FFilmation Editor progress update ( Tue 28 Oct 2008 )
Progress in the editor itself has been slow due to some unexpected problems with Adobe AIR, mostly the nightmare I went through to get the external assets loaded into the application’s security domain.
Also, I have spent lots of time rebuilding the scene initialization process, reorganizing and splitting it into several classes that now can be called separately. These changes are transparent to an engine user, but for example I need to resort the scene when a wall is added, removed or moved, and you need to be able to change a plane’s material on the fly.
I’m also trying to add better error management, catching exceptions and generating error events.
There’s still lots of work to do, but all the tricky stuff is completed ( geometry manipulation, dragging walls around, snapping to grid, commit changes back to the XML, keeping track of used resources to write the appropiate paths into the scene XMl, etc ). Now it is all about boring application development, adding buttons and events and alert messages and such.
Great! Sounds like good progress…
Would the scene initialization rework include the improved cleanup requirements I emailed about previously?
Also, I’d be happy to run a version of the library closer to any new release to catch any FD3 related compilation errors/omissions in typing. Just email me if you’re interested.
Stefan said this on October 29th, 2008 at 1:16 am
Hi Stefan
SVN is already updated with the latest version and it should include the cleanup you needed.
IMPORTANT!: Starting at this version all paths defined in any XML are relative to that XML. The standalone editor does not have a valid basepath as a flash movie does, so this change was mandatory. Besides, I think it makes more sense and makes references easier to follow. If you load current scenes with the new version, you will get “File not found” errors. You will have to edit your paths.
admin said this on October 29th, 2008 at 12:56 pm
do you have the editor source up on SVN?
Alex Stone said this on October 29th, 2008 at 8:10 pm
Not yet. I want to wait until it is reasonabily finished and stable.
I’m afraid sooner or later someone will recompile it with a different logo and sell it to an unsuspicious client, but this is a common risk with open-source.
admin said this on October 29th, 2008 at 9:34 pm
Hey there,
Had a spare second so updated to latest revision from Google Code and found that there seems to be a few issues in compiling. fScatterGenerator no longer exists?
Stefan said this on October 30th, 2008 at 10:31 pm
Hi,
I have removed the generators and generator interface. They were a poor replacement for an editor and I don’t think people will use them anymore ( if they ever did ) when the editor is done.
I try to keep the engine as small and tidy as possible.
admin said this on October 31st, 2008 at 11:17 am
Hey,
No problem, I can see the logic there. I will however, keep running my current version of the engine as I am part way through a project that requires them.
Thanks
Stefan said this on November 2nd, 2008 at 10:32 pm
Great job so far!
Any approx. ETA for the editor?
It sure would make all of our lives a heck of alot easier!
Andreas said this on November 7th, 2008 at 5:38 pm
It’s coming along well, but it is a big endeavour, and quite boring I must say.
I hope to release a first version within two weeks.
admin said this on November 7th, 2008 at 8:00 pm