Merging the BEST 3D engine with the BEST 2D engine EVER!!
Posted: Mon Apr 12, 2004 2:15 am
I need all experienced C++ programmers' attention here if you're willing to listen!
http://forums.gamemaker.nl/index.php?ac ... ntry258533
Please read that topic for more details on this. I'm just going to give a simple overview of the topic here...
How would you like to be able to use an AMAZING and FREE game programming engine for 2D mixed with Irrlicht's Awesome 3D graphics and capabilities? Well, Game Maker is the best 2D game programming tool out there, by far, and it's FREE! (Sorry if I'm coming off sounding too commercial, but I'm excited, so sue me.)
It's got its own built in language which is VERY similar to C/C++, so, there's not really a learning curve whatsoever, it's got functions such as a do until loop, case statements, if else, fors, online multiplayer, you name it, it's pretty much got it.
Anyways, to the point, one of the great folks from this and GM's community, Xception, has developed a DLL for this program that will allow GM to use Irrilcht's Engine.
Whoopdie doo you say? Well, let's just put it this way, if you want a basic level editor, and don't want to waste time building one, and you want internet multiplayer, but don't feel like programming all the multiplayer functions, or even if you wanted to have a complicated event handler and once again, you don't feel like programming one.... then this little 2D engine's for you!!
Now, Irrlicht's 2D capabilities are great, but say you wanted a mostly 2D game on a 3D background, or at least 2D pop-ups, etc, you'd have to hold all your files externally, and load them externally with Irrilcht...
But I'm here to say there's a better way!
This DLL allows you to use Game Maker's interface to develop 3D applications of mostly 2D OR 3D! Now, this DLL isn't quite complete with all of Irrilcht's functions, but it DOES represent an oppourtunity to make game development much easier!!
My proposal is to help both communities finish developing a DLL that will make this a possibility! Irrilcht's great on its own, don't get me wrong, but if you DO want to implement 2D game graphics, A Level Editor, Multiplayer, OR Create/Destroy, Keyboard, Joystick, etc. Event Handlers, then you MIGHT want to give this a look!!
See, 2D graphics can be used through GM's interface by implementing a "Save Irrilcht Screenshot" function to the DLL to be loaded back into GM as a background (real time, btw) to place all your sprites, etc on it and be drawn through GM!
On top of all of this, you can do MULTIPLAYER that is actually very fast. GM supports nearly 1,000 functions to do all sorts of computing FOR you!! It's got great event handlers, and EVERYTHING you could POSSIBLY want for GAME DEVELOPMENT!! (With the implmentation of this tiny DLL, you can even do COMPLETELY commercial games with 3D and SELL them, too!!)
There are quite a few TINY things that could be improved on this DLL such as finishing implementing the rest of Irrilcht's functions through this DLL, and possibly documenting some simple documentation on it.
I know Irrilcht through GM, so I know the basic functionality of Irrilcht, but I am also aware of a few functions that weren't implemented in the DLL by Xception. I can do the documentation, if someone would be willing to help me with the C++ programming of the final features that are lacking in the DLL.
Really, there are only a FEW FEW features that are lacking, such as:
-Advanced GUI commands such as list boxes, radio boxes, etc.
-FadeInOut command
-The DLL doesn't hide the GM window, and doesn't allow for hiding/showing either window at any given time
-The DLL doesn't give a function that will allow the user to save a screenshot of the Irrilcht Rendering Window to a BMP file.
That's pretty much it! All the other stuff is done, so it's not a very big workload at ALL!! I just need someone with the knowledge to help me do it! I can easily document it, if someone would help me finalize it!
The rest of the stuff would be easy to add through GM as functions! Such as 3rd person cameras, and stuff like that. ^_^
Remember, the features by FAR outweigh the work involved!! (Thanks again to Xception the starter of this DLL and Mark Overmars, the creator of Game Maker!)
-internal 2D game graphics (...if you were able to save a screenshot of the Rendering window that is)
-All sorts of Event Handlers
-Close to 1000 extra functions Irrilcht Doesnt have that works for both 2D and 3D games alike such as calculations like sin(), cos(), and distance_to_point(), and all sorts of other fancy stuff.
-VERY cheap registration fee to help Mark add more stuff and keep up the forums, etc.
-Game Development environment that includes Objects with a 2D level editor that could EASILY be used for 3D since all Objects have a local x,y,depth to make the placement of nodes easier. ^_^ (Even if I knew C++ I wouldn't be caught dead without this program!!)
-Online Multiplayer with all the functions you should need besides sending files, though that's not hard since you can easily convert binary to text, send multiple messages, then convert text to binary! Perfect for FPS, custom 3D maps, etc, over a server! (You can even rewrite your objects/resources from real time as well!!)
I suggest you check it out, if you haven't already! Anyone willing to help me with this, I would beg you to do so! ^_^ Please!
Here's a list of EXTENDED features for the Irrilcht Engine that shows what has been implmented in it or not to compare to Xception's Port to GM.
http://irrlicht.sourceforge.net/development.html
Here's the Irrlicht Engine port for GM. Download this to see what features from the list haven't been implemented to GM's port yet.
http://home.tiscalinet.de/xception/files/GMIrrlicht.zip
See Xception's site if you want to look at any of his other stuff. He did a great thing to start this wonderful project for the GM community. I hope someone would help finish this port to GM! I know it would be much appreciated by everyone in the Game Maker Community!
http://home.tiscalinet.de/xception/dlls.htm
Please give me a hand in finishing this wonderful project! ^_^ For all would-be game developers out there including yourself.
http://forums.gamemaker.nl/index.php?ac ... ntry258533
Please read that topic for more details on this. I'm just going to give a simple overview of the topic here...
