Beta release 1.9.8b

Information and change log about the latest ZGameEditor release.

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VilleK
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Beta release 1.9.8b

Post by VilleK »

Hi,

It is time again for a new beta release. Here is version 1.9.8b. Updated October 20.

http://www.zgameeditor.org/files/ZGameEditor_beta.zip

New features/changes:

- Arrays can now be edited in the designer and the values are saved in your binary. For this to work you need to set the new "Persistent" property on DefineArray, then click the "Edit" button on the new "Values" property.
- All content of a project tree is no longer refreshed when opening a project. This means projects loads faster in the designer because you don't have to wait for all textures to be computed.
- Fixed bug in BitmapConvolve-component that caused programs to exit.
- Audio will keep on playing even if zge-window loses focus.
- Models are rendered in depth-sorted order if new property "RenderOrder" is set. This should make it easier to draw transparent geometry in 3d-games.
- GLSL version is displayed in the log-window on startup.
- New MeshTransform-component makes it easier to generate iterative meshes.
- Boolean properties on components are now read/writable from expressions.
- New MeshLoop-component.
- Vertex indices datatype changed to 32-bit to allow larger meshes.
- New experimental "Remove unused code" feature.
- Ctrl+Shift+S shortcut for Save As.
- F5 is shortcut to force a regeneration of current content (selected mesh/bitmap). Useful when there is a random element in your content.
- Audio rate of internal synthesizer is now doubled to 44khz for improved quality.
- "Save bitmap" button in bitmap editor to save bitmaps to disk.
- "Single mesh" option in 3ds-import for merging a 3ds-file to a single Mesh-component.
- "Save mesh" button in mesh editor to export mesh to disk.
- ATI-compatibility improved.
- Texture settings on Material are now moved to a new MaterialTexture-component. This allows you to make settings for as many textures as your graphics card has texture units. Note: Opening older zgeproj-files will automatically convert Material-properties to MaterialTexture-components. If you have projects with expressions such as "MyMaterial.TextureX=2;" then you need solve this yourself by naming the MaterialTexture component "MyMaterialTexture" and changing the expression to "MyMaterialTexture.TextureX=2;"

Code editor improvements:
- Popup-menu with standard copy/paste/find/replace-actions.
- Code completion disabled after "." to prevent incorrect suggestions.
- Automatic code completion time increased to two seconds.
- Use Tab/Shift-Tab increase/decrease indentation of current selection.
- Shader editor now has a heading "Shader editor" with hotkey Alt-S to focus.


Please report any problems as usual, thanks!
Attachments
Material with two textures.
Material with two textures.
material_texture.png (11.92 KiB) Viewed 34465 times
Last edited by VilleK on Tue Oct 20, 2009 3:57 pm, edited 16 times in total.
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y offs et
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Post by y offs et »

y offs et wrote:I unzip a copy of ZGameEditorBeta, the current or previous, it doesn't matter.
I open editor and go directly to the FPSdemo, load and <start>. Runs normal.
I shut down the editor, it creates its .ini file. I open the editor; it opens at the FPSdemo, and I <start>. Black walls!
I go to Content/Wall/WallTexture : Bitmap - click. Nodes, and grey with black rect. Leftclick / RightClick each node to activate in preview window. Then <tab>. You'd think fixed. <start> Black walls! Go back to Bitmap. grey with black rect.

Huh! I close editor, delete .ini file.

Go to first "I open..." for repeat cycle.

The finished .exe runs normally.
I have no problem with last stable release.
An interesting update to this bug.
This morning I just downloaded the new beta and started it once to make sure it worked OK. Of course, it created it's .ini file at that time.

This evening I started the editor and loaded the FPS demo, and was surprised to see normal walls in the preview. To test this, I closed the editor and re-started, and sure enough, black walls again. And, of course, a new .ini file had been created.

Another shaving pared off the block of this bug.
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Post by jph_wacheski »

Cool an array editor! I found some oddness to it., if I set up an array dim1=4 the cells flow horizontal, then I change it to add dim2=2 as well (and remember to change Dimensions to 2 or it pops an error when you press edit!) the cels flow verticaly in the dim1 direction,. when they where horizontal before,. you follow? Not a big thing, just odd/confusing at first.

