Why WAS Torque3D documentation so poor?

#241 woot! genuine answers to genuine questions!
You're alright in my book Mich. ;)

//edit: Mich don't waste your time on installing that stuff & trying to sort it out. The documented steps for export need to be re-written but the rest of the docs on PhysX look good.

#242 Seconded. Mich thanks for that.

Can we get more updates on the status of the documentation itself? I remember the post about everyone working on it. How have things progressed since then?

#243 @ Eric: Some of the issues that Mich has stated running into (ex. not having an artist to help him) can be remedied by utilizing some of the suggestions I mentioned in my e-mail to you. After you replied and stated that you liked the ideas and would forward them on to Mich, I haven't received a response from anyone at GG. Again, paid or unpaid interns just generating art assets and small tutorials for you would help the docs process exponentially. Especially if the interns you bring on already own the pro version of T3D, which all of my class does (not to mention we're all good 3D and texture artists). Eric or Mich, can you please reply to that e-mail and let me know your thoughts?

#244 @Tom - The law prevents us from having unpaid interns. I have HR looking for interns for us.

#245

Quote:
The law prevents us from having unpaid interns

Minions have to be paid now?!

This would never have happened under the Republicans ...

;)
ba-dum tss

#246 Well, I should be more clear. We can have unpaid interns, they just can't work on anything that will lead to us driving a profit. Hey, I'm no HR expert.

#247 Must be a Nevada law huh?

#248 Yap! Nevada Law. I have to deal with it as well.

#249 Any updates on this? This thread is almost 3 months old and all we have gotten is some really incomplete documents.

#250 @Jon D - Yup. We have two new writers for Torque 3D documentation and I have been working on the new docs as well. I'd like to get a new set out this coming week.

#251 @Michael - Thanks for the update. Looking forward to finally getting documentation. Better late than never.

#252 @Jon D - Just to set expectations, the next update I release will not be the full set, it's still a WIP. The next release of T3D docs will feature the following:

- Completely redesigned TOC and organization
- Updated editor docs
- New guide for software environment setup
- Updated TS script manual (more methods, global functions, callbacks, member variables, and global variables). Most likely will cover everything under the FX directory

I'd like to get an additional tutorial in, but that depends on one of the other writers. Essentially we now have:

1 person dedicated to tutorials
1 person dedicated to script reference
1 person managing and writing for both tuts and reference

I'd love to have 20 writers, but I'm overjoyed to have two more people helping me out. Additionally, Eric has given me the green light to get the relaunch of TDN under way. This will make it easier for the community to contribute docs and get updated content to new users. I'm writing a documentation blog, which will have all this information and more. It'll be a great read =)

#253 Thats great news on the TDN web site, and also doc updates

#254 TDN relaunch? Oh goody - there is still some info held in there - that despite being ancient - is still useful with T3D.

Infact I'd completely forgotten how to do a raycast radius search a few days ago and remembered it was documented in there

I doubt TDN will ever be what it was hoped for when it first created - that's really just the adhoc nature of getting the community to contribute - but I am personally of the opinion that it's better to have something like TDN rather than close it down.

#255 Yeah I always like the good idea. I think it is great as long as it isn't an excuse to push the documentation burden on the users. Good API docs need to be provided by GG.

I think that GG should add incentive to contributing by rewarding those who contribute significantly with add on packs and the like.

#256 Jon D - Thats not a bad idea. I will talk to Eric on Monday about TDN and a reward system, either cash or software. Oh, and I too believe we should be providing the API. Took way too long to get the work going, but at least it is finally going.

#257 New TDN? Right on time, I've been thinking about writing some articles on T3D's rendering and networking.

#258 @Manoel - That would be extremely useful. I already have a couple people working on fixing up some TDN docs, and an old e-mail list of about 8 people who were going to help before my attempt to revitalize TDN was shot down. Hopefully they will still be willing.

#259 Wow, that seems great. It would be nice to have a central (more organized) location for contributions. And on top of that, being updated to T3D rather than being stuck with TGEA. Also the "incentive" isn't a bad idea. If things go well with MangaPage and Torque we were planning to contribute anyway, but an incentive would be a complete reason to do so.

Mich, you're still cool. Looking forward to that update man.

And hey, If that TDN stuff doesn't work well throw some "incentive" to the community, with sufficient write ups on what should be written maybe some of us would be happy to redo the wiki. :P

#260 Just one question, are we getting full API documentation with T3D 1.1?