Thoughts on PowerRender 4
by Andy Smith · in General Discussion · 11/22/2001 (9:30 am) · 5 replies
Hi,
I purchased TGE last month and have had a good play around with it to assess its capabilities. The only weak point that might be a pain to upgrade is the BSP engine.
I have also taken a quick look at AurenJet and although the engine has a lot to offer, I don't think I will be using it as I would prefer an engine with a decent tool set already available. This brings me on to PowerRender 4. PowerRender does have an OK terrain engine and a good BSP engine but I would like peoples opinions on using it for a FPS with a good mix of indoor and outdoor activity.
Has anybody had a good play with it?
How does the terrain stack up to TGE?
Is the code understandable/documented?
also
Are there any members of the community working on upgrading the BSP engine? Is GG considering this?
Now I am probably set on using TGE but as we are still at an early development stage I would still like to explore all posibilities. I am not being lazy by posting this question here, I would just like peoples opinions.
Andy
I purchased TGE last month and have had a good play around with it to assess its capabilities. The only weak point that might be a pain to upgrade is the BSP engine.
I have also taken a quick look at AurenJet and although the engine has a lot to offer, I don't think I will be using it as I would prefer an engine with a decent tool set already available. This brings me on to PowerRender 4. PowerRender does have an OK terrain engine and a good BSP engine but I would like peoples opinions on using it for a FPS with a good mix of indoor and outdoor activity.
Has anybody had a good play with it?
How does the terrain stack up to TGE?
Is the code understandable/documented?
also
Are there any members of the community working on upgrading the BSP engine? Is GG considering this?
Now I am probably set on using TGE but as we are still at an early development stage I would still like to explore all posibilities. I am not being lazy by posting this question here, I would just like peoples opinions.
Andy
About the author
#2
www.destiny3d.com <--they swear the upcoming engine will be better then Q3A and almost as good as UT Tech. Seems to really be a good group of people. If you've ever used the genesis engine then this one is for you.
www.synapticsoup.com Runs on mac and linux and this and that and well it's so good that nvidia used it to highlight their new graphics card at all major conventions.
11/27/2001 (1:32 pm)
Other engines of note. www.destiny3d.com <--they swear the upcoming engine will be better then Q3A and almost as good as UT Tech. Seems to really be a good group of people. If you've ever used the genesis engine then this one is for you.
www.synapticsoup.com Runs on mac and linux and this and that and well it's so good that nvidia used it to highlight their new graphics card at all major conventions.
#3
One important thing I have learned when researching 3D engines is "how many games have been made using this engine?". If the answer is ZERO (as in the case with PR), then there is a good reason and its probably a wise idea to keep clear of it unless you want to waste your time trying to make something of it only to find out... it sucks.
11/27/2001 (2:31 pm)
I have PR also. I found the tools extrememly cumbersome and difficult to get working. And the character file format he created is retarded. It wouldnt do a bit of good to make a multiplayer game using this technique as you can easily hack into the file and change the health to be unlimited.One important thing I have learned when researching 3D engines is "how many games have been made using this engine?". If the answer is ZERO (as in the case with PR), then there is a good reason and its probably a wise idea to keep clear of it unless you want to waste your time trying to make something of it only to find out... it sucks.
#4
and we won't stop until it is. =)
Hootie
Destiny3D.com
11/28/2001 (12:05 pm)
"www.destiny3d.com <--they swear the upcoming engine will be better then Q3A and almost as good as UT Tech."and we won't stop until it is. =)
Hootie
Destiny3D.com
#5
Then you didn't spend enough time learning them. Many engines don't provide you with equivalent tools at all.
>And the character file format he created is retarded. >It wouldnt do a bit of good to make a multiplayer game >using this technique as you can easily hack into the >file and change the health to be unlimited.
It's retarded because I reserved an integer for a health value? Who says you have to use it?
>One important thing I have learned when researching 3D >engines is "how many games have been made using this >engine?". If the answer is ZERO (as in the case with >PR), then there is a good reason and its probably a
Wrong. There have been around a dozen games made with it and a few of them are listed in the PR links. Since PR4 has only been out for a month and it's the first major update in the last 2 years there aren't many new games to show off yet.
PR is good if you want to make an original game that isn't a clone of something else because it gives you a framework to build on. If you just want to take an existing game (ie Tribes, Unreal, Quake, etc) and plug a few new levels and models into it then PR will be frustrating. Being flexible is good and bad I guess.
11/28/2001 (1:03 pm)
>I found the tools extrememly cumbersome and difficult >to get workingThen you didn't spend enough time learning them. Many engines don't provide you with equivalent tools at all.
>And the character file format he created is retarded. >It wouldnt do a bit of good to make a multiplayer game >using this technique as you can easily hack into the >file and change the health to be unlimited.
It's retarded because I reserved an integer for a health value? Who says you have to use it?
>One important thing I have learned when researching 3D >engines is "how many games have been made using this >engine?". If the answer is ZERO (as in the case with >PR), then there is a good reason and its probably a
Wrong. There have been around a dozen games made with it and a few of them are listed in the PR links. Since PR4 has only been out for a month and it's the first major update in the last 2 years there aren't many new games to show off yet.
PR is good if you want to make an original game that isn't a clone of something else because it gives you a framework to build on. If you just want to take an existing game (ie Tribes, Unreal, Quake, etc) and plug a few new levels and models into it then PR will be frustrating. Being flexible is good and bad I guess.
Torque 3D Owner Rodney (OldRod) Burns
The documentation is decent, but could be better in some places. I know that this is being worked on now that the final release of PR is out. Chris (the author of PR) is always answering people's questions through email and on the PR board, so the support is pretty good.
I think there's a trial version available for download now, so the best thing to do would be to check it out yourself :)