Tag: GameDev News

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GDevelop 5 Beta 84 Released

The open source 2D game engine GDevelop just released beta 84 of their 5.0.0 branch.  Major features of b84 are BBCode formatting support, dozens of new layer effects, improvements to the integrated pixel graphics editor and more.

New features in beta 84 from the release notes:

  • Add dozens of new effects for layers, and allow developers to easily create extensions bringing new effects.

    • See an (incomplete!) list of effects available on the wiki.
    • Thanks @Bouh and @blurymind for porting, trying and setting up these new effects for GDevelop: Black and White, Noise, CRT, Godray, Tilt shift, Advanced bloom, Kawase blur, Zoom blur, Displacement, Color Map, Pixelate, Reflection.
    • Want to add a new shader effect to GDevelop? Take a look at the explanations about effects here.
    • Support for effects on objects will be added in a next version

  • New object BBText (thanks @blurymind!)

  • Improvements in Piskel sprite editor (thanks @blurymind!)

    • Color index shift brush (useful for cell shading sprites)
    • Ability to source all layers when using the bucket tool
    • Palette transfer tool (apply the currently selected palette colors to the frame you are on)

  • Add an option to automatically resize game resolution to window or screen size. It’s recommended to activate it especially for games on mobile phones.

Be sure to check the complete release notes for more details of the release.  You can learn more about GDevelop in our hands-on video embedded below.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lWGUI_xj0U&w=853&h=480]

GameDev News

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Unreal Engine January 2020 Free Content

Every month on the first Tuesday, Epic Games give away several items from the Unreal Engine marketplace and January 2020 is no exception.  This month there are 5 free for January items as well as 1 more free forever item.  So long as you “purchase” the item before the start of next month’s giveaway, it is yours forever.

This months free items are:

Permanently Free

Free For January

You can learn more about the Unreal Asset giveaway on the Unreal Engine blog, or by watching the video below.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gdg0pqRbQ0&w=853&h=480]

GameDev News

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3DBuzz Shut Down And Release Content For Free

3DBuzz is one of the original online learning resources for computer graphics, programming and game development, first launching way back in 2002.  Until recently the site was completely commercial, with prices set on a per course basis or available under a monthly subscription.  They announced they will be shutting down, for the most unfortunate of reasons, and have released all of their content for free download.

Details from 3dbuzz.com:

Hello everyone,

The 3D Buzz community has been amazing and inspirational for 2 decades. However, all good things…

3D Buzz, Inc has closed its doors. Subscription and recurring payments have already been suspended. This page is our final gift to such a wonderful community. Below you will find download links to all of our available material, free of charge.

Thank you for so many years of support. You are all, truly, the best community anyone could hope for. May we see each other again somewhere in the ether…

From all of us to all of you,

Remember to always look, listen, and learn.

Goodbye, good health, and good luck.

If you visit 3DBuzz.com you may get a security warning, this seems to be linked to an invalid SSL certificate and can be ignored.  The entire content of the site add up to over 200+GB in size.  As a result, some readers over on Reddit have been working to set up torrents, so if you are interested in grabbing the entire archive of video tutorials, be sure to check out that thread.  Otherwise you can download each video one by one in zip format.

Thank you for your generous gift 3DBuzz and our condolences on your loss.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZF0XX0La4JM&w=853&h=480]

GameDev News

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NeoAxis 2019.4 Released

The free NeoAxis game engine, previously covered in-depth in this hands-on video, have just released NeoAxis 2019.4.  The 2019.4 release brings an impressive number of new features to the engine including the beginnings of a new 2D game engine, a game framework for handling common game development tasks, improvements to the 3D Builder tools and more.

Details from the 2019.4 change log:

  • Game framework. Managing characters, various types of cameras, a set of more specialized game objects. The ability to configure game mode, camera type in the editor. First person camera, third person camera, free camera are supported.
  • 2D game engine. 2D physics, sprites, tools, demo scenes. 2D game engine is implemented as extension for NeoAxis.
  • Character component. The set of classes and tools for creation characters.
  • Particles.
  • Terrain paint layers.
  • Primitives have been added: Arch, Door, Pipe, Prism, Stairs, Torus.
  • Builder 3D has been improved.
  • Optimization: GPU instancing for transparent objects.
  • NeoAxis Baking: The ability to disable compression of archive. That makes loading baked resources faster.
  • The ability to set color multiplier for decals in the scene.
  • Add Collision: Convex mode has been added.
  • Surface Area has been added. The object represents an area that filled by surface. An object is used to automatically fill with a large number of objects in a given area.
  • Bug fix: Invalid management of Color property of meshes and billboards with enabled GPU instancing.

