCK patching

Content patching sees a major enhancement. Previously, patch exports compared files at a per-file level — meaning even a single-character change in a large localisation file triggered a full export of that file.
Now, the engine supports delta encoding (binary diffing) when exporting patches. Only the modified bytes are stored, potentially turning megabyte-sized patches into lightweight, byte-level edits. This must be explicitly enabled in the Patching tab of the export dialog. Note: applying such patches comes with a small runtime cost (a few milliseconds worst case).

Native Android Gradle builds via companion app

Exporting to Android gets more robust. Previously, Godot allowed injecting game data into a pre-built APK — quick but limited. Now, thanks to a companion build app providing a Linux-like build environment on Android, Godot can run full Gradle builds on-device. This enables easier use of Android plugins (for example billing, XR, ads) and closer parity with native Android builds. The companion app is planned for release via Google Play and other stores before Godot 4.6 stable ships.

OpenXR 1.1 support and improved XR export

Godot now supports OpenXR 1.1. On devices with 1.1 support, the engine will automatically enable the newer API features. Loader logic for AOSP (Android Open Source Project) platforms has been moved from a vendor-specific plugin into Godot’s core. That means games targeting generic Android distributions can now export one APK that runs across many XR headsets without separate vendor plugins. The existing first-party OpenXR vendor plugin remains available for vendor-specific extensions and permission management.

2D renderer overhaul: major performance gains

The 2D renderer, especially for scenes benefiting from batching, gets substantial optimisations. Previous automatic 2D batching already reduced CPU usage by combining similar draw calls. In 4.6-dev5 the GPU cost of batching has been reworked. Tests show that on GPU-bound scenarios performance improved between 1.1× and 7× compared to prior versions.

Editor and engine usability upgrades

This snapshot also introduces many smaller but meaningful improvements across the editor, scripting, and core engine: rotating scene tiles in TileMapLayer, improved timeline resizing for animations, better GDScript debugging, extended GUI layout options, improved file attribute support under operating systems, and more.

What, if anything, to watch out for

As with any pre-release build, 4.6-dev5 is not a stable release. The official download page warns users to keep backups or use version control to avoid data loss or regressions. Depending on your project, some changes, like the switch to D3D12 or the use of delta-encoded patches, might require manual configuration or testing before relying on them.

This build is part of a broader push toward the stable 4.6 release. With feature freeze scheduled for 3 December 2025, this dev snapshot likely represents the last major feature add before the engine enters polish-only mode. Developers should test these changes thoroughly before upgrading production projects.

Try the Webversion in your Browser!

And read more about this Release here: https://godotengine.org/article/dev-snapshot-godot-4-6-dev-5/

The post Godot 4.6-dev5 lands: D3D12 default, Delta Patching, Android Gradle, 2D boosts first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

The use of artificial intelligence in Adobe Photoshop is being increasingly expanded by developers. In the past, the Adobe Photoshop-AI model “Firefly” took centre stage. Two further models have been available in the beta version of the programme for a few weeks now:

• Flux.kontext Pro from Black Forrest Labs
• Nano Banana from Google

Both models have so far been able to prove their efficiency, which is impressively demonstrated by many examples on the Internet. Changing people’s clothes or manipulating the scene view are just two examples. In Photoshop, they are activated via the options in the context-sensitive taskbar. This works after selecting the entire image or an area. In contrast to Firefly, Photoshop only produces one result with the two new models.
Apart from the familiar use cases, the AI provides support when working on projects in the areas of graphic design, matte paint or concept art.

Transforming scenes in Photoshop

The use of stock photos in productions is a normal process. The same motif at a different time of year or day is usually not available. This is where Nano Banana from Google can help. It allows the scene to be quickly adapted to the production management’s specifications. This is achieved with a simple prompt. In the example, a night scene is created from an existing recording:

Turn in a night scene

The method allows the uncomplicated creation of material for virtual TV sets or documentaries.

Transforming Text in Photoshop

“Flux.kontext Pro” is known for changing text in photos without manipulating the font or changing the character of the overall impression. The artist then corrects errors in product designs with just a few mouse clicks. A time-consuming subsequent photo shoot is not necessary. Alternatively, product names with different international designations can be created for motion graphics. These can be used flexibly later in production.

Both steps described with light and fonts can be combined. In practice, it has been shown that changes to the text with the Black Forrest AI should be performed in the first step. Then the lighting of the scene is changed with Google Nano Banana. The results are usually more realistic in this order and errors are avoided.

Photoshop-AI: Quick merging of motifs and objects

Matte painters and concept artists save a lot of time by using AI. Buildings can be inserted into landscapes or objects integrated into existing scenes in no time at all using text input – a single prompt is often enough.
However, the results are not always satisfactory, as the nano-banana model often automatically generates architectural suggestions. Significantly better results are achieved if you use a reference image. This is loaded into a new layer while the selection tool is used to define the target area in the background. If the background layer is active, it is then inserted via the context bar with the prompt:

Place the castle from Layer [Layer name]

If the first attempt fails, you can modify the prompt and possibly add further instructions such as “set on the mountain top”. The AI will then position the object better.

