[INFO] Development Journal

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Shadow
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Re: [INFO] Development Journal

Post by Shadow »

UTSDK January 2012 Beta Release

Starting the new year for the SDK with a bunch of new features and improvements: The next new and fresh release of the Unreal Tournament Community SDK. In this month's release new Sprite/Texture Drawing and Blending Functions were introduced and the OpenGL Driver has been totally rewritten which improves performance and stability.

There're also a lot of bug fixesand new minor feature extensions for the Particle Engine and some neat new features like the first appearance of Beam Emitters. This release includes the bugfix of Build 300a fixing problems with Static Meshes. Last major new feature to name for this release is a completely new Interpolation System for the UnrealED, but see for yourself in the Changelog.


New Features
  • added: new Texture/Sprite Rendering Functions
    - DrawSpinTile (draws a sprite that spins around it's center)
    - DrawAxisTile (like DrawSpinTile but with advanced axis settings, an axial sprite)
    - DrawStretchedTile (specialized for stretched textures, drawn between 2 individual points)
    - supports rotatable and stretachable Textures
    - Axis Sprite Rendering
    - STY_Modulated supports coloring!
    - A lot of new Texture Blending Styles (see below)
  • added: new Texture Styles supported by Particles, Sprites, Canvas, BSP and Post Processing:
    - Blend_Brighten / Blend_Darken
    - Blend_SubtleBrighten / Blend_SubtleDarken
    - Blend_ModBrighten / Blend_NegativeDarken
    - Blend_Multiply
    - Blend_Negative
    - Blend_Inverted
  • added: new Base Render Device „sdkRenderDevice"
  • added: Beam Emitter, easy to use for realistic and stunning graphics including features like:
    - Light Rays, Beams and other Light Effects
    - Lasers
    - Wireframe Support (Vertex, Line, Length)
    - Beam Noise, Tessellation, Axis Orientation
  • added: Directional Beam Emitter, let's you create Light Beams/Rays that react realistically to the player's view
  • added: working LOD Support
    - LOD dependant smooth Emission Frequency and Particle Count change
    - additional LOD Settings like: NoDraw, NoUpdate etc.
  • added: Vertex Emission, let's you emit particles at random vertices of a given mesh or brush
  • added: time based Particle Size Interpolation (similar to Color)
  • added: new Color Interpolation Modes: CTrans_Interpolate, CTrans_Switch
  • added: rotatable Particles for all Sprite-based Emitters
  • added: Axis Particles for all Sprite-based Emitters
  • added: new Interpolation System:
    - interpolated movement of any Actor (not only Player Classes)
    - supports smooth interpolated position
    - supports smooth interpolated rotation/direction
    - in-Editor statistics: connectivity between nodes, start/end node, orientation
    - in-Editor Preview, watch the interpolation sequence directly inside the Editor!

Fixes/Updates
  • updated: when the skin list of a Static Mesh is going empty (or some element(s)) the original mesh skins are restored and the mesh is retextured with them (Build 300a, Hotfix1)
  • updated: OpenGL Driver completely recoded on base of UT GLR 3.7: stable, high performance and new features (as stated above)
  • updated: removed sdkBaseEmitter.uc and moved all content to sdkEmitter.uc for clearness and rebuild ability reasons
  • updated: merged CTrans_Lerp, CTrans_Smerp and CTrans_Interpolate as CTrans_Interpolate, all
    these were too similar, uses Lerp formula (linear interpolation from A to B)
    updated: Particle Color List contains 16 elements now (not 8 anymore)
  • fixed: critical error when adding Static Mesh Actor to the map (strange I didn't notice that... the bug was caused by missmanaged skins (Build 300a, Hotfix1)
  • fixed: Actor Selection Bug, thanks to Dr.Flay again drawing attention on this bug
  • fixed: incorrect color transition between different and equal Particle Color Transition Modes (a short flicker of the previous color appeared before going to next color)
  • fixed: Wireframe Shape "SHAPE_Box" of Emitters is rendered correctly
  • fixed: Particle Texture Animation improved, fully working
  • fixed: Emitter Instant Preview Mode fully working

