The Deimos Project / News: Recent posts

All right campers, I've finally gotten the Web Start demos of Vertex Modeler and the physics simulator working again. Finally, at long last!

Enjoy!

Here's the URL for the Vertex Modeler demo:
http://deimosproject.sourceforge.net/jaws/vmodeler.jnlp

Here's the URL for the physics simulator demo:
http://deimosproject.sourceforge.net/jaws/physics.jnlp

Third release in less than a week's time. I'm on a roll!

Anyway, this release is mostly about the Modeler, including new features and some usability improvements. I also made a fix that allows the modeler to use JOGL JSR 1.1.0. It is still backwards compatible, but this will be changing in the next release. I'll be using 1.1.0 specific features for the next.

On loading the modeler, you'll see a grid of lines intersecting your model. These can be used as a reference to compare the size of models as well as tell you where the X, Y and Z axes are; they're colored red, green, and blue, respectively. This can be turned off by editing the configuration file.... read more

This is a release to fix some major and minor bugs I found in various places, mostly the Modeler.

The webstart demo of the Physics libaray should be working now, at least as soon as the website files have been properly uploaded and their permissions fixed.

And remember, "Real men don't need inertia dampers!"

Here's what's in the archive:
Timer 1.3.1 Stable
Hierarchy 1.3.0 Beta
Audio 0.2.0 Alpha
Video/Modeler 4.2.1 Stable
Action 0.6.5 Alpha
Colorizer 0.1.1 Alpha
GUI 0.3.0 Alpha
Math 0.5.2 Alpha
Input 0.4.1 Beta
Asteroids 0.1.0 Alpha
Plugin 0.1.0 Alpha
Physics 0.4.3 Alpha
Media 0.1.0 Alpha
Demo 0.1.1 Alpha

As I mentioned in the previous news item, Vertex Modeler can now export Wavefront .obj files, as well as POV-Ray mesh2 structures for your Models. This release makes those new features available to you...

If you wish to know more about this, try using the '--help' switch on the command line. It will tell you how to use the two new options. They function just like the old hierarchy-based XML export switch, only the data they produce is quite different.... read more

I've got good news for those who build models using Vertex Modeler. The next release will include a couple of new model export formats.

So far I've written code for exporting to Wavefront .obj files and POV-Ray's mesh2 data structure. I've tested them both (mostly with Triangles MeshElements) and the results are usable.

I used Blender to read the .obj files and POV-Ray produces pretty results.

You can expect this release in the next week. I've just got to write some documentation comments and I'm working on converting Colorations into a form that they can be used with at least POV-Ray, as I know it can handle them.

There are small changes here and there throughout the libraries, but most of the work for this release went into Hierarchy, which has changed significantly, but is still backwards compatible.

Enjoy!

And remember, "Real men don't need inertia dampers!"

Here's what's in the archive:
Timer 1.3.1 Stable
Hierarchy 1.3.0 Beta
Audio 0.2.0 Alpha
Video/Modeler 4.1.3 Stable
Action 0.6.5 Alpha
Colorizer 0.1.1 Alpha
GUI 0.3.0 Alpha
Math 0.5.2 Alpha
Input 0.4.1 Beta
Asteroids 0.1.0 Alpha
Plugin 0.1.0 Alpha
Physics 0.4.2 Alpha
Media 0.1.0 Alpha
Demo 0.1.0 alpha

Hey folks,

I'm still alive and working on this project again, but currently in a different direction.

I'm building a MUD engine based on the Action library and a few others bits from this project. I figure it'll make a good demonstration of the various libraries and how to use them.

You can expect to see little changes in the various sub-projects to make my MUD possible.

You can also expect to see a new sub-project show up soon: I'm going to pull in a copy of my Network Abstraction Library (NAL) from my other Sourceforge project. I'm using this to make my MUD's network code entirely non-blocking (read: highly efficient). I'll be updating it along the way, as I made some rookie mistakes when I originally wrote it.... read more

Sorry, but my hands are pretty full with life right now, so no release this week.

This is not to say I haven't done anything. I've been working on the physics engine and trying to figure out how to properly fix the simultaneous collision bug; it's going to require a redesign of the collision handling code.

This will likely require setting up code to solve systems of equations. Ick. At the least, I'm going to have to migrate the collision code outside of PhysicalObject, so a complete set of colliding objects can be handled together. All kind of levels of Ick there.... read more

This release makes a JNLP demonstration of the Physics engine possible. There isn't much more to this one.

