View Full Version : Blade3D for XNA
Coolhand
07-09-2007, 02:46 PM
I was wondering if anyone around here has played with the Beta of Blade3D (http://www.blade3d.com)? In case you don't know, it is a fully featured game development package (engine, scene editor, visual coding, shader editor, scripting, physics, etc. etc. etc.) built around XNA for use on PC and 360 titles.
It seems pretty cool in terms of features (especially on the visual coding and HLSL shader side of things), and it is very reasonably priced ($99 for hobbyist version, $249 for commercial version), so we are thinking about using it for a project that we are about to begin working on at Luma and I was hoping that someone here may be able to give me their opinions on it...
They are still in Beta however, so you can't actually purchase it yet (although anyone is free to sign up and download the Beta).
Fengol
07-09-2007, 03:49 PM
I'm defintely keen to give it a try! Thanks for the link
Tr00jg
07-09-2007, 04:11 PM
Whoa... Looks extremely intriguing! Talking of game dev packages for XNA. How is TorgueX.
If anyone has tried Blade3D or TorgueX lemme know. :)
BlackHawk
08-09-2007, 03:36 PM
Another IDE you might want to look at is Visual3D.Net (http://www.visual3d.net/Home/tabid/36/Default.aspx). Its also currently in beta, will also have a hobbyist version. I haven't downloaded it yet, but the screen shots of current projects working on it looks very good.
Gazza_N
09-09-2007, 10:13 AM
May I ask a n00b question?
I was always led to believe via the promo videos that XNA was essentially Game Maker for the X360, but using C# instead of GML. Reading this, it seems I was horribly mistaken. Could somebody clear things up for me? Is XNA an SDK like DirectX, through which you write your own engines, or is it a self-contained game making package a-la Game Maker?
DrDeth
09-09-2007, 10:49 AM
Gazza:
XNA is a Framework for making games. It was concieved and started by the guys responsible for the Managed DX stuff. They stopped dev on MDX 2 to move onto XNA. At its core it sits on top of DirectX.
It is NOT like GM. See my Dev Journal (http://www.sagamedev.co.za/developerjournal_post.aspx?journalid=17) to get a better idea of how it works.
Gazza_N
09-09-2007, 10:55 AM
@DrDeth: Thanks. I'll check out that link ASAP.
EDIT: Aaaaah, I see now. My problem was that I saw quite a few shots of a GM-style IDE in the promo movies. I always knew that it was more complex than GM, given that you have to write your own lower-level stuff for IO handling and such, but it was the overall nature of XNA that confuzzed me. Thanks again.
Chippit
09-09-2007, 11:18 AM
If you want a GM-esque interface for XNA, I believe the Torque Game Builder would be your best friend.
Gazza_N
09-09-2007, 11:26 AM
@Chippit: Probably, although I'm not afraid to venture beyond the need for something like that. GM is fine for now while I'm learning game design principles, but I need to look at expanding my programming skills beyond it for the future. ;)
Tr00jg
09-09-2007, 01:03 PM
I must say Gazza. I was also confused at the beginning. I also thought XNA came packaged with a visual editor... As Chippit said, it was just Torgue Game Builder shots they used. Pfft... Lousy marketing.
Gazza_N
09-09-2007, 02:55 PM
Pfft... Lousy marketing.
Not really. Got you interested in XNA, didn't it? ;)
Now if only I could get my grimy mitts on a C# compiler...
ShadowMaster
09-09-2007, 03:01 PM
Now if only I could get my grimy mitts on a C# compiler...
You can download one from Microsoft: Visual Studio Express edition, for free.
Gazza_N
09-09-2007, 03:05 PM
So it's part of the full XNA kit then? TIme to pore through my old cover DVDs, methinks.
ShadowMaster
09-09-2007, 03:09 PM
So it's part of the full XNA kit then?
I think you would still need to download XNA and everything it needs.
VS justs compiles everything and is a good IDE.
Chippit
09-09-2007, 03:19 PM
Yeah, Visual Studio's a pretty awesome IDE.
To create XNA games, you'll need to download Visual C# Express and XNA Game Studio Express. Without the C# documentation, it's not -such- a hefty download. But if you want to have the MSDN locally you better be prepared for another 200mb+ on top of the Visual Studio download.
Gazza_N
09-09-2007, 04:13 PM
Mmmmm... You see, I'd want that documentation too, since I'd have to teach myself C# as well... In any case, thanks! I'll see what I can find on my old cover DVDs then pull the rest down (cap willing).
Chippit
09-09-2007, 05:27 PM
Mmmmm... You see, I'd want that documentation too, since I'd have to teach myself C# as well... In any case, thanks! I'll see what I can find on my old cover DVDs then pull the rest down (cap willing).
Yeah, I had to do the same since I'd never actually used a C-based language. But, even if you don't have the files locally, you can still view them online. I did that for quite a while before I downloaded the local files. It's not really much of a hindrance, other than being slightly less immediate.
DrDeth
10-09-2007, 02:52 AM
Here's my initial post detailing everything you'll need (excluding the C# help):
Getting Started (http://www.sagamedev.co.za/developerjournal_post.aspx?journalid=16)
BlackHawk
12-09-2007, 01:07 PM
Has the DirectX SDK requirement been lifted? When 1.0 was released, one of the core requirements was the December 2006 SDK (a hefty 400+ MB download).
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