Abstracting Graphical APIs

[phibermon]

Yes I do care about comunity greatly. Why? As a self taught Delphi programmer I know how hard it can be when you don't know where to turn to get help. [...] So yes because I know how hard it can be at start I try to help whenever I can even to total newbies.

I try to as well, it's good to have others working towards the same goals

This is also one of the planned feature of my UI.

it's cool isn't it? I have a tech demo for my engine where there's a computer on a desk and the computer is 'running' a cut down version of the music sequencer I'm writing for the engine. I wrote a 3D front end for mame many years ago that was a room filled with arcade cabinets and each arcade machine would be running a seperate MAME emulated arcade game. At the time I lacked the 3D modeling experience and ability to work with C++ code to make it anything other than a proof of concept. But the whole idea of a system within a system in that way is very cool

Don't say that! While you are probably not aware of it I'm willing to bet that doing both at the same time actually lead your into making both UI and game engine better as you would do it othervise. Why? Becouse by doing it so you ran to various quirks and difficulties that are specific either for UI or for graphical engine and adjust the designs of both JUI and your game engine to either avoid them or solve them.

This is true, I can't say I've created the best UI but I can definitely say that my UI is suitable for use with a game engine!

1. Input handling [...] 2. Rendering loops [...] 3. Sceene managment [...] 4. Resource managment

Yes All have been key considerations and the design of the both the UI and game engine would be different if it wasn't for the existence of the other. The game engine developed in tandem with the UI and scene editing tool has resulted in a design that can be what you need it to be with the bare minimum of effort on part of the user. There's nothing in the engine that can't be controlled with UI elements, it's forced me to implement a consistent and simple interface.

Same with the UI, the way input is handled between the two, the way it renders, specifics that don't come into play with standard UI development (managing the depth buffer, minimizing texture memory use, self optimizing render paths etc) - Many things are the way they are because it's best for using the 3D hardware along with a 3D engine.

Yep and off topic, my apologies, I do tend to ramble

[SilverWarior]

it's cool isn't it? I have a tech demo for my engine where there's a computer on a desk and the computer is 'running' a cut down version of the music sequencer I'm writing for the engine.

I don't have anything as fancy as you. Not yet anywhay. But when I manage to finish my UI ... Let just say that I already have a few dozens ideas about how I could use this

Yep and off topic, my apologies, I do tend to ramble

I sometimes also have huge urge to share my thoughts so I'm guilty aswell