When will the Constructor be released?

#101 @TheMartian - Amen.

I have always felt like Torque was an engine for programmers. Offers very little tool integration for the artist/level designer. I would love to see a REAL pipeline in Torque products. I guess this is why I have been going back and forth between Torque and Lawmaker. Torque's pricing is much butter, but there is not comparison in art pipelines. Lawmaker's pipeline and toolset rival those of Unreal. I guess that is why you pay more for it.

Keep working GG. I look forward to the release of both Constructor and TGEA.

#102

Quote:
no info or updates (not looking for dates just updates)

Only thing I wanted to comment on is that there have been at least 10 extremely detailed updates released in the last 9 months alone regarding Constructor--more detailed and more complete than any other product we've ever released, much less had in development.

There is more information available about the details of constructor to the public than the details of TorqueX, TGB, or even TGE.

#103 I think I need to step in here...especially since a lot of this is my fault.

We decided to announce Constructor 2 years ago because at the time there were several community members who were talking about starting development on brush editors. At that point we had already put several months into Constructor and we didn't want people to have to waste their time duplicating our efforts. In fact we tried to recruit these people to help us to make Constructor but they were either unwilling to build it on top of Torque or simply did not have the programming skills needed to help.

Good progress was made but there were delays as we had to shift priorities from time to time (Marble Blast Ultra and TGE 1.5). This time last year, I looked over the remaining tasks and thought that we would be able to finish them in a matter of months so I went "on the record" of saying that we were getting "close". It turns out that I was *way* overly optimistic and had *badly* underestimated how much development was. I apologize for that and have definitely learned my lesson.

Since then I have been doing fairly regular updates when I felt like there was enough to talk about. My last update was 3 months ago and, between a honeymoon, Thanksgiving, a hospital stay (my wife), and Christmas, there hasn't been a lot of visible, frontend changes to Constructor since then...just a lot of bugfixes and backend work.

I am currently working on Direct-to-Dif exporting and when it is done I will definitely be posting an update full of screenshots!

#104 Matt,
Thanks for the update. I think the long time with no news was the most concern.

#105 Yes thank you for the update!

My biggest hurtle is that I don't have a windows system (or a linux system) anywhere near me so a lot of options aren't really options - my only hope is that constructor will be released with mac support out the door.

Yes - blender outputs to map now (so hey I can get basic shapes) but map2dif doesn't compile on the mac - even though in 1.5 the xcode project has a target setup for it.

I could also run quark under crossover but for some odd reason it crashes every couple of minutes - I was able to create large boxes to use as building placeholders so I'm not really being held back with development right now - whew!

What would make me pretty happy is a working map2dif for the mac. I did some forum searches and I've seen reported successes but have been unable to find specifics for patches. Bleh!

#106 Quote from Stephen Zepp :

Quote:Now, if we were to release it as is right now, charge for it, and continue development, we'd get lambasted for

Well release it for free now then ;)

#107 Isn't software development a bitch.

The hardest part for me in this industry is that you never really know how long something will take to do. I used to work for a company called Interlink and the owner, Tim, who I worked with, would always take a programmer's time estimate for work on a project for a customer and tell the customer it would take triple the time. Now... I can't triple my time estimates... but I do add 30-50% or give a range of time for which the work will be done such as '2-3 weeks' or whatever. But still... how can you really know what amount of time something will take unless you are repeating something you've done before? (Like EA and all the games they make) You can't ever really know. We are all damned to this existance as innovative software developers... you hope and you plan tenatively but you are aware that this is the realm of the unknown and you are going to run into bumps and gaps that you can't possibly foresee. It's part of the price of being in this business/science/art. If you can't stand the heat... you know... do what I do... curl up in a fetal position and cry. It really helps. I'm telling you.

#108 Direct-to-Dif exporting yessssssssssssssssss!!!! NO more 3dws yesssssssss!!!!!

I have a castle that can't what to be completed.

#109 I remember they were talk'n about Constructor back in '42 (when I was a young man). Bet they'll be talk'n about Constructor in '32 after I've passed on to the next level.

#110 In the past GG's stance on release dates has been 'WHEN IT'S DONE'.

If you ever have to post a "when XYZ will be released" just remember those 3 little words WHEN IT'S DONE!!!

Now, go back to whatever you were doing and just forget about Constructor for now. When it is polished and ready for mass consumption GG will put it in the store!

-Ron

#111

Quote:
Only thing I wanted to comment on is that there have been at least 10 extremely detailed updates released in the last 9 months alone regarding Constructor--more detailed and more complete than any other product we've ever released, much less had in development.

There is more information available about the details of constructor to the public than the details of TorqueX, TGB, or even TGE.

And thats applauded, but then why are so many people asking about whats up with it all the time? I think maybe its the way that you give updates. some update to someones plan file is not an effective way to communicate with the community.

Just a suggestion, but when you have a significant product like that, might be handy to have a product page, that has the latest details about the product and any and all updates all centrally located on that page for that product.

instead of lots of updates in the forums, plan files, arbitrary postings, etc.