Media


Image Image Image ImageImageImageImage


Download


UTSDK January 2012 Beta (Build 335) - 28 MB @ ModDB
UTSDK January 2012 Beta (Build 335) - 28 MB @ Mediafire (Mirror1)
Last edited by Shadow on Wed Feb 22, 2012 10:40 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Dr.Flay
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Re: [INFO] Development Journal

Post by Dr.Flay »

I now look like some one waiting for the toilet !
My legs are shaking while I'm waiting :lol2:
Will check in tomorrow.
How about Mr. Loathsome's site ? Hey Mr.Loathsome :wink:
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Re: [INFO] Development Journal

Post by Creavion »

Great work Shadow! I still hope for a 470-SDK-combo. :tongue:
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My very last UT map project: CTF-FacePalm (tropical CTF-Face remake)
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Re: [INFO] Development Journal

Post by Dr.Flay »

Now on my site too :tu:
http://my.opera.com/dr-flay/blog/unreal
Should be nice and fast download.
Hotlinking is not supposed to work but you can try.
http://files.myopera.com/dr-flay/files/ ... 1-BETA.zip

*EDIT*
Thanks for reminding me Creavion. I can't find this 470 you tease me with. Google has too many references to other "470" things, like lines in script, download sizes and other UT files. :help:
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Re: [INFO] Development Journal

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Because it hasn't been officially verified and announced...
Thanks for uploading!
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Re: [INFO] Development Journal

Post by Dr.Flay »

I am very happy with the new SDK. I can now finally use the SDK renderer in the editor :mrgreen:
The odd problem of not being able to select anything, or wrong objects being selected is now history :rock:

I have tried before with all 3 UT/Editor installations on my main PC, and had to put it down to not liking something about my WindowsXP/ATI card or driver combination.
The only thing of note is my XP is patched to use DirectX 10, but that shouldn't have been an issue.

Anyway. HOORAH !!
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Re: [INFO] Development Journal

Post by Shadow »

Glad you like it and that it's that fucking stable :D

I'm currently working on a DirectX 9 Version of the Open GL Driver but I can't promise that it'll make it into the next build: general stuff like calculations is nearly the same but the hows and whys are different... especially drawing.

Also Projectors will be reworked with NEW features (support for the new texture blending styles, dynamic color, U/V scale, U/V tiling, ZBuffer)
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Re: [INFO] Development Journal

Post by c0d31n3 »

~
Ok.Glad to see another release.I'll post some of my experiences with UT SDK so far.
First I tried few of previous releases,but for some reason they refused to work properly.
I'm sure I set ini files right,but there was salad of artifacts on the screen,or no start at all :(
~
But,then UTSDK-2012-01-BETA came out.I finaly could start UT with sdk's renderer,
and also could use sdk's renderer in main editor viewport,so I was like,yeah :mrgreen:
~
First,there was a nice surprise when we talk about processor usage.It seems this sdkOpenGL renderer
takes few percents less CPU power than classic OpenGL renderer,and 60-70% !!! less than d3d9 renderer.
I saw this on the app I use for monitoring system resources.Not bad indeed.Here is the graph.
This is UT performance on DM-Tempest,with 6 bots, on Celeron440 1GB ram and Nvidia 8500GT within
a minute of playin' with every renderer alone.App used is SystemExplorer from PortableApps.com
Image.
~
However,when I opened the editor,with sdk renderer in main viewport,i noticed something weird.
An inconsistency in how a simple 3 brush and 3 light "level" looks in viewport that uses sdk's renderer
(main or[U2Viewport0] with "Device=sdkOpenGLDrv.OpenGLRenderDevice"),
and any other viewport (unchanged) where the "Device=SoftDrv.SoftwareRenderDevice"...
here's how that looks on my screen.No light properties are touched or changed,so this is not caused by light settings,
all few lights are classic,ordinary default lights with strenght of 64.What shoud I say more .. i didn't changed any of sdk's renderer properties (xcept resolution - ingame that is),and i think thats about it..
So .. all this happens randomly,say,after 4 or 5 brushes,or 3-4 lights,and the bottom line is,
i can not avoid this damn thing if I try creating anyhing further that's a bit complicated.
This is what 'Im' talkin' about ,those phantom shadows ... anoying isn't it ..
once i got checkered shadows (now dat wuz ultra weird dude :confused2: )
Image
~
Now,good thing is that this effect is vissible only in editor's viewport with sdk's renderer aplied,
and when I go and play the level ingame with sdk's OpenGL renderer,it looks like it should ...
what a twist huh. ..this is ingame shot of same example "level" i made.
Image
~
So these are things that caught my attention since i downloaded the UTSDK-2012-01-BETA release few hours ago.
Btw,please note,I am not tryin' to spoil the fun or diss anybody's work.I'm hapy there are dedicated people who
are tryin' to keep this game alive,and wish all the luck in the universe to this project and it's developer.
I didn't tried other options yet,I'll study the documentation first,and then try out that fancy things that this sdk is all about :)
~
These xample pics are noobish i know,but i hope you understood what I was tryin' to say.
Random shadows appearing where they don't belong,preventing you from viewing your work properly....
Sorry if there's any lang. errors,i'm from Serbia ,english is not my primary language...
If I posted in wrong thread by accident,move this post to right place.
Cya .. cheers :tu:
~
c0d31n3 a.k.a. DrStyropore
~
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Shadow
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Re: [INFO] Development Journal

