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sdkprojects.html



Bert Peers wrote:

>I found it, and upped it for everyone to ponder over at
>
>http://www.larian.com/rat/sdkprojects.html
>
>It may need some updating though.

My notes are the lines in {}


{Page title -> something like "existing SDK Overview"}

</ul>
<p>This overview was built based on the original
description, plus useful comments and overviews posted on the linuxgames
mailing list, most notably by <a href="mailto:taport@yahoo.com">Johnny
Taporg</a>.

{The other parts of the "Introduction" section don't fit in here. They
obviously belong to the "SDK Project" list page.}

<blockquote>&nbsp;</blockquote>
<a NAME="General2D"></a><b><font size=+2>General
2D Graphics SDKs</font></b>
<p><b><font size=+1>PTC</font></b>

{url is http://www.gaffer.org/ptc/
full name is Prometheus TrueColor}

<a href="http://crystal.linuxgames.com/">CrystalSpace</a></h3>
The Crystal Space SDK is a specific gaming
SDK for 3D games. The purpose is to have a good 3D engine which runs on
as many platforms as possible. Crystal Space contains a software renderer,
a Direct3D renderer, and a Glide renderer. OpenGL is planned. In addition
to the 3D engine Crystal Space will also provide a communication system
(using COM) for a scripting language (ReAct) and a physics toolbox which
will also communicate with the engine. Sound and networking libraries are
also being considered.&nbsp; The C++ 3D engine delivers all necessary functionality
from rasterizing up to highlevel visibility culling using Portals, BSPs

{propably needs some update; perhaps also note about current focus on
portals}

<p><a NAME="Networking"></a><b><font size=+2>Networking
SDKs</font></b>
<p><b><font size=+1>'Fauxplay'</font></b>
<p>Fauxplay is the codename for a yet-unnamed
project by <a href="mailto:dank@alumni.caltech.edu">Dan Kegel</a> targeting
portable networking.&nbsp; The interface is like DirectPlay (hence the
codename).&nbsp; The SDK has been used in 10+ games on DOS, Win95, MacOS
and Linux.&nbsp; The availability of this SDK is still unknown -- there
is currently some debate on what Licenses to choose.&nbsp; The SDK has
advanced networking innards that make it very compatible with NAT; see
<a href="http://www.alumni.caltech.edu/~dank/peer-nat.html">http://www.alumni.caltech.edu/~dank/peer-nat.html</a>.

{Does anyone know the current situation here? Dan, are you still
subscribed?}

{New entry: "Zombie" at http://infa.abo.fi/~chakie/zombie/
generic, but aimed towards games; will perhaps become PPlay's networking
part in the future.}

<p><a NAME="GeneralPurpose"></a><b><font size=+2>General
purpose SDKs</font></b>
<p>These are SDks which attempt to provide
a complete solution, including solutions for 2D and/or 3D graphics, networking,
sound, multithreading, input handling (joystick, ..)

{... but in most cases it is possible to use only a subset of each SDK's
functionality and combine it with other SDKs}

<a href="http://www.clanlib.org/">ClanLib
game sdk</a></h3>
ClanLib was designed to reuse as much code
as possible from game to game. This is accompliced by providing a common
interface on how to load surfaces, textures, samples, data input sources,
etc.
<br>ClanLib is a C++ engine designed to make
migration from Windows to Linux easier by looking familiar.

{Perhaps some more info?}

<a href="http://sunsite.auc.dk/penguinplay/">PenguinPlay</a></h3>
PenguinPlay's main focus lies in making it
easier to write games in the first place, i.e. it is designed to provide
as much functionality to game developers as possible (thus relieving them
of the task of reimplementing common sulutions) while staying as fast,
portable and versatile as possible.&nbsp; The only downside as of now is
the lack of anything really declared "ready for general use".&nbsp; It's
also using the latest C++ standards, nuking gcc 2.7.x

{Update: PenguinFile is ready for general use, Penguin2D is almost ready and
PenguinNet/Zombie (mentioned above) is ready, just not fully integrated into
PenguinPlay.}

<a href="http://members.xoom.com/bitwize/">GNU
Animation Multimedia Entertainment System (GAMES)</a></h3>
GAMES is a tiny library which handles sprite
animation.&nbsp; Although it is not a very general library (completely
tied to X, and not particularly extensible) it does its job, which you
can see from a couple of nifty games written for it.

{Surely needs an update. Jeff?}

<p><b><font size=+1>AAlib</font></b>
<p>Category "kindof weird", this library converts
graphics pictures into text (if you've seen ttyquake, you'll
<br>know what I'm talking about).&nbsp; GGI
programs will be capable of using AAlib as a target.

{Not a "generic game SDK" => 2d libraries}

<a href="http://www.devolution.com/~slouken/SDL/">Simple
DirectMedia Layer (SDL)</a></h3>
Low level game sdk. SDL provides an API that
is as close to the individual platforms as possible (without breaking platform
independency). SDL can theoretically probably do everything most of the
libraries can - but you'll have to write all the code yourself. SDL isn't
service minded, but gets you as close to the iron as possible.&nbsp; SDL
includes graphics, sound and thread code and tries to deliver these portable
(cross platform) and efficiently.

{note about SDL being used by Loki for Civ:CTP ?}

<h2>
<a NAME="OtherProjects"></a>Projects that
are still needed</h2>

{Dump this part from this page.}



	Christian

--

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