I couldn't find Perl bindings, and the forum search only turned up two unrelated posts.
So I made some
This is a very rough first draft. But I got it to load a BSP level and display it -so it basically works. Next thing on the TODO is to structure it enough to get the techdemo running (from a Perl script or something like the XML level loader - although I kinda squirm at the overhead of XML for storing simple stuff).
You can get the module from http://search.cpan.org/~tels/Games-Irrlicht/ (allow the indexer some time to pick up the newest version, though) or from my page:
http://bloodgate.com/perl/irrlicht/
http://bloodgate.com/perl/packages/devel/
I have not tried it under windows, but I guess with nmake and some Makefile.PL magic is should work. I don't see why it wouldn't.
The origins of that project are SDL::App::FPS which used, you guessed it, SDL. I was frustrated with all the SDL bugs and quirks. However, I finally found Irrlicht, liked it and started to pull over anything to it.
Currently there are some bugs and quirks, like:
* the framerate _delay and monitor are borken (I can't use Irrlicht's one, because it only has FPS as integers and it is too slow to update the value)
* the eventhandling is not there (SDL used some radically different...)
* only a few selected functions are exposed, I simple had not enough time to do the rest because I spent half of my weekend with unrelated problems
If you ask: Why Perl?
* rapid prototyping
* some stuff is just easier (like config file reading)
* you get scriptability basically for free
Some of the things that Games::Irrlich can do over Irrlicht itself (or should, short of bugs):
* monitor framerate and cap it
* reads config files, command line parameters
* maps keys according to config file
* has a time-warped (framerate independend) in-game clock. This allows easily slow-motion, rapid-fast-forwarding, as well as ramping (switching from normal time flow to slow motion over a certain time)
* timers that are coupled to the warped clock
* signal handling/forwarding (not yet, more on that later)
* sceenshots (borken with Irrlicht right now)
* easily loading/saving of gamestate (not fully in Irrlicht)
Some of the things just didn't survive the switch from SDL to Irrlicht, but I am working on that.
I can imgine that certain features are later on folded back from Perl to C/XS or even go into Irrlicht and are then simple used by the Perl framework. However, stuff which does not impact performance can stay in Perl.
However, Irrlicht does _much_ more usefull things than SDL does, and this saves me _tons_ of work. So I am filled with joy
I hope this is usefull,
Tels
