[Vinchenz]

Gen, on 30 March 2012 - 02:50 AM, said:

If you can provide examples of your work, that would generally be appreciated.

Hahah, I have nothing that I'm even remotely proud of to show. This is the biggest project I worked on and I think its a huge piece of shit. I basically worked on the level editing tools (which I'm slightly proud of I guess but you don't see it in the video). I also worked a lot on the game objects such as the moving platform. I also worked on the camera.

My teacher in this course has given us his entity/component system for assignments which works really well and I've learned a lot of neat tricks using it. Basically, it throws inheritance out the window completely and gives us an object with basic properties (such as position, rotation, etc.) that can draw and update. Then you give the entities components, such as a ModelRenderComponent or a CharacterControlledComponent which, as the names imply, render the entity with a model and control it with a controller of some sort. We have an entity manager that handles the entities and entities could have a number of different components. Entities can also have parent entities and child entities's properties are based off of the parent's so moving the parent would move the child, etc. I don't think this system would be appropriate for this engine though. I mean, it could be implemented but its not something a lot of games use today (although Uncharted uses this). It's a lot faster than using inheritance though, which is why I mention it.

If my skills don't look up to snuff for this then fine. I'll be refining them over the years so I hope to eventually be working on this.

[winterhell]

I'd like to contribute to the project primarily as a General Programmer.
The following things are what I have experience in and can bring on the table.
As we discussed on the irc, I have made a 3D game with an engine that has deferred rendering, normal mapping, post processing etc the usual stuff.
This is mostly with DirectX wrappers such as XNA and SlimDX, but the main principles should apply to OpenGL too.
Also I have experience programming skeletal animation, my own file formats for geometry and collision, making procedural textures via synthesis or noise, can write loaders for various file formats.
On a more Sonic related note, I can:
- help making the 2D gameplay part of the engine
- use original 2D pixel collision chunks with a 3D rendered scene
- provide a good level editor(the whole Mushroom Hill Act 1 terrain took only 4 hours to put together in it, not counting the objects)
- help on the camera behavior as I know of some pitfalls
- interface for picking/moving/rotating of 3D models which can be useful for a 3D level editor

There is probably more but this is what I can think for now.

This post has been edited by winterhell: 03 April 2012 - 05:30 PM

[erbuka]

Hi everybody!

I've read the general information thread and I really would like to contribute to this project. I've quite a good knowledge of the OpenGL library and the modern graphics pipelines, so I guess I could help in coding the Renderer, including the shaders if you're planning to use GLSL. My main programming language is C++, but I can also write in Java and C#, and web related languages (php, html, css, javascript, ...).

I've done a lot of little projects using C++ and OpenGL, mainly as a self-learning experience, and this is what I can do at the moment:
- Shaders for lighting, post-processing, shadow mapping, ecc.
- Using the latest OpenGL features, such as tesselation/geometry shaders.
- Deferred rendering
- Multithreading
- AI algorithms

I've also made a little class library to wrap various OpenGL functionalities, such as VAOs, frame buffers, and shader's load&compile, and a custom math library, which includes functions for vectors and matrices (I do not use the default OpenGL matrix system in my projects). I think I can provide a good interface (abstract classes) to handle these things.

[Shadow Wedge]

I'd like to help with general programming. I've been programming for a significant chunk of my life, and I'm currently trying to improve my abilities. For examples of what I've worked on, see my BitBucket repository. Last weekend I made a stack allocator, if that'd be of any use.

I'd need some guidance on what to work on, though. I'm still learning about engine design, and my OpenGL experience is mostly (generally inefficient) programs on iOS.

[Kharen]

Since this seems to be coming back, I figured I'd re-use one of the old threads rather than make a duplicate...

I'd like to help out in some way, but I'm not sure how. I have zero programming knowledge other than what I've been able to pick up from a book on BlitzBasic, but I have the book packed away and haven't been able to get to it in a rather long time. ("Pack everything, we're moving!", "We're not moving!", "We are moving!", etc. I haven't bothered unpacking again.) If the code is commented well, and it's in a relatively simple language, I can usually figure out what it's doing to some degree, but not enough to add to it or anything.

What I am relatively good at is ideas and artwork. I've been practicing a lot in programs like Paint.NET and I guess I can do stuff like menus or something.

Anyways, I don't know what I can do to help with the project, but I would like to find a way to contribute. Any ideas on what I can do?

[Sofox]

Hey Kharen, thanks for joining!

On the programming side of things, we're using C++. That's not exactly a "simple" language, but if you want to get started, or improve your skill, there are countless tutorials online. There's even a good quality eBook which you can download for free: http://mindview.net/...nloadingTheBook

As for ideas, we'll have different discussions about different aspects of the game engine from time to time. The best way to help on that front is to chime in when the discussion is going. Or, if you feel and idea will really get going, make a new topic about it. The IRC chatroom for this project will also be good once it becomes active.

Artwork is something we really need, as it's something we're lacking at the moment. Even on a 3d game, a lot of 2d are is needed for areas including, as you say, menus. Do you have a place to display your art so I can get a handle on what sort of stuff you do?

