DevKit / Level Editor

[ToddMcF2002]

I'm preparing the package now.  I'm trying to distribute a version with a functional XML file sample and test models.  I put this test together a few minutes ago.  I was able to rotate the fence pieces easily and build the coral and stuff.  That's nifty.  The camera is proving to be a MAJOR liability though  - I've got to rethink what I'm doing there.  Its really annoying.  I mean reeeaaaallly annoying.   I'll fix it.  A few more days.  Other than the camera though - this thing really works well!

[ToddMcF2002]

Folks, I've sent the release to Egon (with source code).  Here is a test scene I created with the revised Camera code.  Note the stacked crates and trees of various scale etc.  It only took me about 10 minutes to create the scene.  Once you get used to the tool manipulating objects and lighting is pretty easy.  The camera is still slightly annoying but its much better than before.  I've included this scene in the release (just load "final.xml" in the load XML dialog).  Load that up and select the various objects and check out the settings on each.  Before you try it out though - please read the notes below the image.

BTW - all the models were free downloads from Turbosquid - so you can do whatever with them.



CHANGES TO THE CAMERA:
The functionality is largely unchanged from what I wrote above, but I did redo the camera.
The controls are as follows:
FOCAL POINT MOVE FORWARD - VK_UP
FOCAL POINT MOVE BACKWARD - VK_DOWN
FOCAL POINT ROTATE LEFT - VK_LEFT
FOCAL POINT ROTATE RIGHT - VK_RIGHT
FOCAL POINT UP - F1
FOCAL POINT DOWN - F2
FOCAL POINT ZOOM IN - VK_PAGE_UP
FOCAL POINT ZOOM OUT - VK_PAGE_DOWN
CAMERA ANGLE UP - VK_HOME
CAMERA ANGLE DOWN - VK_END

A FEW QUIRKS:
- I noticed when I switched machines that depending on the machine the zoom can be really slow.  You can tweak the zoom
factor in CameraManager.java.
- When you place a marker it is best to get out of "place marker" mode, since selecting in the Fenggui interface can
cause the marker to move.
- Trees that are based on planes can only be selected from one side!  Annoying...


INSTALL:
This release assumes you are extracting the zip to "c:".  All the paths in the XML are specified as c:\devkit2...

If that is not acceptable you'll have to change the following files:

c:\devkit2\build.bat

c:\devkit2\build\resources\devkitConfig.xml

c:\devkit2\build\user\xml\final.xml


RUNNING THE FIRST TIME:
Just run it and load the XML file I've released with the kit.  Select the various objects in the scene and check out the settings.

HOW TO START YOUR OWN SCENE:
I havent put any file explorers into the GUI yet - so here are the workarounds to get going.  Its pretty painless.

Not that Models, terrain and xml persistence directories are specified in C:\devkit2\build\resources\devkitConfig.xml. 
(the "textures" directory in you'll see in that file is not functional). 

1.  To save as XML, you'll need to create a blank XML file in the save directory - which right now is
C:\devkit2\build\user\xml.  I know its cheesy but that's as far as I've gotten. When you go to save the
list box will see your file and you can select it. 
2.  Put any models you want to use in the models directory.
3.  Put any terrain you want to use in the terrain directory.
4.  All textures are loaded from C:\devkit2\build\resources\textureConfig.xml.  Any textures you want to access
in the devkit need to be precached from that file.  I'll be adding a texture explorer at some point.   
5.  The property extensions config file is C:\devkit2\build\xml\ext_template.xml.  Note that once you start a scene
it will be dependent on that file's state, so you should just change it once!


If you have any problems, suggestings or whatever please post them here and I'll try to help. 

Thanks!
- Todd

[EgonOlsen]

I've uploaded it to www.jpct.net/others/devkit2.zip. I'll add a proper download link with a little description on the download-page and update the projects-page later this week.

[Klaudiusz]

Thank You Todd, that's awesome

I'll buy You a pack of beer

[ToddMcF2002]

Thanks.  One feature that needs to be implemented is a "Disable DevKit Ambients" button to kill the ambient lighting that the DevKit is using.  Once you get into lighting your own level you want to add your own ambients not the default ones.  Right now you can't get a "true" picture of what your lighting looks like.  An oversight on my part.

Another cool feature would be a JCPT Config window - to control a bunch of the JPCT's Config functions realtime.   Fog, lighting, glTransparency etc. 

[terry]

Cool!!!
Great Todd!
It's just something i looking for
Thanks!

[Kearnan]

I just discovered JPCT yesterday (June 28, 2007 ) through www.lwjgl.org.  I would have liked to have found more examples of the use of JPCT but what I did find was very impressive and I can see the code is very nice to work with.  DevKit is a great work.  I'm an experienced, although amateur (of 25 years),  C/C++ and Java programmer and I'll be doing some trial work with JPCT for a while to see what I can come up with.  If you'd like any help with the DevKit, please post your needs.  To attract other programmers, it may be helpfull to have a regularly updated developer log, and perhaps a daily or, at least, regular build download like the ones on java.sun.com so we can get a feel for where things are at and what's needed.  It's always great to see what's going on with a project on a regular basis so you can make sure that you're not either reinventing the wheel or spinning them.  And, sad but true, a lot of projects get dropped simply because interested programmers don't know where to focus their efforts.  From what I've been able to find so far, your efforts are fantastic and I'm lookng forward to helping the progress.

[cyberkilla]

Welcome!

And, I'm trying to get this working in linux, but I'm having openGL wrapper errors.
Ill report back later.

[ToddMcF2002]

Thanks for the kind words.  I have not touched this code since I released it but keep this in mind:

The biggest weakness is the hardcoded ambient/world lighting inside the devkit.  There needs to be a checkbox to disable any "free" lighting you get when you are configuring a scene.  Otherwise - how would you ever get a true picture of your lighting?  It was a dumb oversight on my part and easily changed.  Better yet the ambient light should probably be configurable and persist with the level so there would be no hardcoded ambient lighting in your game either. 

If I recall, the ambient/world lighting is configured right in the main DevKit class.

[zammbi]

Is this still being worked on?
This looks really nice and should help me heaps once I figure everything out.

[zammbi]

Finally got the chance to start building maps, but currently having trouble using the XML file it creates.
How am I meant to set it up in my game to load this XML file correctly?

[Guyon]

I am a noob so go easy...
But this does not work in Vista 32

I extracted under c:\devkit2
but when I click on the build.bat  the widow opens and menu flickers so badly that it can not be used.  Ecs works to close out.

Am I doing anything wrong?
Is this project still continuing?

[RhoX]

Hey, guys, what a very nice project!

I'm developing for Android, using the jPCT-AE port and I am wondering if it is possible to use this Level Editor somehow to help me with my apps. What do you think about that? Like viewing the models distribution or making some kind of parser/analyzer..?

Thanks in advance!!

RhoX

[ToddMcF2002]

Hi guys.  I haven't looked at the code since 2007.  Suffice to say its open for anyone who wants to advance it or simply use the source for their own projects / ideas.  If I recall I used JDOM for XML parsing and I developed this on XP.  I also used a GUI rendering package (LWJGL / FENGUI) for the floating menu.  I'm sure the whole thing needs to be rebuilt with updates from those sources.  The build.bat is pretty simplistic, assumes file permissions and assumes you have Java in your path.

I'd love to say I can help but I'm just a manager now, you know how that goes.  Half my brain atrophied when I stopped developing in 2008 and was replaced with PowerPoint skills
 

[ToddMcF2002]

And someone PM'ed me about the source code - it is in the src directory in the zip file.