Scene Builder continues to be a vital tool for JavaFX developers, offering an intuitive drag-and-drop interface for creating stunning UIs quickly and efficiently. With over 2 million downloads since its release, Scene Builder has earned its place as one of the most popular tools in the JavaFX ecosystem.
Now, we’re excited to present the Scene Builder 24.0.0 Release Candidate (RC), a milestone in our ongoing efforts to bring you the best possible user experience for JavaFX UI development. This RC introduces a number of new features, important bug fixes, and performance improvements, setting the stage for an even more polished final release.
As we approach the official release, we’re looking forward to hearing your feedback, making final adjustments, and refining Scene Builder even further. Let’s take a look at what’s new, what’s been fixed, and how you can get involved!
What’s New in Scene Builder 24.0.0 RC?
The Scene Builder 24.0.0 RC includes several exciting new features that will make designing JavaFX applications even more powerful and flexible.
1. Scene Builder Kit in Maven Central
Scene Builder Kit is now published to Maven Central, making it easier for developers to integrate it into their software.
<dependency> <groupid>com.gluonhq.scenebuilder</groupid> <artifactid>kit</artifactid> <version>24.0.0-RC1</version> </dependency>
2. New Gluon Plugin
The Gluon controls, that are part of Scene Builder, were tightly coupled with Scene Builder Kit. Now those has been abstracted away into a pluggable component called Gluon Plugin. This provides a great example on how third parties can develop pluggable components for Scene Builder. Moreover, it simplifies licensing and distribution of your applications which depends on Scene Builder Kit.
3. Scene Builder is JPMS compatible
Scene Builder has been updated for full compatibility with the Java Platform Module System (JPMS). All project modules now include a module-info.java file, enabling better integration with JPMS for modular development.
4. ConsoleHandler for Better Logging
Logging to console is now enabled by default to make it easier to debug issues in Scene Builder. This feature will help developers identify issues faster and more efficiently.
5. Fixes to individual controls
Multiple fixes went into Accordion, DialogPane, TextField etc. to make Scene Builder more robust.
To view all the changes that went into this Release Candidate check the Github Release page.
Looking Ahead: What’s Coming in the Final Release
We’re excited about the future of Scene Builder, and this release candidate is just the beginning. Over the coming weeks, we’ll be focusing on refining the features introduced in this RC, squashing any remaining bugs, and making final tweaks to ensure Scene Builder 24.0.0 is as polished as possible.
In the final release, you can expect:
- Further enhancements to the Scene Builder Kit, ensuring it’s even more user-friendly and powerful.
- Additional bug fixes and performance optimizations, based on your feedback from this RC.
- Improved documentation to help both new and experienced users get the most out of Scene Builder.
How You Can Help
As always, Scene Builder is a community-driven project, and we need your feedback to make this release the best it can be. This Release Candidate is packed with exciting updates, but we know there’s always room for improvement. If you encounter any issues or have suggestions for new features, please don’t hesitate to submit a bug report, file a feature request, or even submit a pull request on GitHub star.
Whether you are already using Scene Builder or you are a new user, download the latest version and give it a try.
Support
While Scene Builder is completely free and Open Source, Gluon has a number of services that allow you to influence our work. If JavaFX or Scene Builder are important to your company or you need first-class support, contact us about our JavaFX Long-Term-Support plans.