[1.3.65] 2026-02-27

- Expanded `loadTabularTimeseriesData()` to support combined "datetime" columns (ISO-8601 with timezone offsets, compact YYYYMMDDHH/YYYYMMDDHHMM, space-separated date+time), a "time" column (HH:MM, HH:MM:SS), compact 8-digit date strings, and date format synonyms (e.g., "YYYY-MM-DD", "DD/MM/YYYY").
- Fixed `Tube::pruneTubeNodes()` to correctly partition and delete primitives using the proper UUID ordering, and fixed `Tube::updateTriangleVertices()` loop order to match `addTubeObject()` so that colors stay mapped to the correct segments.

- Added Vulkan compute backend with software BVH traversal, enabling GPU-accelerated ray tracing on AMD, Intel, and Apple Silicon GPUs without requiring CUDA or OptiX. Backend selection is now automatic based on available hardware, with `FORCE_VULKAN_BACKEND` CMake option for testing. The OptiX backend now handles its own launch batching internally rather than in `RadiationModel`. Tile sub-patches are treated as individual patches for cross-backend compatibility, and the Prague sky model parameters are now properly passed to all backends.

- Major overhaul: added Bayesian Optimization (Gaussian Process with UCB acquisition) and CMA-ES algorithms alongside the existing Genetic Algorithm. New `setAlgorithm()` API replaces the old `OptimizationSettings` struct, with configurable crossover operators (BLX-alpha, BLX-PCA), mutation operators (per-gene, isotropic, hybrid PCA), integer/categorical parameter types, fitness caching, and `explore()`/`exploit()` factory presets for each algorithm.

- Fixed sign error in turgor pressure term of the water potential equation in the documentation.

- Updated multi-return triangulation filter documentation to reflect first-return filtering and corrected separation ratio threshold.

Co-authored-by: Kyle Rizzo <ktrizzo@users.noreply.github.com>

Author: bnbailey-psl

.github/workflows/linux_GPU_selftests.yaml

@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ jobs:
   start-gpu:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
-      - uses: aws-actions/configure-aws-credentials@v2
+      - uses: aws-actions/configure-aws-credentials@v4
         with:
           role-to-assume: ${{ secrets.OIDC_ROLE_ARN }}
           aws-region: us-west-2
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: [self-hosted,helios]
     needs: start-gpu
     steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v3
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
       - name: Bash script
         run: |
           cd utilities
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ jobs:
     if: always()
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
-      - uses: aws-actions/configure-aws-credentials@v2
+      - uses: aws-actions/configure-aws-credentials@v4
         with:
           role-to-assume: ${{ secrets.OIDC_ROLE_ARN }}
           aws-region: us-west-2

.github/workflows/linux_selftests.yaml

@@ -18,10 +18,10 @@ jobs:
     # See: https://docs.github.com/en/free-pro-team@latest/actions/learn-github-actions/managing-complex-workflows#using-a-build-matrix
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v3
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
       #- uses: openrndr/setup-opengl@v1.1
       - name: Checkout OPENRNDR repository
-        uses: actions/checkout@v3
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
           fetch-depth: 0
           repository: openrndr/openrndr
@@ -34,15 +34,15 @@ jobs:
           sudo apt-get install -y mesa-utils xvfb
           xvfb-run glxinfo
 
-      - name: Install dependent packages for visualizer
+      - name: Install dependent packages for visualizer and Vulkan
         run: |
           sudo apt-get update -y
-          sudo apt-get install -y libx11-dev xorg-dev libgl1-mesa-dev libglu1-mesa-dev libxrandr-dev
+          sudo apt-get install -y libx11-dev xorg-dev libgl1-mesa-dev libglu1-mesa-dev libxrandr-dev libvulkan-dev glslang-tools
 
       - name: Bash script
         run: |
           cd utilities
-          if ! ./run_tests.sh --nogpu --visbuildonly --log-file ../linux_selftests.log; then
+          if ! ./run_tests.sh --visbuildonly --log-file ../linux_selftests.log; then
             echo "==== run_tests.sh failed; dumping linux_selftests.log ===="
             cat ../linux_selftests.log
             exit 1

