Added vulkan section and updated changelog

Author: fdomf

_posts/2019-07-10-release-0.9.6.md

@@ -385,101 +385,103 @@ of all the client-side API methods.
 
 Check it out in our [documentation](https://carla.readthedocs.io/en/latest/python_api/)!
 
+## Vulkan support
+
+It is possible to run CARLA with Vulkan **(experimental)** or OpenGL. Vulkan performs faster than OpenGL but, as it is an experimental build,
+there may be some graphical or memory consuming bugs that may affect the user experience when working with CARLA.
+
+**Disclaimer:** Despite being an experimental build, Vulkan is the preferred API to run CARLA simulator.
+
+Don't forget that there are two graphic quality levels, `Epic` and `Low`.
+
+Check it out in our [documentation](https://carla.readthedocs.io/en/latest/configuring_the_simulation/#graphics-quality)!
+
 ### Full list of changes
 
 #### Additions and improvements
 
-* Added access to vehicle transmission details.
-* Added access to vehicle physics brake values.
-* Added Navigations maps for pedestrian.
-* Added C++ client example using LibCarla.
-* Added PythonAPI documentation generator.
-* Added camera gamma correction as command-line argument to manual_control.py.
-* Added ability to set motion blur settings for rgb camera in sensor python blueprint.
-* Added pedestrian support:
-  - We can spawn pedestrians that will walk over sidewalks at random points continually.
-  - The script 'spawn_npc.py' now can spawn pedestrians with the flag '-w' and the number of pedestrians.
-* Physics:
-  - Added Friction Trigger Boxes for simulating, for example, slippery surfaces in any region of the map defined by users.
+* Upgraded to Unreal Engine 4.22
+* Added Vulkan support, if installed, CARLA will use Vulkan, use `-opengl` flag to launch with OpenGL
+* The simulator is now compiled in "Shipping" mode, faster but it accepts less command-line arguments
+* Added a new python script `config.py` that allows the user to configure the simulator from the command line
+* Pedestrians are back:
+  - Spawn pedestrians that will roam randomly on sidewalks
+  - The script `spawn_npc.py` spawns now pedestrians, adjust the number with the flag `-w`
+  - Added navigation meshes for each maps for pedestrian navigation
+* Allow adding custom props (FBX) to CARLA Blueprint library so they are spawnable
+* Simplified pipeline for importing and packaging maps and custom props
+* Vehicle physics:
+  - Added access to vehicle transmission details
+  - Added access to vehicle physics brake values
+  - Added tire friction trigger boxes for simulating slippery surfaces
+* Added camera gamma correction as command-line argument to `manual_control.py`
+* Added ability to set motion blur settings for RGB camera in sensor python blueprint
+* Added C++ client example using LibCarla
+* Added PythonAPI documentation generator, we documented in detail all the Python reference
+* API extensions:
+  - Added attachment type "SpringArm" for cinematic cameras
+  - Added waypoint's junction_id that returns de OpenDrive identifier of the current junction
+  - Added `world.get_actor(id)` to find a single actor by id
+  - Added `carla.WeatherParameters.Default` for the default (tailor-made for each town) weather profile
+  - Added WorldSnapshot that contains a list of ActorSnapshot, allows capturings a "still image" of the world at a single frame
+  - Added `world.tick()` now synchronizes with the simulator and returns the id of the newly started frame
+  - Added `world.apply_settings(settings)` now synchronizes with the simulator and returns the id of the frame when the settings took effect
+  - Added `world.remove_on_tick(id)` to allow removing on tick callbacks
+  - Added allow setting fixed frame-rate from client-side, now is part of `carla.WorldSettings`
+  - Added is_invincible to walkers
 * New recorder features:
