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FAQ
From IrrlichtSharp
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Irrlicht#
Where is the latest code ?
Subversion always contains the latest available version. File releases are currently being made at milestones.
So.. when is the next milestone ?
Not entirely sure. We have reached our previous milestone release (0.0.4) with mesh loader available, hopefully something cool will show up shortly and we will want to show it off. It is likely we will be making maintenance releases now the codebase is usable.
When is it going to be usable ?
It is usable now, depending on what you want to do with it. We have our first meshloader working, custom screennode support and with Elric, gui support(Elric contains a gui system and easy start up code for ILS and is a seperate library written by one of the ILS developers). Enhancements are being made on a regular basis, check the SVN commit notes for more details.
Hang on, which version do I want, vs2003 || vs2005 ??
You almost certainly want the vs2005 version - the whole team is working on this, and it includes the work done on the vs2003 version.
The vs2003 version contains the primary development of the OpenGL driver - this will be integrated with the vs2005 version as soon as it is ready.
What drivers are you supporting ?
Currently, we are supporting Managed DirectX9 1.1(latest version only), Xna, Software and OpenGL. These are all at slightly different stages of development. As to mono/linux/mac support, cross your fingers, but don't hold your breath. The most complete and functional driver is for DirextX9.
Is this thing called ILS, Irrlicht# or IrrlichtSharp ?
ILS is an acronym based on IrrLichtSharp and is being used to prevent the problems associated with the sharp symbol not being typeable, and not being able to be used in filenames/code, and because it is a lot shorter than the expanded name IrrlichtSharp. It both separates us from, and acknowleges the Irrlicht based origins of the engine. It was originally intended to be just a short name for Irrlicht# but is currently being used as a complete replacement for IrrlichtSharp and interchangably with Irrlicht#.
In web page names and other places it is not possible to use the hash character in Irrlicht#, so links and similar end up being written as IrrlichtSharp. This is the same limitation as with C#, explained better in this wikipedia article.
Compiling
It should compile in C# express or VS2005 without any problems, if you are using an older version, upgrade already. If you are using a newer version, as long as you are targetting .NET2.0 it should work with no problems. You will need managed directX and XNA(included in the latest Game Studio Express) references in the project to compile. If you need more information, just ask on the forum.
Documentation
Current documentation has been generated from the XML comments in the code and relates directly to the version in SVN168. A class diagram has also been generated from this version. More detailed documentation will likely be made available later.
Contributions
How do I get added to the project ?
You need to let one of the sourceforge admins know your sourceforge address for write access to the SVN project - this will be much more likely if you contribute a bit of code ! (Code gets attention really quickly.) Please use the forum to contact us - there is a code forum available where you can post any patches or code.
Can I contribute stuff that isn't Irrlicht or Irrlicht# stuff ? Like my own extensions ?
Absolutely. Again, just let us know via the forum. We intend Irrlicht# to overtake Irrlicht eventually.
What about subprojects and similar ?
If you ask really nicely.
SourceForge Questions
Hopefully your question will be answered on one of these pages.
General
What Engine Should I Use ?
Egads. Is there a tougher question to answer ?
It really repends on what you want to do with it and what you are prepared to put up with. Each engine out there has it's own advantages and disadvantages, and we are always waiting for the next version, whatever we decide upon.
I ask myself this question on a semi-regular basis, and over the last year I have compiled a list of engines available to .Net along with their features and highlights. Please feel free to add to it. The page is avalable here
Known bugs
LoaderLock error
- Symptoms: When you start your app, you get a LoaderLock exception.
- Solution: Simply disable the exception in (ctrl-D, E) Debug/Exceptions.../Managed Debugging Assistants -> LoaderLock. It's a pretty well documented Managed DirectX issue which causes this, not Irrlicht#.
(For more infos, see the thread [1])