Ive been following constructor since the beginning and even I don't recall see all that many updates, I wound up having to search through the site and find tidbits here and there.

so although I certainly appreciate the extra reporting effort on the status of constructor, im thinking that in order to help prevent this type of problem, put the updates in a easy to find area for everyone.

even tse(tgea?) had a project page with a list of milestones and which ones were completed. really handy for avoiding this whole problem. put a little new/update section at the bottom and your all set.

just a suggestion, so dont get too bent about it, just think it might help alleviate you have to answer the same question over and over.

#112 Well, I have read through a lot of posts here and in Matt Fairfax's blog...and I am shaking my head. Thinking... you got to be kidding me, com'on this is a side project. And am doing fine using Cartography Shop 4 to build dif's so its no big deal to wait for Constructor to be released.

Besides, 3D modeling is an art form and it takes years to get really good at it regardless of what software tool you use. And... IMHO, if you make crappy models in Cartography Shop 4 today then you will most likely make crappy models in Constructor as well until you learn the ART of 3D modeling. Need I say more....

Here is another example, I cannot oil paint for crap and I know if I go out and buy a $50.00 paint brush I will still paint like CRAP until I learn the art of oil painting.

Take your time Matt and I hope your wife is doing ok.

#113 Well, looks like no matter how long you take to make something or how much you over-hype a product, GG will always have fanboys...which ultimately hurts themselves though they're too locked into a fantasy world to ever see it.

@ Ron: The mantra "its done when its done" can either be a valid work-ethic or an escapist cop-out - depending on the actions that go along with it. This isnt some after-school special where the moral of the story can be summed up in a pithy comment.

I was fine with leaving this thread alone until the GG diluted the message of those trying to express our opinion as consumers.

Im sure it will be a great product once it is released.

#114 I previously chose to avoid posting in this session simply because a lot of concerns were being posted and answered without any help from me. I have to jump in now to say this: most companies, especially those involved with software and gaming, do have "fanboys."

However, simply labeling someone that for providing a very valid point contrary to your thoughts, is insulting.

You are right on your last point, Alfred. The mantra of "it's done when it's done" can be valid if backed up by proper action and a precedent of great software release. TGE, TGE 1.4, TGE 1.5, TGB, Showtool, TGEA EA (finally to be released in a week), and so on. These were hyped up products that were documented, blogged about, and overall were exposed to the community, before finally being released.

You can't compare GG products to 3DRealms products, because there frankly is NO comparison. If GG decided to write out an update on a paper napkin from Bennigan's, photocopy it, and mail it out to community members, this would still be more info than what 3DRealms provides for their products (ok, that did sound like a fanboy comment (=, sue me).

To summarize, the company and its developers have backed up the mantra of "it's done when it's done."

@Raymond- Awesome, awesome point! I can speak from personal experience directly related to this matter about how true that is.

#115 "However, simply labeling someone that for providing a very valid point contrary to your thoughts, is insulting."

That's not what I did. The thread was pretty much over...having gotten a sophisticated and well thought out response from the true players involved...but then superfluous and flatteringly congratulatory responses had to get piled on.

The point was to give GG feedback on how they're setting expectations for their customers. And I believe that has been addressed. If I didnt ultimately believe in GG I wouldnt be here. Point blank.

That having been said, quashing every person who has a differing opinion from the groupthink with "OMGZ GG can du know Rong!" stifles community feedback and hurts everyone.

EDIT: The 50$ paint brush analogy is flawed, btw. If Constructor has all the whizbang features that will "blow our minds" then its the difference between making a digital landscape with an oil brush and a wacom tablet. That is to say that it is supposed to have features that set it WAY ahead of the mark and require a new learning curve. To say that someone who cant use a modeling program can be a level mapper is ridiculous. It happens in the modding world every day. That's not to say anyone should stop using 3dws or their program of choice and hold their breath for GG to finish.

#116 @ Alfred: Sorry, I was just trying to point out that a 3D modeling program is only as good as the person who has taken the time to learn how to use it.

"The point was to give GG feedback on how they're setting expectations for their customers"

I read all of Matt's blog posts about Constructor and none of what I read set any expectations in my mind.

Go ahead and flame me, my skin is thicker than yours.

#117 Im not flaming. Characterizing me as a flamer is just as incindiary. Im sorry you cant handle saying you made a flawed analogy. That's a shame.

Wow. Guess this thread is over now. As I said several posts back already.

#118 If you are in the tire changing business and the invention GG's hydraulic car lift is not out yet.....Just use a hand crank to lift the car and change the tires?

What kind of advice is this? How many tires do you think we will be able to change in a day?

The repeated comments about just use another tool is getting absurb and just plain stupid.

Do not wait for GG's car llift. Take their advice and switch to an engine that already uses a hydraulic car lift.

Have you looked at Multiverse, ORGE, or other engines. We found a lot of them out there.

#119 Stop, hammer time

#120 Well said mb =)