The 'we are modules' release

What's Changed

C++20 Modules

import mplot.visual;

The major change in this release is that matplot is now provided as C++20 modules! I'm finding this beneficial in my own work with the library; it enforces better code design, reduces recompile times in many cases and is convenient. However, it does have one, unfortunate drawback: The code will not compile with GCC (#148) or VisualStudio (#149). Instead, you must (at least at the moment) use LLVM/Clang version 20 or higher. Presumably this is a temporary issue and GCC and VisualStudio will catch up with clang soon.

New features

New features in this release include a Runge-Kutta solver example and updates to HexGridVisual following changes to increase the flexibility of sm::hexgrid so that it could be used in a hexagonal fast Fourier transform. There is also a hex FFT example program (but see also https://github.com/sebsjames/hex_fft).

The TriaxesVisual has had its name changed to AxesVisual, and can be used to create 2D and 3D axes. New visuals include PlaneVisual, DoubleHexGridVisual and a BezCurvePathVisual.

It is now possible to append a pre-computed meshgroup to any VisualModel. This is useful for adding a static mesh from, for example, a glTF file to a VisualModel which is otherwise dynamic (say, an insect head model added to dynamically updated insect eyes, as in https://github.com/BrainBeatsBrawn/antpov).

The antpov project also motivated some work on making scripted scene camera movements and on collision detection between oriented bounding boxes.

PR list

• Film direction by @sebsjames in #141
• Changes to make GLSL compatible with OpenGL ES by @sebsjames in #144
• Call PolygonMode only if we are NOT in GL ES mode by @sebsjames in #146
• Modular mathplot MAJOR CHANGE by @sebsjames in #136
• Removes some extraneous includes which confounded clang++20 on Ubuntu 26 by @sebsjames in #151
• Removes a redundant setting of CMAKE_MODULES_PATH by @sebsjames in #152
• Simplifying module_definitions.cmake in mathplot by @sebsjames in #153
• Runge Kutta example by @sebsjames in #154
• Removes some redundant modules in a list by @sebsjames in #155
• Adds oriented bounding box collision detection for VisualModels by @sebsjames in #156
• Moves jc_voronoi.cppm into sebsjames/maths by @sebsjames in #159
• Adds a simple plane visualizer by @sebsjames in #160
• Fix that HexGridVisual when we transform the hexgrid by @sebsjames in #161
• Adds a visual for bezcurve paths (also updates to use templated sm::hexgrid) by @sebsjames in #163
• Move mplot::compoundray::EyeVisual to BrainBeatsBrawn/craysim by @sebsjames in #164
• Allow appending meshgroups by @sebsjames in #165
• Adds an example for sm::algo::hexgrid::mask_outside_radius by @sebsjames in #167
• Adds the double hexgrid file by @sebsjames in #166
• HEX FFT by @sebsjames in #168
• AxesVisual will be the new TriaxesVisual, with ability to be 2D or 3D by @sebsjames in #169
• More control over axis labels etc by @sebsjames in #170
• Adds reinitColours for HexGridVisual by @sebsjames in #171
• Adds complex number handling/visualization to mplot::VisualDataModel by @sebsjames in #172
• Code to scale complex values by @sebsjames in #173

Full Changelog: v1.0...v2.0