Canardia

You need to learn how to debug large programs with untracable bugs: When you have a bug and in a complex program, you first need to eliminate all program code, to see if that eliminates the bug also. If it does, you have already solved 50% of the problem. If it doesn't, then the problem is somewhere completely else than in your code, and you can skip debugging your code. If the problem was in your code, then you can add half of the code back to see if the brings the bug also back. If it doesn't, then the bug is in the other half of the code. Repeat the adding of half of the remaining code until you find the line with the bug.

No, the distance between each light.

1 and 15. 1 is the distance, 15 is the range.

SetLightRange(light,1) makes also a big speed improvement. I have 300 point lights with default range (=15), and 35 FPS (they overlap multiple times, since their distance is 1). When I change the light range to 1, I get 242 FPS.

As many as your memory and FPS allows. Probably over 3000 on any machine, if they are not all in the same place.

You shouldn't put engine files into your project folder, but rather change your include directories to point to the SDK folder.

You managed to hide the only important functions with your error dialog box, so it's hard to tell if you have the wrong header file But you probably are using the wrong header file, since the last parameter should be crouchheight.

You can make a 2nd thread using _beginthread() and draw some bar with OpenGL. You can't use engine commands there. http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/kdzttdcb(VS.80).aspx You know the exact loading time by measuring the time from the last loading time of the scene (you can put a default value which you measured on your PC, or average PC, before it's calculated on the target PC), so you can make the bar go smoothly (in sub-pixel steps) from 0 to 100% according to the known loading time.

Of course you shouldn't modify existing files, but take a copy and rename it and modify it.

You can do it easily using gamelib: game.scene.LoadMap("abstract::map1.sbx"); Gamelib is open source, so you can also copy the code from there or make your own additions. I was also thinking to make a seperate GameLib-Git version where everyone can directly modify the source code.

You can do an area light by removing one line in the spotlight shader.

No OpenGL, no Linux. I want more from a game engine than just being able to make Windows games.

The error message comes from the environment_atmosphere.lua script in line 55: Notify("Null framewerk.",1) Use Framework

Yes, it does it in all languages.

Marley, you should remove: UpdateAppTime(); UpdateWorld(AppSpeed()) ; from your example, because it will make physics collisions not work correctly, because UpdateFramework() already does those commands. Also remove: TWorld world = CreateWorld() ; if (!world) { MessageBoxA(0,"Error","Failed to create world.",0); return Terminate(); } because Framework already creates all 3 worlds.

1. You can use 16 vegetation layers on top of the 5 terrain layers. You should barely see the terrain texture in well designed maps anyway, since the ground should be full of stones, leaves, branches, flowers, grass, etc... and the rest is covered by models like rocks, trees, cliffs, etc...

I like the dense tree in pic 3 middle right, and stone texture in picture 4 lower left. The indiviudual barricade models looks also good, but the house behind it is missing some light/shadow dynamics. I think overall the ambient light is a bit too bright, or then the colors are too equal. I think reality is a combination of matching colors plus a few completely unmatching colors. Also important is a completely unreasonable highlight of bright spots, and vice versa dark spots. Those are things which make CGI look more real, just stepping out of the box and doing some wild things.

Yes, you can use Leadwerks Engine (and all the assets that come with it from werkspace) with Blitz3D also. Ask puki for the headers. Here are some screenshots:

It's described in the Wiki: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&source=hp&q=leadwerks+syntax+highlight&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=

Because artists use polygons, not triangles. Also programmers can work better with polygons. So the 0.5 represents half of the smallest polygon you can use.

I think it should be size 0.5 then (=a half tile).

I think additional platform support comes only with 3.0, unless Josh makes a BlitzMax only Mac and Linux version meanwhile. But I doubt that, since it would be additional work and it's coming in 3.0 anyway for all languages. As a sidenote, Mac users should rethink what a Mac is, is it the hardware, OS, or both. Is a Mac hardware running Linux still a Mac? Is a PC running OSX still a PC? Is a PC running outdated hardware and old drivers an Apple? I think the term Mac alone doesn't tell much, and there should be more detailed names. 2.32 has at least some important things fixed, like the DoF and disappearing shadows when camera is turned (see bugtracker). Josh wrote in his blog ( http://leadwerks.com/werkspace/index.php?/blog/1/entry-187-improvements-for-232/ ) that it would have more FPS too, due to the internal optimizations of the vegetation system.

You don't need to care if it's sky or not, it's the artist's fault if he makes static skies with too bright colors. A good skybox texture has only distant clouds and no sun highlights in the clouds, since the sun must move in the game.

I would keep learning and game development seperate things. When I need to learn and test something, I make a seperate project, and when it works then I copy it back to the game code. I would make all movement with physics. You could have invisible walls around the scene, so that the character is jailed into a 2D world.

Yes, you can load the mesh only with LoadMesh() instead of LoadModel() which loads all other parts too (lua script, physics shape, sounds, ini file, etc...).