Post by Shadow »

Constructive criticism unequals dissing or spoiling anything^^

This project not only lives through my work and time but also through users who test and play with it!

That new OpenGL Render really seems to make a good job eh!? I'm suprised it's really that efficient!

Concerning that odd shadow bug: this is known for the newer UT GLR OpenGL Render Drivers by Chris Dohnal, since my OpenGL Render bases on it this bug appears here too. Rebuilding sometimes fixes it but most probably a complete restart of the map or even the Editor... I'll try to analyze this problem more deeply, thanks :)
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Re: [INFO] Development Journal

Post by Dr.Flay »

I occasionally get the stripy shadows in the editor with the normal GL renderer, but have yet to see it with the SDK version (haven't used it enough yet though).
Great idea to test the CPU performance with the renderers, we don't see that kind of info often. :tu:
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Re: [INFO] Development Journal

Post by UnrealGGecko »

The SDK, Nali Weapons 3, Food Fight... All of these are almost finished...
Boys and girls, I think 2k12 might be called 'The Return Of UT99'!
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Re: [INFO] Development Journal

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I am wondering, is it possible to make a UMOD or other installer for the SDK ? or is this something for later, when it is at release candidate status ?
Have I asked this already ?
Who am I ?

Personally I prefer the manual way, but it occurs to me that if it is installed and listed in UT's manifest file, then it can also be easily removed for updates without leaving any odd files behind.
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Re: [INFO] Development Journal

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1.) Well it is planned to give it an indipendent file structure which makes it much more easier to maintain and update, that structure concept is 100 % working... but
2.) I need to find a decent setup management tool that can update or create ini/int files, batch files and shortcuts with each install
3.) My personal opinion: The new Menu System has to be completed for this (or at least in an advanced state)... I hate UWindows and want to use completely new Menu/GUI technology for that reason

The file structure orientates to that one of UDK, but not completely. It's just easier for the user to manage the SDK files and his/her UT directory and configuration won't be confused anymore (no need to set new renderer and canvas and what not in the configuration..) - Bonus: the user may install the SDK anywhere he wants... (yes it works indeed). Here's an old shot of the alpha version of the directory structure and the XMenus System:

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Re: [INFO] Development Journal

Post by Creavion »

Really too bad your Static Meshes are UV limited :/
BTW: What about collision?
And no, I have not read the whole book at all... >_<

In the past I did not give a damn about 227 at all, UNTIL the introduction of static meshes which changed EVERYTHING for me.
About to be non-active
My very last UT map project: CTF-FacePalm (tropical CTF-Face remake)
Why do I leave? click here
What I want to do next: Joining an UDK team (uncertain however) and improve 3D modelling and texture editing skills
Thanks to those who visibly supported me until/at the end!
My reactivated account on indiedb.com.
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Shadow
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Re: [INFO] Development Journal

Post by Shadow »

Currently cylinder collision only, ask dots about it.. didn't have time for this yet

which book? metaphor? Oo

I suggest you test everything for yourself.. not only static meshes
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