TGE dev environment on only Linux ...
by Garth "Ironstorm" Dahlstrom · in Technical Issues · 09/26/2002 (10:56 pm) · 9 replies
Hello all,
I'm considering buying a seat to the Torque code, since
the license has changed and there is now a cool sample
app of TGE in action on Linux in the form of RealmWars.
I'd like to know if it is possible to build Torque and
games that run it using only open source software. Do
any of you folks do TGE dev work on only Linux today?
I'm thinking GCC to compile, GIMP for textures,
Blender(?) for modeling... What else would I need?
Hoping to kick Windows for good,
-GED
I'm considering buying a seat to the Torque code, since
the license has changed and there is now a cool sample
app of TGE in action on Linux in the form of RealmWars.
I'd like to know if it is possible to build Torque and
games that run it using only open source software. Do
any of you folks do TGE dev work on only Linux today?
I'm thinking GCC to compile, GIMP for textures,
Blender(?) for modeling... What else would I need?
Hoping to kick Windows for good,
-GED
About the author
#2
I've heard that MilkShape might run under Wine, but haven't tried it. There are various other open source modellers but there are no torque exporters for them (although a Blender exporter is under development, Ryan Parker would know more about it). For map editing, you might want to talk to Falcon, I think he does some of his map editing work on linux.
09/27/2002 (8:05 am)
I do most of my torque programming work on linux, and I have all the tools I need to do that job. None of the linux IDEs are as good as MSDEV, though, but some are getting there.I've heard that MilkShape might run under Wine, but haven't tried it. There are various other open source modellers but there are no torque exporters for them (although a Blender exporter is under development, Ryan Parker would know more about it). For map editing, you might want to talk to Falcon, I think he does some of his map editing work on linux.
#3
09/27/2002 (8:24 am)
If you're already familiar with creating and compiling software using GNU tools (gcc, make, vi, etc.) then it should be farily easy for you to get working. I'm doing most of my development under Linux as well. Blender exporting to come soon so that models can be created. As for the maps, not sure what could be used for that.
#4
Yesterday I took another look at Anjuta IDE. Its almost perfect, I can't get it to recognize torque's executable. I may have to create a project for torque in Anjuta to get it to work.
-Tim aka Spock
09/27/2002 (12:20 pm)
Blender of course! You should be able to make more detailed maps in that...we just need an exporter.. *hint* *hint* :)Yesterday I took another look at Anjuta IDE. Its almost perfect, I can't get it to recognize torque's executable. I may have to create a project for torque in Anjuta to get it to work.
-Tim aka Spock
#5
10/02/2002 (5:07 pm)
KDevelop is a pretty nice IDE for linux, its pretty much MSVC++ without the bloat. Someone here wrote a patch for it to work with the torque scripting language as well, so you can do both in one really nice IDE. I don't remember exactly where I found the patch, but I'm sure you can search the site for it.
#6
Compiling works great with gcc, make and the other usual tools. Work in the scripts or .cc code is just the usual programming stuff, so get out your favorite text editor.
I use gimp for work on the GUI elements, and no problems so far.
You can model interiors with GtkRadiant (if you're in the US or some other country that's stupid enough to give click-wrap licenses some validity, you might want to check first, the rad people try to tell you that you can only use it for Q3 games). There is a tiny bit of manual work needed to get the LOD in and clean up the .map file a little, but that's essentially done in 1 minute.
I have not yet found a way to create models with Linux tools, though of course once the Blender plugins are done, we'll have that, too.
Once you close in on release time, you will want to check out some other tools, like the Loki setup tool to make installable CDs, or MainActor for your cut-scenes or intro if you have any (it's a 100 Linux video-cutting/editing software that works pretty ok).
10/03/2002 (10:57 am)
I'm a 100% Linux guy, and so far there's no problem.Compiling works great with gcc, make and the other usual tools. Work in the scripts or .cc code is just the usual programming stuff, so get out your favorite text editor.
I use gimp for work on the GUI elements, and no problems so far.
You can model interiors with GtkRadiant (if you're in the US or some other country that's stupid enough to give click-wrap licenses some validity, you might want to check first, the rad people try to tell you that you can only use it for Q3 games). There is a tiny bit of manual work needed to get the LOD in and clean up the .map file a little, but that's essentially done in 1 minute.
I have not yet found a way to create models with Linux tools, though of course once the Blender plugins are done, we'll have that, too.
Once you close in on release time, you will want to check out some other tools, like the Loki setup tool to make installable CDs, or MainActor for your cut-scenes or intro if you have any (it's a 100 Linux video-cutting/editing software that works pretty ok).
#7
10/03/2002 (11:00 am)
One thing I forgot: The conversion tools (map2dif at least, but the others most likely too) work well using wine. 
#8
Could you make available your work to make QER/GTKRadiant compatible with TGE ??
Ideally as a ressource/tutorial here @ GG, unless the licensing part is really an issue (maybe a warning saying it can't be used on a commercial project, but okay for experimentation while we wait for Blender ??), and then you can make it available somewhere else ?? (finding someone to host it wouldn't hard, I think : if no one comes forward, I could take care to host it, if it's really small...)
As anyone contacted the powers that be at Id, inquiring as to the possibility of using Radiant in our games, commercial or not, and what would be the fee mentioned in the EULA to use on a commercial, but indie game project ??
TIA
10/03/2002 (11:44 am)
Falcon : Could you make available your work to make QER/GTKRadiant compatible with TGE ??
Ideally as a ressource/tutorial here @ GG, unless the licensing part is really an issue (maybe a warning saying it can't be used on a commercial project, but okay for experimentation while we wait for Blender ??), and then you can make it available somewhere else ?? (finding someone to host it wouldn't hard, I think : if no one comes forward, I could take care to host it, if it's really small...)
As anyone contacted the powers that be at Id, inquiring as to the possibility of using Radiant in our games, commercial or not, and what would be the fee mentioned in the EULA to use on a commercial, but indie game project ??
TIA
#9
I'll see if I can write a short step-by-step howto on what you need to do to get LOD working and clean up the .map file.
10/03/2002 (11:57 pm)
Uh, there isn't much work involved for GtkRadiant. You need to write the entity definitions, which I never really finished (I just did the most important stuff, like portals and lights) and that's mostly it.I'll see if I can write a short step-by-step howto on what you need to do to get LOD working and clean up the .map file.
Associate James Urquhart
Compiling torque on linux is quite easy. Problems arise when things go wrong at runtime usually (chopping sound, torque using the software opengl driver, etc)
You'll need a program to edit .map files, so you can create interiors.
Thats all i can think of now =)