-  - Recorded system is documented, and binary file system is described.
-  - Added optional parameter to show more details about a recorder file (related to `show_recorder_file_info.py`).
-  - Added playback speed (slow/fast motion) for the replayer.
-  - We can use an absolute path for the recorded files (to choose where to 'write to' or 'read from').
-  - New data recorded to replay animations:
-    + Wheels of vehicles are animated (steering, throttle, handbrake), also bikes and cycles.
-    + Walkers animation is simulated in playback (through speed of walker), so they walk properly.
-* New High Quality Pedestrian - Female, girl and boy. Improve the meshes and textures.
-* New Vehicle Audi Etron. With 25.000 Tris and their Lods.
-* New material for Mustang. New material that will allow us to improve all the materials of the cars.
-* New custom weather for each map.
-* Improve weather - Tweak values.
-* Improve walk animations, the animations go at the same speed as the game.
-* Improved visual quality of the screen capture for the rgb sensor.
-  - Enabled Temporal AA for screen captures with no post-processing to prevent jaggies during motion.
-  - Reduced the target gamma of render target to 1.4 to minimize brightness differences with main camera.
-* Enabled texture streaming for scene captures
-  - Enabled texture streaming in the Unreal project settings.
-  - Changed the scene capture to register its camera with Unreal's texture streamer every tick to enable texture streaming.
-* Variations of colors and texture for each pedestrian.
-* The simulator is now compiled in "Shipping" mode, faster but it accepts less command-line arguments.
-* Simplified pipeline for importing/packaging props and maps.
-* API extension: add attachment type "SpringArm" for cinematic cameras.
-* API extension: waypoint's `junction_id` that returns de OpenDrive identifier of the current junction.
-* API extension: add gamma value as attribute to RGB camera.
-* API extension: add `world.get_actor(id)` to find a single actor by id.
-* API extension: add `carla.WeatherParameters.Default` for a default (tailor-made for each town) weather profile.
-* API extension: added `WorldSnapshot` that contains a list of `ActorSnapshot`, allows capturings a "still image"
-of the world at a single frame.
-* API extension: `world.tick()` now synchronizes with the simulator and returns the id of the newly started frame.
-* API extension: `world.apply_settings(settings)` now synchronizes with the simulator and returns the id of the frame
-when the settings took effect.
-* API extension: added `world.remove_on_tick(id)` to allow removing on tick callbacks.
-* API extension: allow setting fixed frame-rate from client-side, now is part of `carla.WorldSettings`.
-* Upgraded to Unreal Engine 4.22.
+  - Documented recorded system and binary file
+  - Added optional parameter to show more details about a recorder file (related to `show_recorder_file_info.py`)
+  - Added playback speed (slow/fast motion) to the replayer
+  - Allow custom paths for saving the recorded files
+  - More data is now recorded to replay animations:
+    - Wheels of vehicles are animated (steering, throttle, handbrake), also bikes and motorbikes
+    - Walker animations are simulated (through speed of walker)
+* New high quality pedestrians: female, girl and boy; improved meshes and textures
+* More color and texture variations for each pedestrian
+* New vehicle Audi Etron: 25.000 tris and LODs
+* New material for Mustang, new system that will allow us to improve all the vehicle materials
+* Improved vehicle Tesla
+* New high-quality "Default" weather tailor-made for each map
+* Improved the rest of weather profiles too
+* RGB camera improvements:
+  - Enabled temporal antialiasing and motion blur
+  - Added gamma value and motion blur as a blueprint attributes
+  - Enabled texture streaming for scene captures
 
