Blender 2.49b Bugfix Release

[Stefan]

Blender 2.49b Bugfix Release

Updates:

    * Update for new OpenAL windows library.
    * Update Japanese translation.
    * Upgrade extern/xvidcore to version 1.22. This fixes Xvid crashing on linux 64 bit.
    * Updated Blender/Python API and GameEngine docs.
      http://www.blender.org/documentation/249PythonDoc

Various Bugs:

    * SoftBody, vertex groups were not notified on deletion & fixes for Mass and Spring Painting
    * Softbody, non mesh objects missing initializers [bug #18982]
    * Self Shadow Vertex Colors, improved blur method to give more even results.
    * Converting nurbs to a mesh ignored smoothing for Alt+C and from python.
    * Object Active to Other, Fix python error when running in local view.
    * Ancient resource leak where checkPackedFile would open a file and never close it.
    * Fix for uninitialized memory use with X11 keyboard and tablet events.
    * Fix for building with CLang (LLVM)

Render Bugs:

    * Using LightGroups override for material doesn't work for preview renders.
    * Render Stamp, error in setting the alpha value when drawing text into a char buffer.
    * Lumma Matte, Fix in low value setting.
      Originally checked against the wrong channel (chroma) instead of the luminence channel. Changed default value for high value to 1.0 from 0.0
    * Baking selected to active with nearby dupliframes objects crashes blender [bug #19029]
    * Fix for high energy sunlamps, turning specular black [bug #18837]

Game Engine Bugs:

    * Saving runtime on Windows didn't work with python2.6
    * Let IPO's animate the ref value for KX_BlenderMaterial's

Game Engine Python Bugs:

    * Converting a mesh from a python argument was broken but happened to work in some cases.
    * Memory leak fix for action.channelNames.
    * Was writing to freed memory when freeing a python object in some cases.
    * Removing GameLogic.EvalExpression(), was unstable.
    * Crash fix when casting a ray to the same location as the object.
    * Fixed KX_PolyProxy returning improper VertexIndex with mixed triangles and quads with using .getVertexIndex() and .v1, .v2, etc. [bug #19254]
    * Fixed obj.sendMessage() with 4 arguments crashing blender [bug #18963]

Game Engine Bullet Bugs:

    * Crash fix when a parent compound object didn't have a physics controller.
    * Fix for the torque actuator x -& y-axis not working.

Sequencer Bugs

    * IPO curve-deletion resulted in non-working effect
    * easy retiming only allowed enlarging of strips, now shrinking is also possible (easy retiming: use the right display handle of input strip and shrink or enlarge, will make the speed of the strip exactly fit the effect strip's length)
    * frames after end-of-display of input strips can now be accessed.
    * frame blending can now be done on more than two frames, enabling really fine grained motion blur if you speed up a sequence with high factors (bigger than two).
    * Scene-Strip rendering with compositor scenes failed, if they had no camera attached.
    * Fixed hdd-audio for sample formats other than 16 bit (8 bit eg).

Import/Export Bugs

    * FBX Export, Incorrect formatting that broke some converters.
    * BVH Motion Capture Import, Did not support single rigid body objects. [bug #18949]
    * OBJ Import, fix for importing of transparent faces from .mtl files - ZTrans now is set for them as well. (improves import from SketchUp)
    * Collada export, Empty material slot would raise a python error.
    * Collada import, fixes for increased Sketchup interoperability and more.
    * Quake MAP Export, empty nodes were not exported, also noticed files were invalid if there were no meshes or surfaces.
    * Quake MAP Export, had support for single triangular brush unnecessarily disabled.
    * Quake MD2 Export, Fix for vertex normals [patch #19206]

Python API

    * Mathutils (quat_a*quat_b) was broken, returned (quat_a*quat_a) instead.
    * Support for editing properties IpoCurve.driverBone and IpoCurve.driverBone2 and modifies IpoCurve.driverChannel to allow OB_ROT_DIFF.
    * Documentation corrections.
    * Support for rendering background scenes different from the active scene.
    * scene.render.render() now behaves the same in interactive and background mode
    * scene.render.saveRenderedImage() now works correctly in background mode
    * Armature active bone can be set.

New:

    * 16bit SGI image loading
    * When BLENDER_FORCE_SWAPBUFFERS env variable is defined, a function is enabled that fixes flickering for some Intel and Radeon cards.

    * Python API - Particles
          o Draw As variable and dict
          o Strand render toggle
          o Object, psys variable in duplicate
          o Material, Strand render variables
          o Texture, Use colorbands
          o Lamp, Spot buffer type selection

    * Game Engine Physics support for reinstancePhysics mesh from Python and the dynamic actuator.
          o ReplaceMesh Actuator option to replace the physics mesh and display mesh + python api options.
          o Video and blend file demo.
            http://www.graphicall.org/ftp/ideasman42/reinstance.ogv
            http://www.graphicall.org/ftp/ideasman42/reinstance_demo.blend

    * Mouse focus sensor "pulse" option to pulse TRUE when the object under the mouse changes.

    * EDL importer for the sequencer. supports...
          o audio, video edits
          o fades, wipes, speed changes (video only)
          o importing from multiple reels