[Submitted] Level Editor
Posted: Tue May 09, 2006 1:38 am
Proposal:
I am seeking to once and for all create a publicly available, robust and extensible in-game level editor for OGRE. The editor will use the .NET 2.0 Framework as a base for its interface controls and render to a panel. The most important aspect to this software is that it will be designed with a component architecture. Essentially, the goal of a level editor is to add various types of entities to the world, and manipulate those entities. The component architecture will be realized such that each entity type, and the corresponding interface used to manipulate that entity, will be stored in individual dlls. New entity types may be created and used within the editor by merely dragging the exported dll into the application folder. This adds a major level of extensibility to the software because individual development teams may create their own entity types tailored exactly to their needs, and use them in the editor. As for exporting levels, a software interface will be provided for individuals to create their own exporters into a dll format. This will be much like the behavior we see in modern day 3D modeling packages. These exporters will show up individually within the application, and the user will be able to choose into which format they would like this level to be exported in. The reason for this is that maybe not everyone wants to use the DotScene format for the levels, or wants to use a slightly different version of it. This feature will put the exact format that the user wants, in the users hands. The programming language is not set in stone at this point. C++ and C# are the languages under the microscope; however the concept of interoperation between the two languages that .NET provides will be a major preliminary research endeavor.
Why?
I feel as though the importance of tools for game development need not be articulated. Please read this and you will be converted if you aren’t already convinced of this: http://www.arenanet.com/news/articles/j ... 62602.html
Furthermore, one Paul Lalonde (http://neoptica.com/lalonde.html) visited my school a couple months ago and gave a presentation. At one point he said: “it doesn’t matter how many bells and whistles your game engine has, if you don’t have tools, your game engine is useless.” I immediately thought of OGRE. It is such a wonderful engine but there is still no usable level editor for it! OGRE needs a level editor.
Why Me?
I am senior Computer Science student at Washington State University. I have taken a software engineering class and have done rather well in it. I have also taken a Human Computer Interaction class where we vigorously studied how to create and test usable human-computer interfaces. I did rather well in that also, and I plan on using this knowledge when gathering the requirements for this software. Lastly, the most important thing is that I have adequate knowledge in creating .NET applications using OGRE. Please download and run them.
C#: http://www.ogre3d.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=20183
Managed C++: http://www.ogre3d.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=17227
I would also like to add that I have experience using the System.Reflection namespace and the dynamic dll loading at runtime that it provides. I am also 100% confident I can do the job, be open minded, and do it right.
Schedule:
I would have liked to make a comprehensive schedule, and I plan if I get accepted, however this application is due very shortly. :/ I found out about this competition during my finals week, I was moving on Saturday and Sunday and the application submission on the google website has been down since this morning. However, some notable milestones will be: beginning gathering requirements, creating surveys dealing with the design and features of the proposed software and posting them on the OGRE forums, architecting the software, beginning construction. The individual milestones during the construction are dependant upon the actual requirements that are established during the inception stage therefore I can’t mention them now. However they will be a part of the schedule after they are established. Meetings with my mentor and the release of software increments will also be frequent.
Conclusion:
This will be a great project for OGRE and the Summer of Code program.
I am seeking to once and for all create a publicly available, robust and extensible in-game level editor for OGRE. The editor will use the .NET 2.0 Framework as a base for its interface controls and render to a panel. The most important aspect to this software is that it will be designed with a component architecture. Essentially, the goal of a level editor is to add various types of entities to the world, and manipulate those entities. The component architecture will be realized such that each entity type, and the corresponding interface used to manipulate that entity, will be stored in individual dlls. New entity types may be created and used within the editor by merely dragging the exported dll into the application folder. This adds a major level of extensibility to the software because individual development teams may create their own entity types tailored exactly to their needs, and use them in the editor. As for exporting levels, a software interface will be provided for individuals to create their own exporters into a dll format. This will be much like the behavior we see in modern day 3D modeling packages. These exporters will show up individually within the application, and the user will be able to choose into which format they would like this level to be exported in. The reason for this is that maybe not everyone wants to use the DotScene format for the levels, or wants to use a slightly different version of it. This feature will put the exact format that the user wants, in the users hands. The programming language is not set in stone at this point. C++ and C# are the languages under the microscope; however the concept of interoperation between the two languages that .NET provides will be a major preliminary research endeavor.
Why?
I feel as though the importance of tools for game development need not be articulated. Please read this and you will be converted if you aren’t already convinced of this: http://www.arenanet.com/news/articles/j ... 62602.html
Furthermore, one Paul Lalonde (http://neoptica.com/lalonde.html) visited my school a couple months ago and gave a presentation. At one point he said: “it doesn’t matter how many bells and whistles your game engine has, if you don’t have tools, your game engine is useless.” I immediately thought of OGRE. It is such a wonderful engine but there is still no usable level editor for it! OGRE needs a level editor.
Why Me?
I am senior Computer Science student at Washington State University. I have taken a software engineering class and have done rather well in it. I have also taken a Human Computer Interaction class where we vigorously studied how to create and test usable human-computer interfaces. I did rather well in that also, and I plan on using this knowledge when gathering the requirements for this software. Lastly, the most important thing is that I have adequate knowledge in creating .NET applications using OGRE. Please download and run them.
C#: http://www.ogre3d.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=20183
Managed C++: http://www.ogre3d.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=17227
I would also like to add that I have experience using the System.Reflection namespace and the dynamic dll loading at runtime that it provides. I am also 100% confident I can do the job, be open minded, and do it right.
Schedule:
I would have liked to make a comprehensive schedule, and I plan if I get accepted, however this application is due very shortly. :/ I found out about this competition during my finals week, I was moving on Saturday and Sunday and the application submission on the google website has been down since this morning. However, some notable milestones will be: beginning gathering requirements, creating surveys dealing with the design and features of the proposed software and posting them on the OGRE forums, architecting the software, beginning construction. The individual milestones during the construction are dependant upon the actual requirements that are established during the inception stage therefore I can’t mention them now. However they will be a part of the schedule after they are established. Meetings with my mentor and the release of software increments will also be frequent.
Conclusion:
This will be a great project for OGRE and the Summer of Code program.