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What happen to GameSpace?
About Truespace Archives
These pages are a copy of the official truespace forums prior to their removal somewhere around 2011.
They are retained here for archive purposes only.
What happen to GameSpace? // Roundtable
Post by Eagle // Jul 21, 2008, 4:14pm
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Eagle
Total Posts: 221
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The whole site and everything is gone!:confused: |
Post by jamesmc // Jul 21, 2008, 6:56pm
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jamesmc
Total Posts: 2566
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:(
Wha..the... |
Post by Délé // Jul 21, 2008, 7:06pm
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Délé
Total Posts: 1374
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Maybe it went down when they had the server problems. I see the gS forums are still up. Perhaps they just didn't notice that the gameSpace pages were down too. :confused: |
Post by mrbones // Jul 21, 2008, 8:13pm
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mrbones
Total Posts: 1280
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Maybee its a sign...... |
Post by JimB // Jul 21, 2008, 8:21pm
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JimB
Total Posts: 341
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The forums are still there.
http://forums.caligari.com/gameSpace/index.php?
Jim |
Post by KeithC // Jul 22, 2008, 6:10am
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KeithC
Total Posts: 467
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Rather odd....must be a current web problem. ;) |
Post by Eagle // Jul 22, 2008, 4:30pm
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Eagle
Total Posts: 221
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Maybe I should write support a letter or something? Do you think they know it's down? |
Post by KeithC // Jul 22, 2008, 4:38pm
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KeithC
Total Posts: 467
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You could probably ask Tom about it. |
Post by TomG // Jul 22, 2008, 5:16pm
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TomG
Total Posts: 3397
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Yep, we know it's down :) More info as soon as we have it available.
HTH!
Tom |
Post by Eagle // Jul 22, 2008, 7:08pm
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Eagle
Total Posts: 221
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Thanks Tom~ :)
always~
Vickie ;) |
Post by Eagle // Jul 23, 2008, 2:13pm
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Eagle
Total Posts: 221
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Are you guys going to kill Gamespace? |
Post by Jack Edwards // Jul 23, 2008, 2:15pm
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Jack Edwards
Total Posts: 4062
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I don't have any inside info on the situation, but I'm not sure why you need GameSpace since that was just a stripped down version of TrueSpace... :confused: |
Post by Délé // Jul 23, 2008, 2:17pm
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Délé
Total Posts: 1374
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I'm not sure but with tS being free, I guess there is no reason for a gS version. With some good game content oriented plug-ins, tS should work well for game content creation. Plus it's totally free. |
Post by 3dfrog // Jul 23, 2008, 2:19pm
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3dfrog
Total Posts: 1225
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Well with the new direct x export we are off to a good start, it works nice too! |
Post by TomG // Jul 23, 2008, 2:23pm
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TomG
Total Posts: 3397
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gS was a version of tS made "lighter" to reduce the price. Now that tS7.6 is free, there is no need to strip bits out of it to make gameSpace. Bear in mind the extra's in gameSpace were import and export formats, and some plugins.
tS7 always addressed the need for those plugins already. So the remaining piece of the puzzle are the formats. tS7.6 has Collada and X format, both working from the workspace side. Other formats - well there is plenty of incentive for anyone with a game engine to develop a plugin, since then folks will have a free app to use with their engine.
XNA is already a great choice - its free, like the modeler. Next you could join creators club there and get an instant distribution system to sell your games, via XBLA. So a perfect game option.
Other engines, well we'd open that to third party development. We have an SDK coming out soon, so any engine, no matter how common or obscure, could have an export / import developed for it - and then you wouldn't be relying on Caligari to produce the particular format you need.
So we see no need for gameSpace any more, as noted, it was a stripped down tS to get the price down, but the price is now free so why have something stripped down? Just grab the full thing for nothing!
HTH!
