Updated
As part of our efforts to better support partners we will be changing changed how we handle releases for HOOPS Visualize 3DF about four years ago. Our goal is was to better balance partners who want new functionality and those who desire long term product stability.
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Long Term Support Releases
Starting with 3DF release 27.00 we will shift shifted to a modified versioning of the 3DF releases. 3DF will move moved to align closer to the other HOOPS products release plan (i.e. one major release per year and 2 scheduled service packs). Certain releases release branch for HOOPS Visualize 3DF will be designated as “Long Term Support” releases. These LTS releases They will be supported for four years from initial release, and will favor stability over new development (after 2 years). Through the lifetime of an LTS release, feature enhancements and defect resolution will slow and become more risk averse to reduce the likelihood of introducing destabilizing changes into that release stream. We will not include many new features in the LTS release after its first year. If you are interested in the latest features for HOOPS Visualize 3DF, then you will need to upgrade to the latest version.
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The Development Policy describes how an LTS version will progress from very active development to more conservative, risk-averse development.
Year | Features | Defects | Minimum number of Releases |
1* | Active feature development | Aggressive defect resolution We will include all standard defect resolution, including changes that may cause discontinuity in product behavior. | 3 |
2 | Limited feature development | Moderate defect resolution We will only include defect resolution that is unlikely to cause discontinuity in product behavior. | 2 |
3 | No Feature development | Conservative defect resolution We will only include defect resolution that is very unlikely to cause discontinuity in product behavior. | 2 |
4 | Critical defect resolution only. We will only include defect resolution that is extremely unlikely to cause discontinuity in product behavior. | 1 |
* The first year of an LTS and non-LTS 3DF release will look the same as far as defects and features.
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Any release not designated as an LTS release reach reaches its end of life after approximately one year. Once the next major version of 3DF is released, updates will end for previous non-LTS releases.
3DF Release Stream Support Timeframe
As we The following illustrates the initial transition to the LTS Release model for 3DF , and the effect on recent 3DF release streams is listed below:
3DF 24.x - This will be was treated retroactively as an LTS release branch, supported through Jan 2023 (i.e. 4 years after 24.00 was released).
3DF 25.x - There are currently no additional releases scheduled for 25.x (the last release was 25.40). There may be one more release in 2022, if needed.This was the first non-LTS branch after 3DF 24 LTS. It’s lifespan was about 1 year.
3DF 26.x - There will be no 3DF 26.30 release, support for this stream rolled to 3DF 27.00This was the second non-LTS branch and also had roughly a 1 year lifespan.
3DF 27.x - Initially released in January 2022 as an LTS release. It will be supported as described above for the next 4 years. It will include continued support for Visual Studio 2015the second LTS release with a lifespan of about 4 years. The lifespan of the previous LTS release overlapped the superseding one in its first year.
This pattern will repeat (i.e. 3DF 30.x becomes the next LTS release).