Hey, Miss B...
The issue with 2.8 is hardware architecture. I thought it was my video card not having the new minimum OpenGL requirement, but it has 4.3, so it isn't that, but some other kind of limitation with either chipset, or motherboard instructions.
A couple of years ago they abandoned architectures for Pentium III's and AthlonXP's x86 (which was my laptop), and I could no longer use the latest Blender available on my laptop. I believe the last one I could use was 2.72 or 2.74 - don't quite remember since 2.71 was my workhorse (still is), and I just tested and played in the other versions.
Now, for my aging Windows 7 x64 box, it doesn't appear that I have what is needed to be able to run 2.8. Hell, I can't even use the current Pixar OpenSub-Div viewport algorithm that has been available for a few versions now on my rig. I'll have to wait a couple of years when I am able to get an updated PC.
Regarding my cloth creation addon (for Darryl also):
Back in 2015 in one of Lobo's threads (Hey Lobo) over at Rendo we were discussing some kind of Blender related issues/techniques/what-have-you, and I had mentioned that I was planning on using Blender to create a Marvelous Designer 2 emulator for my own use (I have a love/hate relationship with that software/company), but I have been waiting for Blender's cloth coding to become more mature, and also waiting on other coders' work to become available for inclusion (did not happen, but other avenues became available to me).
I started working on it last year, but I was mostly working with the 2D creation module, and tessellation algorithms. Then, I became heavily involved with beta testing for VWD Cloth and Hair Simulation and a NPR production product for DAZ Studio, so I didn't have much free time to work on it. But, in working with VWD, it gave me an end goal; Instead of waiting for Blender to catch up with other current cloth simulators, I would work towards integrating VWD with Blender, and use it's simulator as the simulation module (which I love, and believe is on par with MD - actually, better, since it has true zero gravity, while I have never achieved zero gravity using MD).
Since I am only a part-time coder (and not really a good one), I don't work on it that much, but I do enjoy the challenge, so I work on it a little here and there. I was developing it for my workhorse 2.71, and 2.76, but a couple of months ago I started to transition over to 2.79, and that is where the dual module approach really came together with the addition of the Templates. Not so much because of the templates (I had already done it in 2.76), but because the templates gave me reason to try something different, and I was able to achieve workspace separation usage (independent of one another, but can be synced) ahead of coding schedule here at the macro designing phase.
I have five stages/phases planned with this (ugly/unwieldy) version being stage 1 - macro designing/building toolsets/workflows. The last planned stage will be bridging with VWD, but that is probably a year or two out.
I plan to open a thread here showcasing it, because I want to show that Blender can do everything that MD can do (sans some simulation parameters), and in some regards, even surpasses what can be achieved with MD. And, all without the $700 price tag (or whatever they are up to now). I have been studying Rich Colburn's work, and If he released his full cloth suite for Blender, it would blow MD away.
On a side note; There is currently a cloth creation addon available for you guys called Cloth Weaver. It's a little pricey now (as a hobbyist opinion - for professional studios, probably not so much), I purchased it when it was a month in for a reasonable price, but one update later and it jumped in price. He does offer free lifetime upgrades, and is actively growing the addon. I never purchase any addons for Blender due to a certain belief system, but I had seen this on Youtube while researching more of Rich Colburn's work, and it piqued my interest. I wanted to see how he was coding some things, and if I could learn anything from it. It is not as robust as mine, but it does not aim to be a MD clone, so for what it does, it is a great cloth creation addon for Blender. You guys should check it out.