Inline prompts are available when inserting with Nano Banana. These are text layers with the instructions for working with Nano Banana. They are supplemented by graphics such as arrows and frames in a separate layer. These elements help with the exact placement of the object. Only one instruction is then required in the prompt for generative filling:

Complete the prompt in red

In some cases, Nano Banana inserts the prompt text and the corresponding graphic into the result. Then it helps to extend the instruction with “remove the red prompts and elements”.

Context-related fill and replace with Firefly

In Photoshop Beta 27.1.0, Adobe has added the new Firefly model “Fill and Replace (Beta)”. A reference image can be loaded and placed via the context-sensitive taskbar. The function can remove the background in the motif if desired. Free-standing objects with clear edges are ideal for insertion. A clear background usually ensures good results for architectural motifs. Transitions on the ground often need to be reworked, which is easy to do with the existing mask. Any remaining errors can then be corrected with a brush.

Conclusion

Numerous image manipulations are possible with the new AI models in Photoshop Beta. However, the results are not always optimal. In these cases, it helps to work in iterations and approach the final result step by step. This method leads to success in most cases. A reminder: depending on your subscription, it can become costly quickly.

The new technology is a useful tool for quick results. However, Photoshop-Ai cannot replace creativity or the experience of the artist. Rather, it helps to build up a project and can make the work process more efficient.

The post Photoshop AI in practice first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Jörn-Erik Burkert.

Professional productions rarely consider smartphones. They lack ergonomics, reliability, and lens flexibility, and often process images in ways that destroy useful data before it ever reaches postproduction.We usually avoid “smartphone” news unless the device breaks into workflows in a meaningful way. But the legends at epic tutorials found something!

The Pixel 10 Pro may qualify. Unlike marketing claims around “computational photography,” this development deals with sensor-level access to true 12-bit video, a technical unlock that places this handset in a different category. The magic word here is Dual Conversion Gain (DCG), a hardware feature that has existed in many image sensors but has rarely been available for video capture outside cinema-grade gear.

What is Dual Conversion Gain?

Dual Conversion Gain (DCG), sometimes branded as Smart-ISO Pro by Samsung, allows a sensor to simultaneously capture high-gain and low-gain readouts of the same pixel exposure. The two signals are then merged before digitisation, producing a RAW output that preserves highlight headroom while also retaining clean shadow detail.

In practice, DCG produces one single file with:

• Higher dynamic range than standard single-gain readout.
• Finer tonal separation in shadow and midtone regions.
• Lower visible noise in dark exposures.
• Reduced artefacts compared to frame-stacked HDR video.

Conventional HDR modes, particularly in smartphones, often stack multiple exposures across frames. That introduces motion ghosting and temporal artefacts. DCG, by contrast, works at the pixel level and requires no stacking.

Interesting Detail: Google Pixel 10 Pro's Main Camera has 12-bit mode enabled by default!
byu/RaguSaucy96 inGooglePixel

Why is this important in the Pixel 10 Pro?

Previous Pixel devices, as well as Samsung Galaxy phones using similar sensors, already shipped with DCG capability. But manufacturers locked this functionality away. It was inaccessible to standard camera apps, and even advanced third-party software could not invoke it without root-level hacks.

The Pixel 10 Pro is the first mainstream consumer smartphone to expose DCG for RAW video capture directly to third-party apps. That means filmmakers, VFX artists, and technical directors can now record true 12-bit RAW video from a phone without voiding warranties or tampering with the operating system. Orjust ghavcing to deal with the shit-ton of work that is rooting a device these days. This change is not a marketing flourish, it is a concrete technical unlocking of a sensor feature that has been sitting dormant.

Testing and confirmation

Testing performed by developers using MotionCam Pro demonstrates visible improvements. Comparisons of waveform plots and histograms show increased usable dynamic range and visibly cleaner shadows when DCG is enabled. Noise levels in underexposed shots are drastically reduced. Blacks hold structure instead of collapsing into blocky artefacts. Gradients appear smoother, avoiding the typical banding that plagues 10-bit smartphone video.

Independent reports confirm that only the Pixel 10 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro XL models support this feature in video capture. The non-Pro Pixel 10 lacks the sensor bandwidth required.

Professional use cases

Let’s be clear: this is not a replacement for cinema cameras. But there are credible, professional-adjacent use cases.

BCAM/CCAM utility: For secondary angles, reference slates, or onset inserts where a lightweight, inexpensive camera suffices. The ability to record 12-bit RAW ensures that even imperfectly lit material has enough data for correction. But you have to consider how COlors and Contrasts land in, for example, Resolve – there is very little documentation, and you would need to test your footage to have a confident pipeline.

Photogrammetry capture: Tools like Meshroom rely on full-fidelity image data for reliable geometry reconstruction. Having decent video from a compact device could make mobile scans easier without elaborate lighting setups. Now, a LIDAR Scanner would be prefreable, but, in a pinch, with enough pictures, this should do as well.

Reference footage: VFX supervisors, colourists, or continuity staff may need to grab quick visual notes. Normally such reference clips suffer from baked-in compression and tone-mapping. A 12-bit file avoids this somewhat. And we are not talking about ProRes!

