Introducing Torque 3D Project Manager 2.0
by Dave Wyand · 05/03/2013 (1:52 pm) · 28 comments
Introducing Torque 3D Project Manager 2.0
On December 19, 2012, we launched T3D v2.0 as the first new release under open source. Then on January 10, 2013, the T3D Steering Committee presented their proposed roadmap for v3.0 to the community for comments. With the release of T3D 3.0 coming next week it is time to unveil the updated Project Manager.
Where to Find the Project Manager
The Torque 3D Project Manager is its own project which may be found here: github.com/GarageGames/Torque3D-ProjectManager. You may also download a precompiled package from here (see the ReadMe for installation instructions):The Torque 3D Wiki now has a new page describing how to use the Project Manager: github.com/GarageGames/Torque3D/wiki/Project-Manager
What’s New
With Project Manager 2.0 comes the ability to choose which modules will be compiled into your project using its interface. You’ve always been able to manually modify your project’s project.conf file to add and remove modules. You could then run the generateProjects.bat file to automatically rebuild your game project’s solution files and recompile the engine. Now the Project Manager can do it all for you from this interface:
At the top of the window there is a dropdown that allows you to choose which Move class you would like to use. This is especially handy when working with one of the new input devices T3D 3.0 provides. The middle section of this window is where you may choose which modules will be compiled with your game project. And if a module requires a pointer to a directory (such as for a 3rd party SDK) you may enter that information here as well. Clicking on the OK button for new projects, or the Regenerate button for existing projects sets everything up.
All of this is described on the Project Manager wiki page: github.com/GarageGames/Torque3D/wiki/Project-Manager
The Project Manager and Torque 3D
The upcoming Torque 3D 3.0 will no longer have the two PhysX templates included with it (Empty PhysX and Full PhysX). These templates were identical to the regular ones but with the addition of the PhysX module being compiled in, and the PhysX DLLs being included. With the recent changes to T3D’s Project Generator that will automatically copy any supporting files from a SDK, and with Project Manager 2.0 allowing you to easily choose which modules are included in your project, these PhysX templates are no longer required.And while Project Manager 2.0 is meant for the next release of T3D it is also possible to use it with T3D 2.0. The only difference is that a couple of buttons on its interface will have their text slightly cut off due to some required changes to Engine/bin/tools/style.css. You could either live with this slight imperfection, or copy the style.css from the Torque 3D development branch into your T3D 2.0 directory.
- Dave
About the author
Producer at GarageGames LLC
#2
Great and congratulations to T3D Steering Committee for this release with very good presentation about the new Torque 3D Project Manager 2.0 features, with informations clear and straightforward. Thank you all.
05/03/2013 (4:27 pm)
@Dave,Great and congratulations to T3D Steering Committee for this release with very good presentation about the new Torque 3D Project Manager 2.0 features, with informations clear and straightforward. Thank you all.
#3
05/04/2013 (2:13 am)
This is looking so slick! Great work! 
#4
05/04/2013 (2:43 am)
Cool stuff, Dave. Hurray for easy click options! 
#5
05/04/2013 (7:19 am)
Great work!
#7
Working in U3D, the editor is the only interface that you ever need to deal with. As a Torque outsider, I see posts like this one and it is so discouraging to think that I would even need something like this. For new users (and bread-and-butter users too for that matter) the Torque interface *is* Torque. If that interface is fractionated and cumbersome and limited to one platform, it's going to be more of a barrier than a gateway.
One universal, all-encompassing editor, that looks the same and acts the same on Windows and Macintosh - that should be the first goal for the next iteration of Torque.
Maybe I should post this somewhere else ... I'll try that now.
05/04/2013 (5:21 pm)
I'm wondering, will T3D 3.0 or later bring the Torque editor up to the level of Unity3D's editor?Working in U3D, the editor is the only interface that you ever need to deal with. As a Torque outsider, I see posts like this one and it is so discouraging to think that I would even need something like this. For new users (and bread-and-butter users too for that matter) the Torque interface *is* Torque. If that interface is fractionated and cumbersome and limited to one platform, it's going to be more of a barrier than a gateway.
One universal, all-encompassing editor, that looks the same and acts the same on Windows and Macintosh - that should be the first goal for the next iteration of Torque.
Maybe I should post this somewhere else ... I'll try that now.
#8
05/04/2013 (6:23 pm)
If the decision point for using the engine is the editor, then by all means use Unity 3D. 
