Feature Requests

[AGP]

You could have a message board just for feature requests. :- )

Anyway, here are mine: cube-mapping and update for newer shader grammar (lines like layout (location = 0) in vec3 VertexPosition don't currently compile).

[EgonOlsen]

Cube mapping is noted, but pretty low on the list. About the shader grammar: This is no engine feature. If the shader doesn't compile, it's either an issue with your shader or with your hardware/driver. The engine doesn't care about the shader source and puts no restrictions on it.

[AGP]

Why is the ever-present-on-shaders need for cube-mapping pretty low on the list? Also, how much of jpct would you have to change and could it make it slower and/or more buggy?

And I figured you'd say that about the grammar but I've had some results that made me think otherwise in certain circumstances.

[EgonOlsen]

Because it's simply not ever-present...i personally never came across the need for it and so did nobody else that i know of. Doing your own shaders isn't a widely used feature anyway especially in the desktop version (in jPCT-AE, it's a little more common).

[AGP]

and so did nobody else that i know of. Doing your own shaders isn't a widely used feature anyway especially in the desktop version

You're wrong on both counts. A lot of people I know have been both using and writing shaders, and cube-mapping is frequently important. What about my other questions: how much of jpct would you have to change and could it make it slower and/or more buggy?

[EgonOlsen]

I'm talking about jPCT here, not about some random guy who might or might not work on shaders in his basement. And judging from the feedback and the support requests that i'm getting, i'm pretty sure that doing your own shaders in a jPCT project is all but common. Most people simply don't care about them.
I have to prioritize feature requests somehow.

[AGP]

In my experience, a LOT of people just refuse to ask questions. You currently know of at least one person whose questions I end up asking for him. I assure you there are more.

As for "most people don't care about shaders," it goes without saying that more and more will over time. And cube-mapping is very frequently used.

What about my other questions: how much of jpct would you have to change and could it make it slower and/or more buggy?

[EgonOlsen]

What about my other questions: how much of jpct would you have to change and could it make it slower and/or more buggy?

I have no real clue on how much i would have to change, but i suppose it's significant. You have to keep in mind that i have to do it in both version and OpenGL and OpenGL ES are different. I don't see that it will affect performance as long as you don't use it and if it's buggy, i'm not going to release it anyway.

[EgonOlsen]

In my experience, a LOT of people just refuse to ask questions.

I'm doing this engine and support thing for over ten years now and i found my way to deal with feature requests. I works pretty well for me, but it really doesn't include wild guesses about how many people out there have questions that they don't ask.

[AGP]

In this case you're not being asked to wild guess anything. I'm telling you my experience. And I've been using your support thing for over seven of those years, so there. :- )

[Irony]

People who demand features from a free engine that a solo guy is developing in his spare time, but are too lazy to even come to the forum to ask about these features, are the worst kind   

[AGP]

Yes, these imaginary people who DON'T make demands (your words) are the worst.

[Irony]

All I'm saying is that the least act of gratitude the users of the engine should show is letting the developer decide the order in which he adds stuff. We can make suggestions of course, but your comments sounded quite demanding to me. No offense meant.

[AGP]

Egon has, and knows it, all my gratitude. The point being discussed has nothing to do with gratitude. From his perspective, cube-mapping is of little importance. From mine, it's far more.

Whether or not it sounds like a demand to you shouldn't motivate you to distract from the point of this thread. But if it makes any difference to you, check out the News board: I'm often the only person to thank him for each individual release.