TECH NOTES

As I have always had an abiding interest in game development on the computer, I have had little time to spend on it outside of researching the various components that go into the development of a complete computer-based game. My own specific interest in this area has been in the development of historical war-games.

As a result, I have spent literally scores of hours researching the various graphic engines, both commercial and open-source, that could provide a .NET developer with not only a complete API but ease of implementation as well. To this end, I have concluded that “Truevision3D” is the probably the finest tool available for most .NET game development. While its feature list is extensive it is the simplicity of its API that makes it the perfect choice for those who have always wanted to develop their own gaming systems but have also wanted to do it from scratch using the .NET development environments.

While this does not mean that other engines I have researched don’t merit consideration, such as the new “Torque X” engine from GarageGames.com, many of the commercial engines are rather pricey while the quality open-source implementations for whatever reason tend to have either inadequate or poor documentation for people new to such development. “Truevision3d” on the other hand has good community support and enough sample code to get anyone started interested in delving into game development.

To download a developer’s edition of “Truevision3d” go to the following link: http://www.truevision3d.com/

Steve Naidamast
Black Falcon Software, Inc.




TV3D Complete Features List

The TV3D SDK is an extensive library for 2D and 3D development for games, simulations, and 3D applications. Each of the features listed below can be configured to operate in many different ways, and can be combined to make a unique 3D experience. All of the features have been created for both the novice and advanced programmer alike, with a harmony of simplicity and flexibility being a primary development goal.
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