So I set up a pattern tracker for playing little tunes,. sounds great and supper lo-fi/chip-tuney with the zge sound system! I tryed using an integer array and an integer for the tick_pos however i got 'array out of bound' errors? odd? should that not work, nothing is fractional or needing a decimal from a float?
Anyway, it works now, and is attached for your amusment. It is just one single pattern, as I would like to just use a 3d array so I can change the patterns with the 3rd dim. However the array editor don't allow for this currently,. if there where just two gui buttons beside the Ok button that moved in the 3rd dimension this would be all powerfull! you know with the current position shown in the middle i.e. < 16 >

Not sure ppl would ALWAYS want the audio to play perhaps it should be a tick box on the app? cool nonetheless ;)
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array_tracker_000.zgeproj
.zgeproj simple tracker test
(2.9 KiB) Downloaded 1000 times
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VilleK
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Post by VilleK »

I like the way that tracker sounds jph, nice little chip-tune. It should work with integers too. I tried changing the array and variable to integers, and did not get the error you describe.

Updated the beta today so that also three-dimensional arrays can be edited in the way you suggested. Also added support for rendering models in depth order for transparent objects.
kattle87
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Post by kattle87 »

<3
Ville I love you :D

This is quite awesome, you know? :D

Thank you so much! When I see those updates, I would love to just start coding on ZGE again ^^

Too bad I'm gonna get my first exam within 10 days, and then I will have other 6 exams in quite a strict rotation :(

Still really much appreciated update!
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Post by jph_wacheski »

Excellent!!! Wow,. that makes this much better,. .

Of course now I see an opportunity to improve it even more. Still down on that bottom area with the 3rd dim controles and ok button,. how about a copy and past button so we can easily duplicate patterns for further editing into new ones,. this will make tracker style tune editing super easy,. I also notice that the arrow keys allow currsor movements very quick to jump around,.nice ;) and holding SHIFT with those keys highlights blocks of cels,. copy/pasting random blocks would be cool,. or just rows and colums,. (if that is easier to implement) perhaps clicking on the heading numbers could select rows/colums,. .

I will checkout the new RenderOrder after that,. as if it works how i suspect it will be another very nice additon! Great stuff Ville I lov you too :)

and Kattle,. do good on your math tests,. but to come back asap k :)
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Post by VilleK »

Updated the beta today with experiments from the iterative-meshes discussion.
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Post by kattle87 »

Ok guys:
good news: for now I've done with my exams... I can be back a bit on ZGE (development!). What is first priority for you for this beta to grow a little? I am thinking about matrix operations, and other stuff.
bad news: I have to study on my degree project, so I really don't know how much spare time I will have. And on Septermber (from 1st to 9th) I will HAVE TO pass 3 exams (or I'm a dead guy :P) then the degree... so I will be off again, soon :\ really sorry about this!
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Post by VilleK »

Well anything you can come up with is welcome, kattle! Since mesh-generation is in our focus at the moment maybe you can figure out something to do in that area?
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Post by kattle87 »

well, let's say that since I've been off for a while, now I would like to understand what were the crucial points you guys were discussing.
By the way I might try and go straight on simplifymesh component. Or something regarding the meshcombine... Both of those are quite difficult I guess :D
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Post by jph_wacheski »

humm,. more mesh generation techniques would indeed be welcome,. subdivision type opperations could be interesting;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subdivision_surface

I was not sure how this could be done, to add more verticii, however perhaps a variation on Kjell's solid mesh technique would do;

viewtopic.php?p=2505#2505

where you take the simple mesh, and build a higher poly one, and not combine the low poly one,. . perhaps.

or some mesh deformers, tighten, warp, etc,. . or bolean add/sub,. .
also ways to generate simple meshes would be cool,. well anything that stricks your fancy suppose ;)

Oh, also thought of an accumulator for bitmap transforms,. in the generators,. or a way to scale and place one bitmap in another with mirror ect,. . if that is interesting. just some ideas. ciao
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Post by kattle87 »

About the accumulation property... I still was not able to understand what it really does... :oops:
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Post by VilleK »

MeshTransform keeps a internal matrix that it multiplies with the rotation/translation/scale properties whenever it executes. So as long as accumulate property is set then the transformation builds on the previous transform. When the accumulate-property is not set then it simply resets this internal matrix so that the transform starts from a identity matrix.
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Post by kattle87 »

I guess this is useful for building a mesh without moving the starting point of the mesh. Now I got it. But I can't figure out a way to make this useful in a bitmap component :D But yes I could still have some work to do on the bitmaps... Namely the light component and the NoiseBitmap. I'm thinking about those, not sure if they are higher priority though.
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Post by jph_wacheski »

Oh,. I was just thinking about a component that works like the transform does in 3d but for the bitmaps,. 2d would be fine ( 3d would also cool ;) ) scale, translate, rotate, and just for fun how about adding the accumulation tick box like the 3d version,. i.e. to do contect free style designs like;

Image
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