What is a good Open Source 3D Engine?
Hello, I've decided I am ready to work on a 3D engine, or at least dab around with an open source 3d engine, so I can get the use of working with other libraries in the "3D World" which I don't believe would be too complicated and different than working with 2D game engine libraries SDL, Allegro are the 2 main I've worked in, and have made games in. I have touched on OpenGL, and haven't even thought about touching DirectX, but feel that I am educated enough with OOP that I could handle an open source 3d engine.
I have given this a lot of thought, and I don't know too many out there. The only ones I have heard of is Ogre, and Irrlicht. So, I would like for the gamedev community especially ones who run open source to let me know which open source 3d game engine isn't exactly the best, for I don't believe in an engine, program, game being "the best" but one that is easy to use, modify, and my number one priority and how I learn to program one that is well documented.
SO recap please.
Let me know what you prefer is a good 3D game engine that is
-easy to understand, adapt, comprehend with time, and work.
-well documented
-Of course it's like best bang for the buck, but it's open source, so i'm looking for the any number of open source 3d engines that can also provide me with;
-portability
-graphics, audio, 3d modeling, physics (at least these are a must)
-And I guess if I want to comprehend it; It must be using the OpenGL API
And I believe that is it.
Thanks,
Numb3rz
OGRE would probably do it for you. If you wanted to shell out some money ($100) it might be worth it to investigate Torque too.
Edit:
Check out this list of game engines on Wikipedia. If you're just shopping around you learn about them a bit before picking one, or perhaps grab a few of the free ones and see how they work prior to deciding on the one which appeals to you most.
Edit:
Check out this list of game engines on Wikipedia. If you're just shopping around you learn about them a bit before picking one, or perhaps grab a few of the free ones and see how they work prior to deciding on the one which appeals to you most.
Have a look at The Nebula Device 2. It's probably not the easiest thing to get your head around, but for an open source engine you'd be hard pressed to find better.
http://www.nebuladevice.org/
If you want to have a look at what's available, the following link will be invaluable :)
http://www.devmaster.net/engines/
http://www.nebuladevice.org/
If you want to have a look at what's available, the following link will be invaluable :)
http://www.devmaster.net/engines/
Thanks! I think I will try Ogre 3D. I was thinking about it, and I think I'll go with my intuition.
Thanks again!
Thanks again!
Quote:Original post by Numb3rzAren't Ogre and Irrlicht just renderers; that is, they don't do audio or physics by themselves?
The only ones I have heard of is Ogre, and Irrlicht.
...
-graphics, audio, 3d modeling, physics (at least these are a must)
I'm currently using Horde 3D, which is also just a renderer. But it uses a slim shader-oriented design (unlike OGRE), is open source, well documented and uses OpenGL.
Quote:Original post by Hodgman
Aren't Ogre and Irrlicht just renderers; that is, they don't do audio or physics by themselves?
Yeah, I think I misread the OP. He would be better off with the ones you and Capoeirista mentioned or taking a look at that list. Sorry about that.
Well, the Quake 3 source code covers all of those reqs except the first two and lack of physics (I'm gessing you mean tumbling boxes and ragdolls) pretty well. Plus, given that it's been out for, what, 2 years now, I'm sure the OSS community has improved it in many respects, including making the documentation better.
(Assuming C++)
YAKE is the only project that I know of to meet most of your requirements. I've never used it though.
Another option is NeL, but it doesn't have physics, so you'd have to use a 3rd party library for that. It was fairly portable at the beginning, then I think a lot of Windows-only code was added, and then the community attempted to make it portable again. I don't know in what state it's in at the moment.
I don't think either of them can be called "game engine" though. They're more like high level frameworks, IMHO.
The Nebula Device (the first one) is a fullblown game engine that's portable and has nice documentation, but it's definitely not a beginner's tool. The Nebula Device 2 requires DirectX, AFAIK, and is thus unportable to non-Microsoft systems.
YAKE is the only project that I know of to meet most of your requirements. I've never used it though.
Another option is NeL, but it doesn't have physics, so you'd have to use a 3rd party library for that. It was fairly portable at the beginning, then I think a lot of Windows-only code was added, and then the community attempted to make it portable again. I don't know in what state it's in at the moment.
I don't think either of them can be called "game engine" though. They're more like high level frameworks, IMHO.
The Nebula Device (the first one) is a fullblown game engine that's portable and has nice documentation, but it's definitely not a beginner's tool. The Nebula Device 2 requires DirectX, AFAIK, and is thus unportable to non-Microsoft systems.
I'd pick Ogre3D for graphics and Bullet for physics and OpenAL or FMOD for sound.
You are, however, wrong about 3D 'not being to much more complicated' than 2D. 3D is very much more complicated.
You are, however, wrong about 3D 'not being to much more complicated' than 2D. 3D is very much more complicated.
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