Wednesday 16 November 2011

About the Glint 3d Engine

Introduction

The Glint 3d Engine helps create stunning software applications ranging from simple console applications to full 3D simulations.
The Glint 3d Engine is a Lua based script interpreter (like Python and Java) that's dynamically extensible using Lua modules. It requires no compilation or installation and works straight out of the box. Run the application from hard-disk, CD, USB or across a network... easy.
The Glint 3d Engine is available as a standalone application or as C++ source code for Microsoft's MSVC++ 2008+ and Apple Mac's XCode.

Please note that this project has been shelved indefinitely. The Glint 3D binaries are still available to download, and we maintain all the source code should we wish to revisit this project at a later date. If you're interested in trying our the Lua programming language in a 3D environment, then feel free to download the binaries and play with the Glint 3D Engine. It's a fun, flexible and powerful programming language.

Features at a glance

Any task - Any time

20+ well documented interfaces are all accessible from lua script-code to achieve any software task.
The comprehensive programmer's reference is easy to navigate with full documentation for all the G3E interfaces.
Everything you need to build your software is included.

Fast Development

No software compilers are required! No installation is required! Have less hassles and save more time.
G3E code changes don't need to be compiled, so your changes can be tested immediately. And the G3E runs from hard-disk, CD, USB or from a network.
The G3E is cross-platform, with versions for Win XP, Vista, 7 and Mac OSX.

Flexible Licensing

Stop paying high prices for stuff that you'll never use!
The G3E has simple licensing and purchasing. And best of all, you can use it for free with no time limitations or obligation.
So it's the right price for you, whether you're a student, contractor or company.

Easy Deployment

Small file-size with no installation required. And a script compiler protects your IP.
The G3E is only 2Mb in size (compressed) so it's easy to download or include on hard media. Distribute the G3E with your products for easy publishing to third-parties.
A script compiler is available for licensed developers. Convert scripts into byte-code to protect your IP and improve load times.

Dedicated Team

Capricorn 76 Pty. Ltd has been creating software since 2003. We're here to stay!
At Capricorn 76, we all have the same goal in mind. "Create top-quality products we're proud to offer to customers". We've partnered with other like-minded companies and individuals to continue this mission. Our team are dedicated, professional and have lots of experience.

Extensible via Plugins

Plugins extend the G3E functionality.
The G3E has 10+ dynamic plugins including Qt user-interfaces, ADO databasing, networking, HTTP/FTP/SMTP interfacing, COM automation, multi-threading, cryptography and much more (for G3E licensees only). Further extend the G3E by making your own dynamic plugins to achieve any software development task (for G3E C++ source code licensees only).

Royalty Free Licensing

Our licenses are 100% royalty free.
You're free to create and sell as many G3E based products as you like withour ever having to pay us royalties.

Personal Support

Talk directly with the experts.
We provide technical support to G3E licensees.
We follow the 'You support us, we support you' doctrine to help tailor our support giving you the best service possible.

Examples & Tutorials

Plenty of documentation and examples.
There's plenty of comprehensive tutorials and on our website and example code.

2D/3D Graphics

Use DirectX and OpenGL hardware acceleration or software drivers.
The optimised graphics engine is integrated with the physics and sound to create stunning 3D worlds.
Based on the Irrlicht graphics engine, the G3E has been extended to provide extra functionality.

Shaders

Use High-Level shaders to extend the G3E.
High-Level vertex and pixel shaders can be applied using the DirectX HLSL or OpenGL GLSL languages.

Lighting & Shadows

Add extra realism to your 3D worlds with realtime shadows and baked lightmaps.
Apply dynamic lighting to your 3D worlds with point, spot, and directional lights. Baked vertex lighting and lightmaps add realism to your 3D worlds.

Physics

Bring your simulations to life with real physics.
Use forces (eg. gravity) and torques on your world entities. The physics engine automatically updates the graphics and sound in your 3D worlds. The G3E uses the Bullet physics library, including rigid and soft body physics simulation.

2D/3D Sound

Mix streamed music and 3D sound effects with EFX reverb effects and filters.
Add music and sound fx using OpenAL hardware acceleration, or software drivers. The sound engine is integrated with the graphics and physics components.

User Interfaces

Manage GUI controls like menus, buttons, lists, combo boxes etc.
Create user interfaces using the gui-editor (for G3E licensees only) or directly from your script code.
Extend your guis with skins to change their look and feel.

Scripting

The G3E is built with scripting at its core.
The Lua scripting language supports all standard programming concepts plus classes, polymorphism, and other useful software engineering paradigms.

Supported 3D Model Formats

We recommend Irrlicht Mesh (.irrmesh) and use it for all our static modelling. We use DirectX (.x) or Blitz3d (.b3d) for skeletal animations.
Irrlicht mesh (.irrmesh), 3D Studio (.3ds), Blitz Basic (.b3d), Cartography shop 4 (.csm), Collada (.dae, .xml), Delgine DeleD (.dmf), DirectX (.x), Maya (.obj), Milkshape (.ms3d), My3D (.my3d), OCT (.oct), OGRE Meshes (.mesh), Pulsar LMTools (.lmts), Quake 3 levels (.bsp), Quake 2 models (.md2)

Supported Image Formats

Bitmap (.bmp), Jpeg (.jpg), Targa (.tga), Zsoft Paintbrush (.pcx), Portable Network Graphics (.png), Adobe Photoshop (.psd)

Supported Sound Formats

RIFF wave (.wav), Ogg Vorbis (.ogg)

Getting the software

  • Visit our G3E download pages to get your free copy of the Glint 3d Engine. There's no obligation to buy and you can use it for as long as you like.

Getting the C++ source code

Do you want full control over your source code? Or do you need to modify our libraries to suit your specific project? Then Contact us for a quote to purchase the Glint 3d Engine C++ source code for Microsoft's MSVC 2008+ and Apple Mac's XCodedevelopment environments. Note that this option is for companies and organisations with larger budgets because of the higher costs involved.

Redistribution

Just include the Glint 3d Engine in your application folders before publishing to third-parties. Our royalty-free licensing agreement means that after purchasing your original Glint 3d Engine License, you can redistribute the software to third-parties without paying us any fees.

Developer Tools

The G3E Developer Tools include 3D-modeller exporters, gui editors, script compilers and dynamic plugins. The tools are a must-have for dedicated G3E developers and come with the G3E download.