Changelog.

🌟 Highlights

💾 Autosave & Crash Recovery

• Automatic Project Snapshots: Added AutosaveManager to periodically take atomic background recovery snapshots of open projects without interrupting workflow.
• Startup Recovery Prompt: When launching after an unexpected crash or termination, Hesiod detects deferred recovery snapshots and prompts to restore your unsaved work.
• Configurable Settings: Toggle autosave and set snapshot intervals in Application Settings (enable_autosave, autosave_interval_s).
• Unsaved Changes Guard: Added prompts when closing or loading projects with unsaved modifications.

🎨 Refined "Industrial Design" UI & High-DPI Scaling

• UI Refresh: Clean, modern, high-contrast dark theme with streamlined headers, collapsible attribute categories, and consistent typography.
• Fractional DPI Scaling: Resolved cursor offsets, missing panels, stale graph outlines, and popup menu hover trails across fractional interface scales on Linux and Windows.
• Node Settings Toolbar: Added a 9-button quick-action toolbar to the node properties panel (reload, reset, preview, center, etc.).
• Node Library Palette: Redesigned node browser with category color coding, smooth hover/flyout animations, drag-and-drop node instantiation, and persistent panel width.

🧩 Node Additions & Consolidations

New Nodes

• Circus: Generates glacial cirques and bowl-shaped amphitheater landforms based on HighMap primitives.
• ValleyHead: Generates realistic mountain valley heads and glacial amphitheaters.
• Jagged / JaggedFbm: Applies customizable jagged/fractal-edge displacement with amplitude preservation.
• LooseSymmetry: Introduces directional and polar symmetry operations with customizable center flattening.
• ColorizeBivariate: 2D bivariate color mapping with dedicated sharpness and color ramp controls.
• PolarShape: Generates procedural polar-coordinate shapes and profiles.
• SpectralEqualizer: Frequency-domain equalization and spectral filtering for heightmaps.
• StrataPlates: Procedural tectonic plate strata and layered terrace generation.
• DepositionFillHoles: Dedicated depression filling and sediment deposition filter.
• CoastalFetch: Calculates wave fetch and wind exposure along coastlines.
• Compare: Visual and numeric difference comparison between heightmap inputs.
• WaterElevationFromDepth: Converts water depth maps into absolute terrain water surface elevations.
• TextureSelectColor: Color-key masking and selective texture isolation.
• AreaRemove: Removes isolated heightmap features or islands below a size threshold.

Consolidated & Upgraded Nodes

• CoherentNoise: Consolidated individual noise nodes into a single, unified procedural noise generator.
• PathResample, PathNoise, PathTransform: Unified and streamlined all path modifier workflows into dedicated transform/resample nodes.
• Bump: Merged standard Bump and BumpLorentzian nodes into a unified primitive.
• FlowFixingMST: Added midpoint pathfinding options and midpoint offset ratio controls.
• FlowSimulation: Added full-resolution computation mode and automatic removal of small residual water pools.
• SnowSimulation: Enhanced realism and deposition stability.
• DirectionalBlur: Upgraded to high-performance GPU execution.
• Equalize: Added a reference heightmap input for direct histogram matching.
• TextureTransform: Added UV scaling parameter support.

📤 Export & Import Improvements

• Batch Export Execution State: Real-time per-node progress bars and visual execution statuses during multi-node batch export.
• Filename Templates: Support for customizable filename template tokens and predefined metadata fields in export nodes.
• EXR 32-bit Float Support: Native OpenEXR range-preserving import and export support for heightmaps.
• Export Framing & Options: Added options to force $2^n$ or $2^n + 1$ dimensions, flip X/Y axes, and export masked sub-regions.
• Robust Import: Added safeguards preventing crashes when loading unknown or corrupted file formats in ImportHeightmap and ImportTexture.
• Flatten Export Dialog: Added aspect-ratio controls and coordinate frame origin fixes.

⚡ Performance & Core Engine

• OpenMP Settings: Exposed OpenMP thread pool configuration in application settings for multi-threaded node execution.
• HighMap Submodule: Synchronized and optimized erosion algorithms, hydraulic stream logging, range queries, and memory access patterns.
• Compile Time Optimization: Cleaned up header dependencies using IWYU (Include-What-You-Use) and optimized build targets.
• Graph Editor Refactoring: Extracted GraphEditor and GraphWorkspaceWidget architecture, decoupling node proxies from the core data model.

📖 Documentation Overhaul

• Material for MkDocs Theme: Modernized documentation with searchable literate-nav and category-grouped summaries.
• Core Concepts Section: Comprehensive deep dives on Heightmaps & Virtual Arrays, Broadcast & Receive Routing, Masks & Selectors, Tiling & Overlap, and an interactive Glossary.
• Interactive Guides: Added "Patch of Graphs" workflow guides, node reference pages with parameter tables and diagrams, and user manual expansions.

