ezEngine release-26.9

An open source C++ game engine.

Release notes

## Highlights

**Terrain:**

- Added a new [terrain system](https://ezengine.net/pages/docs/terrain/terrain-plugin-overview.html) with non-destructive, [brush based](https://ezengine.net/pages/docs/terrain/terrain-brush-2d-component.html) terrain editing. It supports both [heightfields](https://ezengine.net/pages/docs/terrain/terrain-patch-component.html) as well as [voxel volumes](https://ezengine.net/pages/docs/terrain/terrain-volume-component.html). Since brushes are regular objects, moving one updates the affected areas in real-time, and brushes can be part of prefabs to shape the terrain below an object.

  ![Terrain](https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/23575594-e053-4c80-9bce-f02ffdf342d2)

  ![Terrain layers](https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/b468c61e-8b84-477d-a9d5-0fa756764b85)

  ![Cave](https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/b8cfcf3f-7bab-4ef0-a90c-f53ad0400e0e)

  https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/36024816-a161-45bd-9471-1594528ebc28

**Render Graph:**

- Significantly refactored the rendering infrastructure. A [render graph](https://ezengine.net/pages/docs/graphics/render-graph/render-graph.html) now declares up front all the dependencies, which is used to automatically insert Vulkan barriers. This is a major step forward to fully switching to Vulkan on all platforms in the near future.

- The [Inspector](https://ezengine.net/pages/docs/tools/inspector.html) can now inspect the render graph of a running application. Passes are shown as rows and resources as columns. This helps debugging rendering related issues ([#1968](https://github.com/ezEngine/ezEngine/pull/1968))

  ![Render graph inspector](https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/0dd2d97e-a3fb-4cf5-a1b9-60c424e8f4ad)

- [Render pipeline properties](https://ezengine.net/pages/docs/graphics/render-pipeline/render-pipeline-properties.html) can now be driven through [blackboards](https://ezengine.net/pages/docs/misc/blackboards.html), instead of requiring dedicated code. This makes it significantly simpler to dynamically adjust global rendering options, such as fog. ([#1974](https://github.com/ezEngine/ezEngine/pull/1974))

**Lighting & Rendering:**

- [Area light support](https://ezengine.net/pages/docs/graphics/lighting/point-light-component.html#area-lights) was added to all light types: [point lights](https://ezengine.net/pages/docs/graphics/lighting/point-light-component.html) gain tube (capsule) length and radius, [spot lights](https://ezengine.net/pages/docs/graphics/lighting/spot-light-component.html) an emitter disc radius, and [directional lights](https://ezengine.net/pages/docs/graphics/lighting/directional-light-component.html) a source angle for the sun disc. ([#1908](https://github.com/ezEngine/ezEngine/pull/1908))

  ![Area lights](https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/679922a8-e1e1-46d4-a76e-079d62c9e0e0)

- Added support for [light shafts](https://ezengine.net/pages/docs/graphics/lighting/light-shafts-component.html) (god rays). ([#1890](https://github.com/ezEngine/ezEngine/pull/1890))

  ![Light shafts](https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/0bab53d5-cad9-4a71-b5b8-3eb2869bde60)

- Integrated [screen space shadows](https://www.bendstudio.com/blog/inside-bend-screen-space-shadows), adding contact shadows for small scale detail. ([#1900](https://github.com/ezEngine/ezEngine/pull/1900))

  ![Screen space shadows](https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/50a2ae5d-1650-4954-8953-11260759c7fa)

- The default material now supports parallax occlusion mapping. ([#1885](https://github.com/ezEngine/ezEngine/pull/1885))
- Added support for [2D array textures](https://ezengine.net/pages/docs/graphics/textures-overview.html) ([#1905](https://github.com/ezEngine/ezEngine/pull/1905))

  ![Array textures](https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/2fe621ad-08f0-41bf-b300-dcbea9707405)

- [Decals](https://ezengine.net/pages/docs/effects/decals/projected-decals.html) now support…

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