ETQW Software Development Kit
Splash Damage's Tools and User Interface Programmer. I'm responsible for the upcoming Software Development Kit (SDK) for Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars, and thought I'd give all you enthusiastic Mod-Makers and Level Designers a status update and an idea of what we're packing into the SDK.
What's in the SDK
While we've been very busy working on the ETQW 1.2 Client Update (more on that here), we're also putting final polishes on the SDK itself. Here is what you can expect to find in the SDK:
Here's a brief run-down of some of the tools included in the SDK:
We want to ensure we provide great support for Modders, so we we are not only going to release the SDK, but also our internal ETQW development WIKI full of reference documentation and tutorials. Among other things, you'll be able to find information on game scripting, adding or modifying vehicles, building worlds, creating and editing the game's atmospheres, and how to create a variety of assets and get them into the game. In a nutshell, you're getting all of the documentation that we used internally throughout the development of ETQW, along with additional tutorials and how-to's written specifically for the modding community.
We plan to launch the ETQW Editing Wiki alongside the full Software Developers Kit, Tools, Media, Tutorials, and Documentation after the ETQW 1.2 update is released. Keep an eye on the developer blog for the latest on this.
I'll close by sneaking in a little tidbit: We're currently looking for a Junior Tools Programmer to join our team and help with future tools and SDK work. You can find more details here on the Splash Damage website.
- source: official site
What's in the SDK
While we've been very busy working on the ETQW 1.2 Client Update (more on that here), we're also putting final polishes on the SDK itself. Here is what you can expect to find in the SDK:
- The latest C++ game code. You will have full access to the game logic, all of its support classes, the physics system, the scripting language, and the user interface system, among other things. There's a huge potential for varied and creative modifications to the game just waiting to be tapped.
- Several tutorial maps to show you how to set up and script the various objective types in the game, such as the MCP, Shield Generators, and so forth.
- High-resolution source art used to generate ETQW's MegaTextures.
- Prefabricated map elements and models you can use in your own maps.
- The original text versions of all of the assets. The game disc has pre-compiled binary versions of most of these assets to cut down on memory usage and speed up loading times. With the SDK you'll have access to the same assets that we used during our day-to-day development of ETQW. You'll be able to see and understand how we implemented certain features and use them to create your own variations or improvements.
- The tools used to make the game. We've given them an extra polish pass, making them as friendly an experience as possible.
Here's a brief run-down of some of the tools included in the SDK:
- Aspiring world builders will be able to fire up editWorld to build and place geometry, as well as create new MegaTextures. You can build and texture your own geometry or import models from external modeling programs. The built-in MegaTexture editor allows you to realistically blend layers of terrain, as well as projected images and create and manipulate roads.
- An in-game Stamp Editor allows you to add even more detail to your MegaTextures as you fly around the world.
- The visual mood of each world can be adjusted with the Atmosphere Editor using sunlight, multiple ambient lights, fog, post-process effects, and atmospheric effects like rain and snow.
- Sound is also important for setting mood, and the in-game Sound Editor allows for quickly placing ambient sounds throughout a world.
- The Texture Sheet editor provides an easy way to group related textures together so that they can be rendered as efficiently as possible.
- The MegaBuild front end helps you through the steps needed to compile your own MegaTextures from start to finish.
- There are numerous other editing tools and compilers that were used to create Enemy Territory QUAKE: Wars by our development teams. These include height map and normal map generators, the world compiler, and bot navigation compilers.
We want to ensure we provide great support for Modders, so we we are not only going to release the SDK, but also our internal ETQW development WIKI full of reference documentation and tutorials. Among other things, you'll be able to find information on game scripting, adding or modifying vehicles, building worlds, creating and editing the game's atmospheres, and how to create a variety of assets and get them into the game. In a nutshell, you're getting all of the documentation that we used internally throughout the development of ETQW, along with additional tutorials and how-to's written specifically for the modding community.
We plan to launch the ETQW Editing Wiki alongside the full Software Developers Kit, Tools, Media, Tutorials, and Documentation after the ETQW 1.2 update is released. Keep an eye on the developer blog for the latest on this.
I'll close by sneaking in a little tidbit: We're currently looking for a Junior Tools Programmer to join our team and help with future tools and SDK work. You can find more details here on the Splash Damage website.
- source: official site
