Missing features list?

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Repgahroll
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Missing features list?

Post by Repgahroll »

I'm tired of hearing what the engine can do, I would like a list of things that it can not do (that other engines can, I know it can not make sandwiches :) ).

Do not misunderstand me; I'm not saying that the engine is bad, it's great and we know it, but it should have many features that are missing anyway.

It's just for curiosity :D I'm using the engine and i'm 100% sure that it fits all my needs. I'm not going to abandon it if it has no support for any feature.

Sorry my english.
sRc
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Post by sRc »

trying to say what it can't do is somewhat difficult, because it would be a matter of what you would need it to do that it doesn't do yet. if you don't need it to do anything it currently doesn't support, then as far as your needs are concerned it is complete
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Virion
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Post by Virion »

it's not about what the engine can do for you. it's about what you can do with the engine. 8)
Last edited by Virion on Fri Oct 02, 2009 6:18 am, edited 1 time in total.
FuzzYspo0N
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Post by FuzzYspo0N »

And also, it can do anything if you add code for it, a feature that is "missing" is something that the engine doesnt offer natively, and 9 times out of 10 theres a good reason why.

i think you are looking for a list of "next gen" features in games, and looking for a list of "it doesnt support xyz out of the box", which to me is a waste of time,
Repgahroll
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Post by Repgahroll »

OK... I don't think it's a complete waste of time because not everyone has the knowledge to implement everything in the engine.

For example, a feature that is missing is perpixellighting on animated meshes, some people may find useful to know it BEFORE they start their game project because it may be an important feature so they can migrate to another engine (like OGRE) in time.

I think it's better to know before what the engine can't do and not be disappointed later.

There is nothing wrong that some engines do not have certain features, theres no problem in that. I know a few important features missing in irrlicht, but even so it is ideal for me. I've tried using OGRE which has resources to rival in commercial engines, but the performance and complexity have not pleased me.

If I had any idea how to implement such things in the engine for sure I would not be using the irrlicht, but I would make my own engine from scratch.

No engine is perfect, all of them has always something missing.

What matters is that you know the things missing in the engine will not be missed in your game.

Didn't mean to be rude. Sorry my english.
hybrid
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Post by hybrid »

IIRC, this limitation (no per-pixel on animated meshes) has been fixed in Irrlicht 1.2 or so several years ago. So it isn't necessary to state such things, we simply support them.
Repgahroll
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Post by Repgahroll »

Okay... maybe it's waste of time :D

I thought some important features were missing (as ppl on anim meshes), on forums it's possible to find minor limitations... but maybe no important feature that the engine suggests it has is missing.

For example, the site says the engine has ppl support, so i would assume it has ppl support on animated meshes, which was wrong (before 1.2). This is a bad thing.

Now imagine someone discovering this after he did all the programming and modelling work for a game :(.
Sylence
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Post by Sylence »

Repgahroll wrote:For example, the site says the engine has ppl support, so i would assume it has ppl support on animated meshes, which was wrong (before 1.2). This is a bad thing.
You don't even consider the possibility that the site was updated after ppl support was added to the engine !?
Software documentation is like sex. If it's good you want more. If it's bad it's better than nothing.
devsh
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Post by devsh »

we could try the windows tactic:

split irrlicht into different versions, or even better... modules that can be linked together:

y?

because most people fear the engine will become a "STUDY THE API FOR A MONTH BEFORE YOU CAN DO ANYTHING" like OGRE, and some fear it will kill backward compatibility.

segmenting would help.
bitplane
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Post by bitplane »

I think such a list would be useful, but it would be even more useful on the feature request tracker, that way the missing things may actually be added ;)
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xDan
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Post by xDan »

How about a wish list on the Wiki? The wiki is more easily accessible than sourceforge. And it seems to me a "wish list" serves the same purpose as a "missing features list" but is more positive in tone :)

It could be divided into two sections, with critical unsupported features separate from the more fantasy ones...
yamashi
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Post by yamashi »

We definitely need a "codeMyGame" function...
Or "play( GUY's NAME )" so that we don't have to code the game immediately...
Repgahroll
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Post by Repgahroll »

Yeah man! A wish(/toDo) list would be useful I think.

And we could make polls here in the forum periodically to prioritize the most important features. (only for registered users of course)
3DModelerMan
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Post by 3DModelerMan »

Actually that would be really good. I've been trying to find a feature I could help add to the engine. I'm trying to figure out LOD. But don't get too excited :lol: .
That would be illogical captain...

My first full game:
http://www.kongregate.com/games/3DModel ... tor#tipjar
Repgahroll
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Post by Repgahroll »

Mesh LOD?

It's easy to do... just change the objects according to the distance from camera =/. I dunno how heavy is to do that individually, but it's a good workaround.

Texture LOD the engine has... at least texture simplification, i don't know how to actually "change" the texture. But i think the simplification is just okay.

Hope someone can help better, 'cause i'm just beginning to do serious stuff.

Sorry my english.
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