Torque Constructor - info please :)
by Rodney (OldRod) Burns · in Torque Game Engine · 03/10/2005 (7:26 am) · 30 replies
Dropping this Torque Constructor bomb on us in a news item and not giving details is cruel :)
For those that haven't seen it, look here:
http://www.garagegames.com/news/7317
Torque Constructor - an interior editor integrated into the Torque tool set!
Now, seeing this news post yesterday was the first I'd heard of it, so I'm assuming the devs were keeping it secret during development. The cat is definitely out of the bag now, so fill us in please :)
Questions I thought of on the drive in to work this morning:
1 - Does it work with .map files? Or does it work directly with .dts files? Is there still an exporter needed?
2 - Are textures read in directly from the same path as the engine looks for them? So we don't have to play "texture swapping" games to get our textures to show up in the game the same as in the editor?
3 - When will it be released?
4 - How integrated is "integrated"? Is it integrated like the terrain editor? Where you hit a key while running the game and up pops the interior editor? Or is it a separate tool that runs outside of the game engine?
5 - When will it be released?
6 - What's the estimated cost? Or is it open source?
7 - And most importantly... when will it be released? :)
For those that haven't seen it, look here:
http://www.garagegames.com/news/7317
Torque Constructor - an interior editor integrated into the Torque tool set!
Now, seeing this news post yesterday was the first I'd heard of it, so I'm assuming the devs were keeping it secret during development. The cat is definitely out of the bag now, so fill us in please :)
Questions I thought of on the drive in to work this morning:
1 - Does it work with .map files? Or does it work directly with .dts files? Is there still an exporter needed?
2 - Are textures read in directly from the same path as the engine looks for them? So we don't have to play "texture swapping" games to get our textures to show up in the game the same as in the editor?
3 - When will it be released?
4 - How integrated is "integrated"? Is it integrated like the terrain editor? Where you hit a key while running the game and up pops the interior editor? Or is it a separate tool that runs outside of the game engine?
5 - When will it be released?
6 - What's the estimated cost? Or is it open source?
7 - And most importantly... when will it be released? :)
#2
1. BOTH!!! If you create convex geometry, then fine. It'll brush it just fine. If you invert a face here or there or start deleting faces for fun, it'll convert it to DTS's on the fly! It will also start you car in the morning.
2. This makes perfect sense. Actually, it would make more sense if you could choose particular directories ala the show tool and switch the active directory.
3. Some time after I post this. I don't work for GG, I'm just psychic.
4. Well, I could see it becoming part of the standard editor setup, but I personally would prefer to see it as a stand-alone tool like the ShowTool Pro. This way you don't have the overhead of loading an entire mission, paths, models, unnecessary interiors, etc.
5. Some time after I post this. I don't work for GG, I'm just psychotic.
6. No clue on the cost, but since it's based on the Torque Platform, it won't be OS'd. While it's possible that it could be resource open to TGE/TSE licensees, I don't know if that will be the case either. It might be a good idea considering some of the community talent in this area (okay, Matthew Fairfax is really "the talent", but still--and he's working for BT!).
End Wild Speculation Mode
For useful information, read Josh's post. For useless information, scan my post history.
03/10/2005 (8:02 am)
Wild speculation mode1. BOTH!!! If you create convex geometry, then fine. It'll brush it just fine. If you invert a face here or there or start deleting faces for fun, it'll convert it to DTS's on the fly! It will also start you car in the morning.
2. This makes perfect sense. Actually, it would make more sense if you could choose particular directories ala the show tool and switch the active directory.
3. Some time after I post this. I don't work for GG, I'm just psychic.
4. Well, I could see it becoming part of the standard editor setup, but I personally would prefer to see it as a stand-alone tool like the ShowTool Pro. This way you don't have the overhead of loading an entire mission, paths, models, unnecessary interiors, etc.
5. Some time after I post this. I don't work for GG, I'm just psychotic.
6. No clue on the cost, but since it's based on the Torque Platform, it won't be OS'd. While it's possible that it could be resource open to TGE/TSE licensees, I don't know if that will be the case either. It might be a good idea considering some of the community talent in this area (okay, Matthew Fairfax is really "the talent", but still--and he's working for BT!).
