Last week, we notified you of some rendering changes we would be implementing in order to enhance performance while simultaneously setting the stage for our future look, which will include dynamic lighting and an updated, unified aesthetic. Today, the initial round of changes has begun. We’ve turned off bevels–they hurt performance and don’t fit our vision for the future look of ROBLOX–and shipped new rendering code that improves performance, particularly in the context of rendering static environments on slow and/or dated hardware.

Turning off bevels not only boosts performance, but also will enable us to ship dynamic lighting sooner. We’re already playing ROBLOX Battle with it turned on!

Specifically, the new rendering code broadens the reach of our featherweight parts and fast parts technology. It also establishes the framework for our dynamic lighting system. There are dependencies between the lighting system and the system that manages parts in ROBLOX, and this code essentially provides them with a means of communication.

This is all being done to move forward on the path to a new and better looking ROBLOX. Dynamic lighting is a big piece of our new look, and there’s more to come in the future. We’ll keep you posted right here on the ROBLOX Blog.

Speaking of dynamic lighting, we’ve got some exciting news to report! In the near future, we’re going to be allowing users to start experimenting with dynamic lighting on gametest1, our virtual testing environment. You’ll be able to create levels and games with full control of the lighting and, as was the case with the release of water in 2012, get a jump-start on becoming a lighting expert. During testing, your feedback will be of paramount importance.

We’ll be sure to keep you posted on the availability of the dynamic lighting testing environment. For now, enjoy a smoother and faster ROBLOX, and join us in anticipating our dynamic lighting release. Some big changes are ahead!