1.11 roadmap

[rdb]

This is an overview of the big (remaining) chunks on the way towards the 1.11 release, to keep this information in one place. This is meant to be a "living issue" and will be updated as plans change. Bugs (other than major blockers) are not listed, only big items, that may be subdivided further in linked issues. Discussion is welcome but I don't want to turn this issue into a wishlist issue, let's focus on just the important things.

List of all associated issues

Deprecations

Supported minimum OS versions are macOS 10.9, Windows 7, and manylinux2014 (or compatible). Supported Python version is minimum 3.8, which is the last version to support Windows 7.

• Dropping support for Mac OS X 10.6 "Snow Leopard" #300
• When can we drop Windows XP support? #548
• Drop support for Python 2.7 #905

Shaders / graphics

• Tracking issue for new shader pipeline #1381
• Formalize M_selector mode as roughness-metallic map #1388
• (may be dropped) Support passing colors everywhere as sRGB #1005

Platform support

At this point I'm suggesting not to hold up the release for these.

• Android
  • Support Android deployment in build_apps
  • Game quits when rotating phone screen on Android #1216
  • Build pipeline for Android wheels
  • Finish and merge multitouch branch
• WebGL
  • Implement WebGL back-end
  • Set up CI for WebGL and merge into master
  • Add Web Builds to build_apps #1540

Making Panda3D easier to build and maintain

• Switch to CMake build system
  • The CMake buildsystem #717
  • Remove makepanda backend  #1310
  • makepanda: Start a makepanda-compatible wrapper around CMake #859
• Bring third-party build scripts into the main repo #1311
• Improve release process #1589
• Split off Maya and 3ds Max exporters to separate packages #1584

GSoC Projects

These would be nice to have in 1.11 (but not critical if we can't get them finished)

• New CollisionHeightfield #691
• Bring Recast/Detour integration into working order. #1268

Behaviour/API changes

Changes that are not hard or urgent but need to be considered at a major release point.

• Changing depth range convention in projection matrices #377
• Changing default depth test mode to "less-equal" #867
• Assimp models are loaded with wrong coordinate system #1386
• Move networking classes from panda3d.core into separate panda3d.net #1466