This makes the Pixel 10 Pro more of a pipeline tool than a narrative camera. Its footage can fit into established dailies or VFX workflows without breaking colour pipelines.

Cost vs. capability

By professional standards, the Pixel 10 Pro is inexpensive. A dedicated RAW-capable BCAM costs multiples more. That affordability opens opportunities: every team member could carry a RAW-capable capture device without straining budgets.

That said, ergonomics remain a limitation. Phones lack ND filtration, proper I/O, monitoring options, and reliable thermal management for long takes. Professionals should see this feature as an additional tool in the box, not a cost-saving substitution for proper gear.

Industry implications

The larger story here may be about smartphone manufacturers finally unlocking pro-grade sensor features. For years, hardware has been capable of higher-fidelity capture, but consumer apps and OS restrictions kept that potential hidden.

By making DCG and 12-bit RAW accessible, Google signals a shift. The Pixel 10 Pro may not replace cinema cameras, but it demonstrates that latent features can be delivered to professionals if vendors choose to. If this sets a precedent, future handsets may become more reliable companions in production environments.

The bottom line

The Pixel 10 Pro’s 12-bit RAW DCG capture is an interesting tidbit for professionals. Not a final-frame tool, not a marketing gimmick, but a useful side camera with real production/photogrammetrry/documentation utility. Treat it accordingly: a supplement for reference, technical, and capture workflows—not a substitute for your Alexa, Venice or URSA. And we ignored the questions of thermal stability, variable Framerate, standardized colour profiles, and so many more things that make a professional camera and a smartphone two different beats entirely.

A reminder

Innovations like this should always be tested thoroughly before use in production. Smartphone footage may now hold up in a certain few workflows, but reliability and stability remain critical factors.

The post Pixel 10 Pro unlocks true 12-bit RAW with DCG first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

When Google open-sources something, there’s no reason to panic – except perhaps if you’re making your first attempt to chisel a detailed replica of Michelangelo’s David in virtual reality. Well, luckily Google has made life a little easier for us all: Blocks, the lightweight VR modelling app, is now open for everyone to tinker with.

Not only is the software now available for free, it is also able to open OBJ, FBX, GLTF and USDZ files. This makes it a breeze for all VFX artists who struggle with a mountain of file formats on a daily basis to juggle their models between the different tools. Because let’s be honest: another file format in the pipeline can only cause more chaos in an already chaotic artist’s mind.

What’s the advantage for us? Well, Blocks has always been known for creating even the smallest models with the greatest of ease. Simply drag shapes, scale, rotate – all in one hand movement. It’s like playing in a virtual sandbox, but without the sand creeping in everywhere. What’s more, you don’t need an overpriced sand toy: the software runs on standard VR headsets.

Another feature that Google is emphasising is that the source code is now freely available. This means that anyone who feels called upon to optimise the app can unpack their scripting skills and lend a hand. Whether you dare to debug your own code is up to you. The challenges – and the headaches – are now also open source.

In short: Google Blocks offers a playground for anyone who wants to let off steam in the world of 3D modelling. With open file formats and the ability to modify the source code, there are no more excuses for VFX artists as to why their next project can’t start in VR.

Links:

• Google Blocks – product page on Github
• Blocks documentation
• And sometime here on Steam

The post Google Blocks now open source first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

In nuce: Icosa Gallery has released the latest version of the open-source VR sketching app Open Brush, making Open Brush 2.0 available. With the release of Open Brush 2.0, the app is also celebrating its two-year anniversary. The software is based on Tilt Brush, which was previously developed by Google. Digital Production last reported on Tilt Brush on 9 November 2017. Open Brush has been open source since 2021 and will no longer be pursued as a commercial project.

Open Brush v2.0

In toto: Below are some of the key features of Open Brush 2.0 – in addition to the fact that the app has been upgraded to the latest version of the Unity game engine.

• Support for a Layers System: Up to eight layers can be selected. This should improve clarity when working with large sketches.
• Pressure sensitivity for brushes: Some brushes now have pressure sensitivity – depending on how hard the user grips their input device, strokes appear more or less forceful.
• Up to 10 times the bit rate: Sketching is said to have become noticeably more performant – with a leap in performance from 5 frames per second to 50.
• Support for OpenXR extensions: Virtual reality and mixed reality applications are hereby supported – and Open Brush usable for a wider range of hardware offerings. This includes an extension that allows users of Meta Quest headsets to draw within a mixed reality environment.
• Two new tools: The Snip and Join tools have been added to the toolbox. With these tools, existing brushstrokes can either be halved using the control point or two existing brushstrokes can be joined together.

Clicked further: To the announcement of the release of Open Brush 2.0 or to the corresponding GitHub. Users can find out where Open Brush is available from via docs.openbrush.app . Digital Production reported on the previous version Open Brush 1.0 on 2 March 2022 – and on the new functions Lazy Input and other feature delights.

Source: cgchannel.com ( report by Jim Thacker)

The post Drawing with VR glasses – and in 3D space? first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Patrick Poti.