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Next Steps

Josh

Entry posted by Josh ·

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Previously, I talked about my plan for Leadwerks for the next 6-12 months:

 

Leadwerks Editor

  • Adding new tools to make life easier.
  • Refining the workflow to eliminate any remaining"sticky" points.
  • Bug fixes, to make it a super slick and polished experience.

 

The Engine

  • New features in graphics, physics, networking, etc.
  • Performance optimization.
  • Improved compatibility across all OpenGL 4 hardware.

 

Third-Party Technologies

  • Blender, SteamOS, Steam Workshop, virtual reality, etc.

 

With C++ support now added on Steam, I am getting ready to add the Linux build on Steam and elsewhere. This week will give me a chance to fix some minor problems and streamline the installation process a bit.

 

The Blender exporter has not been done yet. I originally underestimated the value that having a bridge between various third party modeling applications can add. In order to make it easier to write exporters for various modeling packages, I am creating a C library that has commands for adding model limbs, mesh data, and animations, and then saving the resulting structure as a .mdl file. This library can then be used with lots of different plugin systems to create export plugins for various programs. (For Blender support, I will hire a contractor to write this and make the source code available for tinkering.)

 

This month will mostly be about addressing any outstanding bug reports and making small improvements to the workflow and art pipeline. This is a necessary prerequisite to support for Steam Workshop; if I can find a few small ways to make the art pipeline more efficient, it will provide a big reduction in time spent prepping models for the Workshop. So it's time to eat my own dog food, as they say. Although the Leadwerks 3 art pipeline is largely frictionless, there's a few sticky points I would like to make easier in the workflow.

 

OSX support is also on my list for the near future. I don't anticipate any problems here, as I just have to go into Objective-C and set up some OpenGL 4 contexts, which are only possible since OSX Mavericks was released last November.

 

As always, this is an intended development plan, and may not be exactly what gets implemented as things change.

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Rastar

About that Blender plugin: You might consider using OpenGEX. It is an open format for exporting models from modeling tools and importing them into game engines (yes, designed by the owner of the C4 engine, but that shouldn't rule it out). It was born out of the frustrations that model conversions for the proprietary formats cause (especiallly for animated models), and the failure of Collada to solve this. Plugins for 3DS Max and Maya are already available (open sourced), Blender will be soon. The task would then be to convert that into mdl format, which shouldn't be too hard.

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YouGroove
In order to make it easier to write exporters for various modeling packages, I am creating a C library that has commands for adding model limbs, mesh data, and animations, and then saving the resulting structure as a .mdl file. This library can then be used with lots of different plugin systems to create export plugins for various programs.

 

I don't see the point here as we mainly will import models from modelers to LE3 ? Not all people will do BSP and export to modelers ? I didn't know LE3 users wanted to export from LE3 to modelers.

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Josh

Eric's a smart chap, who actually lives in the same city as me.

 

Can you explain why this format would be an advantage over the existing FBX pipeline, as all these tools already support that?

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Rastar

Well, I'm on unsafe ground here because I have next to no modeling experience. From what I understand, the other formats (fbx included) are somewhat unreliable, sometimes due to changes between versions, sometimes due to flaky exporters. It probably depends on what the reasoning behind the Blender exporter is if looking at this makes sense, I just noticed that your description sounded like your planning something similar and thought this could save some effort.

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Rastar

Again, I'm a complete modeling legasthenic, so I don't know what it takes to "support morphing", but OpenGEX supports morph targets.

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Patrick

Well Morphing could also be Blend Shapes? I think some software differentiate them but essentially its the same thing, support for this would be amazing!

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YouGroove

FBX supports pretty well exporting static and bones animated models.

I used from Blender 2.4 to 2.69 with LE3.

It's the main format used in indie 3D engines, and there is no real problem with versions in LE3 or Unity.

Morphs targets exports will need LE3 to have that feature in the engine implemented wich can take a long time.

 

Well OpenGEX seems a great project and have LE3 support would be a bonus , not a necessity right now.

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