What I like about Irrlicht...

saigumi · Post by **saigumi** » Thu Jan 08, 2004 7:41 pm

Continuing a thread started in the Fog Making thread.

Most posts are "I want this feature...", "How can I use this?" or "How do you make a level?", so this thread is going to be a casual thumbs up on what you like.

If your in the middle of coding and then smile because something worked extremely intuitively, post about it.

If something you find makes you nod and say "That was smart design.", post about it.

I'll start with my first thought.

OMG, I don't have to worry about vertex buffers and triangle fans to get the graphic infrastructure started... all I need to do is make my game.

keless · Post by **keless** » Thu Jan 08, 2004 7:50 pm

what I like:

+ vertex buffers for free
+ basic gui elements (and more comming!)
+ virtual file system
+ API reference //documentation
+ active development and community
+ after I built my framework, I can make a new game project in < 15 minutes

what I dont like:

- makes things so easy that newbies attempt really complicated stuff and clog up the forums with 'how do i create ragdoll animations and deformable terrain? i r a c++ noob' lol (im not quoting anyone in particular) one should really have a solid understanding of 3D graphics and math before blindly trying an API, i think. but thats just my opinion

schick · Post by **schick** » Thu Jan 08, 2004 7:53 pm

the easy to use interface. I started c++ coding 2 month ago, using one of the dummy books. As i googled through the internet, i found that engine here. The absolutly incredibly documented engine, was the real way i learned and still learning how to write clear c++ code. After having a look at the tutorials, i could write my first demos, anything to say more

?

Serg Nechaeff · Post by **Serg Nechaeff** » Thu Jan 08, 2004 8:57 pm

1. I switched to Irrlicht from Blitz3d & I just couldn't believe how esy it was to program 3d graphics in c/c++. I've tried a dozen of open source engines, and was sure that my first 3d world was somewhere on another planet, they all seem so complicated... And then I found Irrlicht. "Oh ..... I said. - Next Doom is on me!" and smiled... the smile is still on my face

2. I like its features, I have rather a slow video card, but I am getting decent fps in all my test application. Check out my ROOBY THE ALKONOID KILLER GAME http://www.byxon.com/swrus/final.zip.

3. I like to code the way I used to code and irrlicht just doesnt force me to code the way they (Niko) want. I do like my style of coding (almost plain c).

4. Personally I dont care if irrlicht has (or has not) some modern stuff implemented. Firstly I dont know much about that (things like shaders and vertex buffers are something from the terminator movie), secondly I just CAN program hardware accelerated 2d games with nice fast sprites, adding great 3d effects with particles and using dx8 or ogl or software card's caps. And it is a great thing for me. And I know I am not able to do it myself. Thanks Niko!

powerpop · Post by **powerpop** » Thu Jan 08, 2004 11:56 pm

just started coding with it -

- love the scenenode types that handle their subnodes when rendering (terrain for example) - makes it much easier to mix indoor and outdoor!

- the API rocks

- anims rock too! i have lots of ideas for these!

currently i am coding in both Ogre and IRR - IRR wins with the api - Ogre has a jump with the graphic quality of the engine (and the recent addition of shaders adds to their lead) - but i think IRR will catch up

niko · Post by **niko** » Fri Jan 09, 2004 7:26 am

What I like about Irrlicht:

Programming an engine, which is used not only by myself
Communicating with you, the users and getting support from you, constantly improving the engine

Hey, I did never imagine that it would get that successful! Within the 6 months in which this forum exists, we now got more than 300 registered users and since yesterday - more than 5000 posted articles! Cool!

saigumi · Post by **saigumi** » Fri Jan 09, 2004 1:54 pm

Yar, I like the animators too. I have custom animators, but most of the animators that I use are just scripts that control a few basic animation types.

Because the Irrlicht animators take care of getting the node to each spot and keeping the animation framerate independent, my scripts are simple things like:

Code: Select all

MOVE x TO 1.0f,0.0f,3.0f
TURN x TO 0.0f,90.0f,0.0f

Then I just have code that gets all the script actions loaded to a queue and goes through each one.

qwe · Post by **qwe** » Fri Jan 09, 2004 3:44 pm

I like documentation

too many open-source projects are poorly documented, if at all.

I also like the active community. Just post in the forums and your question is answered(for the most part) within a day, or, in my experience, within an hour.

What I don't like is its dependency on MD2 models(for animation), since the tool that makes them costs

buhatkj · Post by **buhatkj** » Fri Jan 09, 2004 4:21 pm

i learned basically all i know about c++ in college, and they teach you a certain way y'know? they teach standard ansi c/c++, so having to do crap that is either windows specific or uses some custom microsoft lib pisses me off. on the other hand, if i went all OGL(which i did rather than learn directx myself) i have to accept the fact that frequently OGL doesnt wanna play nice in an OO environment. here i was writing complicated OGL wrappers, and all i really WANTED to do, was make a GAME. Irrlicht simply and logically abstracts all the gfx lib calls for me, and lets me focus on the look and feel of my game, it makes it alle asy to use so i can write my c++ however i want. and best of all, with the help of the irrlicht forums, the excellent docs, and the great code examples i have gotten closer to my dream(of my perfect game) than i ever thought would be possible.
~Ted

qwe · Post by **qwe** » Fri Jan 09, 2004 6:05 pm

yeah, the DirectX sdk is way too abstract for my tastes. Irrlicht's function names actually are derived from the function's function...

deprecated · Post by **deprecated** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 5:43 am

I like the fact that Irrlicht is so user friendly.

What helps most though, is all the friendly knowledgable people in this forum!

Everyone that helps me do things that I know I probably shouldnt do, like deformable terrains... (which I just got a prototype working today, really..)

And, the fact that Irrlicht makes possible, all those games that you have been wishing for years that a game company would release.

BTW, anyone making Duke Nukem Forever?

PX-XT · Post by **PX-XT** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 5:56 am

I LOVE IRRLICHT ENGINE!!!!

COZ I DONT HAVE TO REINVENT THE WHEEL !!!! Lols

"Im now cocentrating on game making not on the
engine making"

"It took about 75% less on my development time
since ive found IRRLICHT"

THE BAD THING IS!!!

"I TRASH MY OWN ENGINE LOLS!!!"

vermeer · Post by **vermeer** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 11:38 am

Qwe, you are not limited to md2 , and even less to comercial tools. Oh, yes, that's one other thing I like of irrlicht , the tendency of providing free cost paths, and whenever possible, multi OS solutions (here thanks again to Murphy's effort)

you can use Blender's md2 , md3, or x export for aniamtions in irrlicht.

you can use free gmax md3 export ( turbosquid.com gmax, and the md3 exporter at mojo.gmaxsupport.com )

Character fx exports both x and md2, and while is comercial, is only 15%

Irrlicht Engine

What I like about Irrlicht...

What I like about Irrlicht...

what i like...

lots to like....makes coding fun!!