 #### Changes
 
-* Vulkan support: Changed project settings to make vulkan default on linux and updated make script to allow user to
-select opengl.
-* API change: Rename `frame_count` and `frame_number` as `frame`, old members are kept as deprecated.
-* API change: `world.wait_for_tick()` now returns a `carla.WorldSnapshot`.
-* API change: the callback of `world.on_tick(callback)` now receives a `carla.WorldSnapshot`.
-* API change: deprecated waypoint's `is_intersection`, now is `is_junction`.
-* API update: solve the problem of RuntimeError: std::bad_cast described here: #1125 (comment).
-* Removed deprecated code and content.
-* Updated OpenDriveActor to use the new Waypoint API.
-* Several optimizations to the RPC server, now supports a bigger load of async messages.
-* Corrected Latitude in WGS84 reprojection code such that Latitudes increase as one move north in CARLA worlds.
-* Register user props in fbx format, make them available in CARLA Blueprint Library and spawnable.
-* Exposed 'is_invincible' for pedestrians.
-* Exposed waypoints and OpenDrive map to UE4 Blueprints.
-* Change the weight of cars. All cars have been compared with the real to have a feedback more real.
+* API changes:
+  - Renamed frame_count and frame_number as frame, old members are kept as deprecated
+  - `world.wait_for_tick()` now returns a `carla.WorldSnapshot`
+  - The callback of `world.on_tick(callback)` now receives a carla.WorldSnapshot
+  - Deprecated waypoint's `is_intersection`, use `is_junction instead`
+* Several optimizations to the RPC server, now supports a bigger load of async messages
+* Updated OpenDriveActor to use the new Waypoint API
+* Removed deprecated code and content
+* Exposed waypoints and OpenDrive map to UE4 Blueprints
+* Change the weight of cars. All cars have been compared with the real to have a feedback more real
 
 #### Fixes
 
-* Bugfix about recorder query system
-  - When a recorded session finish replaying, all vehicles will continue in autopilot, and all pedestrians will stop.
 * Recorder fixes:
-  - Fixed a possible crash if an actor is respawned before the episode is ready when a new map is loaded automatically.
-  - Actors at start of playback could interpolate positions from its current position instead than the recorded position,
-  making some fast sliding effect during 1 frame.
-  - Camera following in playback was not working if a new map was needed to load.
-  - API function 'show_recorder_file_info' was showing the wrong parent id.
-  - Script 'start_recording.py' now properly saves destruction of actors at stop.
-* Fixed XODR files can be found now anywhere in content.
-* Fixed problem when vehicles enable autopilot after a replayer, now it works better.
-* Fixed bug related with Pygame error of surface too large, added sidewalks and improved lane markings in `no_rendering_mode.py`.
-* Fixed Lidar effectiveness bug in manual_control.py.
-* Fixed dead-lock when loading a new map in synchronous mode.
-* Fixed wrong units in VehiclePhysicsControl's center of mass.
-* Fixed get_actors may produce actors without parent.
-* Fixed invisible wall.
-* Fixed Vehicle bounds.
-* Fixed Tesla Wheels to Kinematic.
-* Fixed Tesla's Material.
-* Fixed Semantic segmentation on bikers.
-* Fixed Change Pedestrians Nomenclature.
-* Fixed Change the sidewalk in Town06.
-* Fixed Tesla mesh and LODS.
-* Fixed Inconsistency StreetLights on Town03.
+  - When a recorded session finish replaying, all vehicles will continue in autopilot, and all pedestrians will stop
+  - Fixed a possible crash if an actor is respawned before the episode is ready when a new map is loaded automatically
+  - Actors at start of playback could interpolate positions from its current position instead than the recorded position
+  - Camera following in playback was not working if a new map was needed to load
+  - API function 'show_recorder_file_info' was showing the wrong parent id
+  - Script `start_recording.py` now properly saves destruction of actors at stop
+  - Problem when vehicles enable autopilot after a replayer, now it works better
+* Fixed dead-lock when loading a new map in synchronous mode
+* Fixed get_actors may produce actors without parent
+* Fixed std::bad_cast when importing other libraries, like tensorflow, before carla
+* Fixed latitude in WGS84 reprojection code such that Latitudes increase as one move north in CARLA worlds
+* Fixed walking animations, the animations now go at the same speed as the game
+* Fixed loading and reloading world not using the timeout
+* Fixed XODR files can be found now anywhere in content
+* Fixed bug related with Pygame error of surface too large, added sidewalks and improved lane markings in `no_rendering_mode.py`
+* Fixed Lidar effectiveness bug in manual_control.py
+* Fixed wrong units in VehiclePhysicsControl's center of mass
+* Fixed semantic segmentation of bike riders
+* Fixed inconsistent streetlights in Town03
+* Fixed incorrect vehicle bounds