Re: [Realityfactory2-devel] Level Format

[Swope, D. C. <Dav...@ci...>]

Andy,

=20

I like the idea of a .zip file also.

So, you are thinking of just building the level from individual .mesh
files that we load into the octree scene manager?  Or are you planning
to have an external scene/level compiler of some sort to create the
necessary octree data?  This, I guess, will be part of the level editor.

=20

I would also like to discuss the involvement of Python in loading the
level file.  Are you planning to have Python scripts create all the
entities/static geometry/cameras/etc. or have the C++ portion load these
things and just provide an interface to Python so you can manipulate
them with scripts.  I would like to flesh out the details of this point.
Much of the code I've written for the sound/camera/actor/timer
interfaces will depend on where we draw the Python/C++ line.  If we
could get these details worked out I could start making the
modifications to these subsystems.  I think you have already thought
about this, but I still don't understand where you want the line drawn.
Please try to enlighten me again. =20

=20

Best regards,
=20
Dave

  _____ =20

From: rea...@li...
[mailto:rea...@li...] On Behalf
Of Andy Riordan
Sent: Monday, April 30, 2007 2:38 PM
To: Rea...@li...
Subject: Re: [Realityfactory2-devel] Level Format

=20

I have given some thought to this, and a few things jumped out at me. I
personally like the way the Unreal engines handle this. They have levels
consist of one file, which is both the compiled and source map rolled
into one. The benefits of this are that you would never lose your source
files, as sometimes happens, and when working on a game project, when
you send a level you are working on to a colleague, they don't have to
bother you again if they also want the source file. The downsides would
be the file size (and source material really doesn't take up much
compared to compiled material, which would need to be distributed either
way with the finished game), and easier access to non-game development
team members to source access for teams so inclined (which would be an
issue with most types of resources, unless we provide for a way to
encrypt game resources, which I am debating).=20

Another option is levels being zip files. This would be nice because you
could embed level-specific resources into the zip file, and it
integrates with Ogre nicely - Ogre can read directly from zip files. The
level itself would be more or less a list of entities, a list of
brushes, and some level properties. The models can be imported into the
level, where you can keep them separate from the folder or if you want
embed them into the level, which simply places them into the zip file.
Compilation data could either be embedded in the level file like above,
or as a separate file inside the zip file. Data like the brushes after
optimization and triangulation, lightmaps, and so on could either be
integrated into that compiled file, into the unified level file as
above, or be split up into a folder inside the zip level file. Do you
think that would be a decent option?=20

BSP might be an option, but I am hoping to be able to just use Octree
for scene optimization. If that were not fast enough, I would most
likely try various other things, and if I could not find a fast enough
solution I would likely use a BSP-type system. I am not very educated or
good at scene optimization code, and someone other than me can do some
of it (at least the parts which I am unfamiliar with).=20

- Andy Riordan

On 4/30/07, Swope, David C. < Dav...@ci...
<mailto:Dav...@ci...> > wrote:

Andy,

=20

I was wondering if we could start discussing the level format for RF2.

=20

Are you thinking about using bsp files?  It sounds like the bsp support
in Ogre is being dropped.

=20

Best regards,
=20
David=20

=20


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