August 08, 2017
A very interesting article on Ninja Theory's realtime motion capture technology as seen in Hellblade, and demoed at GDC and at SIGGRAPH.
https://www.engadget.com/2017/08/08/ninja-theory-hellblade-motion-capture-demo-video/
February 20, 2017
1. you can draw a million animated plants with no culling using instancing with static instance data. dynamic data is another story ( 60 vs 23 FPS i7 6700K 4Ghz single thread, GTX1080 10-20% overclocked, vsync on at 60Hz, DX9 hardware instancing, single static vs single dynamic buffer, LOCK_WRITEON…
February 20, 2017
Use of the Golden Ratio when modeling plants
Found this on YouTube:
from:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_ratio
Under th…
February 08, 2017
February 03, 2017
thoughts on fix-your-timestep and the spiral of death:
in the fix-your timestep algo its generally assumed that on average ET will be < DT.
with no ET cap, when accumulator >= 2*DT, fix-your-timestep will update twice before rendering (IE it drops a frame).
while this is only an issue with sl…
February 03, 2017
Increasing ET accuracy in fix-your-timestep
The typical implementation of fix-your-timestep looks something like this:while ! quitgame { start_timer render ET = elapsed_time process_input update_all(ET) }
But to run physics at a constant speed, what you really want is the elap…
February 02, 2017
June 08, 2016
The Grand List Of Console Role Playing Game Cliches
from
http://project-apollo.net/text/rpg.html
There are few people who love a good console RPG more than I. Games like Final Fantasy, Grandia, and Skies of Arcadia set a standard of majesty and wonder and immersion that American game designers are…
July 29, 2015
Extra Credits - an online weekly video series about game design
http://extra-credits.net/shows/extra-credits/
http://extra-credits.net/shows/extra-credits/
July 21, 2015
6 Fascinating Facts About How Video Games are Good For You
from the Intel website:
https://software.intel.com/en-us/articles/success-story-happy-jump?utm_source=outbrain&utm_medium=outbrain&utm_campaign=outbrain
from the Intel website:
https://software.intel.com/en-us/articles/success-story-happy-jump?utm_source=outbrain&utm_medium=outbrain&utm_campaign=outbrain
June 30, 2015
Beautiful code part 3 - bottom up design
an example of beautiful code using bottom up design.
with this method, you start with the lowest level stuff, then add higher level layers until you have a sufficiently high level API.
so you go from ugly low level stuff to a beautiful high level API.
This examp…
an example of beautiful code using bottom up design.
with this method, you start with the lowest level stuff, then add higher level layers until you have a sufficiently high level API.
so you go from ugly low level stuff to a beautiful high level API.
This examp…
June 30, 2015
Beautiful code - part 2 - top down design
an example of beautiful code.
this was a result of top down design. IE high level routines fist, lowest level routines last.
first, the algo was written in comments in english.
then the highest level code was written, defining the lower level routines and their…
an example of beautiful code.
this was a result of top down design. IE high level routines fist, lowest level routines last.
first, the algo was written in comments in english.
then the highest level code was written, defining the lower level routines and their…
June 30, 2015
Skinned mesh code part 5 - implementation example 2
another implementation example from caveman 3.0:
this is the actual code that draws band members and NPCs in the game now.
another implementation example from caveman 3.0:
this is the actual code that draws band members and NPCs in the game now.
void draw_caveman2(int a){// a is animal #int n;// n is npc #location f;// npc location for frustum cullint rad;// rad is…
June 30, 2015
Skinned mesh code part 4 - implementation example
An implementation example from Caveman 3.0:
An implementation example from Caveman 3.0:
// called by draw_skinmesh_caveman // draws eyeballs attached to the headbone with an offset.// to draw a static mesh relative to the root of a bone, // start with the transform matrix for the object r…
June 30, 2015
Skinned mesh code part 3 - mesh and controller memory pools
// ----------------------------------- skinned mesh pool API ------------------------------------------- struct skinned_mesh_master{LPD3DXFRAME root;ID3DXAnimationController *controller;LPD3DXFRAME headbone;D3DXMESHCONTAINER_DERIVED *bo…
June 30, 2015
Skinned mesh code part 2
Rockland skinned mesh API
Rockland skinned mesh API
// ------------------------ Rockland skinned mesh API -------------------------- // -------------------------------- load skinned mesh -----------------------------------// loads a skinned mesh from a .x file, and creates an animation controller…
June 30, 2015
skinned mesh code part 1
low level Microsoft code from DXUT.h and tiny.cpp. June 2010 DX9.0c SDK.
low level Microsoft code from DXUT.h and tiny.cpp. June 2010 DX9.0c SDK.
// -------------------------------------------------------------------------------// ----------------------------- directx skinned mesh code -----------------------// --------------------------------…
June 30, 2015
L Spiro on scene managers vs state managers
an excellent description of scene and state managers by L Spiro from a recent thread:
[color=rgb(40,40,40)][font=helvetica][background=rgb(250,251,252)]A scene manager manages a scene in your game.[/background][/font][/color]
[color=rgb(40,40,40)][font=helve…
an excellent description of scene and state managers by L Spiro from a recent thread:
[color=rgb(40,40,40)][font=helvetica][background=rgb(250,251,252)]A scene manager manages a scene in your game.[/background][/font][/color]
[color=rgb(40,40,40)][font=helve…
June 30, 2015
Servant of The Lord on inheritance vs composition
a very lucid explanation of inheritance vs composition by Servant of the Lord, from a recent thread:
[color=rgb(40,40,40)][font=helvetica][background=rgb(250,251,252)]Classes should favor [/background][/font][/color]composition[color=rgb(40,40,40)][fo…
a very lucid explanation of inheritance vs composition by Servant of the Lord, from a recent thread:
[color=rgb(40,40,40)][font=helvetica][background=rgb(250,251,252)]Classes should favor [/background][/font][/color]composition[color=rgb(40,40,40)][fo…
June 14, 2015
Niklas Frykholm's articles on Managing Decoupling
I just stumbled across this excellent series of articles right here on gamedev...
