Torque 3D Development - Beta: Part Deux
by Brett Seyler · 05/21/2009 (11:26 am) · 108 comments
Hey all! Hope you're enjoying this week's updates to the website. Now, it's time for Torque 3D Beta: Part Deux.
Download from your Account
We have an enormous list of new stuff (see below), fixes (49) and known issues you'll find posting in the Torque 3D forums.New Stuff in Beta 2!
- Material Editor Mesh Selector (allows you to select materials by object)
- Material Selector (an easier way to preview and select materials)
- Spotlights and Point lights for Advanced lighting
- lens flare / corona effects for PointLight, SpotLight, and Sun
- brightness animation effects (flickers) for PointLight and SpotLight
- PointLight and SpotLight can be mounted to a ShapeBase mountpoint
- Instant splash screen for better feedback that the engine is loading
And, from Lara, we have another great tutorial video, this time showing how assets edited in 3rd party applications update Torque 3D in real time. Have a look!
If you're ready to move to Torque 3D, you can still get your $200 OFF pre-order discount right now. This discount will be reduced to $100 OFF at the end of May. If you're already a Torque 3D owner, congrats! Don't forget to post your Beta 2 feedback in Torque 3D Private Forums. We need your help!
We know a lot of you are waiting on an OSX-enabled Beta. Don't worry, we haven't forgotten. We're expecting that to land in Beta 3.
More development blogs to come. This is post #21.
Torque 3D development blogs:
- Post #1 - Kickoff
- Post #2 - Apparatus and Warrior Camp
- Post #3 - Luma's racing kit
- Post #4 - Josh Engebretson and Web Publishing
- Post #5 - Pricing and Licensing
- Post #6 - Pricing and Licensing CONTINUED
- Post #7 - Wetness & Precipitation
- Post #8 - Screeen Space Ambient Occlusion (SSAO)
- Post #9 - Matt Langley and the Torque Launcher
- Post #10 - Chris Robertson and Collada
- Post #11 - Depth of Field
- Post #12 - Advanced Lighting
- Post #13 - Soft Particles
- Post #14 - World Editor
- Post #15 - Pricing and Licensing ANNOUNCED!
- Post #16 - GDC Live Edition
- Post #17 - River & Road Editors
- Post #18 - Beta is UP!
- Post #19 - Light Rays, Undercity, and the Material Editor
- Post #20 - Mass Market Hardware
- Post #21 - Beta: Part Deux
- Post #22 - Marching Towards Beta 3
- Post #23 - pureLIGHT
- Post #24 - Lighting, Terrain, and Cloth
- Post #25 - Beta 3!
- Post #26 - Coming Soon!
About the author
Since 2007, I've done my best to steer Torque's development and brand toward the best opportunities in games middleware.
#42
Meaning if I order on May 31st, would I still get the $200 off or would it just be $100 at that point.
05/21/2009 (9:08 pm)
Is the cutoff going to be May 31st or June 1st?Meaning if I order on May 31st, would I still get the $200 off or would it just be $100 at that point.
#44
05/21/2009 (10:30 pm)
@Stephen: might want to add, what time zone is the midnight cut-off O:-) :-p 
#45
And then look at the dates between Release 1 and Release 2 of the BETAS ... 05/01/2009 and 05/21/2009 ... your wait won't really be that long. :)
I would consider pre-ordering and taking advantage of the discount. I too am waiting for the Mac release and my MacBook is patiently waiting for it. :)
05/21/2009 (11:05 pm)
@Daniel ... well if you consider this:Quote:We know a lot of you are waiting on an OSX-enabled Beta. Don't worry, we haven't forgotten. We're expecting that to land in Beta 3.
And then look at the dates between Release 1 and Release 2 of the BETAS ... 05/01/2009 and 05/21/2009 ... your wait won't really be that long. :)
I would consider pre-ordering and taking advantage of the discount. I too am waiting for the Mac release and my MacBook is patiently waiting for it. :)
#46
Anyway great stuff, now where could I get some moeny to buy this...
05/21/2009 (11:24 pm)
My video stopped at the loading screen too, changing to HD helped.Anyway great stuff, now where could I get some moeny to buy this...
#48
woot i just buy the engine today have not tried it yet but will tomorrow been quite non active here at GG the last month or so. i still pop in to look at the new blogs just not posting.
just keep those releases coming.
05/21/2009 (11:45 pm)
dreamland you have to buy the engine to download the beta. :Pwoot i just buy the engine today have not tried it yet but will tomorrow been quite non active here at GG the last month or so. i still pop in to look at the new blogs just not posting.
just keep those releases coming.