🐛 Bug Fixes & Stability

• Fixed application crash on Linux with Qt6 in QTerrainRenderer.
• Fixed node deletion and brush array loading crashes on degenerate arrays.
• Fixed color shift issues in TextureAdvection.
• Fixed missing model creation when dropping connections in the graph editor.
• Fixed CLI batch mode execution issues in headless environments.
• Corrected East/West orientation gizmo in 3D viewport.
• Restored signed slider ranges and corrected legacy attribute serialization in multi-group nodes.
• Fixed AppImage packaging and Nix build dependencies.

New Contributors

• @barrulus
• @Leonhardmaster2
• @Pazelock
• @PatchByte is back!

Full Changelog: https://github.com/ottolink-dev/Hesiod/compare/v0.5.2...v0.6.0

What's new

New Terrain & Erosion Nodes

• HydraulicSaleve (new erosion variant with improved smoothing/interpolation)
• Improved HydraulicParticle simulation (better ridge forcing, stability, defaults)
• StrataCells & StrataTerrace (advanced stratification tools)
• Thermal node (merged + refactored system)
• ThermalScree (duration-based model, fixed talus constraints)
• Curvatures (unified curvature analysis with extended metrics)
• LocalMetrics (merged local terrain analysis tools)
• MorphologicalOperators (consolidated morphology base operators)
• FindCutPath & PathInflate (enhanced terrain path generation tools)
• Mudslide (WIP)

Improvements & Refactoring

• Node consolidation (multiple legacy nodes merged and deprecated)
• Added generic post-process and percentile-based tools for better control
• Expanded interpolation and smoothing options for Path nodes

UI / UX Improvements

• Safer project loading with JSON deserialization failsafes
• Clearer node organization (new categories, WIP separation, deprecation messaging)

Fixes

• Numerous crash fixes (node attributes, port routing, remap, warp, blend, etc.)
• Fixed issues in erosion and terrain algorithms (peaks, discontinuities, overflow)
• General stability and consistency improvements across nodes and UI

⚠️ Known Issues

• The application remains somewhat unstable 💣 but improving with each release.
• Possible memory limit issue when using large graphs or high resolution => enable the option to cache node data on disk in the graph configuration menu
• Flow simulations are work-in-progress

What's new

HighMap Core Refactor & Performance

New Terrain & Erosion Nodes

• ValleyFill
• WatershedRidge (work in progress)
• Thermal node (merged + refactored system)
• ThermalScree (duration-based model, fixed talus constraints)
• Plates node (tectonic-style terrain generation)
• KernelCupola node
• ProjectTalus node
• ExportTiled node
• Texture ColorAdjust node
• Equalize node
• FlatbedCarve node (from v0.5.0 base)

UI / UX Improvements

• New UI option allowing to reduce memory footprint by caching node data on disk
• GraphToolbar with quick resolution selector
• Reset settings feature

⚠️ Known Issues

• The application remains somewhat unstable 💣 — but improving with each release.
• Possible memory limit issue when using large graphs or high resolution => enable the option to cache node data on disk in the graph configuration menu

Full Changelog: https://github.com/otto-link/Hesiod/compare/v0.5.0...v0.5.1

What's new

New Nodes

Several new terrain, utility, and export nodes were added, expanding carving, filtering, noise generation, and data export workflows:

• FlatbedCarve
• PathDecimate
• Multisteps
• ClampOblique
• SelectSoilRocks
• SelectSoilFlow
• CoastalErosionProfile
• LevelSetCurvature (added, not yet exposed)
• Island
• IslandLandMask
• WaveletNoise
• Bulkify
• ConeComplex
• Blend3
• ExportPointsToPly
• ExportCloudToPly
• CloudToVectors
• Thru
• Toggle

UI / UX

• HTML support in node tooltips
• Online help link available for each node
• Improved node settings layout and icons
• Embedded viewer and refined viewer controls

Rendering

• Multiple renderer updates and visual refinements
• Improved water and ambient occlusion rendering
• Fixed OpenGL inconsistencies between Linux and Windows

Stability & Architecture

• Safer node and graph lifetime management
• Improved memory handling and cleanup
• More robust node/link deletion and graph updates

⚠️ Known Issues

• The application remains somewhat unstable 💣 — but improving with each release.
• Possible memory limit issue when working with multiple 4K textures (#364).

Full Changelog: https://github.com/otto-link/Hesiod/compare/v0.4.1...v0.5.0

What's new

Renderer

• Introduces a new rendering engine with enhanced visual capabilities:
• Shadow mapping for improved depth and lighting realism.
• New water shaders for more natural reflections and surface effects.

GUI Improvements

• Quick Start guide now available in the Help menu.
• Added optional static node panning for easier navigation in the node settings panel.
• Added a texture downloader integrated with PolyHaven (more sources coming soon).

