CVS Snapshots

[Tiraid]

Hey fellas, I was just wondering if it would be possible for you to offer CVS snapshots like CS and CEL. My current internet situation is less than satisfactory and snapshots are a real plus.

I use WinCVS now, but it has strange results. My linux box also is currently not online (almost makes it worthless!)

Another question (I hope this is an ok place for it), why are you using the latest versions of CS and CEL instead of the stable releases? I\'m not criticizing, just looking for knowledge. I\'m so glad Plane Shift is open source. Keep up the good work. You guys are the best!

[Cete]

Because Planeshift is under heavy development, its network protocol changes too often (and because both Planeshift Client and Planeshift Server have to use the same version of that protocol), the only reason you want to use the CVS tree is Planeshift development (because you can\'t play with CVS versions).  Consequently, releasing CVS snapshots has no sense. (CVS snapshots for development reasons are absolutely unusable because you have to dowload the whole source tree every time you want update your source tree)

[Tiraid]

Cete,
Take a look at the Crystal Space and Crystal Entity Layer CVS Snapshot pages. Not only do they offer the entire source tree in zip files, but also just the diffs. I\'m aware you can\'t play with CVS versions, but look on the bright side; as of now, you can\'t play anyway! I am interested in this for the reason of development. I am not a Member, but maybe one day, after mucking through the code, I\'ll be able to become one.

CVS snapshots would just be nice on the SourceForge page, so as not to confuse those who are just looking to download the client.

Are there any other non-member developers out there who are currently working on PlaneShift code? If so, I hope you are having better luck than I am. I don\'t know if I am having configuration problems or what, but I\'ve compiled the server and client code. I can run the server, and connect to it using the client, but all I get is a cleaver, a dwarf, two chests, and no floors, walls or ceilings. If I approach the dwarf, I fall to a depth of -21.**, or something close to it. Maybe that was just the state of the code last Thursday. If anyone has any advice for me, It would be appreciated.

[Cete]

Try out podium with walktest (this is the CS map tester app) first time without and second time with -relight, maybe the CS CVS snapshot you are using is a bit broken. (The dwarf, the cleaver, and the falling are normal)

[Tiraid]

Cete,

You\'re brilliant! I was trying to use podium in simpmap, but walktest was a much better choice. I got it loaded and it is very nice. Of coarse I didn\'t get the cleaver, the dwarf and the chests, which are cel entities, if I understand correctly. CEL isn\'t implemented in walktest, so that makes sense. What doesn\'t make sense is that I can see the walls in walktest, but not in PlaneShift. I wonder if it was just the state of the planeshift code when I downloaded it.

I also tried relighting podium in walktest then moving it to planeshift. No luck. I think I\'ll just go ahead and get the latest version of PlaneShift and try again. Let me know if you have any ideas.

[acraig]

Originally posted by Tiraid
Hey fellas, I was just wondering if it would be possible for you to offer CVS snapshots like CS and CEL. My current internet situation is less than satisfactory and snapshots are a real plus.

Well, at the moment it\'s not a high priority since it would be something else that we would have to maintain. ( Although it should just be a simple script. If anybody out there wants to write one then we\'ll take a look ).

I use WinCVS now, but it has strange results. My linux box also is currently not online (almost makes it worthless!)

Need more information before can help fix any winCVS problems.

Another question (I hope this is an ok place for it), why are you using the latest versions of CS and CEL instead of the stable releases?

Well, many of us also develop CrystalSpace as well and we make changes there that are required for PlaneShift.  So we need the bleeding edge CVS.

As for the lighting... Try running from command line:
psclient --relight --recalc.  This should regenerate the lighting.  If that doesn\'t work then look into the bugplug plugin for CS which can allow you to control light on/off.

[Tiraid]

acraig,

Snapshots:
I really only wanted this because WinCVS was giving me problems. I just got command line cvs, so the problem is gone. Snapshots may be nice for others, but I\'m no longer in need. One question though, would the CS and CEL snapshot script be so different from a PlaneShift snapshot script? I assume you would have access to it.

WinCVS:
I don\'t know why it wouldn\'t work. I followed the instructions, but the only thing I got from the server is EOF. I don\'t need it anymore so don\'t worry about it, thank you for your offer to help, though.

