Plan for Phil Carlisle
by Phil Carlisle · 05/11/2003 (5:15 pm) · 4 comments
Ayeeeee!
Well, things are moving on apace. Weirdly, Ive managed to put off actually doing any useful work on gameplay this last few weeks and have been looking at different ways of rendering my scenes.
Ive got 1 version pretty much sorted out, with a custom designed tool to do it. This is a C# app that will let you do custom space backgrounds.
Thats the "low end" version tho. Pretty much works the same as homeworld (and I'll post some screens of it in the reasonably near future, as soon as the editor has a few more features added).
So whats "high end"? well, obviously it involves shaders. Specifically speaking HLSL shaders :)
Anyway, I oredered a couple of PC's to come next week, which will allow me to move one of my existing PC's over to become a CVS server. I'll then develop on one of the new 2400's and debug on the P4.
From then, it'll be a matter of finishing up the flight model, getting the shader support sorted out, making the rest of the game etc.
Still, its going to take some time before I'm able to show the kind of content I'm aiming for.
Phil.
BTW: Sorry about the disjoint plan file, its 2am and I'm kinda lost :)
Well, things are moving on apace. Weirdly, Ive managed to put off actually doing any useful work on gameplay this last few weeks and have been looking at different ways of rendering my scenes.
Ive got 1 version pretty much sorted out, with a custom designed tool to do it. This is a C# app that will let you do custom space backgrounds.
Thats the "low end" version tho. Pretty much works the same as homeworld (and I'll post some screens of it in the reasonably near future, as soon as the editor has a few more features added).
So whats "high end"? well, obviously it involves shaders. Specifically speaking HLSL shaders :)
Anyway, I oredered a couple of PC's to come next week, which will allow me to move one of my existing PC's over to become a CVS server. I'll then develop on one of the new 2400's and debug on the P4.
From then, it'll be a matter of finishing up the flight model, getting the shader support sorted out, making the rest of the game etc.
Still, its going to take some time before I'm able to show the kind of content I'm aiming for.
Phil.
BTW: Sorry about the disjoint plan file, its 2am and I'm kinda lost :)
About the author
#2
05/11/2003 (8:24 pm)
Hmm, C# eh? How is it? I keep meaning to try something with it, but I keep telling myself it'd be better to keep my C++ skills sharp instead. 
#3
Phil, if you haven't already get the nvidia CG Tutorial book. About 90% of it is perfect for HLSL as well. Be interesting to know how you've done your space backgrounds.
05/12/2003 (6:08 am)
I really like C#, I seem to be able to achieve a lot more in a shorter time with it. It's not as raw as C++ but links to it fairly well, so I can still use all the open source stuff I like :) However I really grudge having to use C++ now, so don't change if C++ is your day job ;)Phil, if you haven't already get the nvidia CG Tutorial book. About 90% of it is perfect for HLSL as well. Be interesting to know how you've done your space backgrounds.
#4
Greg: Yeah, Pascal Bos (Decoy) and Chemeleon (really should get his first name :)) are helping out. Plus Ive got some fantastic placeholder art.
Simon: definitely recommend C# for windows based apps and any prototyping stuff. I agree with Gareth, it rocks at getting stuff done in quick time. I'm hoping the new .NET C++ unification (i.e dumping MFC and using the .NET framework same as C#) will make doing c++ apps the same sorta speed.
Gareth: Space backgrounds have been through so many revs I cant believe :) currently Ive tried:
Skyboxes (can look ok, but frankly not up to scratch)
Skysphere with vertex colours (like in homeworld, looks kinda nice for ambient lights, but not really enough detail
As Above but with an internal texture sphere (better, but still not up to scratch).
Ive still got a few idea's to try out, my aim it to get a similar look to Eve Online (check it out, looks bloody great), but ideally I want to better that look by having some form of moving in the nebula.
In essense I'm still researching it, suffice to say that the "Low end" will be a simple space sphere with vertex colours mapped using our in-house tool called "plasma" created in C# this is exactly how homeworld did thier backgrounds (although I'm still stuck on stitching the poly's at the edges).
High End will be a shader based sphere of some sort.. or multiples of em..
And some volumetric effects.
Phil.
05/12/2003 (9:44 am)
Dammit! I posted a reply here yesterday but it mustve been munched by the reply fairy.. here goes again..Greg: Yeah, Pascal Bos (Decoy) and Chemeleon (really should get his first name :)) are helping out. Plus Ive got some fantastic placeholder art.
Simon: definitely recommend C# for windows based apps and any prototyping stuff. I agree with Gareth, it rocks at getting stuff done in quick time. I'm hoping the new .NET C++ unification (i.e dumping MFC and using the .NET framework same as C#) will make doing c++ apps the same sorta speed.
Gareth: Space backgrounds have been through so many revs I cant believe :) currently Ive tried:
Skyboxes (can look ok, but frankly not up to scratch)
Skysphere with vertex colours (like in homeworld, looks kinda nice for ambient lights, but not really enough detail
As Above but with an internal texture sphere (better, but still not up to scratch).
Ive still got a few idea's to try out, my aim it to get a similar look to Eve Online (check it out, looks bloody great), but ideally I want to better that look by having some form of moving in the nebula.
In essense I'm still researching it, suffice to say that the "Low end" will be a simple space sphere with vertex colours mapped using our in-house tool called "plasma" created in C# this is exactly how homeworld did thier backgrounds (although I'm still stuck on stitching the poly's at the edges).
High End will be a shader based sphere of some sort.. or multiples of em..
And some volumetric effects.
Phil.
Torque Owner Greg Findlay