And remember, "Real men don't need inertia dampers!"

Here's what's in the archive:
Timer 1.3.0 Stable
Hierarchy 1.2.1 Stable
Audio 0.2.0 Alpha
Video/Modeler 4.1.2 Stable
Action 0.6.4 Alpha
Colorizer 0.1.1 Alpha
GUI 0.3.0 Alpha
Math 0.5.2 Alpha
Input 0.4.0 Beta
Asteroids 0.1.0 Alpha
Plugin 0.1.0 Alpha
Physics 0.4.1 Alpha
Media 0.1.0 Alpha
Demo 0.1.0 alpha

This one's mostly about updates to the physics engine; I fixed some bugs and added some new forces. Springs anyone?

And remember, "Real men don't need interia dampers!"

Here's what's in the archive:
Timer 1.3.0 Stable
Hierarchy 1.2.1 Stable
Audio 0.2.0 Alpha
Video/Modeler 4.1.2 Stable
Action 0.6.4 Alpha
Colorizer 0.1.1 Alpha
GUI 0.3.0 Alpha
Math 0.5.2 Alpha
Input 0.4.0 Beta
Asteroids 0.1.0 Alpha
Plugin 0.1.0 Alpha
Physics 0.4.0 Alpha
Media 0.1.0 Alpha

Sourceforge.net is generously allowing me to use their new beta Wiki feature, so I've placed some text relating to the final game's content within. It isn't publicly editable.

I'm just using it as a sort of database of documents that will be at a player's fingertips, depending on their in-game rank/access level. It will help you get a feel for the game's universe and it's history.

It can be found by clicking on the Wiki link in the tool bar, above.

I marked the modeler Stable again. Enjoy. The APIs likely won't be changing incompatibly again anytime soon, unless JOGL changes again.

I added some new primitive generators to the VertexUtil class in the Modeler. I also added some new mutators useful for making high detail spheres with uniform geometry (no accumulation of vertexes at the poles)

I also fixed a few bugs. Wee!

And remember, "Real men don't need inertia dampers."... read more

The weather's warmer. I'll be kayaking on Saturdays and too busy to make file releases.

So, I'll be shooting for Mondays now. I don't know how well that will work, but I'm going to try it out.

This release includes some major updates to the modeler; some are very nice modifications. Multi-pass rendering, updates to old classes, bug fixes, etc.

The next release should bring the modeler back to Stable status.

And remember, "Real men don't need inertia dampers!"

Here's what's in the archive:
Timer 1.3.0 Stable
Hierarchy 1.2.1 Stable
Audio 0.2.0 Alpha
Video/Modeler 4.1.0 Beta
Action 0.6.4 Alpha
Colorizer 0.1.1 Alpha
GUI 0.3.0 Alpha
Math 0.5.2 Alpha
Input 0.4.0 Beta
Asteroids 0.1.0 Alpha
Plugin 0.1.0 Alpha
Physics 0.3.4 Alpha
Media 0.1.0 Alpha

This release was mostly about updating the modeler to use JOGL JSR-231 1.0.0, but I also took the opportunity to simplify several interfaces to make it easier to implement them. This makes the Modeler API incompatible with previous versions (for both reasons), but I don't think I'll be needing to do this again.

I apologize for any trouble this may cause you.

There's also a handful of new ParticleFountain based scenes for the physics test application, using the new GlowSparkParticleVisible class. They're very pretty. Enjoy!... read more

I've been rather busy reconfiguring my system this week. I've finally made the switch to Linux full-time, so that has occupied a great deal of my time with configuration details.

However, I plan to start work on the update to the newer JSR release of JOGL. Be prepared for some big API changes that I've been planning to implement for some time.

I figured since the JOGL update will make it incompatible, I may as well make some changes I've been planning on for quite some time. This will mostly affect the Visible interface and Context class, but I'm also going to alter the model export format a slight bit to include normal data; it will remain backwards compatible. Model is going to give you the ability to directly supply normal data (hopefully).... read more

This is an interesting release. I made some fun changes to the physics library/application, making particle fountains much easier to use. There's some very cool new scene files, including two explosion generators.

And remember, "Real men don't need inertia dampers!"