.github/workflows/mac_selftests.yaml

@@ -19,18 +19,20 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: macos-latest
 
     steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v3
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
       - name: Install homebrew
         run: /bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"
       - name: Install XQuartz
         run: brew install Caskroom/cask/xquartz
       - name: Install OpenMP support
         run: brew install libomp
+      - name: Install Vulkan dependencies
+        run: brew install vulkan-headers vulkan-loader molten-vk glslang
 
       - name: Bash script
         run: |
           cd utilities
-          if ! ./run_tests.sh --nogpu --visbuildonly --log-file ../macos_selftests.log; then
+          if ! ./run_tests.sh --visbuildonly --log-file ../macos_selftests.log; then
             echo "==== run_tests.sh failed; dumping macos_selftests.log ===="
             cat ../macos_selftests.log
             exit 1

.github/workflows/windows_GPU_selftests.yaml

@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ jobs:
   start-gpu:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
-      - uses: aws-actions/configure-aws-credentials@v2
+      - uses: aws-actions/configure-aws-credentials@v4
         with:
           role-to-assume: ${{ secrets.OIDC_ROLE_ARN }}
           aws-region: us-west-2
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: [self-hosted, Windows]
     needs: start-gpu
     steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v3
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
       - uses: ilammy/msvc-dev-cmd@v1
 
       - name: Bash script
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ jobs:
     if: always()
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
-      - uses: aws-actions/configure-aws-credentials@v2
+      - uses: aws-actions/configure-aws-credentials@v4
         with:
           role-to-assume: ${{ secrets.OIDC_ROLE_ARN }}
           aws-region: us-west-2

.github/workflows/windows_selftests.yaml

@@ -19,14 +19,20 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: windows-latest
 
     steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v3
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
       - uses: ilammy/msvc-dev-cmd@v1
+      - name: Install Vulkan SDK
+        uses: humbletim/setup-vulkan-sdk@v1.2.1
+        with:
+          vulkan-query-version: latest
+          vulkan-components: Vulkan-Headers, Vulkan-Loader, SPIRV-Headers, SPIRV-Tools, Glslang
+          vulkan-use-cache: true
 
       - name: Bash script
         shell: bash
         run: |
           cd utilities
-          if ! ./run_tests.sh --nogpu --visbuildonly --log-file ../windows_selftests.log; then
+          if ! ./run_tests.sh --visbuildonly --log-file ../windows_selftests.log; then
             echo "==== run_tests.sh failed; dumping windows_selftests.log ===="
             cat ../windows_selftests.log
             exit 1

benchmarks/radiation_homogeneous_canopy/main.cpp

@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ int main() {
     timer.tic();
 
     uint objID_ptype = context.addTileObject(make_vec3(0, 0, 0), make_vec2(w_leaf, w_leaf), make_SphericalCoord(0, 0), make_int2(2, 2), "plugins/radiation/disk.png");
-    std::vector<uint> UUIDs_ptype = context.getObjectPointer(objID_ptype)->getPrimitiveUUIDs();
+    std::vector<uint> UUIDs_ptype = context.getObjectPrimitiveUUIDs(objID_ptype);
 
     float A_leaf = 0;
     for (uint p = 0; p < UUIDs_ptype.size(); p++) {
@@ -43,12 +43,12 @@ int main() {
 
         uint objID = context.copyObject(objID_ptype);
 
-        context.getObjectPointer(objID)->rotate(-rotation.elevation, "y");
-        context.getObjectPointer(objID)->rotate(rotation.azimuth, "z");
+        context.rotateObject(objID, -rotation.elevation, "y");
+        context.rotateObject(objID, rotation.azimuth, "z");
 
-        context.getObjectPointer(objID)->translate(position);
+        context.translateObject(objID, position);
 
-        std::vector<uint> UUIDs = context.getObjectPointer(objID)->getPrimitiveUUIDs();
+        std::vector<uint> UUIDs = context.getObjectPrimitiveUUIDs(objID);
 
         UUIDs_leaf.insert(UUIDs_leaf.end(), UUIDs.begin(), UUIDs.end());
     }

core/CMake_project.cmake

@@ -86,7 +86,10 @@ if(NOT HELIOS_PREVIOUS_COMMIT STREQUAL GIT_COMMIT_HASH)
   message(STATUS "[Helios] Git commit version change detected, automatically re-configuring...")
 
