The Blender 2.72 RC is out. It seems to be standing up to the users. So, we may sit it release this week. You can get the RC now and will be able to get the final release when it is out at Blender.org.

The developer’s notes for Blender 2.73 have been released. The items they plan to work on for 2.73 are:

• Tamito Kajiyama: Freestyle memory optimizationwill go into 2.73 (BF-funded project result).
• Thomas Dinges proposes to make Cycles Default as target. He will make a proposal to the list here next week, to outline which work should have to be completed for it (IO mostly).
• Freestyle built-in SVG exporterwould be a 2.73 target too.
• Dun Liang (randon)’s Windows IME support patchcould also go into 2.73 – allow better Asian character input.
• Jeroen Bakker: compositor memory managementis ready for final review. updated with all comments.
• Multiview is going to be a candidate, check the great doc from Dalai Felinto.
• FBX: there are two addons, the ‘experimental’ one has the latest work on it. Will get tested and improved for 2.73.

There are some other projects that may make it into 2.73. Whether they do or not, they are being discussed and some of them worked on. I find the descriptions rather sketchy.

• Joshua Leung shows preliminary supportfor editing (copying, moving/rotating/scaling, selecting) grease pencil strokes.
  Could become target for next release, including fills. Work was inspired by Daniel Lara (Pepeland)!
• Bastien Montagne has first working results for mesh transfer data, current (still heavy wip) code is here.
• Dalai Felinto and Benoit Bolsee had long sessions in Blender Institute about Game Engine work and possible Development Fund projects. No direct outcome can be mentioned yet, but at least they’ll carefully align work with the Viewport project.
• BTW: Campbell Barton and Sergey Sharybin will fly to Amsterdam on tuesday, to work in Blender Institute with Antonis, Lukas, and the rest of the Gooseberry film crew.

There isn’t a lot there that will help those of us targeting Second Life™. However, memory optimization and management should indirectly help us as will the FBX file converter.