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Web Integration - Video

Name:	Prairie Games
Date Posted:	Dec 26, 2007
Rating:	5.0 out of 5
Public:	YES
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I've been working on web integration for the client. This will be used for presentation, commerce (possibly including microtransactions), and community building (integrated community site/forums). It will also be useful during development for in game bug reporting, etc.

The basis of the web technology is Gecko and llmozlib from Linden Labs which is being developed for Second Life. It is really great stuff and also cross platform.

The button and slider on the GUI are actually TGB controls on top of a TGEA scene. We're now able to mix TGB/TGEA and web content seamlessly. The web technology also gives us Javascript on the client and other nice stuff like handling multiple resolution GUI layout, style sheets, Flash playback, etc.

Here's a video showing some of the integration.

Check out the video: http://www.prairiegames.com/mojo_webstuff.wmv

-Josh Engebretson
President
Prairie Games, Inc

Recent Blog Posts

List:	03/29/08 - TGEA 1.7 Build System and Embedded Python 03/14/08 - MegaTerrains - TGEA Update 01/18/08 - Minions of Mirth: Undead Wars Expansion 01/04/08 - Physics Overhaul - Video 12/26/07 - Web Integration - Video 12/21/07 - New MMO Client - Trees - Day/Night Video 12/18/07 - Minions of Mirth - 1.26 - Holiday Edition! 11/28/07 - TGB/TGEA integration first pass

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Ted Southard (Dec 26, 2007 at 21:31 GMT) Resource Rating: 5

That's the new hotness... I like that slider control making the window semi-transparent, but how do you switch control from the web page to the game? Is there a threshold for transparency, or just a button or keystroke command that does it? Good stuff!

Prairie Games (Dec 26, 2007 at 22:11 GMT)

It is easy to switch between keyboard/mouse focus. In this instance with fullscreen web content, keyboard focus is taken/released based on visibility and whether the user activates the content. Though, events are passed through to the TSControl so you can run around too :)

For non-fullscreen web content, focus is handled pretty much the same way you do in any GUI environment, including Torque's.

You can also render web content to less than fullscreen windows, attach it to TGEA/TGB GUI windows, use texture masks to render to arbitrary 2D shapes, render web content on 3d objects, etc.

Frank Carney (Dec 26, 2007 at 22:17 GMT)

How? Is that an instance of IE or Firefox or something else? If it is IE you limit your target to Windows. Not a big deal since most run Windows, but....

Ross Pawley (Dec 26, 2007 at 22:49 GMT)

@Frank, he says in the main text of the entry that's it's based on Gecko (i.e., Firefox/Mozilla renderer).

Novack (Dec 27, 2007 at 00:31 GMT)

Awesome job Josh!

Joshua Dallman (Dec 27, 2007 at 01:20 GMT)

Way rad Josh, and what a way to illustrate the point!

Frank Carney (Dec 27, 2007 at 03:04 GMT)

@Ross, DOH! I totally missed that. Thanks

Vashner (Dec 27, 2007 at 03:53 GMT) Resource Rating: 5

Most excellent.

Phil Carlisle (Dec 27, 2007 at 12:43 GMT)

Just the thought of integrating all that stuff makes my brain bleed.

Its whacky, but it just might work!

I like the idea of doing a "storefront" based on gecko but in game. It has the advantage of being compltely secure still, but doesnt break context. Fantastic thinking really.

I'm still not sure how OGRE comes into it. Other than for rendering the trees and whatnot. How you got all that linked together with TGEA/TGB is just amazing :)

James Brad Barnette (Dec 27, 2007 at 15:59 GMT)

Is this something that will be made a resource or is it proprietary and something you are going to keep to your self? Not that I can blame you it is very cool. Just would be really cool to see a resource that explains it.

Joshua Dallman (Dec 27, 2007 at 19:38 GMT)

And that's multiplatform using the same code, right?

Stefan *Shaderman* Greven (Dec 28, 2007 at 15:24 GMT)

Amazing!

Jeremiah Fulbright (Dec 29, 2007 at 01:42 GMT)

The question is when ubrowser stuff will be fixed up to support vc8 and vc9, since last i checked there was only vc7 support which isn't necessarily feasible... unless its just a matter of recompiling everything

JPaxson (Jan 09, 2008 at 19:42 GMT)

Wow, Great Job. Id like to see this as a resource also, or content pack, etc.

Scott Doerrfeld (Feb 22, 2008 at 22:14 GMT)

Very nice work here. I'm wondering...how does this differ from the TGB Browser resource?

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