Hello, friends of Dynamo!
We are thrilled to announce Dynamo version 2.19! Alongside the robust selection of feature updates and bug fixes that you’ve come to expect, this release also brings with it game-changing updates to node and package search. Eager to learn more? Join us as we explore the highlights from this release, or, if want to give it a try, go ahead and download 2.19 from dynamobuilds.com. Then join us on the forum to discuss!
TL:DR
Dynamo 2.19 comes with a much-improved search feature that provides more relevant search results. It adds a zoom state, unique shape, and tooltip information for package nodes, improves the Python editor experience, and provides better documentation for chart nodes. This release introduces a variety of quality-of-life updates, including the ability to drag and drop notes to pin them, a new setting to control whether exported image file names include a time stamp, and more.
For full details on this release, check out the release notes!
What is Dynamo and its flavors?
What is Dynamo Core?
Dynamo Core is a collection of bundled components that consist of the graphical interface, the compute engine, the scripting language DesignScript, and the out-of-the-box nodes that are not specific to another program like Revit or Civil 3d.
What is Dynamo for <INSERT HOST HERE>?
Dynamo for [Revit, Civil 3d, FormIt, Advance Steel, Alias or Robot Structural Analysis] is a collection of host-specific nodes that work with Dynamo Core and runs inside of said host.
What is Dynamo Sandbox?
Dynamo Sandbox is for package developers and other folks working with Dynamo code who want to stay up to date with the latest and greatest stuff coming out. Sandbox is Dynamo’s “Core” functionality distributed in a way that doesn’t interfere with other Dynamo installations and doesn’t require any other applications (except for a few windows components and some optional extras). You can read more about this distinction here.
So, what’s dropping with Dynamo 2.19?
Search, and you will (actually) find! Massive improvements to search
The moment we’ve all been waiting for has arrived! This release unleashes staggering improvements to the node and package search functionality, a feature that has been highly requested by our users for quite some time. We have listened to your feedback and worked tirelessly to make significant improvements to search, making it easier than ever to find the nodes and packages you need. In this section, we’ll dive into the details of these exciting new features. Get ready for a seamless search experience as we walk you through the updated functionality!
The new search in action!
Many of you have reported headaches with Dynamo search in the past. In previous versions, search results could be ordered by descriptions, library names, and other less relevant attributes instead of the node name. Sometimes, none of the results appeared relevant to what you typed in. The new search has been properly weighted to ensure that you are much more likely to get expected results.
Where old search results could sometimes be baffling, the new search surfaces more relevant results
Did that node have a period in its name? Perhaps a space? Or was it both? You no longer need to think about it—the improved search is able to better handle different ways of expressing a node’s name. As the example below shows, search is much more likely to pull up the desired node whether a period, space, or no space is used.
The new search is less finicky as to how you type the node’s name
The new search also introduces typo tolerance, which means that even if you mistyped a letter, the search algorithm will still surface relevant results.
The new search can handle a typo
The improved search is available everywhere you need it—in the node library, in-canvas search, node autocomplete, and package search.
Go ahead and give it a try, and if you spot any lingering issues we missed, let us know in this forum thread! We are making search better and better over time.
Tracking packages: Node visuals and tooltip
If package nodes tend to get lost in the complexities of your graphs, don’t worry: Dynamo 2.19 introduces THREE new ways to identify nodes originating from packages. First off, we’ve added package nodes to the beloved zoom states feature. As a recap, zoom states are activated when you zoom out far enough in the workspace, causing nodes in certain states to change color and display an icon. Now, you can identify package nodes by their purple color [ 1 ] and package icon [ 2 ] when zoomed out. In addition, package nodes always feature a small gray triangle [ 3 ] in the bottom left corner, differentiating them from out-of-the-box nodes no matter the zoom level.
Purple package nodes joining the happy zoom state family
As one more way to spot package nodes, we’ve added package information to the node’s description, or tooltip. Simply hover over the node’s name, and the tooltip will tell you which package the node originates from. Simple, but so effective!
Simply hover, and the package node’s tooltip will tell you which package the node came from
Python editor updates
This release introduces more improvements to the Python editor experience, starting with a new way to edit Python script in Dynamo. Place a Python Script node, double click to open the editor, then click the button to dock the editor to the right sidebar. There, you can access all the usual editor tools without obstructing the workspace. If you rename your Python Script node, the sidebar editor name will also change in real time, helping you keep track of multiple nodes/tabs.