New Nodes

• Geological Primitives: MountainStump, MountainTibesti, MountainInselberg, ShatteredPeak, Badlands, BasaltField
• Basic Hydrology: FloodingLakeSystem, FloodingFromPoint, FloodingFromBoundaries, FloodingUniformLevel, WaterDepthDryOut, MergeWaterDepths, WaterDepthFromMask
• Erosion: Strata, Rifts
• Added point generation tools for object placement, supporting:
• Poisson disk distribution
• Radius constraints
• “Natural” clustering using power-law and Weibull distributions
• ...and more.

⚠️ Known Issues

• The application remains somewhat unstable 💣 — but improving with each release.
• Possible memory limit issue when working with multiple 4K textures (#364).

What's Changed

• Json improving Serialization WIP by @PatchByte in https://github.com/otto-link/Hesiod/pull/353

Full Changelog: https://github.com/otto-link/Hesiod/compare/v0.4.0...v0.4.1

What's new

• Graph Manager: The GUI now features a Graph Manager, enabling the editing of multiple graphs simultaneously. Two new node types — Broadcast and Receive — have been added to support data communication between graphs. Each graph operates within its own coordinate system (origin, size, and rotation angle), and graphs can be overlaid like layers — similar to tools like GIMP. A new flattening/export feature lets you merge all active layers into a single heightmap. The export currently supports heightmaps only (textures are planned in a future update). This process also smooths transitions between overlapping layers.

• Minor GUI improvments:
• Node documentation is now accessible directly from within the application.
• Node settings can be saved and loaded as .json presets.
• Comments can be added directly to the graph (use Ctrl+B in the editor to insert a comment).

• Internal Refactor: Behind the scenes, most core classes have been restructured to enforce a clean separation between the data model and GUI logic.

Known issues

• The overall application still unstable :bomb: but an autosave feature has been added to help reduce frustration and minimize data loss.
• The "world preview" in the Graph Manager shows heightmaps with absolute amplitude values, which may differ from the actual amplitudes used in the exported result (#262).

What's new

• new OpenCL backend, much faster erosion and convolution-based filters (up to x100)
• some new primitives: GaborWaveFbm and Gavoronoise (with procedural erosion)

Known issues

• new GUI is still unstable :bomb:
• OpenCL compiler error make occur for some GPU #250. Workaround: see patch version hesiod.AppImage.v0.3.0-gitec295da.zip

New GUI - Third time's a charm (hopefully)

• to address graph node update that could be very slow for large graphs due to the former Qt node editor (#160)
• switch back to GNode for the underlying node data structure
• redevelop a Qt node editor greatly inspired by the former editor paceholder/nodeeditor

Known issues

• new GUI is still a bit unstable :bomb:
• #225 : HydraulicParticle node settings crashes the app

New nodes

• Clouds: CloudRandom, CloudRemapValues, CloudLattice, CLoudMerge
• Paths: PathDecasteljau
• Kernels: KernelPrim, HeightmapToKernel, KernelGabor
• Authoring: Stamping
• Primitive: Paraboloid, Rift, Crater, DiffusionLimitedAggregation
• Math: ConvolveSVD, RadialDisplacementToXy, FallOff
• Filters: RecastSag, Detrend, ShiftElevation, HydraulicBlur, Warp, WarpDownslope, FillTalus, Translate, Zoom
• Features: KmeansClustering2, KmeansClustering3
• Routing: Unpack

Python bindings

pip3 install pyhighmap

Known issues

• graph node update can be very slow for large graphs due to the new Qt node editor (#160)

Full Changelog: https://github.com/otto-link/Hesiod/compare/v0.1.1...v0.1.2

New nodes

• Paths: Path, PathFractalize, PathBezier, PathBezierRound, PathBspline, PathToHeightmap, PathSDF, PathToCloud, PathMeanderize, ExportPath, PathResample, ReverseMidpoint, Ridgelines
• Clouds: CloudSDF, CloudToPath, ExportCloud
• Primitives: WhiteDensityMap, WhiteSparse, NoiseParberry, Caldera
• Selectors: SelectBlobLog, SelectInwardOutward, SelectElevationSlope, SelectTransitions, SelectRivers, SelectAngle
• Features: ShapeIndex, Unsphericity, AccumulationCurvature
• Erosion: Thermal, ThermalRib
• Misc.: Mixer, DataAnalysis, DistanceTransform, GaussianDecay

Known issues

• graph node update can be slower than previous versions (#160)

Known issues

• graph node update can be slower than previous versions (#160)
• GUI on Linux is nicer and more user-friendly than the Windows one (#152)
• there might be a few other ones waiting for you...

Gallery

Youtube videos (rendered with Blender):

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New Contributors

• @PatchByte made their first contribution in https://github.com/otto-link/Hesiod/pull/106
• @malpas made their first contribution in https://github.com/otto-link/Hesiod/pull/120

Full Changelog: https://github.com/otto-link/Hesiod/commits/v0.1-alpha