Thanks for getting involved!

[Relick]

Hey Sofox,

I would like to apply as a programmer, I've had some decent experience with 3D engines and how to get a Sonic style game working. I only started C++ last year, but I have been coding since long before that so it was pretty easy to pick up.

I have lots of work going on at the moment in addition to my own personal projects so I don't think I can be a full contributor, however if there is anything that needs a fresh pair of eyes to look over for a bug or someone just needs help with implementation I'm sure I can give a decent answer. I've worked out a lot of problems for making a Sonic/3D engine in the past, I just have never had the time to put them into action . I can also do the odd little thing every now and then if nobody else wants to do it ^.^

I'll post a few things into the technical topic to get us started with the planning.

[Sofox]

Hey Relick,

That's great, thanks for joining!

I like to hit the ground running with these things, so first up: See if you can download the source code from the repository and compile and run it on your system. This is as much for me to ensure I haven't screwed up anything with it as it is for you to get familar with the system. If you're compiling for a platform other than Linux, it'd help to make a note of what you needed to install and the steps you took to get it compiling and running; these notes would be invaluable for adding to the Wiki and/or the build instructions file later.

Secondly, since I'm focusing on implementing controls and physics in the game at the moment, I'm neglecting asset importing. I figure the engine will import COLLADA files, since they're a standard, so it'd be great if you could look into the format and A) Give an idea of what it'll take to implement and get a COLLADA file displayed in an OpenGL window, and B) See if there are libraries we could use instead for importing the COLLADA files.

Sorry if I'm surprising you with this, but both of these things would be a great help to the project, and to me!

Thanks again for helping out.

[TheKazeblade]

I don't know what I can offer, but I am a traditionally trained graphic designer, with focuses on logos/branding, layouts, etc. I haven't really done anything pertaining to interactive interfaces, but if you need cool looking logos, menus, proposals, etc. I can definitely help out

[Relick]

Sofox, on 28 November 2012 - 12:37 PM, said:

Hey Relick,

That's great, thanks for joining!

I like to hit the ground running with these things, so first up: See if you can download the source code from the repository and compile and run it on your system. This is as much for me to ensure I haven't screwed up anything with it as it is for you to get familar with the system. If you're compiling for a platform other than Linux, it'd help to make a note of what you needed to install and the steps you took to get it compiling and running; these notes would be invaluable for adding to the Wiki and/or the build instructions file later.

Sure thing Sofox, I'll look into this first. I work on Windows, so I'll report back on what I can do.

This post has been edited by Relick: 28 November 2012 - 01:22 PM

[Relick]

Relick, on 28 November 2012 - 01:21 PM, said:

Sofox, on 28 November 2012 - 12:37 PM, said:

Hey Relick,

That's great, thanks for joining!

I like to hit the ground running with these things, so first up: See if you can download the source code from the repository and compile and run it on your system. This is as much for me to ensure I haven't screwed up anything with it as it is for you to get familar with the system. If you're compiling for a platform other than Linux, it'd help to make a note of what you needed to install and the steps you took to get it compiling and running; these notes would be invaluable for adding to the Wiki and/or the build instructions file later.

Sure thing Sofox, I'll look into this first. I work on Windows, so I'll report back on what I can do.

Sorry for double post, but I believe I've got it compiled.

I'll post up how I did it later when I have more time, but luckily it wasn't too much hassle.

This post has been edited by Relick: 28 November 2012 - 05:57 PM

[Sofox]

Hey Kazeblade! Great to hear your interest, I was looking through your stuff (you might want to update your website link in your profile, your Tumblr doesn't exist anymore), and you've got some good stuff going on there. There's a lot of stuff left to be decided about the art direction we're taking with the game that the engine will first make(if you've any ideas or thoughts, please, feel free to give them), but one thing I can be sure that we'll need is a good HUD. If you could design a HUD with stuff like rings, timer and lives counter, it could really give a good impression. Feel free to try whatever you want with the HUD design.

One other thing: If you have any font recommendations for debug text or other sorts of text in a Sonic video game, please point us in the right direction. A good font can really improve the image of a project. Given the open source nature of the project, the font would have to be royalty free though (which I realise is quite a restriction, so no pressure).


Relick: Great, look forward to hearing back from you!

[winterhell]

http://xbox.create.m...ility/font_pack
Here are some royalty-free fonts.

[Aerosol]

I want to be a part of the project. I don't really have anything other than basic skills in modelling and programming. I was hoping to use this project as a chance to gain some experience, actually. I was hesitant to make a post like this for these very reasons, actually.

I'm currently working on the "Countryside" demo. That is, the 3D part of it.

[Sofox]

winterhell: Thanks for the font link, very helpufl!

Aerosol: I've felt you've already helped a lot with this project but in any event welcome aboard! Programming and modelling are both things we need more of; and everyone will be doing a lot of learning on this project; if we don't improve so much during this project that we don't end up looking back and feeling at least a little embarrassed about our early work, then we probably won't have learned much at all.

Looking forward to what you do with the Countryside level!

This post has been edited by Sofox: 28 November 2012 - 06:42 PM