SALvation
05-18-2005, 02:52 PM
VE3D has some info on Sam 2 engine features:
Graphics:
- Interchangeable graphics API drivers, supporting Direct3D, OpenGL and Xbox
- Flexible shader architecture, shader models 1.1, 1.4 or 2.0 are used per-shader depending on platform capabilities and effect complexity
- Triangle counts about 100 times higher than in previous versions of the engine
- Advanced visibility system using occlusion query features of the modern graphics hardware
- Unlimited number of lights via spherical harmonics lighting
- Supports combination of lightmaps and per-polygon dynamic model shadows
- Ogg Theora movie playback, with movie-on-texture support
- Font system with support for multi-byte characters and automatic font generator
Sound:
- Interchangeable sound API drivers, supporting DirectSound, OpenAL and Xbox
- Supports EAX 2.0
- Sound positioning, environment effects, etc. are fully hardware based.
- Multiple listener positions for split-screen playing
- Codec system for Ogg Vorbis, WMA and MP3 playback
Physics:
- Custom physics solver and collision system optimized to work with native engine data
- Supports simple objects, rag dolls, vehicles and any kind of complex mechanisms
- Built-in support for action-game models, like FPS characters, allowing them to naturally interact with other physical objects
- Extendable set of joints
- Built-in joints include handy pre-sets like wheel joint with suspension, hovercraft joint, or special joint for moving FPS characters
- Two-way interaction between animation and physics on characters allowing things like falling into a rag doll and getting up, or controlling a mechanism by animation and inverse kinematics
- Per-bone collision for large creatures, where desired
- Inverse kinematics on part of model
- Easy attaching of mechanisms for sitting in vehicles, riding mountable animals, dragging carts, etc.
Networking:
- Client-server system specifically designed for high-paced action with large number of objects on screen
- Interchangeable online presence API drivers, supporting GameSpy and Xbox Live, for matchmaking, friend lists, etc.
- Supports 16 players in LAN, Internet, Xbox System Link or Xbox Live
AI:
- Data-driven customization and tuning of enemy and NPC behaviour, weapons and all other parameters
- Powerful multi-threaded macro language used to create scripted events and scenes
- Large scale path finding and passability queries based on navigation meshes
- Automatic local obstacle avoidance
- Flocking
- Players, enemies and NPCs can use turrets, drive vehicles and ride on mountable animals
Core:
- Fully portable engine core works on Windows, Linux and Xbox, supporting extensions to new platforms easily
- Metadata system controlling automatic saving, loading, copying and editing of any kind of data structure, greatly simplifying development and high-level modifications
- Resource system manipulates all types of resources transparently, with features like caching, loading in background, delayed loading etc.
- Transparent loading from hard disk or CD/DVD and directly from zip files
- Localization system using UTF8 for transparent multi-byte character support
Editor:
- Serious Editor 2.0 application uses plug-in editors for manipulation of all game resources from within the same application
- Advanced customizable system with support for multiple documents, multiple views and dockable tool windows
- GUI driver sitting on top of the engine's graphics and windowing APIs works on Windows and Linux
- Mesh editor for geometry editing, mapping, shader adjustments, terrain painting, etc.
- Animation editor for cameras, moving parts of levels, doors, mechanisms, or even characters
- Collision editor for custom collision shapes and complex mechanisms with joints, like rag dolls and vehicles
- Destruction editor for destructible models
- Model editor for setting up complex models with multiple meshes, skeletons, animation sets and attachments
- World editor for placing entities and editing their properties
- All editors can work in-place in a world, or in a separate view, as desired
- Macro editor for scripted sequences with full interaction between the text editor and 3d world
- Artist-edited shader effects and effect modification per model's instance
- Particle and lens-flare effects completely customizable inside the world
- Generic resource editor for miscellaneous resources like menu layouts, particle data, etc
Graphics:
- Interchangeable graphics API drivers, supporting Direct3D, OpenGL and Xbox
- Flexible shader architecture, shader models 1.1, 1.4 or 2.0 are used per-shader depending on platform capabilities and effect complexity
- Triangle counts about 100 times higher than in previous versions of the engine
- Advanced visibility system using occlusion query features of the modern graphics hardware
- Unlimited number of lights via spherical harmonics lighting
- Supports combination of lightmaps and per-polygon dynamic model shadows
- Ogg Theora movie playback, with movie-on-texture support
- Font system with support for multi-byte characters and automatic font generator
Sound:
- Interchangeable sound API drivers, supporting DirectSound, OpenAL and Xbox
- Supports EAX 2.0
- Sound positioning, environment effects, etc. are fully hardware based.
- Multiple listener positions for split-screen playing
- Codec system for Ogg Vorbis, WMA and MP3 playback
Physics:
- Custom physics solver and collision system optimized to work with native engine data
- Supports simple objects, rag dolls, vehicles and any kind of complex mechanisms
- Built-in support for action-game models, like FPS characters, allowing them to naturally interact with other physical objects
- Extendable set of joints
- Built-in joints include handy pre-sets like wheel joint with suspension, hovercraft joint, or special joint for moving FPS characters
- Two-way interaction between animation and physics on characters allowing things like falling into a rag doll and getting up, or controlling a mechanism by animation and inverse kinematics
- Per-bone collision for large creatures, where desired
- Inverse kinematics on part of model
- Easy attaching of mechanisms for sitting in vehicles, riding mountable animals, dragging carts, etc.
Networking:
- Client-server system specifically designed for high-paced action with large number of objects on screen
- Interchangeable online presence API drivers, supporting GameSpy and Xbox Live, for matchmaking, friend lists, etc.
- Supports 16 players in LAN, Internet, Xbox System Link or Xbox Live
AI:
- Data-driven customization and tuning of enemy and NPC behaviour, weapons and all other parameters
- Powerful multi-threaded macro language used to create scripted events and scenes
- Large scale path finding and passability queries based on navigation meshes
- Automatic local obstacle avoidance
- Flocking
- Players, enemies and NPCs can use turrets, drive vehicles and ride on mountable animals
Core:
- Fully portable engine core works on Windows, Linux and Xbox, supporting extensions to new platforms easily
- Metadata system controlling automatic saving, loading, copying and editing of any kind of data structure, greatly simplifying development and high-level modifications
- Resource system manipulates all types of resources transparently, with features like caching, loading in background, delayed loading etc.
- Transparent loading from hard disk or CD/DVD and directly from zip files
- Localization system using UTF8 for transparent multi-byte character support
Editor:
- Serious Editor 2.0 application uses plug-in editors for manipulation of all game resources from within the same application
- Advanced customizable system with support for multiple documents, multiple views and dockable tool windows
- GUI driver sitting on top of the engine's graphics and windowing APIs works on Windows and Linux
- Mesh editor for geometry editing, mapping, shader adjustments, terrain painting, etc.
- Animation editor for cameras, moving parts of levels, doors, mechanisms, or even characters
- Collision editor for custom collision shapes and complex mechanisms with joints, like rag dolls and vehicles
- Destruction editor for destructible models
- Model editor for setting up complex models with multiple meshes, skeletons, animation sets and attachments
- World editor for placing entities and editing their properties
- All editors can work in-place in a world, or in a separate view, as desired
- Macro editor for scripted sequences with full interaction between the text editor and 3d world
- Artist-edited shader effects and effect modification per model's instance
- Particle and lens-flare effects completely customizable inside the world
- Generic resource editor for miscellaneous resources like menu layouts, particle data, etc