Dim3
Encyclopedia
Dim3, also known as Dimension 3, is a freeware open-source 3D
game engine
for Mac OS X
created by Brian Barnes. It has been chosen as a staff pick for OS X development software by Apple. and featured as one of their "hot game building tools." dim3 has an entry in DevMaster's 3D engines database.
dim3 uses OpenGL
for rendering, OpenAL
for audio, JavaScript
for scripting, XML
for data and Simple DirectMedia Layer
for resolution switching and input.
The Engine is the deployment application that runs games created in dim3. The games (or "projects") are cross-platform and only require the proper engine to run on the proper platform. The engine was made an runs on Mac OS X
and also on Microsoft Windows
and Linux
(though the Linux port is outdated.)
The Editor is used to create Levels (video gaming) by importing various 3D models into it. The Editor is capable of per-pixel lighting, bump and specular mapping, real-time lighting and/or baked lighting, particles and other special effects, skeletal animation, and customization through javascript.
The Animator is used to add loop animations and effects to models used with dim3. The Animator is used to add bones, setup poses for the bones, and to combine those poses into animations. The Animator uses a skeletal animation
system. This makes character movement simplistic yet very realistic. The Animator, nor the engine, is capable of performing rag-doll physics (the physics simulation capabilities are almost nothing).
A data folder, representing the game, contains all the maps, models, artwork, sounds, and scripts required to create a game in dim3. Each game is self-contained in up to 3 data folders, though only one is actually needed. A demonstration "game" is added to dim3, though it is not really a game in itself but shows most of the engine's capabilities.
3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...
game engine
Game engine
A game engine is a system designed for the creation and development of video games. There are many game engines that are designed to work on video game consoles and personal computers...
for Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
created by Brian Barnes. It has been chosen as a staff pick for OS X development software by Apple. and featured as one of their "hot game building tools." dim3 has an entry in DevMaster's 3D engines database.
dim3 uses OpenGL
OpenGL
OpenGL is a standard specification defining a cross-language, cross-platform API for writing applications that produce 2D and 3D computer graphics. The interface consists of over 250 different function calls which can be used to draw complex three-dimensional scenes from simple primitives. OpenGL...
for rendering, OpenAL
OpenAL
OpenAL is a cross-platform audio API. It is designed for efficient rendering of multichannel three dimensional positional audio. Its API style and conventions deliberately resemble those of OpenGL.- History :...
for audio, JavaScript
JavaScript
JavaScript is a prototype-based scripting language that is dynamic, weakly typed and has first-class functions. It is a multi-paradigm language, supporting object-oriented, imperative, and functional programming styles....
for scripting, XML
XML
Extensible Markup Language is a set of rules for encoding documents in machine-readable form. It is defined in the XML 1.0 Specification produced by the W3C, and several other related specifications, all gratis open standards....
for data and Simple DirectMedia Layer
Simple DirectMedia Layer
Simple DirectMedia Layer is a cross-platform, free and open source multimedia library written in C that presents a simple interface to various platforms' graphics, sound, and input devices....
for resolution switching and input.
Components
dim3 includes three applications: Engine, Editor, and the Animator.The Engine is the deployment application that runs games created in dim3. The games (or "projects") are cross-platform and only require the proper engine to run on the proper platform. The engine was made an runs on Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
and also on Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
and Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
(though the Linux port is outdated.)
The Editor is used to create Levels (video gaming) by importing various 3D models into it. The Editor is capable of per-pixel lighting, bump and specular mapping, real-time lighting and/or baked lighting, particles and other special effects, skeletal animation, and customization through javascript.
The Animator is used to add loop animations and effects to models used with dim3. The Animator is used to add bones, setup poses for the bones, and to combine those poses into animations. The Animator uses a skeletal animation
Skeletal animation
Skeletal animation is a technique in computer animation in which a character is represented in two parts: a surface representation used to draw the character and a hierarchical set of interconnected bones used to animate the mesh...
system. This makes character movement simplistic yet very realistic. The Animator, nor the engine, is capable of performing rag-doll physics (the physics simulation capabilities are almost nothing).
A data folder, representing the game, contains all the maps, models, artwork, sounds, and scripts required to create a game in dim3. Each game is self-contained in up to 3 data folders, though only one is actually needed. A demonstration "game" is added to dim3, though it is not really a game in itself but shows most of the engine's capabilities.
External links
- Dim3 website Official Web Site
- Dim3 forum Official Forum
- Google Code for dim3
- Dim3 Wikia