Here's what's in the archive:
Timer 1.3.0 Stable
Hierarchy 1.2.1 Stable
Audio 0.2.0 Alpha
Video/Modeler 3.3.1 Stable
Action 0.6.2 Beta
Colorizer 0.1.0 Alpha
GUI 0.3.0 Alpha
Math 0.5.0 Alpha
Input 0.4.0 Beta
Asteroids 0.1.0 Alpha
Plugin 0.1.0 Alpha
Physics 0.3.2 Alpha
Media 0.1.0 Alpha

This release made several bug fixes and added new features to the math library.

I added a handy feature to the Modeler: VertexUtil now has a method for arbitrary rotations of vertex arrays.

Fixed a little bit in the Physics library; subordinate Universes are now checking their parents for collisions with their own objects.

And remember, "Real men don't need inertia dampers."

Here's what's in the archive:
Timer 1.3.0 Stable
Hierarchy 1.2.1 Stable
Audio 0.2.0 Alpha
Video/Modeler 3.3.0 Stable
Action 0.6.1 Beta
Colorizer 0.1.0 Alpha
GUI 0.3.0 Alpha
Math 0.5.0 Alpha
Input 0.4.0 Beta
Asteroids 0.1.0 Alpha
Plugin 0.1.0 Alpha
Physics 0.3.1 Alpha
Media 0.1.0 Alpha

This release adds a simple library for playing videos in MPlayer via a set of wrapper classes that take care of setting up command-line options for you.

I'm planning to add features and possibly wrappers for other video players in the future. I'm planning to use it for playing cut scenes in the final game. MPlayer is so configurable, it will do exactly what I want. Video Lan Client is the only other likely possibility for such extensive command-line configuration.... read more

This release is mostly about physics: I've finally added collision detection and handling. Although there are still some bugs to iron out, it is functional.

And remember, "Real men don't need inertia dampers!"

Here's what's in the archive:
Timer 1.3.0 Stable
Hierarchy 1.2.1 Stable
Audio 0.2.0 Alpha
Video/Modeler 3.2.1 Stable
Action 0.6.1 Beta
Colorizer 0.1.0 Alpha
GUI 0.3.0 Alpha
Math 0.4.1 Alpha
Input 0.4.0 Beta
Asteroids 0.1.0 Alpha
Plugin 0.1.0 Alpha
Physics 0.3.0 Alpha

I hate to do this, in light of my previous statement that I'd try to male a release each Saturday, but the next release will be next week.

I have written the collision detection and handling code, but I hit a host of unanticipated bugs, probably due to the addition of a massive amout of mutually-dependant code.

Anyhow, I should get this ironed out before next Saturday.

And remember, "Real men don't need inertia dampers."... read more

This release brings some interesting changes to the build system; I'll no longer accidentally be leaving files out.

I made many bug fixes to the action library and added some new features to some of it's classes. There were dead-lock issues that are now fixed.

Vertex Modeler now has a separated binary+docs release, since so many people insisted on downloading the very very ancient 1.1.0 Stable release, instead of downloading the main archive with updates of everything.... read more

All right Campers,
I've decided I'm going to shoot for a weekly release on Saturday morning or evening (Mountain Standard Time) from now on. That gives me a chance to work on code for a good 2.5 to 3 days without work getting in the way.

There may be exceptions to this guideline, depending on weather (during Kayaking season) and life in general. Basically, if it isn't snowing or raining like mad, I'd like to be Kayaking on Saturday mornings.... read more

This version is mostly a bug fix for the modeler, but does add some nice features to it as well. I didn't work on anything other than the modeler.

Oh, and the modeler is back to being a stable release again.

Here's what's in this release:
Timer 1.3.0 Stable
Hierarchy 1.2.0 Stable
Audio 0.2.0 Alpha
Video/Modeler 3.2.0 Stable
Action 0.5.0 Beta
Colorizer 0.1.0 Alpha
GUI 0.3.0 Alpha
Math 0.4.0 Alpha
Input 0.4.0 Beta
Asteroids 0.1.0 Alpha
Physics 0.1.1 Alpha

Sorry about the hideously long wait between versions. I kind of lost interest for about 8 months there. I was doing other things with my time; mostly playing GURPS.

Anyway, there are some juicy new features related to audio synthesis (ever hear a CD quality busy signal? no? now you can...) and some nice tweaks for dealing with rumble-capable input devices.

Also, a couple of bug fixes here and there, new comments and some barely-tested new classes in the Modeler.... read more