Topic: [NEWS] DLE-XP now with OpenGL renderer and 1st person mode!

[karx-elf-erx]

Every level author around here probably knows it already: DLE-XP has received a massive upgrade in the form of an OpenGL based renderer, making it much faster and increasing the quality of its level display. On top of it the OpenGL renderer allows to navigate and edit levels in 1st person mode, similar to being in the game.

See the D2X-XL forum for more info.

[Kaiaatzl]

Basically, there's no excuse not to use DLE-XP over DEVIL?

* Kaiaatsel is wondering if first-person mode is somehow in response to SDL-DEVIL...

But I don't care because I wouldn't use it anyway .

[karx-elf-erx]

I did not do that because of SDL-DEVIL - that's basically the old DEVIL with library handling the texture blitting, and DEVIL is around for one and half decade now.

Since I know e.g. of Pumo that he prefers to design his levels with DEVIL because the 1st person view suits him more, and since I have understood that there are more people to whom that perspective makes creating levels easier, I had long thought of a way to accomodate DLE to their needs, too. Blarget has also given me a small DEVIL tour recently, giving me a good demonstration of the strengths of DEVIL. DLE has a lot of advantages over DEVIL though with the many powerful tools it offers, so what I am trying to do is to give a tool to level authors that has it all.

Now with the OpenGL renderer, offering 1st person view is a breeze  (it's just a very small change to the vertex transformation); and since DLE is such a well designed program now that I completely rewrote it , it was pretty easy to change the controls handling to better fit the 1st person perspective.

Finally, who really cares? If people want to keep using Devil, they're free to do so. If they want to switch DLE, or when they already are DLE users, they are free to enjoy the benefits of its modern and flexible interface and powerful functionality (like e.g. marking a ton of vertices with a simple mouse movement and changing half a level's geometry with a few key strokes on your keyboard).

Next thing I will add are wedge and pyramid shaped segments. These will give much more freedom and flexibility to creating complex level designs. Actually the reason I started to implement the OpenGL renderer was that the software renderer was next to impossible to make rendering triangles for me.

So, to get back to your comment: There is no need to suggest another "D2X against Rebirth" style conflict.

But I don't care because I wouldn't use it anyway.

Thanks for your sensitive input. I couldn't care less though. There are more level designers out there than just you, and quite a few of them are (and have always been) using DLE, and I think they will enjoy the new possibilities DLE offers them.

[Scyphi]

Well, I personally, am thrilled to hear about these upgrades.

[Kaiaatzl]

So, to get back to your comment: There is no need to suggest another "D2X against Rebirth" style conflict.

But I don't care because I wouldn't use it anyway.

Thanks for your sensitive input. I couldn't care less though. There are more level designers out there than just you, and quite a few of them are (and have always been) using DLE, and I think they will enjoy the new possibilities DLE offers them.

I meant I'd never use Devil anyway.  I'm too used to DLE and in my opinion DLE is too much of a better editor.  I guess that may be why that sounded insensitive?  It was supposed to be a compliment for your work on DLE .

[-<WillyP>-]

Well, I personally, am thrilled to hear about these upgrades.

Me too! Even though, I'll probably never use either one! 

[Scyphi]

Yeah, admittedly I haven't used a Descent level editor in coming on years now, but not really by choice. Just haven't had the time, or taken the time in favor of focusing on other projects more dear to my heart than Descent.

I should though. I WAS working on a D2X-XL level set a long time ago that I really ought to finish...

[karx-elf-erx]

Sorry, Kaiaatsel. Your post was just  too ambiguous.

I hope you enjoy the new renderer.

DEVIL has its strengths too, or I wouldn't bother implementing a similar interface in DLE-XP.

[karx-elf-erx]

See a first preview of DLE-XP's and D2X-XL's upcoming support for triangular segment faces in my forum!

[Scyphi]

Ooh, the possibilities that could open up...

[karx-elf-erx]

Yessss ... 

[karx-elf-erx]

A small test level with segments of various shapes, ranging from cubes over wedges to pyramids: