ALONE.....

[vermeer]

3ds scanline ?

you mean you didnt use skylight type of light in Max?

Anyway, I have friends that always prefeered scanline in max, for speed reasons. And just doing good handle of lights, and scene.

I don't think that IrrLicht can do that to any degree in real-time unfortunately. (However if people would like to correct me, and show how it is done adequately then be my guest.)

why do you need to do it realtime ? you can't, as far as I know. But why is a bad option just to bake that nice lighting into lightmaps, as is traditional, and...cheap in performance ?

Max will allow you to partition automatically the uv chunks for the lightmaps, and exprot them.

one possible way is with *.B3D format.But you need certain plugin which wont work with every max version. (I'm all time asuming you use Max, I dunno why I do)

edit-- oh, yeah. you said "3ds".So I dont have mental powers, after all.Anyway, the type of render was already terribly familiar

[Yodhe]

Vermeer...

Funny enough I have just discovered the global illumination, and was about to make a "i'm happily eating my hat" comment.

[omaremad]

I don't think that IrrLicht can do that to any degree in real-time unfortunately

coming soon

[BlindSide]

Beautiful models, this can be a world class game if programming is done good also.l Good luck!

@omaremad: Whoa im excited now...

[Yodhe]

Thankyou for all your positive points...

If only I could find a programmer to help, I might be able to get somewhere. Instead I am finding myself getting increasingly frustrated with IrrLicht, and my own level of programming skills.
I don't want to spend days learning simple operations, as it unfortunately ISN'T making the process at all enjoyable.
I could cobble together another FPS, but that wouldn't be the point, and it is the last thing the world of PC gaming needs at the moment. If I read about one more WOW clone I could practically scream, especially when they pretend it is somesort of RPG. All I can think is that these people who claim they are creating RPG's have never actually played a "real-life" RPG/LARP game in their life. Even back in the late 80's, "dungeon bash" scenarios were looked down upon, and it seems people have got stuck in a metaphorical rut.
So whilst I will continue to create the models, and levels for the game, until I can find programmers to cooperate with (I don't want to learn all the ins and outs of IrrLicht/C++ myself, I am an artist with an ability to programme, not a programmer per se. It is also a process - programming, that I have an interest in, it is not my raison d'etre!) I will have to put this project in some weird hiatus.
That is to say I am not abandoning it, but will have to wait until IrrLicht, becomes better documented, and more user friendly, and isn't such a struggle to use. As an "engine" it is fine for demos, but doing more (than FPS) seems a little beyond its capacities. I would happily be proved wrong, but so far I haven't seen the evidence of this. Roll on version 2.3.
Or find programmers to cooperate with, but that prospects seems unlikely from my research.conversations etc.
The alternative is find another more accessible engine to use, but this isn't my preferred option, but one I am having to consider. I suppose this is part of the design process, but after examining three or four other engines I thought I had found something that I could actually use to produce games with.
I suppose it is back to the metaphorical drawing board.

[fmx]

Its sad to hear you're struggling a little with Irrlicht Yodhe, as I really thought you might get somewhere with this project.

Irrlicht is really quite powerful, but I guess you (like so many others) are having difficulty with making the jump from using Irrlicht's pre-defined "out-of-the-box" functions, to creating your own functions to achieve the same (or better) results.

IMO, compared to other Engines, Irrlicht is really simple, but it still requires programing ingenuity to achieve anything of real value.
and waiting for an "all-purpose-Irrlicht" would be rather pointless as it would probably never happen.

I'd love to help you out (I'm a sucker for RPGs), but I'm really struggling for time these days, and I don't think I can share anymore.

I don't know, what exactly are you having difficulties with?
If you can let us know, maybe we can give you some advice / pointers to help you get started.

Please don't give up so soon.

[rogerborg]

If only I could find a programmer to help...

Um, have you tried asking? Because in your first post, you said this:

I am not looking for anyone to work with me

That might explain the lack of offers.

The alternative is find another more accessible engine to use, but this isn't my preferred option, but one I am having to consider. I suppose this is part of the design process, but after examining three or four other engines I thought I had found something that I could actually use to produce games with.

OK, tough love time. Irrlicht is not a game engine. It makes no pretence to being one. I'd recommend having a look at:

IrrWizard
WorldForge
'other'

Toughest love of all: game development is hard. Starting a game is simple. Doing the first 95% is pretty easy; it's the remaining 95% that'll wreck you. Completing even a simple project is hard.

I wish there were a better answer. If anyone knows of one, please do share.

[nano]

Doing the first 95% is pretty easy; it's the remaining 95% that'll wreck you.

I think someone missed a few maths lessons.

[buhatkj]

irrlicht is great for those of us that are comfortable with c++, but a fully developed editor and scripting environment is something it simply does not have. for that you would need to look for something more in the vein of a commercial engine, I don't know of any open-source engine so complete as that. irrlicht is good for both demos and full games, but only if you are quite comfortable with c++. your project may be better served by something more complete. I have tinkered with both neoaxis, and the source engine, I suggest you check them out. don't give up though, you havbe a solid concept and an interesting art style. I'd love to see how your game comes out.

there are a few people who have tried to develop more complete editor environments for irrlicht, but it's a big task, and none of them are truly up to your task as far as i know. sio2's irredit mod is the furthest along i know of, but he is holding onto his source for the moment anyway.

[Yodhe]

Thankyou to all those who took the time to reply, and offered constructive advice, and a little empathy.

I am not completely "done" with IrrLicht yet, it is more that I am have to change my emphasis to concentrating on what I know I can produce myself. This mean concentrating on producing the models, the design of the game, and limiting myself to merely producing walk-around non-interactive levels for the mean time. I am also looking at other options, such as SDL, GameBlender, 3DGameStudio etc, which I might yet have to use instead of IrrLicht. However I am always aware that if I concentrate on the models I am producing the elements that can be transferred between software packages/libraries etc with relative ease, and thus I am not losing anything by being an "3D engine crack-whore".
It also allows me to keep an eye on the development of IrrLicht, as well as the possibility of finding other people who might be able to help with this project (although I am not counting on this, which is why I am rolling up my metaphorical shirt sleeves and ploughing on with things regardless).

I admit one of things that I find quite frustrating with IrrLicht, is the seemingly massive qualitative difference between using OpenGL and DirectX to draw the scenes. Although this might not be anything to do with IrrLicht per se, it has proved another source of frustration.

If only I could find a programmer to help...

Um, have you tried asking? Because in your first post, you said this:

I am not looking for anyone to work with me

That might explain the lack of offers.

I said this and the rest of my opening announcement post knowing full well that I can't expect another person to share the enthusiasm and dedication that I have to my own vision. This is why I also said that I was up for a case of "mutual back scratching", as in return for helping/working on my own project I could do the same in return, with our complimentary skill-sets.

However I think that the least I could probably do for this community, is try and produce some "interesting.beautiful walk around levels" to try and enthuse people not only to cooperate but continue to build the IrrLicht engine.library.

[Neirda]

Well, I understand your frustration, hope you can achieve what you want anyways.
I've read your project whereabouts and, to be honnest, I really like your philosophy, and with necessary ressources you could do great.
I'm quite in the same situation as you, so I can tell you one thing : if you love designing, just go on with it. It is never a waste of time, and anyway, the better way to catch eventual co-workers' attention is to show what you can do. Make us dream.
Good luck.

PS : if you do not intend the lightnings in your scene to move, you can try the 'export to texture' tool of 3dsmax, the lighning will be directly drawn to your texture. It is not perfect for several reasons, but it's to be tried.