Reality Factory 0.78.0.0 Pre-Release

[QuestOfDreams]

Easter bunny was a bit late this year ... well, you might still find the pre-release of Reality Factory 0.78.0.0 to be worth a try. The new version comes with a lot of new features (Note that this is a beta version not recommended for production usage):

• Fixed gravity frame rate dependency
• Fixed comment bug in Simkin script parser
• Fixed effect manager update which was executed twice per frame
• Fixed explosion manager update which was executed twice per frame
• Fixed ElectricBolt audio
• Fixed ogg vorbis playback
• Fixed detection of end position of streaming audio
• Fixed inconsistent camera height when switching views
• Fixed actorscale in character.ini now corresponds to ActorScaleFactor in PlayerSetup entity and PlayerScaleFactor is used even for character.ini players
• Fixed collision bug with ModelStateModifier models
• Fixed collision handler of Teleporter entity which could prevent the fade out effect from completing.
• Fixed projected shadows rendering on top of actors
• Fixed crash that occured when removing an actor with attached explosion
• Fixed updating of position of sounds played by Pawn scripts
• Changed GUI system (CEGUI 0.62b)
• Changed input system (OIS)
• Changed savegame format
• Changed menu system (CEGUI)
• Changed message system (CEGUI, scriptable)
• Changed inventory system (CEGUI, scriptable)
• Changed conversation system (CEGUI, scriptable)
• Changed DrawText/ShowText/ShowTextDelay script methods (int FontNr -> string FontName)
• Changed int DeathFontSize to string DeathFont in PlayerSetup entity
• Changed int Font to string Font in ChangeLevel entity
• Changed font keyword in HUDInfofile file to specify a CEGUI font
• Changed NextPoint() Pawn script method to work as documented
• Changed PlaySound() LevelController script method to take a 3D position instead of using Player position
• Changed number of available actor files per level to unlimited
• Changed number of available effect definitions to unlimited
• Changed number of available explosion definitions to unlimited
• Changed number of available projectile definitions to unlimited
• Changed number of available armour definitions to unlimited
• Changed number of available language definitions to unlimited
• Changed player related options of EnvironmentSetup entity to be part of PlayerSetup entity
• Added configurable weapon precision
• Added language configuration file
• Added conversation configuration file
• Added internal_config.ini file for private configuration options
• Added configurable savegame directory (in My Documents folder)
• Added configurable screenshot directory (in My Documents folder)
• Added configurable log file directory (in AppData folder)
• Added configurable configfile directory (in AppData folder)
• Added Log class (exposed to scripting language via global 'Log' object)
• Added global 'Input' script object
• Added options speedcoeffrun, speedcoeffbackward, speedcoeffsideward in playersetup INI file
• Added options SpeedCoeffLava, SpeedCoeffSlowMotion, SpeedCoeffFastMotion to EnvironmentSetup entity
• Removed private options from RealityFactory.ini file (now in internal_config.ini)
• Removed DrawFlipBookImage, GetConvReplyNr, Concat script methods

• Fixed EMBM: sometimes bumpmap was assigned to faces instead of base map (GBSPLib)
• Fixed QuickView in RFEditPro
• Fixed texture preview in RFEditPro
• Fixed arch brush template with round shape and start angle other than zero in RFEditPro
• Fixed caption text in Create Group dialog in RFEditPro
• Fixed help file for RFEditPro
• Added more screen resolutions in VideoSetup tool
• Added FontStudio for bitmap fonts
• Removed ttf2font
• Removed TreeBuilder
• Removed IniEditor (temporarily)
• Removed GameBuilder (temporarily)

The package is available from the downloads section.
For the updated RFEditPro you may need to install the Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 Redistributable Package (see viewtopic.php?f=1&t=5312)

The main motivation for this pre-release is that a) you can get familiar with the new features and b) bug reports can improve the final release. Known issues in this beta version are
- the code completion in the RF Script Editor is outdated
- savegames might be screwed up
- only a part of the new scripting commads are tested thoroughly
- character icons in conversation are not tested
- there might be unknown side effects when using Pawn commands during conversations
- more (and polished) examples to show off the new features are required
Also the HUD will get a major rewrite to use CEGUI for the final 0.78 release.

PS: Sorry for the bad voice acting in the conversation demo level.

[Allanon]

Downloading now, glad to see you're keeping Reality Factory alive. Keep up the good work.

[QuestOfDreams]

Let me just babble a bit more about the new version.

The first thing that probably leaps out at long term RF users is the change of the GUI system (which in further consequence had a strong impact on several subsystems).

