The Magic compiler is using an older GLSL standard (likely 1.10 or a strict compatibility profile)
that completely lacks support for array initializers at the declaration level.
Can anyone confirm the version of the GLSL compiler used in Magic and if it's something that can be updated in a future version?
Similarly, can I add a #VERSION directive at the top of my glsl files to use a different more modern compiler, like the newer 330 or 460 versions?
Yes, the current version of Magic uses an older version of GLSL (and OpenGL in general). We’ve done this specifically to preserve compatibility with FFGL plugins.
We do anticipate upgrading in a future version, but some people’s projects will break. Fortunately, ISF is providing much of the replacement functionality.
Upgrading the GLSL compiler sounds like a 3.0 "breaking change" thing to do. Would be great to be able to keep 2.x and 3.0 installed side by side to support those "old workflows" and get up to date at the same time.