#10
05/04/2013 (9:06 pm)
Awesome - You have much respect from me :) 
#11
05/04/2013 (9:19 pm)
Yes! I'm loving the checkboxes for adding different libraries. You guys are making this way too easy! 
#13
05/06/2013 (12:55 pm)
David, any plan to have an exporter for lightwave 11.5
#14
@Noah:
I'm still using LW 9.6 for any artwork that I may need. I do own 10.0 but haven't even installed it. And I don't have the funds to keep up with the various LW releases. So unless something changes down the road, I don't have any plans to work on a new LW exporter. Hopefully you can go through T3D's Collada interface (which I understand is much improved in LW now).
- Dave
05/06/2013 (2:41 pm)
Thanks, everyone!@Noah:
I'm still using LW 9.6 for any artwork that I may need. I do own 10.0 but haven't even installed it. And I don't have the funds to keep up with the various LW releases. So unless something changes down the road, I don't have any plans to work on a new LW exporter. Hopefully you can go through T3D's Collada interface (which I understand is much improved in LW now).
- Dave
#15
05/06/2013 (3:05 pm)
I'm hotly waiting T3D 3.0, when will be it released?
#16
i used to share the same idea, "how about Torque gets fancy user friendly editor of unity", "will the torque UI be made to resemble Unity?"
But i have realized unity UI works ONLY for Unity because its made so that anyone from any background can understand the development.
After playing with Torque for a few days i developed a strong liking for Datablocks to the point where i'd type datablock in Unity ..
sadly, i dont see any increase in the developers joining hands for Torque - for its about 6 months that t3d has become open source. The T3d Project was supposed to be flooding with community contributors but still there are only 3 developers
The main theme (& blood+spirit) of "open source" still missing :(
05/06/2013 (4:03 pm)
@Marty, i used to share the same idea, "how about Torque gets fancy user friendly editor of unity", "will the torque UI be made to resemble Unity?"
But i have realized unity UI works ONLY for Unity because its made so that anyone from any background can understand the development.
After playing with Torque for a few days i developed a strong liking for Datablocks to the point where i'd type datablock in Unity ..
sadly, i dont see any increase in the developers joining hands for Torque - for its about 6 months that t3d has become open source. The T3d Project was supposed to be flooding with community contributors but still there are only 3 developers
The main theme (& blood+spirit) of "open source" still missing :(
#17
Many people purchase "Pro" and make nothing more than a simple Capsule move.
05/06/2013 (4:31 pm)
Also, the learning curve surely seems "short" for unity, its not. The Editor's GameObject "drag & drop" feature makes you feel like you're working less, in reality however, you'll have to go through the same whole long learning curve. Many people purchase "Pro" and make nothing more than a simple Capsule move.
#18
just when i saw this blog post i tought about something like adding Torque2D to the Project Manager
and letting the user decide 1st if he wants to use T2D or T3D Engine
and then proceed to other available modules such as physics for T2D/T3D
and so on
this way we wouldnt split those 2 Engines
instead we could combine em under the hood of the Project manager
and ease the process of project creatin in general
best of all the work on both engines can still be independ from another
as all its about havin some kind of master generator that controls what engine and what features/modules
05/07/2013 (2:05 pm)
Great work therejust when i saw this blog post i tought about something like adding Torque2D to the Project Manager
and letting the user decide 1st if he wants to use T2D or T3D Engine
and then proceed to other available modules such as physics for T2D/T3D
and so on
this way we wouldnt split those 2 Engines
instead we could combine em under the hood of the Project manager
and ease the process of project creatin in general
best of all the work on both engines can still be independ from another
as all its about havin some kind of master generator that controls what engine and what features/modules
#19
05/08/2013 (12:37 pm)
@J0linar, I like that Idea :-D 
#20
05/08/2013 (12:46 pm)
The only problem I can see with doing that though is that it would lead users to think that they are the same codebase when they are separate. If the committees want to share the Project Manager tech then a slightly more obscured configuration may be the better route instead of exposing it via the interface. 
Associate Simon Love
Really nice to see the Project manager growing up.
T3D MIT is a pretty large beast to tackle at first glance; I wish I had this when I first cloned the repo!
I believe this will really help make T3D easier for those trying to learn it for the first time and also add lots of convenience to more seasoned users!
Can't wait for 3.0! I hope I have enough exclamation points left for the release next week!