#49
I'm a mac and windows user but, the price for an indie, while fair, means that I need to be able to hit the ground running with it. If I can't do that, then I'm just tying up money that can be better spent elsewhere.
Heck I don't even get to know what the known issues are before buying. So I can't even make a fully informed decision!
As it's a beta I expect some issues but, I need to know what they are before I commit money to it!
05/22/2009 (2:16 am)
Seems a mite unreasonable to expect the Mac brigade to buy the beta before they can actually use it. Even less likeable is that if they wait they end up paying 100 dollars more through no fault of their own.I'm a mac and windows user but, the price for an indie, while fair, means that I need to be able to hit the ground running with it. If I can't do that, then I'm just tying up money that can be better spent elsewhere.
Heck I don't even get to know what the known issues are before buying. So I can't even make a fully informed decision!
As it's a beta I expect some issues but, I need to know what they are before I commit money to it!
#50
05/22/2009 (2:48 am)
@Brandon: Send an email to webmaster@garagegames.com with the subject "Torque 3D Preorder Shirt" and include your shirt size and shipping address. We'll get that t-shirt out to ya! 
#51
"I am running Torque 3D in Windows 7 RC on a Macbook Pro in bootcamp without any problems."
So even without native Mac support, it do seem Mac users have options to pass the time. And perhaps Beta3 with Mac support is coming sooner then one assumes.
05/22/2009 (3:04 am)
This is a quote from the private T3D forums:"I am running Torque 3D in Windows 7 RC on a Macbook Pro in bootcamp without any problems."
So even without native Mac support, it do seem Mac users have options to pass the time. And perhaps Beta3 with Mac support is coming sooner then one assumes.
#52
05/22/2009 (5:14 am)
Wow, how did I miss the OSX in beta 3 line? Must have been late, that and I guess I was so enthralled with the video I just skipped right over it. Much better than hearing "soon"... Looks like I have a decision to make! Now if only I could upgrade the graphics card in this *#$@ imac!
#53
While there's still some porting work to be done for the Mac, please note that Beta 2 compiles and runs fine on the Mac. It only has basic lighting now and there are several other features not yet supported as well as still a number of issues, but I definitely wouldn't hold up on a purchase because of that.
05/22/2009 (5:49 am)
While there's still some porting work to be done for the Mac, please note that Beta 2 compiles and runs fine on the Mac. It only has basic lighting now and there are several other features not yet supported as well as still a number of issues, but I definitely wouldn't hold up on a purchase because of that.
#54
I'm trying to find a reason to part with my engine budget but, this line is seriously of no use to me whatsoever
"We have an enormous list of new stuff (see below), fixes (49) and known issues you'll find posting in the Torque 3D forums."
I can't access those forums until I buy, so I don't have a clue what any of the issues are with T3D. It's catch 22!
05/22/2009 (6:35 am)
@ReneI'm trying to find a reason to part with my engine budget but, this line is seriously of no use to me whatsoever
"We have an enormous list of new stuff (see below), fixes (49) and known issues you'll find posting in the Torque 3D forums."
I can't access those forums until I buy, so I don't have a clue what any of the issues are with T3D. It's catch 22!
#55
Honestly i don't understand where you are going with this.
Instead of thinking of issues (and by issues i mean things that are beeing fixed so that they WON'T be there on release) you should be more concentrated on the features and weather or not they would suit your projects (both as eye candy for customers and as an helper for production)
Issues are all beeing addressed and solved as fast as they can, while adding new features (wich is what you should look at to see if T3D is a good option for your projects or not)
05/22/2009 (8:03 am)
@Peter DwyerHonestly i don't understand where you are going with this.
Instead of thinking of issues (and by issues i mean things that are beeing fixed so that they WON'T be there on release) you should be more concentrated on the features and weather or not they would suit your projects (both as eye candy for customers and as an helper for production)
Issues are all beeing addressed and solved as fast as they can, while adding new features (wich is what you should look at to see if T3D is a good option for your projects or not)
#56
@Peter
I see the problem. However, if I had to make this decision myself, I wouldn't see how a temporary known issues list for an intermediate beta would be of much use in helping me with my purchase decision. And pre-ordering always is trading the try-before-you-buy option for a good saving and early access.
05/22/2009 (9:06 am)
@Peter
I see the problem. However, if I had to make this decision myself, I wouldn't see how a temporary known issues list for an intermediate beta would be of much use in helping me with my purchase decision. And pre-ordering always is trading the try-before-you-buy option for a good saving and early access.