End Wild Speculation Mode
For useful information, read Josh's post. For useless information, scan my post history.
#3
03/10/2005 (8:04 am)
Just two questions... Is there a target release date, and if so when is it?
#4
03/11/2005 (12:38 pm)
When it's done.
#5
03/11/2005 (12:45 pm)
Quote:For useful information, read Josh's post. For useless information, scan my post history.That's about the funniest thing I've seen all week! Thanks :)
#6
03/11/2005 (1:02 pm)
I see you have extensive knowledge of my history! 
#7
We will be waiting with bated breath.
(Insert "baited breath" / sushi joke here.)
03/11/2005 (9:12 pm)
Quote:
When it's done.
We will be waiting with bated breath.
(Insert "baited breath" / sushi joke here.)
#8
2 - Yes. It will rely on the Torque Resource Manager for texture handling so it will be identical to the engine's way of doing things (with a few minor improvements).
3 - We are coding away very, very hard on it and want to get it to you asap!
4 - This is still in flux a little bit. I foresee a integrated versions and stand-alone versions tailored to meet the various needs of this tool. I am not 100% sure what the first version will look like =)
5 - See #3
6 - Price hasn't been decided yet (look at our other prices for ballpark ideas). It will not be open source but there is always the possibility of a source license for it down the line.
7 - See #3
03/12/2005 (8:10 pm)
1 - Yes...it will be able to import .map files. It will export directly to the interior format of Torque. Nicest thing is that it will be 100% "what you see is what you get" since the rendering in the editor will be sharing code with the rendering in the engine. No more crazy misalignments or shifts or bizarre warpings sneaking in during the conversion process =)2 - Yes. It will rely on the Torque Resource Manager for texture handling so it will be identical to the engine's way of doing things (with a few minor improvements).
3 - We are coding away very, very hard on it and want to get it to you asap!
4 - This is still in flux a little bit. I foresee a integrated versions and stand-alone versions tailored to meet the various needs of this tool. I am not 100% sure what the first version will look like =)
5 - See #3
6 - Price hasn't been decided yet (look at our other prices for ballpark ideas). It will not be open source but there is always the possibility of a source license for it down the line.
7 - See #3
#9
Now, if my car is broken down and doesn't start, does it get treated as just a collision brush? :P
03/12/2005 (8:27 pm)
Quote:It will also start you car in the morning.
Now, if my car is broken down and doesn't start, does it get treated as just a collision brush? :P
#10
03/12/2005 (10:57 pm)
IANAGG, but from what I heard, if your car is broken down, it will not only automagically fix it, but also upgrade it to the latest version via portage. This includes the patch that installs the red button which transforms your car into an X-Wing. As for collision brushes, all collision is removed from the car by default as a safety feature, so you may drink and drive/fly without worries. If desired, you may turn collision back on by editing your prefs.cs. Proton torpedoes sold seperately.
#11
Anyone have any general time fram ewe are lookin at for the first publicly available version of Construtor? I know I know.. "It will be released when it's ready." "We can't give an ETA." etc etc.. I completely understand why they say this as people will jump all over them as time draws near. All I am looking to hear is that it is either days/weeks away or several months away.
Days/weeks I have.. Months I do not.
Cheers
MarkM
03/13/2005 (10:09 pm)
Torque constructor is such a great step by GG. Nice work guys. I've been trying to glean some snipit or hint as to relative timeframe we might expect it out by because I'd much rather give GG my cash than shell out for CShop. However I don't have the luxury of waiting 6 months for the product.Anyone have any general time fram ewe are lookin at for the first publicly available version of Construtor? I know I know.. "It will be released when it's ready." "We can't give an ETA." etc etc.. I completely understand why they say this as people will jump all over them as time draws near. All I am looking to hear is that it is either days/weeks away or several months away.
Days/weeks I have.. Months I do not.