You can learn more about the future of the NeoAxis engine by checking the roadmap available here, and learn more about the 2019.4 release in their more in-depth blog post or by watching the video below.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aYUBA3a0nY&w=853&h=480]

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A Decade Of Godot

With the 2010’s coming to a close, it’s a time to look back at the decade that was.  This is exactly what Godot founder and lead developer Juan Linietsky just did over on the Godot Engine blog.  Here on GameFromScratch.com we’ve been tracking the progress of the Godot game engine from the very beginning.

A quick recap of major events in the Godot game engine’s development history:

Godot 3.2 should release any day now, currently in late beta.  If you are interested in experiencing the history of Godot first hand, you can download all the previous versions (except 1.0) right here.

For as long as Godot has been available, we have been creating Godot tutorials here on GameFromScratch, as well as over on DevGa.me.  The original Godot 1/2 tutorial series is available here while a more up to date Godot 3.x tutorial series is available here.

Learn more about the history and development of the Godot engine in the video below.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLm7-w8sh8M&w=853&h=480]

GameDev News General

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Game Development 2019 In Review

The year 2019 is coming to a close and there were several interesting events in the world of game development.  What follows is a highlight of some of the most interesting stories from the world of game development.  We skip over some details like regular releases to Unreal, Unity, Lumberyard, Max and Maya as they occur multiple times throughout the year.

Top game development stories of 2019:

For more details check out the video below.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFWBLE0LYmE&w=853&h=480]

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Qodot–Quake Maps For Godot

Qodot is an open source add-on for the Godot game engine that enables you to export .MAP files created using traditional CSG authoring tools.  Qodot is available under the MIT license on GitHub or can be added via the Godot addon market.

Features of Qodot include:

  • Natively import .map files into Godot
  • Supports
    • Brush geometry
    • Per-face textures and customized UVs
    • Precise trimesh collision
    • Entities with arbitrary collections of parameters
  • Extensible tree population
    • Leverages the .map format’s simple key/value property system
    • Spawn custom entities and brushes
  • Supports the TrenchBroom editor
    • Simple, intuitive map editor with a strong feature set
    • Includes a simple Qodot game preset
    • Can be built upon with game-specific entities and brush properties

Qodot also includes configurations to make getting up and running with TrenchBroom, however any Quake level editor should work.  You can learn more about Qodot on their wiki or by watching the video below.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3mge9GM6rE&w=853&h=480]

GameDev News Design

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Lumberyard 1.22 Released

Lumberyard 1.22 game engine was just released by Amazon.

Highlights of this release from the release notes:

The primary change in this release is the new asset dependency system defined in depth in this blog post.

Enter asset dependency tracking. Lumberyard’s new Asset Dependency Graph provides the means to determine the set of assets a given asset depends on. By recursively walking the entire dependency graph, the engine can easily determine the exact set of assets your game needs to run. So when it comes time to release your game, packaging your assets becomes a simple set of steps as opposed to a several days-to-weeks development effort.

Now that the engine can determine which assets your game needs, our next task was to build a tool that packages a game’s assets into one or more asset bundles (single files that contain many assets packed together). Further, we added the ability to create new asset bundles that contain only those assets that have been added, changed, or deleted since the last asset deployment. This allows a game developer to do incremental content releases with only those assets that have actually changed since the last time they were shipped. Your players won’t have to waste time and bandwidth downloading new content or re-downloading old content.

Finally, because Lumberyard provides source code and encourages developers to modify Lumberyard to fit their needs, we added multiple validation systems that will alert the developer if they have done something that interferes with Lumberyard’s ability to generate a correct asset dependency graph.

Lumberyard is free for developers so long as they self host or use Amazon services for their networking.  You can download Lumberyard here.

GameDev News

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BuildBox Free Now Available

The BuildBox game engine is now available in a free version.  Previously a rather expensive proposition, BuildBox Free enables a much larger portion of the developer community to access this no-code required game engine. 

Details of the BuildBox Free release from the BuildBox website:

What is Buildbox Free?

