Dear RMS;
I've read that you are both a lisp and C developer. I cannot get any
contributors for the longstanding C 3d engine I work on as part of my
fully-free-software (including media) 3d game/architecture project. I've been
working on it alone for 10 years but now have branched into supporting more 3d
file types and can't do that alone.
I've gone to "opensource" forums and gotten banned every single time for asking
for help. Every single time. The message gets deleted. This is extremely
difficult: it's not like 20 years ago when communication was free. Obvs the
"opensource" community is no longer interested in any collaboration or
development.
The reason I wanted to find more contributors, is that I recently (last 2
years) programmed more file format support myself (wolfenstine:enemyterritory
bsp support) and extended and fixed support for existing formats (obj file
support for use as maps, and support for minetest and minecraft object exports
as maps directly into the game, and BZFlag exported obj as maps (these didn't
work at all before: now they do (bzflag and the engine previously had different
opinions on what an obj file was mathmatically))). That opened up 600 3d maps
with the bsp work, and then 1000s of obj files with the obj_to_mc work. So I
felt I was on a roll. Sketchfab was "opened up" and lots of
free-software-licensed terrain and such were easily used from there. It was
nice. I wanted to keep going.
I thought it might be possible to get unreal 97 and unreal tournament 99 3d map
formats working: as there are tons of maps there and I used to make little 3d
worlds using that format. The two main formats here are .t3d ; an ascii format
(like obj) but which requires CSG math, and .unr : a binary format which
pre-compiles the csg math down to vertex and face info; but is more complex a
format.
I found free software projects in C++ that tackle each (my project is in C):
that could be used to learn the math. The t3d one even does the csg work. I
just need to plead to you: please: I need contributors now. I did everything I
could in these last 10 years under free-software licenses: made lots of maps,
made tons of 3d models, made textures, game code (QuakeC), engine code (C). I
extended the engine to beable to address up to 4 million entities, I programmed
procedural map generation routines that allow creating cities out of nothing. I
modeled tons of buildings, with both interiors, and level-of-detail models; so
you can explore cities and not just go on the ourside of buildings. I modeled
vehicles, added vehicles, programmed vehicles. I added 200 wps, and building
code so players can do whatever they want in this 3d platform: from
architecture, city building, town building, to fighting eachother, or racing
cars, helicopters, to putting out fires. I've made music for it. All free
software licensed.
I just cannot get contributors. Every single place I post a plea for help the
thing is banned and deleted.
The only thing I've gotten is people trying to take down the project because
they're mad I dared asked for file format help or for another programmer to
join.
Can you and the free software people help?
I've asked "opensource" they sad "banned" and "scram"
So I turn to you. It's in C. Your language.
Please.
I beg of you.
I can't do these file formats alone.
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Here's a ticket of the issue: sourceforge.net/p/chaosesqueanthology/tickets/2/
( #2 Please help with .t3d and .unr loading (3d world file types) )
Here's a git of the source code:
sourceforge.net/p/chaosesqueanthology/code-t3d_attempt_engine/ci/master/tree/
And here is a tarball of the source code:
sourceforge.net/p/chaosesqueanthology/discussion/general/thread/72c4ff80c1/f23d/attachment/darkplaces_workingon_sep_06_2023_aug19cde_SOURCEONLY.tar.gz
I started in model_brush.c , added in a new file handler: void
T3d_Attempt_Which_will_Mod_OBJ_Load(dp_model_t mod, void buffer,
void *bufferend)
and got it printing the vertex info of the t3d stuff.
I found 2 free software projects that handle (in C++) the two file formats, and
I asked them for help but no response: (.t3d) T3d2Map(C++):
github.com/mildred/t3d2map (.unr) UShock(C++): sourceforge.net/projects/ushock/
So I just need help here.
I cannot do this part of the engine coding alone.
I know I did other formats: but it was alot of hacking and they weren't too
different.
But here: it would take me years since I'm a hacker (at best) and not a
professional file programmer.
Please help. Is there anywhere I can ask? Everywhere seems shutdown, filterd,
and blocked, and very very unfriendly to any C dev requests.
Hope you get well soon.