Cheers
MarkM
#12
In my opinion, it is rarely a good idea to let the impending release of a given piece of tech or a tool hold up your game development. Get on it, and use whatever tools you feel comfortable with using for now. If you buy CShop now, cool. Maybe later you'll decide Constructor is still worth the price, in terms of time it will save you even then, or in terms of the new things it allows you to do.
Constructor definitely will not take 6 months, but it is much more than days or just a couple weeks away, for sure. If you decide to wait, that's cool, but the last thing we want to do is hold anyone's game dev up.
03/13/2005 (11:51 pm)
Mark / Fly, In my opinion, it is rarely a good idea to let the impending release of a given piece of tech or a tool hold up your game development. Get on it, and use whatever tools you feel comfortable with using for now. If you buy CShop now, cool. Maybe later you'll decide Constructor is still worth the price, in terms of time it will save you even then, or in terms of the new things it allows you to do.
Constructor definitely will not take 6 months, but it is much more than days or just a couple weeks away, for sure. If you decide to wait, that's cool, but the last thing we want to do is hold anyone's game dev up.
#13
I'll put money on it that it's not gonna free... (Pun Intended ;))
Nothing comes free anymore, if you guys haven't noticed.
03/14/2005 (12:10 am)
This is gonna be cool... And it is really needed by this community. Quark is complex and adds to that already steap learning curve that TGE has. For someone like me who taught myself how to model/map simple programs are much better.I'll put money on it that it's not gonna free... (Pun Intended ;))
Nothing comes free anymore, if you guys haven't noticed.
#14
Wish you guys luck.
I've just last week starded using TBE. Great steps GG is taking to provide all of the tools to make projects standardized within the GG community.
Looking forward to more news.
Cheers
Mark
03/14/2005 (8:20 am)
Thanks Josh. I appreciate the response. Fact is CShop is a temp solution and I know I will migrate to Constructor when it's ready.Wish you guys luck.
I've just last week starded using TBE. Great steps GG is taking to provide all of the tools to make projects standardized within the GG community.
Looking forward to more news.
Cheers
Mark
#15
03/14/2005 (4:59 pm)
Will this work with both TGE and TSE, or would we need to purchase separate versions?
#16
Nick
03/15/2005 (5:13 am)
The only differnece (at least for now) between building for TGE and building for TSE is the map2dif.exe utility so I would think there would only be one version.Nick
#17
03/19/2005 (2:45 am)
Will constructor include support for working with .dts files like characters, or only with .dif? 
#18
03/19/2005 (6:09 am)
Im pretty sure its just dif. 
#19
(BLOOOOSH!! Head Explodes)Lol Good stuff cant wait to drop my cash on this baby.
03/19/2005 (6:27 am)
Can't..wait..must..buy..constructor..now!! AHHHHH!(BLOOOOSH!! Head Explodes)Lol Good stuff cant wait to drop my cash on this baby.
Torque Owner Josh Williams
Default Studio Name
Thanks for the interest and excitement. We can't wait to tell everyone more about this project... it's so cool. But, I just posted this elsewhere:
"We'll be posting about Torque Constructor later... just so you guys know, believe us, we want to talk about it a lot. But we're still fairly early in development (though we're progressing very quickly!). So, we'll need to be a little mum about everything.. I'm sure there'll be tons and tons of questions, but we won't be able to answer a lot of them for right now. As we get closer to release, we'll be talking about it more and more, of course, and everybody's questions will be answered in time.
The only reason we're even talking about this right now at all is that everyone has been so rabid about wanting a new interior editing tool... we figure it'd be best to let you guys know at least that we have this project coming down the pipe, rather than keep everyone in the dark until we're ready to talk about all the details. We've been working away on this for a while, and you'll hear more about the team involved soon."
So, we'll be giving out more details later, stay tuned. :) I know that's cruel... sorry! But we'd rather be working on this thing than spending a bunch of time carefully answering questions so as to give people as much info as we can but not overpromise or shoot ourselves in the foot. And hopefully everyone agrees that it's best to have the team focused on getting this thing out the door!
Thanks if you can help spread the "more info is coming soon... please be patient until then" word in the mean time.