Kreation’s Edge

Note: This version requires DirectX 9.0c. Requires a video card that can run shader model 2.0 such as Geforce 6800 / ATI Radeon 9800 Pro or better. You might also need to download the latest June 2010 end user runtime or SDK

Click here to download Godz Tech Demo Build.

Has asynchronous collision detection & response, cascade shadow mapping (uses 3 1024×1024 shadowmaps) + Variance Shadow Mapping for Soft Shadows, asynchronous content streaming, asynchronous bot AI & pathfinding via Navigation Meshes, C# Tools Editor, and uses a multithreaded renderer. All shadowmap parameters are exposed to Default.lua config file.

Scene: godz_city
I’ve been working on this project for a pretty long time now when I get the free time. It features many cutting edge technologies such as dynamic lighting, skeletal animation, multithreaded rendering, bone collision (via collision volumes), collision detection, a custom exporter for 3D Studio Max, and a few other cool things.

Currently, GODZ uses DirectX 9 for rendering and octrees for spatial organization. The engine can work with two different types of objects- polygon soups (uses AABB Trees for collision) and reusable models that can use either AABB Trees or AABBs for collision.

The engine uses the LUA scripting language for configuration. Config files are very flexible- allowing options to be configured within tables. These config files do not have to be compiled, allowing users the flexibility to define realtime parameters without worrying about compilation. The engine also uses config files to specify which plugins to load. For instance, the config file declares which renderer to use.

Scene editing can be performed using an Editor built using C# and .NET library.

The editor includes class and mesh browsers. The mesh browser allows users to import content from other formats (such as DirectX, .ASE, or .GSA) and serialize the data to the GODZ package format. Within the mesh browser, you can edit the properties of the mesh in realtime. You can group different meshes into the same package, specify it’s bounding box, draw offset, etc.

The editor also includes a Level Editor that allows actors to be moved around, edited, etc. The Levels, actors, and other data are all stored into a SQL Server database. Everything is setup to support a team of individuals working concurrently on the same Level. Because GODZ uses a database, we can perform atomic locks at the entity level if required. This way other users are free to update other areas of the same Level concurrently.

The engine uses it’s own custom skeletal animation system that I built from scratch. Currently the engine is optimized to perform both software and hardware skinning, so you can blend any number of bones per vertex (if using software mode). If using GPU Skinning, you can blend up to 4 bones per vertex. However, no matter which skinning method that is used, any number of bones can be handled by the engine. Some of the characters in the tech demo use up to 53 bones.The GODZ engine includes a skeletal animation exporter for the latest version of 3D Studio MAX.

The Engine has the ability to associate collision volumes per bone. The artist can create the collision volume in 3d Studio Max and associate the volume with a bone. The engine can use the volumes to detect collisions.

Engine uses parallel split shadow mapping algorithm for shadow mapping which works really well for large virtual enviroments. What PSSM does is split the view frustum into a number of splits using various algorithms.

 
Just to give a sense of scale- try to find my character in this scene…

 
We can still get very nice detail on characters in large scenes & cast local shadows
Engine Features:

• Advanced RTTI System (classes can be loaded by name like MFC/Java)
• Uses both static and dynamic octrees
• Parallel Split Shadowmaps
• Automatic Serialization support for Game Entities
• Uses AABB Trees for static meshes
• Dynamic / Per Pixel Lighting
• LUA 5.0 Scripting System Intergration
• Abstract Rendering Device
• Flexible Scene Management System
• Skeletal Animation