/godot-particles

Migration notes: godot-particles

Incremental upgrade for topics this skill covers. Apply one hop, stabilize/test, then next. Never skip hops.

If the project is < 4.0, follow godot-version-migration era bridges (legacy → 3→4) until 4.0, then these hops. Official 3→4: Upgrading from Godot 3 to Godot 4.

3.x → 4.0

Official: Upgrading from Godot 3 to Godot 4

• Particles/Particles2D → GPUParticles3D/GPUParticles2D.
• ParticlesMaterial → ParticleProcessMaterial; set_flag → set_particle_flag.
• CPU particle flag enums renamed (PARTICLE_FLAG_*).
• Re-author process material curves after convert.

4.0 → 4.1

Official: Upgrading to Godot 4.1

• RenderingServer.global_shader_parameter_get_list / RD shader version lists return Array[StringName].
• RenderingDevice.draw_list_begin storage_textures typed as Array[RID].

4.1 → 4.2

Official: Upgrading to Godot 4.2

• Mesh format upgrade — run Project → Tools → Upgrade Mesh Surfaces before GPU particle meshes rely on legacy .mesh data.
• ImporterMesh/MeshDataTool/SurfaceTool compression flag widths → uint64.
• RenderingDevice BarrierMask enum values changed — update custom GPU particle compute barriers.

4.2 → 4.3

Official: Upgrading to Godot 4.3

• Reverse Z depth — update custom particle shaders comparing depth or using POSITION.z.
• Decal modulate converted sRGB→linear — attached particle decal tints look different; rebalance color values.
• RenderingDevice draw_list barrier API simplified (post_barrier params removed).
• GPUParticles2D stutter when parented to fast physics bodies — prefer CPUParticles2D with fract_delta = true for high-speed 2D trails (behavioral; not an API rename).

4.3 → 4.4

Official: Upgrading to Godot 4.4

• CPUParticles2D/3D and GPUParticles2D/3D.restart() gain optional keep_seed — use for deterministic one-shot burst replay in VFX tests.
• RenderingDevice.draw_list_begin signature overhauled — update custom GPU particle draw helpers.
• Shader default texture parameter types use Texture / TextureLayered.
• VisualShaderNodeVec4Constant input type → Vector4 — recreate vec4 constants in visual particle graphs.

4.4 → 4.5

Official: Upgrading to Godot 4.5

• RenderingServer.instance_reset_physics_interpolation / instance_set_interpolated removed — drop physics-interpolation toggles on particle mesh instances.

4.5 → 4.6

Official: Upgrading to Godot 4.6

• Environment glow default blend mode Screen (brighter) — retune Environment.glow_* when particle bloom looks blown out.
• Volumetric fog default blending brighter — reduce fog density/energy behind particle-heavy scenes.
• New Windows projects default D3D12 driver — re-test GPU particles if switching render backends.
• Sky reflection roughness_layers default 7 (was 8) — may shift lit particle specular in outdoor scenes.

4.6 → 4.7

Official: Upgrading to Godot 4.7

• request_particles_process / particles_request_process_time gain process_time_residual — use when syncing one-shot bursts to gameplay clocks.
• Texture2D.get_format() unified on base class — branch import/shader paths on format without casting to ImageTexture.
• LinearToSRGB visual shader no longer clamps [0,1] on Mobile/Forward+ — HDR particle trails may need manual clamp in shader.