Lighting:
Your suggestion worked. Thank you.

One more question, just because:
The main PlaneShift world file is not included in CVS. Is this because of size? Or is there another issue? If it is open source, is there a place where developers involved in personal study could get it?

Thanks for your help. It really did me a lot of good.

[acraig]

Originally posted by Tiraid
One question though, would the CS and CEL snapshot script be so different from a PlaneShift snapshot script? I assume you would have access to it.

Yes, it would probably be similar to those.  I will have to check it out at some point to see how they do it.

One more question, just because:
The main PlaneShift world file is not included in CVS. Is this because of size? Or is there another issue? If it is open source, is there a place where developers involved in personal study could get it?

Well, there are a number of reasons for that.  First is the size, the maps are fairly large and having them in the CVS is more of a liability.  

Second, the artists don\'t use the CVS so it\'s up to the other programmers to commit artistic changes.

Third, the maps ( and other art ) is covered by a different license the the GPL.  You can read about that here.  
Fouth, we don\'t want to \'let the cat out of the bag\' as it were.  If we made everything public as soon as we did it then the \'gosh\' factor is a little lost as everybody has already seen everything.

The podium map in the CVS should be good enough for general study.  It\'s the map I use 99% of the time.  The only thing that it is missing are portals.

What you can do if you are very desperate for a map is one of two things:
a) Download the old windows client and get the map from there.
b) wait a little while for the next version to be released and get the maps from there.

-----------
Andrew

[Tiraid]

I\'m just using the old map, roads38. What does that name reference? author3.8 ?

One more question (yeah right)
Is there a place I can go to see what the current issues are that developers are working on? That isn\'t necissary. Now that I have everything compiled and running, I have a lot of code to learn

[cmhitman]

*is jealous of everyones coding know how*

man they dont teach us nearly enought to do anything useful for ps in my c++ class.

[Vengeance]

Gotta crawl before you walk, son...

[Tiraid]

cmhitman,
They do teach you what you need to know in c++ class, just not all of it. But what you need to learn from school, more than anything else, is how to learn to do something on your own. Don\'t just hang on what your professor says, read the text book yourself, get ahead of the class. Put in the extra time and effort. Make your assignments better than anyone elses. If you want to get into things like 3D engines, you have to be good. It isn\'t easy. Understand every principle, really understand it. There is a difference between understanding something and being able to compile it. And remember one more thing, I don\'t think anyone on the PlaneShift team has been doing this for less than 2 years. Don\'t look to far ahead of where you are. Concentrate on learning exactly what you are on at the moment, even if you don\'t see a use in it. I know you didn\'t ask for advice, but there it is, if you want it.

[cmhitman]

no, I appreciate it, its just
 I\'ve read the turbo c++ book all the way through three times..three whole times (ok maybe like two, then i skimed through the third time) and all i can do is print my abc\'s to the screen or do simple geometry; And whenever I think up an idea to create even a simple idea for a game. (like maybe tic-tac toe) I realize that i\'m
even too stupid for that.

[Tiraid]

Sounds like you need a new book.

I\'d start with the red book. The OpenGL Programming Guide. You might not ever have to do any OpenGL, but it\'s important to know what is happening on the lower levels.
http://fly.cc.fer.hr/~unreal/theredbook/

Another good book is OpenGL Game Programming
http://www.bookpool.com/.x/4ojn5te9lr/sm/0761533303
(I always buy tech books from bookpool. Good Prices)
This will actually get into game programming topics, and ends with a first person 3d engine you can mess with. You may want to start with this one because it has some OpenGL basics. There is another book in this line called \"Programming Network Games\", or something close. I never got this one because the reviews say it starts from the beginning, teaches everything in DirectX, and barely touches networking in the end. If you are at the beginning, this may be a good choice.

As for tutorials, I suggest these
http://www.gametutorials.com/Tutorials/OpenGL/OpenGL_Pg1.htm
They are very good. A lot of concepts and basics are covered.

When you have these down, it\'s time for Crystal Space. I hope you recognize that by now. If not, there are better people here than me to tell you about it. I\'m just starting on Crystal Space, myself.