2.32 beta available

[Josh]

A beta of version 2.32 is available. This features a rewritten vegetation rendering system, octree implementation, and a more optimal hierarchical rendering technique.

 

If you enable the scenegraph display, you'll be able to view the octree and vegetation structure data visually. If you enable entity box display, hierarchies of entities form a recursive AABB for the top-most parent. The technique I am using is quite complex, but it will ensure games run fast even when they have very large numbers of objects.

 

The entity view distance setting is no longer just a simple float value set per entity. You now specify an integer for near, medium, far, or infinite range. This allows the engine to group and dismiss large numbers of entities without having to iterate through all of them.

 

Vegetation collision is sort of implemented, but has problems. One of the reasons for posting this was to allow Julio to download and test it himself. The character controller will cause a crash when combined with vegetation collision.

 

The Newton serialization format changed. PHY files have to be reserialized. In the future we are going to rely on OBJ files and the PHY file will be automatically created by the editor.

 

There's a new option for terrain to set a background image. You can then adjust the blend amount for each layer to combine with the background image.

[Pancakes]

awesome~

 

that's pure win Josh

[macklebee]

The Newton serialization format changed. PHY files have to be reserialized. In the future we are going to rely on OBJ files and the PHY file will be automatically created by the editor.

 

Two questions:

1) Am I understanding this correctly that you are planning on removing GMF as the LE model format in place for OBJ?

2) Will these auto created PHY files be useable for dynamic interaction?

[Pancakes]

Hmmm updater will not accept my password

[Josh]

1) Am I understanding this correctly that you are planning on removing GMF as the LE model format in place for OBJ?

No, this is only for PHY files.

 

2) Will these auto created PHY files be useable for dynamic interaction?

You'll have control over how they are created.

[macklebee]

No, this is only for PHY files.

 

You'll have control over how they are created.

 

ah, ok. So GMF models will no longer have auto created PHY files? So even for static models like buildings and such we will need to have an OBJ version of the model?

 

What kind of control? Like a selectable parameter that decides the type of PHY file like convex hull or collision tree? or control over dynamic versus static?

[Josh]

ah, ok. So GMF models will no longer have auto created PHY files? So even for static models like buildings and such we will need to have an OBJ version of the model?

 

What kind of control? Like a selectable parameter that decides the type of PHY file like convex hull or collision tree? or control over dynamic versus static?

I haven't thought it all the way out yet.

[Pancakes]

I haven't thought it all the way out yet.

 

It would be really pimp if you could create a physics proxy inside of the editor using basic cubes, spheres, and planes etc. Or even vertex/face manipulation. Especially set joints, hinges, wheels and the like.

 

Btw, I can't update. Whisp3r's crashes, and you'res says invalid password

[Marleys Ghost]

.phy files to be reserialized again? I have only just finished doing it from the last time ..

[Josh]

I know that sucks, but the only other option is to be stuck at an old version of Newton.

 

This is why I am saying the Newton serialization format can't be relied on in the future, and an intermediate step is needed.

[Guest Red Ocktober]

speaking of PHYSics... i got these errors when running the 2.32 editor and trying to load the scenes that came with it...

 

the physics bodies seem to be offset in some of the objects in the scene...

 

when i run the scene in the game mode, and i approach on eof the physics bodies, i get an exception...

 

(see the attached images)

 

--Mike

[Josh]

speaking of PHYSics... i got these errors when running the 2.32 editor and trying to load the scenes that came with it...

 

the physics bodies seem to be offset in some of the objects in the scene...

 

when i run the scene in the game mode, and i approach on eof the physics bodies, i get an exception...

 

(see the attached images)

 

--Mike

Yep. I made that scene for Julio to examine. Seems I am the first person to use his scene collision features (for repeating instances of static geometry).

 

This beta is not usable by any means, but I thought you guys would like seeing some of the new features, and I needed something for the physics programmer to test with.

[omid3098]

Editor can not load previous maps. it will crash. is that because of PHY files?

Vegetation system can not distribute vegetations. engine will crash again. maybe because of PHY files again.

Dragging any models into terrain will put them on height=0.

 

 

Edit: Should we report similar bugs (here or in bug tracker) at all? or this beta release is just for presenting some of new features?

[Josh]

Don't post any bugs for this.

[Marleys Ghost]

This beta is not usable by any means

 

M'kay ... glad I saw this before I sync'd .. not usable in general or for just the new bits ?

[macklebee]

M'kay ... glad I saw this before I sync'd .. not usable in general or for just the new bits ?

 

not really useable in general... it appears this is for showing julio the physics problem and nothing more at the moment, though the scenegraph stuff looks pretty promising. But basically all other things are causing random crashes in the editor, so its not really worth trying to do anything in it other than to look at the stuff Josh mentioned above.

[omid3098]

regarding to changing physic system, is there any approximation time on when this system will be replace with current phy system?

I don't know should I continue to export my models with Phy or start to export my previous models to obj too..?

[Marleys Ghost]

not really useable in general... it appears this is for showing julio the physics problem and nothing more at the moment, though the scenegraph stuff looks pretty promising. But basically all other things are causing random crashes in the editor, so its not really worth trying to do anything in it other than to look at the stuff Josh mentioned above.

 

 

M'kay ... so I guess we still dont have a fix for decals then as its not worth swapping to 2.32?

 

http://leadwerks.com/werkspace/index.php?/topic/1645-createdecal/page__view__findpost__p__15223

[cocopino]

It's very cool you're working on vegetation collision Josh

 

When I first saw the new "blend mode" I thought this feature could create a base layer that has the other layers painted on top of it (like http://leadwerks.com/werkspace/index.php?/topic/143-combining-textures). It doesn't seem to do this, but I did notice that terrain->Edit button->Composite does show a composite picture of the current layers.

Could you please add an export function for this composite image? (reason being to be able to use unlimited terrain textures)

 

Thanks!

[franck22000]

I think that we dont have to wait for a long time before the final version now, i hope that julio will fix the colision problem very fast.

If i can ask for something it would be great if josh can update his SSDO filter with blur to make the effect better than now.