For the first time ever, we’re releasing a completely free version of our no-code software on December 18th. We’re calling it, Buildbox Free and with it, you can create professional 2D and 3D games without writing a single line of code. Our software features unique creation layers, which makes developing games extremely easy and lightning-fast. As shown in the video above, there are many different creation layers you can choose from when you’re making games with Buildbox.

Smart Assets

The first creation layer option is smart assets. They’re predefined asset templates with pre-canned animations and logic built-in to make building out your games super fast and straightforward. Just browse the Buildbox Asset Library, which is located right inside of the software, and choose a smart asset to start creating. Smart assets let you add popular gameplay mechanics instantly to your game with one-click.

Brainboxes

One of our newest features and the second creation layer in Buildbox is brainboxes. Brainboxes help take your 3D game development to a whole new level. They work much like components did in Buildbox 2, but provide more control over a 3D model. With brainboxes, you can add ‘brains’ to any character or object in your game to give them a specific action or behavior. Choose a brainbox to make a car drive or make your character walk.

Nodes

For even more control, you can also use the third creation layer, nodes. Buildbox has an advanced node system with ‘smart nodes’ that are easy to use. They add a deeper level of complexity to your game by allowing you to easily create logic for any character or object in your game. However, you’re not limited to the nodes available in Buildbox. We went even further and added another layer of creation for our advanced developers.

Low-Code

This fourth creation layer is the low-code option. All nodes are based in JavaScript, making it easy in Buildbox to build your own nodes to use for your games from scratch. They can also be easily shared with the community or even sold in our upcoming asset store.

2D & 3D World Creation

We’ve also vastly improved the software making the user interface more user-friendly with mini-tutorials and easy navigation options. There’s also been over 100 fixes and tweaks to make your game development experience better. We’ve added many new creation layers and features including designated 2D worlds, and a fly mode for moving around 3D worlds effortlessly.

An obvious question at this point is, what are the limitations of the BuildBox Free vs the Pro edition.  This was answered in an earlier blog post:

Buildbox Free is a lighter version of the Pro plan. This means there are some limitations. With Buildbox Free, you’ll be able to integrate only two popular Ad Networks: AdMob and IronSource, with a 10% or less cut taken from each. There is a one-world limitation. Plus, your game’s splash screens will feature the BB logo, which cannot be removed. Also, export is limited to only iOS and Android.

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BuildBox free should be available for download now right here.  Learn more about BuildBox Free in the video below and stay tuned for a more in-depth hands-on feature on BuildBox in the near future.

EDIT – They have released the following blog post now that the countdown is over.  The form to get a download link and product key is available here.  A warning, they seem to be suffering heavily under demand (not to mention a janky signup process).

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdWMKT8Q8rg&w=853&h=480]

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Maxon and Red Giant Merge

Maxon, the makers of the long running Cinema 4D 3d application have just announced a merger with Red Giant, a provider of tools for the VFX and post processing industry.

Details of the merger from the Maxon news release:

Portland, OR and Friedrichsdorf, Germany – December 17, 2019 – Maxon, the developers of professional 3D software solutions and Red Giant creators of unique tools for editors, VFX artists, and motion designers, today cooperatively announced that the two companies have reached a definitive agreement to merge under the media and entertainment division of Nemetschek Group to better serve the post production and content creation industries. The transaction is expected to close in January 2020, subject to regulatory approval and customary closing conditions.

Maxon and Red Giant are already well known and established in the digital content creation (DCC) industries, and share synergies in philosophy and long-term goals. Both companies have earned a peerless reputation for the quality and accessibility of products, and uncompromising commitment to service and support of the artistic community. Each company’s workforce features the industry expertise, organizational maturity, and executive experience needed to fully leverage this unique opportunity.

Maxon, best known for its flagship 3D product Cinema 4D, was formed in 1986 with a passion for providing extremely powerful, though exceptionally accessible 3D software solutions. Artists across the globe rely on Maxon products to create cutting-edge visuals. In April of this year, Maxon acquired Redshift, developer of the GPU-accelerated Redshift render engine.

Since 2002, Red Giant has built its brand through award-winning products such as Trapcode, Magic Bullet, Universe, PluralEyes and its line of innovative visual effects software. Their unique, industry-standard tools are staples in the fields of film, broadcast, and advertising. Red Giant has differentiated itself in the industry through its artist-driven approach to software creation and its popular training and award-winning short films.

The merger should have minimal impact on either companies customers.  You can learn more about each company and the merger in the video below.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyVNQPN5MhI&w=853&h=480]

Art GameDev News

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