 | | | Subject: Virtools | Subject: Virtools 2004-03-30 - By Candide - Keynoise
Back
Hello.
Some of you might remember a post I wrote there's a month ago.
I was trying to write a ROAM algo with director and run big problems with the
speed of Lingo script and many native functions (as mesh handlers
GenerateNormales() Build() etc...)
So, because I'm French, and because Virtools to, I gave them a call, ask them
to give me more details about their product and they sent me a trial version of
Virtool Dev.
Virtool was first knew as Nemo (1999 or something) It was a Game prototype
development tool. They added later some features and a plugin to publish on the
Web.
I come back to my ROAM :
Virtools is a 3D only dev environment. And it does 3D very well ( see demo
posted by Noisecrime)
But about scripting, it's a bit puzzling.
Virtools use a behaviour boxes system which you can connect with wires (Boxes
are "functions" and wires drive "parameters")
Nice for children's but a bit short for my ROAM.
Virtools provide also a scripting language (VSC) with which you can build your
own BB (Behaviour Box). And VSC is for me THE NEGATIVE ASPECT of Virtools :
First, the famous wires can only bring specifics data type. You can't, by
example, give an structure you have built as a parameter to a nother box. This
because they can only give a parameter by value.
And, may I done something wrong, the soft crash very often when running VSC
scripts ... sometimes with a good reason, sometimes randomly.
But also : When you save your project with the Virtool file type, the script
you've just write is not saved (and lost) ... until you read a little sentence
in the help doc which explain you have to save your scripts manually in an
other file type. (boring) ... Combinated with the random crash .... ok ... keep
cool.
About the help doc ... VSC script is not really describe ... only a few
paragraph on how it works. No references list. No function description.
About the community ... it exists ... and they ask since a long a better doc
from Virtools :)
Many people give for free (or for fees) some ready made BB with more or less
interest.
Anyway. You can forget VSC and use the SDK to write good C++ DLLs. But remember
than DLLs ofcourse will not be exported with your final web content. Virtools
provide a special Server (they own) to distribute DLLs you've created, to your
movie (on your Server) ... hum. Whatever; SDK doc is pretty much better than
VSC one. But in this way ... you will need a C++ compiler more !
At least, some features like physic, AI, or network need special licences ...
and have a cost !
As a conclusion :
Virtools Dev is more up to date than director for all 3D aspect. It run faster,
it display more polygons and give you 60 FPS easily.
But it's also a product from a young company, with a lot of missing (bugs...)
The WEB aspect of Virtools is just for now a gadget they've added to conquer
new customers but it still not mature.
And now ... I will try to build my own 3D ActiveX plugin since I know that what
I'm looking for doesn't exist today :)
rgds.
Candide
- Keynoise -
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hello.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Some of you might remember a post I wrote there's
a
month ago.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I was trying to write a ROAM algo with director
and
run big problems with the speed of Lingo script and many native functions
(as mesh handlers GenerateNormales() Build() etc...)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>So, because I'm French, and because Virtools to, I
gave them a call, ask them to give me more details about their product and
they sent me a trial version of Virtool Dev.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Virtool was first knew as Nemo (1999 or something)
It was a Game prototype development tool. They added later some features and a
plugin to publish on the Web.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I come back to my ROAM :</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Virtools is a 3D only dev environment. And it does
3D very well ( see demo posted by Noisecrime)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>But about scripting, it's a bit
puzzling.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Virtools use a behaviour boxes system which you
can
connect with wires (Boxes are "functions" and wires drive
"parameters")</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Nice for children's but a bit short for my
ROAM.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Virtools provide also a scripting language (VSC)
with which you can build your own BB (Behaviour Box). And VSC is for me THE
NEGATIVE ASPECT of Virtools :</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>First, the famous wires can only bring specifics
data type. You can't, by example, give an structure you have built as a
parameter to a nother box. This because they can only give a parameter by
value.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>And, may I done something wrong, the soft
crash very often when running VSC scripts ... sometimes with a good reason,
sometimes randomly.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>But also : When you save your project with the
Virtool file type, the script you've just write is not saved (and lost) ..
.
until you read a little sentence in the help doc which explain you have to save
your scripts manually in an other file type. (boring) ... Combinated with the
random crash .... ok ... keep cool.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>About the help doc ... VSC script is not really
describe ... only a few paragraph on how it works. No references list. No
function description.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>About the community ... it exists ... and they ask
since a long a better doc from Virtools :)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Many people give for free (or for fees) some ready
made BB with more or less interest.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Anyway. You can forget VSC and use the SDK to
write
good C++ DLLs. But remember than DLLs ofcourse will not be exported with your
final web content. Virtools provide a special Server (they own) to distribute
DLLs you've created, to your movie (on your Server) ... hum. Whatever; SDK
doc is pretty much better than VSC one. But in this way ... you will need a C++
compiler more !</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>At least, some features like physic, AI, or
network
need special licences ... and have a cost !</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>As a conclusion : </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Virtools Dev is more up to date than director for
all 3D aspect. It run faster, it display more polygons and give you 60 FPS
easily.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>But it's also a product from a young company,
with a lot of missing (bugs...) The WEB aspect of Virtools is just for now a
gadget they've added to conquer new customers but it still not
mature.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>And now ... I will try to build my own
3D ActiveX plugin since I know that what I'm looking for doesn't exist
today :)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>rgds.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Candide</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>- Keynoise -</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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