Serenity Shuttle Schematic

POSTED BY: citizen
UPDATED: Saturday, September 24, 2005 18:13
VIEWED: 6156
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MITHEL

Friday, September 23, 2005 1:16 PM

Aye, trying to display all the polygons at the same time is going to be slow, but with software that automatically culls what isn't visible it quickly can perform much better.

I'm using Java 3D currently so technically it can run on many platforms (Windows, Linux, Solaris, etc).

If you are willing to share your model (export to 3DS please?) I'd still like to take a look at it. I could load it up in one of my test viewers and see what kind of performance I can get.

"Project Firefly" sounds great, but I've seen hundreds of these types of projects that never got running. Hopefully it will be an exception, but in the meantime I'm still tempted to bring up something just so Firefly fans have a place to gather.

CITIZEN

Friday, September 23, 2005 1:39 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Mithel:
I'm using Java 3D currently so technically it can run on many platforms (Windows, Linux, Solaris, etc).

Really, cool, surprised thats faster enough, being an interpreted language, but I suppose JIT helps, good on ya.

Quote:
Originally posted by Mithel:
If you are willing to share your model (export to 3DS please?) I'd still like to take a look at it. I could load it up in one of my test viewers and see what kind of performance I can get.

Sure, no problem. The modeling isn't quite finished yet, but its not far off, couple of evenings work I think. No texturing as of yet tho...

Quote:
Originally posted by Mithel:
"Project Firefly" sounds great, but I've seen hundreds of these types of projects that never got running. Hopefully it will be an exception, but in the meantime I'm still tempted to bring up something just so Firefly fans have a place to gather.

Oh I hear ya on that score, worries me too...
But we're all fairly fanatical about it

...
Main problem is the small team, but hopefully we'll pull enough together to get people interested.

Zen Buddhist to the Hotdog Vendor:
"Make me one with everything."

MITHEL

Friday, September 23, 2005 1:53 PM

A lot of people assume Java is "slow" because it is interpreted. Yes JIT helps a *lot* but most of the really hard hitting stuff is the graphics and that's done low level (either OpenGL or DirectX) and thus really has nothing to do with the higher level language wrapper. Java 3D does quite well, currently it lacks a lot of the latest high tech features but I don't miss them, all the necessary basics have been there for years.

The huge drawback of Java and Java 3D are the nightmare installation (& update) problems of Java and Java 3D for non technical users. I've seriously considered starting from scratch with another language but I haven't found another language that has decent documentation & features.

That's something I really like about the Firefly fans, we are very passionate (fanatical). If I can help with "Project Firefly" let me know (a quick look at that message board didn't seem to turn up much info).

I'd be very happy to take a look at an "unfinished" model. That would help me evaluate how well it might work if I decide to go forward with bringing up a Firefly version of "Pernica" (my currently running MMORPG).

CITIZEN

Friday, September 23, 2005 2:13 PM

Don't talk to me about java instillations...
I'm currently doing desktop support and every single machine needs a different version, cause it seems the latest java VM is never fully backwardsly compatible...

I'm a C++ man myself, never could get along with Java, its too similar, and yet not similar enough, if you see what I mean...

Anyway, soon as I get home I'll try and pakage what I've got up in a legacy 3DS format, and put it up on my webspace.

Zen Buddhist to the Hotdog Vendor:
"Make me one with everything."

MITHEL

Friday, September 23, 2005 2:23 PM

Great, let me know how to find your webspace. My primary domain (you can read about Pernica there) is:
http://www.starfireresearch.com

{laugh} Yes, but the Java fanatics insist there is nothing wrong with Java distribution and compatibility. Urgh.

I never could get comfortable with C or C++... never saw a nicely documented distribution that had a good API set.

I get the impression the "Firefly Project" is more directed at the "game" concept whereas I like to build conversation / chat oriented virtual worlds (major lack of emphasis on combat).

CITIZEN

Friday, September 23, 2005 2:47 PM

Different strokes for different folks .
C++ is alot better than it used to be tho, what with the ANSI standard. You can pretty much move code from any ANSI compiler to anyother (doesn't always work like that, MS compilers especially like to break the standard).
And the API is now all standardised. The thing I like most about C++ is if you don't like the API you can write your own...

Anyway Pernica looks not bad, raises my expectations of java at least...

Zen Buddhist to the Hotdog Vendor:
"Make me one with everything."

MITHEL

Friday, September 23, 2005 3:45 PM

Yes, everyone is looking for something slightly different and programming languages can be a real matter of taste.

Does C++ have easy, simple networking API's now? I suppose for 3D it's pretty much just writing native DirectX or OpenGL? No higher level scenegraph API?

Java is quite capable but it has it's quirks that infuriate me. Certainly "performance concerns" are not something I even think about with Java. I'm glad you had a chance to peek at Pernica. Small world but it's been running for a few years now.

CITIZEN

Friday, September 23, 2005 3:57 PM

I'd actually call a higher-level scenegraph API an engine, but you don't get them built in to C++ no. Theres plenty of really good free ones out now, Ogre3D for instance.

I was brought up as a game developer, so to speak, so performance issues are always at the forefront of my thinking. Even down to swapping C++ for ASM at times...

Zen Buddhist to the Hotdog Vendor:
"Make me one with everything."

MITHEL

Saturday, September 24, 2005 3:09 PM

I've signed up with "Project Firefly". Perhaps I can help out a bit.

Yes, having written games for several decades now I also tend to think about performance too much. Slowly I'm learning that there are now more important things to worry about as our hardware gradually is making performance concerns fade.

Paying attention to high level performance design is far more important than tweaking some tiny aspect for every ounce of performance.

Anyway, I hope we can contribute to keeping Firefly flying by bringing a virtual world online where participants can feel like they are in the Firefly verse and can hang out and enjoy interacting with other Firefly fans.

CITIZEN

Saturday, September 24, 2005 3:10 PM

Okay, I've tried to save the model as a *.3ds, a *.dxf and a *.dwf file, none of which work. The *.3ds saved the entire model into the same 3D space, so I ended up with recognisable objects, just 'inside' each other. It also couldn't save a few of the objects that comprise the mesh due to too many polygons.
Its a similar story with the other two formats, except I got something pretty close out of the dxf, but with some major flaws in the mesh (tho only down one side as far as I could tell).

I'll keep trying...

EDIT:
Anyway, yea, it would be great to have a 3D world for the fans. Kinda like a FFF.net 3d .

Zen Buddhist to the Hotdog Vendor:
"Make me one with everything."

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