How would you like to be able to use an AMAZING and FREE game programming engine for 2D mixed with Irrlicht's Awesome 3D graphics and capabilities? Well, Game Maker is the best 2D game programming tool out there, by far, and it's FREE! (Sorry if I'm coming off sounding too commercial, but I'm excited, so sue me.)
It's got its own built in language which is VERY similar to C/C++, so, there's not really a learning curve whatsoever, it's got functions such as a do until loop, case statements, if else, fors, online multiplayer, you name it, it's pretty much got it.
Anyways, to the point, one of the great folks from this and GM's community, Xception, has developed a DLL for this program that will allow GM to use Irrilcht's Engine.
Whoopdie doo you say? Well, let's just put it this way, if you want a basic level editor, and don't want to waste time building one, and you want internet multiplayer, but don't feel like programming all the multiplayer functions, or even if you wanted to have a complicated event handler and once again, you don't feel like programming one.... then this little 2D engine's for you!!
Now, Irrlicht's 2D capabilities are great, but say you wanted a mostly 2D game on a 3D background, or at least 2D pop-ups, etc, you'd have to hold all your files externally, and load them externally with Irrilcht...
But I'm here to say there's a better way!
This DLL allows you to use Game Maker's interface to develop 3D applications of mostly 2D OR 3D! Now, this DLL isn't quite complete with all of Irrilcht's functions, but it DOES represent an oppourtunity to make game development much easier!!
My proposal is to help both communities finish developing a DLL that will make this a possibility! Irrilcht's great on its own, don't get me wrong, but if you DO want to implement 2D game graphics, A Level Editor, Multiplayer, OR Create/Destroy, Keyboard, Joystick, etc. Event Handlers, then you MIGHT want to give this a look!!
See, 2D graphics can be used through GM's interface by implementing a "Save Irrilcht Screenshot" function to the DLL to be loaded back into GM as a background (real time, btw) to place all your sprites, etc on it and be drawn through GM!
On top of all of this, you can do MULTIPLAYER that is actually very fast. GM supports nearly 1,000 functions to do all sorts of computing FOR you!! It's got great event handlers, and EVERYTHING you could POSSIBLY want for GAME DEVELOPMENT!! (With the implmentation of this tiny DLL, you can even do COMPLETELY commercial games with 3D and SELL them, too!!)
There are quite a few TINY things that could be improved on this DLL such as finishing implementing the rest of Irrilcht's functions through this DLL, and possibly documenting some simple documentation on it.
I know Irrilcht through GM, so I know the basic functionality of Irrilcht, but I am also aware of a few functions that weren't implemented in the DLL by Xception. I can do the documentation, if someone would be willing to help me with the C++ programming of the final features that are lacking in the DLL.
Really, there are only a FEW FEW features that are lacking, such as:
-Advanced GUI commands such as list boxes, radio boxes, etc.
-FadeInOut command
-The DLL doesn't hide the GM window, and doesn't allow for hiding/showing either window at any given time
-The DLL doesn't give a function that will allow the user to save a screenshot of the Irrilcht Rendering Window to a BMP file.
That's pretty much it! All the other stuff is done, so it's not a very big workload at ALL!! I just need someone with the knowledge to help me do it! I can easily document it, if someone would help me finalize it!
The rest of the stuff would be easy to add through GM as functions! Such as 3rd person cameras, and stuff like that. ^_^
Remember, the features by FAR outweigh the work involved!! (Thanks again to Xception the starter of this DLL and Mark Overmars, the creator of Game Maker!)
-internal 2D game graphics (...if you were able to save a screenshot of the Rendering window that is)
-All sorts of Event Handlers
-Close to 1000 extra functions Irrilcht Doesnt have that works for both 2D and 3D games alike such as calculations like sin(), cos(), and distance_to_point(), and all sorts of other fancy stuff.
-VERY cheap registration fee to help Mark add more stuff and keep up the forums, etc.
-Game Development environment that includes Objects with a 2D level editor that could EASILY be used for 3D since all Objects have a local x,y,depth to make the placement of nodes easier. ^_^ (Even if I knew C++ I wouldn't be caught dead without this program!!)
-Online Multiplayer with all the functions you should need besides sending files, though that's not hard since you can easily convert binary to text, send multiple messages, then convert text to binary! Perfect for FPS, custom 3D maps, etc, over a server! (You can even rewrite your objects/resources from real time as well!!)
I suggest you check it out, if you haven't already! Anyone willing to help me with this, I would beg you to do so! ^_^ Please!
Here's a list of EXTENDED features for the Irrilcht Engine that shows what has been implmented in it or not to compare to Xception's Port to GM.
http://irrlicht.sourceforge.net/development.html
Here's the Irrlicht Engine port for GM. Download this to see what features from the list haven't been implemented to GM's port yet.
http://home.tiscalinet.de/xception/files/GMIrrlicht.zip
See Xception's site if you want to look at any of his other stuff. He did a great thing to start this wonderful project for the GM community. I hope someone would help finish this port to GM! I know it would be much appreciated by everyone in the Game Maker Community!
http://home.tiscalinet.de/xception/dlls.htm
Please give me a hand in finishing this wonderful project! ^_^ For all would-be game developers out there including yourself.