Tom |
Post by jdebroy // Jul 23, 2008, 6:59pm
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jdebroy
Total Posts: 5
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Tom, does it mean that ts7.6 has the game format exporters included for free? I mean, the DirectX and W3D and others like sprite render in gamespace.
Downloading now... |
Post by TomG // Jul 24, 2008, 4:26am
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TomG
Total Posts: 3397
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.X is the only "game format" included - all the other formats are Model side only, ie very out of date, and would need serious overhauling. Besides, what is a popular engine / format will have changed now.
So you have .X built in to tS7.6 (new version of it, works from the workspace side, should support skeletons etc), and that's it for now. We hope with the software being free, and an SDK on its way, that game engine manufacturers (who can't use .X) will see it worthwhile to make an exporter from tS to give their userbase a complete and free modeling app for making the content to go in their games.
HTH!
Tom |
Post by JimB // Jul 24, 2008, 4:45am
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JimB
Total Posts: 341
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If GameSpace 1.6 is not going to be developed further would it be possible to release it for free or for a small price,I think it still has a lot to offer indie game developers?
Thanks
Jim |
Post by KevinMc // Jul 24, 2008, 5:23am
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KevinMc
Total Posts: 8
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It hasn't really changed THAT much, Tom. ;) DTS, B3D, X, Collada, OBJ, and maybe adding in something like FBX and MS3D for good measure, and you've covered most of your bases.
I think it'll be a shame if the key import/export functionality present in Gamespace goes the way of the ghost. We're going to need to count on Caligari or community members to replace it, which could take quite a while. |
Post by TomG // Jul 24, 2008, 5:35am
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TomG
Total Posts: 3397
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COLLADA export is already included too in 7.6, which is also good for games.
I'm not ruling out (or ruling in) internal development of other formats. But with the app being free, anyone who wants to develop an importer or exporter for themselves knows at least they have a big audience out there! Naturally as a company we have to be focused on lots of things, and one person interested in one format (or one company with their game engine) can clearly devote more dedicate time to the format relevant to them and probably move faster than we can ;)
As I say, thats not to say we wont develop formats on our own - but why wait? :)
On gameSpace, it won't be released for free. It's an older tool and we are removing the older technologies to keep things clean and simple and focused on the new.
HTH!
Tom |
Post by Norm // Jul 24, 2008, 7:13am
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Norm
Total Posts: 862
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When gameSpace originally came out with the import/export functionality you mentioned, trueSpace6.6 users requested and we delivered the gamePak, which added all the functionality that trueSpace lacked in this area. Now although we no longer sell gamePak, the 3rd Party Developers who created the functionality may very well have the plugins available for purchase. These will work on model side of trueSpace7.6.
I am not sure myself what the 3rd Party Dev's know of trueSpace7.6's release. You game folks may wish to ask them and who knows, something better could come of it :banana:
The WorkSpace side of trueSpace7.6 will afford any game developers a chance to work with a cutting-edge real-time environment. Ground-floor folks, only way is up now :)
It hasn't really changed THAT much, Tom. ;) DTS, B3D, X, Collada, OBJ, and maybe adding in something like FBX and MS3D for good measure, and you've covered most of your bases.
I think it'll be a shame if the key import/export functionality present in Gamespace goes the way of the ghost. We're going to need to count on Caligari or community members to replace it, which could take quite a while. |
Post by VerlSnake // Jul 31, 2008, 5:32am
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VerlSnake
Total Posts: 14
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Comprehensive, reliable and up-to-date Collada + X format EXPORT capabilities on the workspace side are great, yes :-) !
But what about offering those comprehensive, reliable and up-to-date Collada + X format capabilities for IMPORT, too, on the workspace side ? For me the lack of decent import capabilities for 3rd party content on the workspace side is currently still an achilles heel of trueSpace 7.6 ... |
Post by thedubdude@sbcglobal.net // Aug 6, 2008, 3:10pm
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thedubdude@sbcglobal.net
Total Posts: 2
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.X is the only "game format" included - all the other formats are Model side only, ie very out of date, and would need serious overhauling. Besides, what is a popular engine / format will have changed now.
