3D frontend using the Quake 3 engine

[Mitaine]

I've experimented a bit with the quake 3 engine, and I've had some nice looking results :



(thanks to )p( for the bzone 3D Studio cab model)

I had to simplify the model topology and split it in 2 because no object with more than 1000 vertices can be compiled into a quake 3 bsp.
I also had to UVW map each part of the model individually to get correct results.
I'm currently experimenting with shaders to get animated screens and semi-transparent objects.

For the moment it is nothing but an idea I grossly implemented. I have no experience in Q3 editing, but I think there is a lot of room for improvement.
Someone could code a small hack-ish mod with a "insert coin" weapon and a syscall to the emulator executable.
There should be a way to load the models "dynamically" instead of compiling them into the bsp like I did.
Also, the quake 3 engine can pull off some really cool ambient effects (light, fog) and scripted events which could add a lot to a "virtual arcade".

I think this could be a good alternative to emulaxian if someone (certainly not me) was to push this project a little further. It could even replace the 3D rendering engine of emulaxian and keep the ini-parsing and stuff.

to )p( : I totally respect your work ! I only started this because the lighting and colors of your frontend looked a little bland to me. I then thought the Q3 engine had so many advantages (looking / moving around freely, high performance and scalability, eye candy, coder/user base...) and the tools were available and familiar to me.
Once again thanks.

[SirPoonga]

Hmmm, you should make a quake 3 map, an 80's arcade, hehe.

[)p(]

>(thanks to )p( for the bzone 3D Studio cab model)



>I had to simplify the model topology and split it in 2 because no object with more than 1000 vertices can be compiled into a quake 3 bsp.
I also had to UVW map each part of the model individually to get correct results.
I'm currently experimenting with shaders to get animated screens and semi-transparent objects.

Yeah I know the quake engine is not up to the task on that part. Also there are a lot off limitations with the aninated textures. But as you mention below lighting and scalability rocks...and the cab still looks pretty good  



>I think this could be a good alternative to emulaxian if someone (certainly not me) was to push this project a little further. It could even replace the 3D rendering engine of emulaxian and keep the ini-parsing and stuff.

>to )p( : I totally respect your work ! I only started this because the lighting and colors of your frontend looked a little bland to me. I then thought the Q3 engine had so many advantages (looking / moving around freely, high performance and scalability, eye candy, coder/user base...) and the tools were available and familiar to me.
Once again thanks.

Yeah a fps style arcade would be a really fun addition. I have it also working for 90% but I prefer to work right now on the current setup which I find more practical as a frontend. Looking forward to see some mods with lots off cabs in them  

Peter

[ArcadeFX]

If someone could add in a quarter shooting gun we would be set.  

[Howard_Casto]

I think that's a wonderful idea, but there's one little problem.... actually launching the games.  I know what your thinking, "no prob just write a quake mod for that" Well i've done my fair share of quake modding in the past and unless quake 3's system is drastically different, it would be VERY hard to make any kind of mod or plugin that would launch an external exe properly, not to mention be able to hold 3000+ cabinet models.  (Quake loads all models into memory ahead of time, it can't load objects on the fly.) Now you could make the models a part of the map, but that means anytime a new model comes out you have to whip out the map editor and add it, plus now your layout is fixed.  

If you really want a 3d engine, making one from directX or opengl from scratch would probably be best.  I've been experimenting with directx8 and I must say it's farily easy to get the hang of; much easier than previous versions of directX.  I've already written a primitave 2d engine for one of my future projects. (I know, I know, dx8 isn't supposed to do 2d, but there's ways of working in 2 1/2 D)   It's kind of slow at this point, but I'm still learning.  

One of the nice things about directX is built in shading, bumpmapping, and support for virtually any texture format, including png.  Not to mention the fact that that dynamic lighting can be done simply by coloring a point and giving it lum values.  Oh and guess what.  Although texture size can sometimes be a problem, there's no real polygon limit to what you can create.  

[)p(]

I think that's a wonderful idea, but there's one little problem.... actually launching the games.