https://www.gamedev.net/page/resources/_/technical/game-programming/managing-decoupling-r3034
https://www.gamedev.net/page/resources/_/technical/game-programming/managing…
I just stumbled across this excellent series of articles right here on gamedev...
https://www.gamedev.net/page/resources/_/technical/game-programming/managing-decoupling-r3034
https://www.gamedev.net/page/resources/_/technical/game-programming/managing…
January 26, 2015
Beautiful code
[ i'm still working on this concept, so this is a very rough draft... ]
writing beautiful code.
sometimes you code, and it seems as straightforward as:
"all nearby units - protect/serve - wilshire and santa monica". (high fives all around - but no touching! ).
and sometimes you code, a…
[ i'm still working on this concept, so this is a very rough draft... ]
writing beautiful code.
sometimes you code, and it seems as straightforward as:
"all nearby units - protect/serve - wilshire and santa monica". (high fives all around - but no touching! ).
and sometimes you code, a…
January 26, 2015
generic pattern maps
often times you need a pattern for something in a game.
for example: what texture tile to use with a given ground quad.
i used to create randomly generated pattern maps for different things:
plants, rocks, bushes, trees, ground quad textures, etc.
then it occurred to me that you cou…
often times you need a pattern for something in a game.
for example: what texture tile to use with a given ground quad.
i used to create randomly generated pattern maps for different things:
plants, rocks, bushes, trees, ground quad textures, etc.
then it occurred to me that you cou…
January 26, 2015
A design for an indexed render queue
drawing information is stored in a drawinfo struct. it could also be hashed into an int, etc.
the queue consists of an un-ordered list of drawinfo structs.
the queue is supplemented by a multi-dimensional indexing system that
allows processing of the queue in optima…
drawing information is stored in a drawinfo struct. it could also be hashed into an int, etc.
the queue consists of an un-ordered list of drawinfo structs.
the queue is supplemented by a multi-dimensional indexing system that
allows processing of the queue in optima…
January 26, 2015
An oo-ish version of my typical game architecture
all one code block, i was too lazy to split it up for posting ! .
all one code block, i was too lazy to split it up for posting ! .
non-oo: void main{init_prog run_proguninit_prog}globals: boolean: quit_progetc. oo: class program{globals such as quitproginit becodes constrctoruninit becomes destructorvoid run_pro…
January 26, 2015
background terrain chunk generation
the foreground task (the game) generates terrain chunks on the fly as
needed from underlying world map data, and stores them in a cache for
use by the renderer. chunks are stored first in inactive cache slots,
and then on a LRU basis once the cache is full.
the backgr…
the foreground task (the game) generates terrain chunks on the fly as
needed from underlying world map data, and stores them in a cache for
use by the renderer. chunks are stored first in inactive cache slots,
and then on a LRU basis once the cache is full.
the backgr…
January 26, 2015
Simple sliding collisions
simple sliding collisions:
for AABBs:
1. start by calculating how much to move the player as usual:
dx = player.speed * sin(player.yr)
dz = player.speed * cos(player.yr)
2. apply dx and dz, and check for collsions as usual.
3. if a collison is indicated:
3a. apply JUST dx and chec…
simple sliding collisions:
for AABBs:
1. start by calculating how much to move the player as usual:
dx = player.speed * sin(player.yr)
dz = player.speed * cos(player.yr)
2. apply dx and dz, and check for collsions as usual.
3. if a collison is indicated:
3a. apply JUST dx and chec…
January 26, 2015
Simple heuristic collision avoidance
Heuristic collison avoidance:
1. check for collision some distance in front of the player (say 15 feet).
2. if collsiosn is indicated:
2.a. check for collision ahead and to the left of player (15 feet ahead, and 15 feet left).
2.b. check for collision ahead and …
Heuristic collison avoidance:
1. check for collision some distance in front of the player (say 15 feet).
2. if collsiosn is indicated:
2.a. check for collision ahead and to the left of player (15 feet ahead, and 15 feet left).
2.b. check for collision ahead and …
January 26, 2015
a working definition of good code
A definition of "good" code (in no particular order):
1. correct - the code should work correctly.
2. brief - brevity is preferable. but not at the sake of readability.
3. simple - simpler code is preferable to more complex code.
4. bullet proof - the code should be abl…
A definition of "good" code (in no particular order):
1. correct - the code should work correctly.
2. brief - brevity is preferable. but not at the sake of readability.
3. simple - simpler code is preferable to more complex code.
4. bullet proof - the code should be abl…
January 05, 2015
More thoughts on fixed vs variable time steps
For some reason, this topic keeps popping into my mind. I suspect its because I wasn't convinced it was the best approach - even though i couldn't quite say why.
After my last round of thinking about it, i had come to the conclusion that the "fix-your-tim…
For some reason, this topic keeps popping into my mind. I suspect its because I wasn't convinced it was the best approach - even though i couldn't quite say why.
After my last round of thinking about it, i had come to the conclusion that the "fix-your-tim…
December 28, 2014
insights and tips on hi performance game programming.
an excellent lecture series of 5 videos on the development of a programming language specifically for hi performance games.
By Johnathan Blow, developer of Braid and The Witness.
when you listen to the guy talk, you can tell he's done his time in …
an excellent lecture series of 5 videos on the development of a programming language specifically for hi performance games.
By Johnathan Blow, developer of Braid and The Witness.
when you listen to the guy talk, you can tell he's done his time in …
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