Dock your Python script editor to the side for an unobstructed view of your graph
We’ve done additional work to ensure the Python editor and DesignScript styles are in alignment, with the addition of the class keyword.
We implemented a visual refresh of the Python editor in the previous release, and in this one we round out the refresh with a finishing touch: bringing the Migration Assistant buttons up to date with our visual style.
If you need a refresher or just extra information on how to use the Python Script and Python Script From String nodes, we’ve added refreshed and functional example files for both. You can access these in the Documentation Browser by placing the node, right clicking on it, and selecting Help, or selecting the node and pressing F1.
This cool example file showcases one way to use a Python Script node
And finally, we fixed an edge case where Dynamo would crash if you removed or overwrote the last lines in the Python editor.
Smaller buckets of work
Better documentation for chart nodes
After we introduced a new suite of improved chart nodes in 2.18, we received some awesome feedback from several of you to help us provide better in-depth guidance around these nodes. As a result, we’ve added more examples, more detailed descriptions, and overall more helpful information around using chart nodes. As a reminder, you can access this documentation by placing a chart node, right clicking it, and selecting Help. Or, with the node selected, press F1.
Rich documentation means better guidance and inspiration for using chart nodes
New shortcut for inserting graphs
We’ve changed the shortcut for the File > Insert command, which was introduced in 2.18. You can use this command to insert graphs into your current workspace. Insert now uses Ctrl + Shift + I instead of Ctrl + I. This fixes a conflict with the shortcut for Isolation mode, which fades geometry associated to nodes that are not selected. Our bad!
By the way, you can find all the keyboard shortcuts for Dynamo on this page: Keyboard Shortcuts.
Drag and drop to pin a note
Pinning a note has never been faster than in 2.19: Simply drag and drop the note over a node, and the note will be pinned. While hovering, a gray border appears around the node to help you identify the note’s new home (see demo below).
Control whether exported image file names include a time stamp
Want to export your workspace as an image and include a time stamp in the file name? Or would you rather just include the file name on its own? We have a new setting that lets you have it your way. Under Preferences > General, you’ll find a toggle to include a time stamp in the export image file path. When toggled on, the current time stamp is included in the exported image’s file name. When toggled off, only the file name is included. This setting is on by default, consistent with previous versions.
Watch this: Multiple inputs in Watch 3D
Watch 3D can now handle multiple inputs, without the need to use List.Create. This node, which visualizes background geometry, comes with a single input port by default. With this update, you can use the plus and minus buttons to add and remove extra ports, and Watch 3D will visualize all the geometry you input through these ports. The interactive visualization can also be pulled into Dynamo Player by setting the node As Output!
A more customizable Watch 3D experience — add all the input ports you need!
Bug fixes
- When we introduced editable port properties for Python nodes in the previous release, the context menu option unintentionally spilled over to other nodes. Now, the Edit Port Properties option will only appear in the context menu for the input ports of Python nodes, as intended.
- We fixed a bug where the trust warning would incorrectly appear after adjusting Python zoom scale.
- We fixed a bug where some packages for Civil 3D would trigger a warning about mismatched host even when run under Civil 3D.
- The Dynamo splash screen now grabs keyboard focus upon launch, enabling you to launch Dynamo by pressing Enter without having to first click on the splash screen. You can also press Escape to dismiss the splash screen and not launch Dynamo.
- We fixed a bug that caused a crash when inserting XML .dyn graph files into the workspace.
- We fixed a bug that caused the ordering of package search results to no longer respect the selected sort order after the search term was deleted.
- We fixed a bug where notes would get detached from groups when a custom node was created from the group.
- We fixed a bug where undoing an “add group to this group” action would cause Dynamo to crash.
Simply amazing! So where can I grab Dynamo 2.19?
Dynamo 2.19 will be made available in our host integrations at a future date and can be explored right now through the dynamobuilds.com website or the GitHub build page – available in the Sandbox version of Dynamo.
If you’re curious, you can also read our Release Notes
For more information on other minor features, bug fixes, and known issues in Dynamo 2.19, take a look at the release notes!
We’d like to extend a huge thank-you to everyone who made this release possible and to the entire Dynamo community for continuing to support our work. Be sure to stay tuned to the Dynamo Roadmap, where you can take a look at current and upcoming work, express your support for features you want to see, and let us know what you think by adding a comment.
The Dynamo Team