#57
You might not see the problem but others do and we're the one's thinking about paying, not you as you've already done so. If making those notes public mean another purchase, it should be worth it.
Seriously, all the newcomers telling others what to expect from their purchase - just go make your game.
05/22/2009 (9:40 am)
Luis,You might not see the problem but others do and we're the one's thinking about paying, not you as you've already done so. If making those notes public mean another purchase, it should be worth it.
Seriously, all the newcomers telling others what to expect from their purchase - just go make your game.
#58
Your coment has no meaning
I didn't tell anyone what to do
just pointed out that issues are not what he should want to look at to help decide but features
there IS no problem with not seeing what issues exist cause he won't be releasing anything with a buggy beta of the engine - he would release with the final version that will have no such issues
Issues are not a factor on a buying decision - features and price are
05/22/2009 (10:02 am)
@stefanYour coment has no meaning
I didn't tell anyone what to do
just pointed out that issues are not what he should want to look at to help decide but features
there IS no problem with not seeing what issues exist cause he won't be releasing anything with a buggy beta of the engine - he would release with the final version that will have no such issues
Issues are not a factor on a buying decision - features and price are
#59
How do I know what is fixed, what isn't being fixed, what is still broken etc. etc. That's the whole point of my post. The Blog refers me to a forum I can't access until I buy the product, hence the catch 22!
It mentions 49 fixed. Well what were those 49 fixes? What features needed fixing? What features does the engine actually have? What features are still missing? What exactly am I getting if I go with the beta?
At the end of the day I can afford to wait until release 1.0 or 1.1 or 1.2 or whatever before I purchase. Basically I can afford to wait until I get satisfactory answers to those questions. Even if ultimately that means foregoing the discount.
Edit: And I'm afraid you have no clue what my purchase criteria are. Price and features are all well and good but, those features have to actually work and be present! You can't say what will be in the final release only GG can do that so your claim that all issues will somehow be fixed by then is a nonsense.
In my professional life I work with Unreal Engine 3 and believe me that still has issues that need fixing, performace bottlenecks etc. etc. That engine costs the company I work for millions in licenses and support and it still has issues!
If I go with T3D for my indie work. I know that I'm going to need GG to tell me what issues the engine currently has because chances are I will have to deal with at least a few of them even after release of the first version of the engine. I'd like to know what I'm getting into. Is that somehow too much to ask in your world?
05/22/2009 (10:03 am)
@LuisHow do I know what is fixed, what isn't being fixed, what is still broken etc. etc. That's the whole point of my post. The Blog refers me to a forum I can't access until I buy the product, hence the catch 22!
It mentions 49 fixed. Well what were those 49 fixes? What features needed fixing? What features does the engine actually have? What features are still missing? What exactly am I getting if I go with the beta?
At the end of the day I can afford to wait until release 1.0 or 1.1 or 1.2 or whatever before I purchase. Basically I can afford to wait until I get satisfactory answers to those questions. Even if ultimately that means foregoing the discount.
Edit: And I'm afraid you have no clue what my purchase criteria are. Price and features are all well and good but, those features have to actually work and be present! You can't say what will be in the final release only GG can do that so your claim that all issues will somehow be fixed by then is a nonsense.
In my professional life I work with Unreal Engine 3 and believe me that still has issues that need fixing, performace bottlenecks etc. etc. That engine costs the company I work for millions in licenses and support and it still has issues!
If I go with T3D for my indie work. I know that I'm going to need GG to tell me what issues the engine currently has because chances are I will have to deal with at least a few of them even after release of the first version of the engine. I'd like to know what I'm getting into. Is that somehow too much to ask in your world?
#60
@Peter
Doesn't that mean that all is well and fine? Pre-ordering (which implies buying a yet unreleased and unfinished product with limited information) doesn't need to be for everyone.
I'm confident that Torque 3D has a lot in store for you and that once it's out and you can fully evaluate it, you'll be pleasantly surprised.
05/22/2009 (10:14 am)
@Peter
Doesn't that mean that all is well and fine? Pre-ordering (which implies buying a yet unreleased and unfinished product with limited information) doesn't need to be for everyone.
I'm confident that Torque 3D has a lot in store for you and that once it's out and you can fully evaluate it, you'll be pleasantly surprised.
Torque Owner Daniel Delp
Mantae Entertainment
Looks like I'll be losing $100 as I doubt a mac version will be released in this time period :( And yes I know I can preorder and wait, but the wait I endured for TGEA makes me not want to spend the money at the moment. I trust GG to make it worth it in the end though. Haven't been disappointed yet. Other than the waiting periods and all.