SmartHopper 1.1.0-alpha: Smarter GhJSON & knowledge tools

[marc-romu]

This alpha release focuses on a modern GhJSON/property system and powerful knowledge tools for McNeel forum and web—plus foundational scripting improvements that prepare SmartHopper for richer script workflows in future releases.

🌐 Knowledge tools for McNeel forum, web & Rhino files

• McNeel forum AI tools:
  • mcneel_forum_search with configurable result limits and raw JSON post payloads.
  • mcneel_forum_post_get (renamed from web_rhino_forum_read_post) to fetch full posts by ID.
  • mcneel_forum_post/topic_summarize to generate AI‑powered summaries of forum threads.
• web_generic_page_read now returns clean, context‑aware text for:
  • Wikipedia/Wikimedia, Discourse forums, GitHub/GitLab file URLs, and Stack Exchange questions via official APIs.

📦 Modern GhJSON & Property Management V2

• New PropertyManagerV2 architecture with:
  • Clear separation of filtering, extraction, and application.
  • PropertyFilter, PropertyHandlers, PropertyFilterConfig, SerializationContext, and ComponentCategory for precise, scenario‑aware property control.
• GhJSON optimization:
  • Groups only include members that are part of the current selection.
  • Runtime‑only properties (VolatileData, IsValid, ReferenceID, IsGeometryLoaded, etc.) are removed to keep JSON compact.
  • Fixed contradictory whitelist/omit rules and simplified ComponentProperty (removed Type and HumanReadable).
• Enhanced GhJSON schema:
  • Rich parameter metadata: parameterName, dataMapping, simplify, reverse, invert, unitize, expression, variableName, isPrincipal, locked.
  • Unified value property for component state across sliders, panels, scribbles, scripts, and value lists.
  • Extended component schema with Id, Params, InputSettings, OutputSettings, and ComponentState.
  • Removed redundant/implicit fields (expressionContent, access, description, optional, type/object metadata).
  • BREAKING: The enhanced schema is now the default for all gh_get and gh_put operations, with legacy Pivot preserved for positioning compatibility.

🧠 Preparing advanced scripting workflows

• Lays the groundwork for future scripting-focused releases with robust VB Script and script component handling:
  • Full 3‑section VB Script serialization/deserialization (imports, script, additional) with a dedicated VBScriptCode model and vbCode support in ComponentState.
  • GhJSON now extracts and restores VB Script code via ScriptSource properties (UsingCode, ScriptCode, AdditionalCode) using reflection.
• Script components implement IGH_VariableParameterComponent for reliable dynamic parameter creation/removal:
  • Parameter settings applied via CreateParameter/DestroyParameter and VariableParameterMaintenance() with names, optional flags, and modifiers.
• All script parameters and code operations are wrapped in RhinoApp.InvokeOnUiThread() to keep the Rhino/Grasshopper UI responsive and stable.
• A new unified script_generator AI tool replaces legacy script_new and script_edit, creating or editing script components from natural language and optional component GUIDs—forming the base for richer scripting assistants in upcoming versions.

🧪 Reliability, workflows & test coverage

• Utility helpers for centralized Grasshopper/Rhino operations:
  • GHConnectionUtils, GHGenerateUtils, RhinoFileUtils, RhinoGeometryUtils.
• SelectingComponentBase now persists selected objects across file save/load, including restored selection counts and graceful handling of missing objects.
• New SmartHopper.Core.Grasshopper.Tests project:
  • 40+ AIResponseParserTests covering complex parsing and edge cases.
  • 30+ PropertyManagerTests validating type conversion and persistent data behavior.
• Hotfix workflow system:
  • Automated hotfix branch creation, version bumping, conflict‑safe milestone updates, and fully documented hotfix pipelines.
  • Extended CI validations and test workflows for hotfix/** and release/** branches.

🛠️ Technical Requirements

• Rhino 8.24 or above is required
• Windows 10/11 (macOS has not been tested)
• Valid API keys for at least one supported AI provider (MistralAI, OpenAI, DeepSeek, Anthropic, OpenRouter)

⚠️ Important Notes

• This is an alpha release with some features still unstable or subject to change.
• API keys are required, and usage costs apply based on your provider and model choices.
• Documentation is actively evolving to cover the new GhJSON schema, scripting tools, and knowledge workflows.

🤝 We Value Your Feedback!

Help shape SmartHopper’s future by:

• Sharing your experiences with the new GhJSON, scripting, and knowledge tools
• Suggesting improvements via our discussions
• Telling us what AI capabilities or workflows would help your Grasshopper/Rhino practice most

We hope you enjoy these new features and improvements!

Happy designing! 🎨

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Full Changelog: 1.0.1-alpha...1.1.0-alpha

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This discussion was created from the release SmartHopper 1.1.0-alpha: Smarter GhJSON & knowledge tools.