AmiDARK Engine - Alpha R2 uploaded on os4depot

Hi All,

I have uploaded this night a new alpha version of the AmiDARK Engine.
The GDK now contain more than 380 commands/functions to help in video game development on our Amiga running under Amiga OS 4.1

You can find it in the uploads folder of os4depot and soonly in the same place than the previous release :
http://www.os4depot.net/index.php?function=uploads

The main improvements from the 1st alpha release, are in the 3D engine, lights and camera. There are more control and accuracy on these 3 commands sets and now loaded 3D objects handle their own textures. Of course, actually only internal .ADEO 3D object is supported but, soon, more will follow.

Feel free to test the 4 small demos and to modify them and recompile as your wants.

EDITO 2010.08.20 13:16 [France]

1. Website www.amidark-engine updated

2. I have updated the list of changes/improvements of R2 :
ENGINE :
- Reorganised source codes in /shared/ and in subfolders.
- Added support for CreateDeleteString() system similar to DarkBASIC PRo & DarkGDK.
- Added separate debug mode to display only information from the plugin to debug.
- Added internal functions for bits manipulations.
- Added timer.device to handle frame rate and soonly animations.
- Added support for window close caption.

BASIC2D:
- Added DBProEx( Left, Top, Right, Bottom, Color1, Color2, Color3, Color4 ) function.

BASIC3D:
- Internal object structure changed.
- Loaded 3D Objects automatically load internal textures and applies them to limbs.
- Loaded 3D Objects that have internal textures, also delete them when object is deleted.
- fixed texture issue with loaded object.
- fixed applying world matrix changed to limb using limb hierarchy.
- Support for DETextureObject on loaded objects.
- Improved texture support to apply textures params. only if texture is used.
- WIP : Adding MESH dependencies to handle correct position/rotation within the 3D object.
- Added Basic 3D MESHES functions.
- 3D Object support rebuilded to handle limbs.
- Fixed texture issue with skysphere objects.
- Now Disable global lighting on a 3D object that is not sensitive to lights.
- Changes how textures are applied on a 3D Object to be the same than DarkBASIC Professional.
- Added command : DEScrollObjectTexture( ObjectID, U.f, V.f )
- Added command : DEScaleObjectTexture( ObjectID, XScale.f, YScale;f )
- Added support for bilinear/trilinear/no filtering on 3D objects.
- Added support for extra propoerties ( fog, light, ambient 3D objects sensitivity )
- Added support for object Ambience, Specular, Diffuse and Emissive properties functions.
- Added support for Ghost Object functions ( On/Off Ex with support for dark ghost mode too )
- Added support for ScaleObject() function
- Added support for transparency using BLENDING command set : Set Alpha Mapping On.
- Added support for 3D Objects instancies.
- Fixed Objects rotation to be the same than Default DarkBASIC Professional ones.
- Support for Objects Texturing, Lighting ( Light 0 ), Normals.

CAMERA:
- Added several camera functions.
- Added DESyncMask() function for camera enabling/disabling.
- Added functions DESyncOn(), DESyncOff(), DESyncRate( RATE );
- Fx Camera clear (glClear) to clear only the camera display area on screen.
- Added DEScreenFPS() and DEStatistics() functions.
- Fix camera backdrop to not clear Basic2D draws.
- Updated camera rotations calculations to be the same than DarkBASIC Professional.
- Updated camera movements calculations to be the same than DarkBASIC Professional.
- Added support for camera backdrop color.

CORE:
- Added function to read free memories.
- Added various internal & user Core command set functions.

FILE:
- Added support for FILES command set ( OpenToRead, OpenToWrite, Close, MakeMemblockFromfile)

IMAGE:
- Adding some IMAGES command set
- Added internal functions to separate Image to internal images.
- Handle internal images in load/delete image functions.
- Added support for internal images in Basic 3D objects render.
- Added DrawToFront & DrawToBack function to change priority between 2D and 3D drawing.

INPUT:
- Added functions to enable/disable escape key use to quit an AmiDARK Engine application.
- Improving DBKeyState() function.
- Improving internal MiniGL MyKeyboardFunc() function.
- Added support for various keyboard functions (scancode, keystate, special keys : up, down, left, right, function keys F1 to F12

LIGHTS:
- Adding Ambient light support
- Added DEShowLight() DEHideLight() functions.
- Improved light support.
- Improved Light 0 to fit default DarkBASIC Professional settings.
- Added move camera functions.

MEMBLOCK
- Adding some MEMBLOCK command set

SETUP
- Added support for switching from windowed to fullscreen and reverse.

Kindest Regards,
AmiDARK

@freddix

Thanks!! How close are you to a beta version?

@freddix

That cool ! But can't found on your site any news about new functions (last update from 2010.04). But anyway, cool that its progressing. Few more alphas, and it will be done !:)

@freddix

Couldn't access your Media tab on your website so I had a quick search on youtube for videos about Dark Basic Professional.

Seems quite a capable GDK sir. Should be interesting to see what ppl will make of it upon proper release.

@freddix

Just took a look at it, and it looks like you're making good progress. Just a few notes about minor cosmetic issues:
- The boing-ball still suffers from excessive perspective warping at screen edges, making it look oval instead of round. If this is the effect that you wanted, great; if not, pull the camera back and narrow its field of view (i.e., zoom in from a distant camera)
- Two of the layers in the side-scroller demo - the mountains and the water - aren't seamless. You eventually see these black regions
- With side-scrollers layers that are further away should move slower than those in front. The distant mountains and lake move faster than the trees in front of them
- What happened to the other demos such as the one with the helicopter?

These are minor cosmetic issues though. Congratulations on getting this far. I'm looking forward to seeing demos with more complex scenes.

Hans

@freddix

Quote:

I forgot to say that Collada seems to be the format of choice these days for transferring models between different programs. A Collada to .ADEO converter may be all that you need, although the more formats that are supported directly, the easier things become for developers and artists using it.

Hans

@All :
Thank you for your comments.
I will add the new today ... It was really late yesterday when I completed the auto-load/delete textures support so I just wanted to make the alpha r2 available.
News will be added today at www.amidark-engine.com

@Hans :
1.Didn't make test with FOV, it can be done because the commands to do that are available and should work correctly. Will do some test later ;)

2. Concerning the small glitches in multi-layers demo, I know this, in fact this demo will soonly disappear (probably in next alpha release) because textures are not optimised ( 640 pixels width texture slow down the demo, 512 pixels width is better for Radeons 92xx )
and in fact, it's a bug in the demo source coding (not the engine). I will replace it with a brand new multi-layer scrolling demo ;)

3.Concerning the apache demo. It was late yesterday ... and I must re-convert the DirectX 3D object to my Internal ADEO object format because changes were done in the format between R1 and R2. It should be released as stand alone demo for R2 soonly ( and some other demo should follow :) )

4. Concerning file format, I didn't yet took a look at COLLADA. But, generally, each engine convert the object loaded to its own file format. I plan to add support for well known format such as .3DS (maybe .X too). I'll take a look at COLLADA to see if I can add it to the engine. You're right concerning file format and support for known format is planed.

Thank you all for your comments :)

@freddix

You rulz :) Hope you will found enough time and motivation to finalize it. I will first one who will make a demo over your engine :)

@freddix

Keep up the good work. And let's hope take advantage of your hard work.

Too bad the chopper demo was removed from archive ? :-/

@freddix
It is a great and fantastic enviroment to programming 3D games, only I find it difficult for my programming skills.

@Samo79 : it will be back soon ;)

@Templario: sorry :(

@freddix

@samo79
I'm uploading a small demo now ;)