External software

#1 I believe that for a non-game project (such as architechtural walkthroughs), you will have to purchase a commercial license.

#2 Ok, but, to embed the engine?

#3 Yes. To use Torque for something other than an independant game, you need a commertial license.

#4 What do you mean, imbed the engine?

#5 I mean: the coder builds the software for walkthru's; in order to compile the walkthru, obviously he should set a engine which manages the meshes/brushes whom the ambient is made of. So, I thought that I won't build a level-like ambient, then import it into Torque to compile it as an exe, but rather the contrary; I build the whole (importing meshes made eg. with LW) inside an application which includes the *core* 3d engine (impossible? too hard?).
In alternative (in the case it isn't possible to embed the engine), I can tell him to build kind of a pluggable software which interfaces itself into Torque, and outsources the whole using Torque as a "profilator", which pratically processes the whole ensemble, filing it from the plugged application, then outputs it as a stand-alone exe (like Blender's). It could even be a nice specific addon to extend Torque's range of applications, I guess.
Just mind it up; today the architectural real-time presentations are becoming more and more used, and for them people is using engines like Quake's, which is expensive. If I commit such a application, I'll bypass the many apps one needs to build levels/meshes, and put there all at once to ease the process. And... in both cases (either embedded or "profiled") it could be even used to build effective levels, importing external-crafted meshes (*already uv-textured*), and trashing over Quark, Milkshape and the like, finally. I've got enough to use 100's apps to assemble just an ambient!

#6 Well to do what you want you will need the source.. And I dont think they are going to give away the source.. So your going to have to pay something... I am sure your company will pay if they are serious about doing it..
But you may want to get in touch witht he GG people and figure out a price..
:)

#7 A commercial license will do just fine and you won't have to release any proprietary code for your walkthroughs, keeping your edge on the digital architecture market. If you used the GPL'd Quake/2 engine, you'd either have to release source or pay a hefty licensing fee. At ~$500, it's a steal.

#8 I'm still not clear on your explanation. Anyway, to use the Torque to build and architectural walk through application, yoiu will need to purcahse the Commercial License for $495 per programmer. You cannot sell or give away the Torque source code, but obviously you can sell a compiled application created with the Torque source code.

#9 Jeff, I've no intention to sell the code whatever; I just thought to commit a app which at best would output to Torque its own generated contents.
Uhm... what GG crew would think about coding such an extension themeselves? So they will know what to do, with their own engine.

#10 While it's an interesting emerging market, I think that GG's expertise (which is gaming) would have to expand "beyond the garage" to accomodate an in-house architectural expansion. It's a great market that could make them some money, but it would require a lot of time and personnel additions to make it a viable option.

#11 Uhm... it is unfortunate; maybe lack of time (and personnel?) is the real problem. It is unfortunate, also 'cause they know their engine better than any external coders, obviously, and this would speed the development.

#12 I don't really see it as a problem for GG since their focus is on gaming. If their focus were on creating a specialized version of Torque for architectural walkthroughs, then I'm sure they'd dedicate time to it and leave the frivilous stuff like games on the back burner. They do, however, have a number of commercial owners who are creating architectural walkthroughs, simulations, and a number of non-game-related projects. Those companies/organizations are using Torque to fit their needs and adding to it as necessary because that's their focus. GG maintains their focus as well.

If you license the Quake engine, you'd have to tailor it for your walkthroughs as well. Id made an excellent engine that they can license. The fact that other parties are interested in using it for non-game applications spreads their appeal, but it doesn't change their focus on creating cutting-edge game technology.

#13 I know that the focus is on gaming; I said, it could even be considered as an add-on, if not something which could be developed, in further extent, also as a proprietary level editor (that is, Torque's), so to avoid Quark and the like. And who better than Torque's crew, could know the specifics of their engine, and how to build something which runs smoothly when plugged into it? The companies whom you are speaking of, use many tools to build their apartments, then put the whole into Torque; what I was thinking of, was just some app to automatize this task, having all tools inside of it, without recurring to that and that side-application. I could even employ some coders, to achieve this task, and produce this software; then I could speak with GG crew, in order to reach an accord for including this into the packages already offered. I've nothing to hide; I speak as I eat.
So, I won't mind whether currently T is intended only for "frivilous" stuff; there's always a new field of use for anything.

#14 Torque is already being used for architectural walk throughs. Check out the Commercial Licence product page for some examples. In addition, Torque is being used for many, many commercial and government applications. In fact, Jay and the crew will be in Florida at the upcoming Synergy Games Summit in two weeks. Torque is not used just for "frivilous" applications.

Architectural walk throughs are a good use of Torque. I would suspect that most architects would rather use their modeling application of choice, then export to Torque, which is the way it is being done now.

#15 Hi Jeff,

well, it isn't me, the one who said it is used just for "frivolous" aims... I began to know about Torque some years ago, as you might see from my user details and several other posts of mine; I was looking for an engine to "build games"; now, I got the commitment to build walkthrus, though I never dropped my idea about games (like good films and music, well-done games could be also a instrument of learning, amusement, mindworking, not yet only stupid entertainment), and I asked about T as for architectural applications. So, I guess that I considere T as a very serious and polyedric piece of code.
Anyway, what I was saying actually, is to have something to speed the process, skipping the several apps to build a interior, then pass the results to T, in order to compile the exe, *directly* from the app.