I have a mini project next semester, so I was hoping I could design a Level Editor for simple 3D worlds and maybe design a game using it. Whats the work going to be like ? VC++ .NET Windows Forms (FCL) for the editor interface, height map generation fot the terrain, terrain collision, model and image loaders for the entities (objects like characters, etc.), animation systems .... the list goes on and on. I need to figure out how to do cut scenes since I like making cinematic games, my main motivation for this project. And I haven't even talked about rendering yet and the rest of the game, but my primary focus is the level editor. Loads of work that this isn't going to happen in one sem easily, so I might end up continuing this for my major project next year, with an early start this sem.
My idea on how to approach designing this is to have a prototype of the whole tool, where the interface is working but the systems are yet to be implemented. For example, I've started playing around with Windows Forms and can load a TGA image file, convert it to a height map with a very simple mapping of colors to heights, and render it to the form. Now the interface to select a file and to see it somewhere on the form has been set up, but the generation of that height map and other things like the file format are just place holders for the actual systems that will be implemented later. I just want to get rid of the interface design as early as possible, so I can focus on the core systems without any worry later.
Problems arise when you're new to Windows programming, as I have experienced. Sometimes. it may take hours or even a day to figure out how to get a simple control, thread, etc. behaving the way it should. But the upcoming sem should give me plenty of time to get familiar with the FCL, and possibly even have that prototype finished. The pic is of the current build in action..
Will hopefully keep this space posted with more.
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