   # Clean CUDA object files to prevent linking issues with stale objects
-  find_package(CUDAToolkit QUIET)
+  # Only find CUDA if not forcing Vulkan backend
+  if(NOT FORCE_VULKAN_BACKEND)
+    find_package(CUDAToolkit QUIET)
+  endif()
   if(CUDAToolkit_FOUND)
     message(STATUS "[Helios] Cleaning CUDA object files due to version change...")
     file(GLOB_RECURSE CUDA_OBJECTS 

core/include/Context.h

@@ -1292,6 +1292,8 @@ namespace helios {
 
         void updateTriangleVertices() const;
 
+        void recomputeCrossSections();
+
         friend class CompoundObject;
         friend class Context;
     };
@@ -6816,9 +6818,27 @@ namespace helios {
         //! Load tabular weather data from text file into timeseries
         /**
          * \param[in] data_file Path to the text file containing the tabular weather data.
-         * \param[in] column_labels Vector of strings indicating which columns to extract.
+         * \param[in] column_labels Vector of strings indicating which columns to extract. Special keywords:
+         *   - "year", "DOY"/"Jul": Specify date via year + day-of-year columns.
+         *   - "date": Date string column (requires date_string_format).
+         *   - "datetime": Combined date+time column (e.g., ISO-8601). Cannot be used with "date" or "hour".
+         *   - "hour": Integer hour column (supports 13 or 1300 formats).
+         *   - "time": Time string column (auto-detects HH, HH:MM, or HH:MM:SS).
+         *   - "minute", "second": Optional sub-hour precision with "hour" column.
+         *   - Any other non-empty label: treated as a data variable.
          * \param[in] delimiter Character or string that separates values in each row.
-         * \param[in] date_string_format [optional] Format of date strings. Default: "YYYYMMDD".
+         * \param[in] date_string_format [optional] Format of date strings. Supported formats:
+         *   - Date-only (for "date" column): "YYYYMMDD", "DDMMYYYY", "MMDDYYYY", "YYYYDDMM"
+         *     (also accepts delimiter-style synonyms: "YYYY-MM-DD", "DD/MM/YYYY", "MM-DD-YYYY", etc.)
+         *     Compact 8-digit dates without delimiters (e.g., "20260203") are auto-detected.
+         *   - Combined datetime (for "datetime" column):
+         *     "ISO8601" — e.g., "2026-02-03T10:00:00Z" or "2026-02-03T02:00:00-08:00"
+         *     "YYYYMMDDHH" — compact 10-digit, e.g., "2026020310"
+         *     "YYYYMMDDHHMM" — compact 12-digit, e.g., "202602031000"
+         *     "YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM", "YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS" — space-separated date and time
+         *     "DD/MM/YYYY HH:MM", "MM/DD/YYYY HH:MM" — with various date orderings
+         *   For ISO-8601 with timezone offsets, the local time is used and the Context UTC_offset is set.
+         *   Default: "YYYYMMDD".
          * \param[in] headerlines [optional] Number of lines to skip at the beginning. Default: 0.
          */
         void loadTabularTimeseriesData(const std::string &data_file, const std::vector<std::string> &column_labels, const std::string &delimiter, const std::string &date_string_format = "YYYYMMDD", uint headerlines = 0);

core/lib/testdata/timeseries_compact_date.csv

@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+date,hour,temperature
+20260203,10,15.5
+20260203,11,16.2
+20260203,12,17.8

core/lib/testdata/timeseries_compact_datetime.csv

@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+datetime,temperature
+2026020310,15.5
+2026020311,16.2
+2026020312,17.8