So you have .X built in to tS7.6 (new version of it, works from the workspace side, should support skeletons etc), and that's it for now. We hope with the software being free, and an SDK on its way, that game engine manufacturers (who can't use .X) will see it worthwhile to make an exporter from tS to give their userbase a complete and free modeling app for making the content to go in their games.
HTH!
Tom
Sadly the .X export generates .X files that do not load correctly into Dark Basic Pro. I posted this on the Beta Forum but it was ignored. I have to revert to TrueSpace 6.6 to get my .X exports to work! |
Post by TomG // Aug 6, 2008, 3:32pm
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TomG
Total Posts: 3397
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It'll be interesting to see why that is :) BTW, the old X format option is still there in Model side, I'm assuming you've tested both workspace and Model X format export in tS7.6?
So far I can easily export static meshes into XNA using workspace side, and then animate the parts of the hierarchy in XNA. I can load tS7.6 meshes with skeletons, but they arrive a little deformed. I can also load and access tS7.6 meshes with skeletons and animation, and access one animation, but it doesn't play back properly (on top of the deformation).
Unclear as yet if this is due to the XNA import routines, or the tS export routines, but I'm raising that on beta and investigating by testing with other X applications.
X is a very tricky format, sadly it has many different flavors, so many different game engines expect it in different flavors, and can't read it if it is not the flavor they are looking for. It's one of the least standard standards out there :(
So we'll see how things develop with that format, plus the other formats that people are working on. Workflow between tS and game engines (and other 3D apps in general) will only keep getting better and better, and much more easily now than it used to with the old tS6.6 code (where, eg, the bones were so unique that they virtually couldn't be exported to any format at all - the new bones system on the other hand already exports to X format and COLLADA, and can easily be written to other formats too - then its a matter of testing for "flavors" and options for those file types and ensuring they work with as many engines and apps as possible, but at least it is now possible unlike the old version bones!).
HTH!
Tom |
Post by iBrent // Aug 6, 2008, 4:38pm
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iBrent
Total Posts: 102
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Even though you are owned by Microsoft, don't forget that there are other game formats out there. *cough* *cough*
:D |
Post by Daaark // Aug 6, 2008, 6:23pm
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Daaark
Total Posts: 45
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Even though you are owned by Microsoft, don't forget that there are other game formats out there. *cough* *cough*
:D Collada is as general as they get for moving data around, and .x is also a generic format. Most experienced programmers use custom formats for all their stuff anyways. |
Post by TomG // Aug 7, 2008, 2:12am
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TomG
Total Posts: 3397
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There are too many game formats out there for me to be able to test them all! Particularly as it requires learning the engine some too. I'll just be testing XNA, since naturally I have easy access to it, and with only so many hours in the day I don't have time to learn and explore more than one engine in any depth. For the other engines, we'll need a user of those engines to step up for the testing of X format (or COLLADA, or other format) and how it works in that.
For other formats beyond those two, are are hoping that to ensure speedy and accurate access there will be some third party development supporting those formats in the form of scripts or plug-ins.
BTW, I'm already in touch with several game companies (at my instigation) to see if they want to develop those plug-ins direct, or if they have community members who would like to do it, and so they can test the results directly themselves, etc.
So the other game formats are not forgotten about - but XNA is the one you'll find me testing and writing tutorials about :)
HTH!
Tom |
Post by Jack Edwards // Aug 7, 2008, 2:14am
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Jack Edwards
Total Posts: 4062
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Not to mention if you want a fix to make the upcomming patch that Roman announced, the developers will need examples of files produced by TS that don't work as well as examples using similar features from other programs that do work.
Now is the time to act. Get those example files posted so that we can make sure that the TS exporters are robust and work with a broad number of existing importers. ;) |
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