An important change that might not be so obvious at a first glance is the introduction of game states. A game state basically defines the current tasks that the game engine has to take care of. Just think of the actions you perform when you are in the main menu and when you are playing a level. While in the first case you are interacting solely with the GUI using mouse clicks (and entering some text), you will use a defined set of keys to control the player's actions in-game. Clearly there's also a difference in what is displayed on the screen: a 2D interface vs. a 3D level.
So these are definitely two different states of the game. In RF they are called Menu State and Play State. Under certain circumstances (e.g. during in-game conversations) you might want to interact with a 2D interface but also render a 3D level. For this case RF provides a third game state named Dialog State. Each of these states has its own rendering function and event handlers which helps a lot to enforce a well-defined structure on the game and the underlying code.

If you skim through the manual you may come across some new directory settings in the internal configuration file, namely SavegameDirectory, ScreenshotDirectory, LogDirectory and ConfigDirectory. "Why are these directories in the 'My Documents' and AppData folder? Why is RF scattering files around my hard drive?", you may ask. Well, you might have noticed that - starting with Windows Vista and above - Microsoft has enforced certain user privileges for specific actions. Especially the 'Program Files' folder (where you typically want to install a game) requires administrator rights to create or modify files. If the application does not have the required privilege level the files will end up in some ominous folder on your hard drive at best or, at worst, the file operation will just fail. That's why we have to choose some standard directories to save certain files using default user rights only. By doing this, games created with RF can be installed to the 'Program Files' folder and work just fine. (Note that the VideoSetup.exe still requires admin rights since it modifies the RealityFactory.ini file which must be located in the same directory as the RealityFactory.exe file).
While for RF created games everything is hunky-dory, the RF toolkit itself should still be installed to, e.g., C:\RealityFactory since several of the tools have not been designed with this user permission system in mind.

Well, that's all for today

[hgt_terry]

Excellent.

Lets do it

[QuestOfDreams]

I just noticed that I missed to add the documentation of the new Input script methods. I will add it to the package asap.

Edit:
The package is now updated. Those who have already downloaded it earlier may find the updated manual as a separate download in the documentation section of the download page.

[steven8]

QOD, you are incredible. I just taught my son how to animate a door today. I can't WAIT to download this new version and give it a whirl with him in the morning.

Thank you!!

[QuestOfDreams]

I hope you enjoy it.

At all: Any feedback would be highly appreciated.

[steven8]

Love the new menu. Also love the fact that RFEditPro isn't always searching for it's needed files (TXL, etc.). Still playing...

Also, FontStudio is very cool! Thank you.

[ardentcrest]

Cool......

Rf not pushing up daisies yet.

Downloading now.

"QOD, when you do a full release. you should do a mass mail, and lets see how many old faces turn up"

[ardentcrest]

! C:\Users\ardentcrest\Downloads\RealityFactory-0.78.0.0-beta(1).zip: The archive is either in unknown format or damaged

! D:\RealityFactory\rebuilt.RealityFactory-0.78.0.0-beta.zip: CRC failed in RealityFactory\tools\CEImagesetEditor-v0-6-2.exe.zip. The file is corrupt
! D:\RealityFactory\rebuilt.RealityFactory-0.78.0.0-beta.zip: CRC failed in CEGUIBase.dll. The file is corrupt
! D:\RealityFactory\rebuilt.RealityFactory-0.78.0.0-beta.zip: CRC failed in SILLY.dll. The file is corrupt
! D:\RealityFactory\rebuilt.RealityFactory-0.78.0.0-beta.zip: CRC failed in RealityFactory\tools\CELayoutEditorSetup-0.6.3.exe. The file is corrupt

[QuestOfDreams]

The file on the server should be fine. Please check your download:
File Size: 53.094.141 Bytes
MD5 sum: 2dbb5e7d4def8d6a2b603124aa7b6f05

[ardentcrest]

no still cant get it

[QuestOfDreams]

Here is an alternate download link:
Game Front

[ardentcrest]

works

thank QOD

[Veleran]

This is great news after a long time,and i did not hope for even a beta download.
I had not notice his post until today.
I am downloading it,although i do not dare use it yet and might wait in case there is a more stable release in the future.
So many bug fixes...
Like for example the actor scaling,i knew there was something with the scaling of the players in the character ini because the Isometric camera zoomed out too far if you raised the player scale or when you scale down the player it zoomed in too close instead of keeping a steady distance that you have predefined.Anyway,if that is for another forum section.
Thank you for spending time cleaning and improving all these systems.