RaycasterX Release

[SimReality]

http://www.codeplex.com/raycasterx

RaycasterX is an MIT-licensed project geared towards the creation of a full raycasting engine for XNA. Currently RaycasterX is built against the XNA Game Studio 3.0 CTP providing support on both Windows and Zune. Xbox 360 support will be added when a version of XNA Game Studio 3.0 is released that supports Xbox 360 building and deployment.

RaycasterX is primarily based on the tutorials of Lode Vandevenne found here: http://student.kuleuven.be/~m0216922/CG/. Some changes and extensions have been added both for ease of use and the transition from C++ to C#.

This is the base engine I used for my ZuneShooter WIP. I have decided to stop working on that project for a couple reasons:
1) Performance on the Zune just couldn't keep up and I'm too pre-occupied with DreamBuildPlay (http://dreambuildplay.com/main/default.aspx) to spend much time with it.
2) It really isn't that fun. Controls on the Zune just aren't fun for playing a first person shooter.

However if you disagree, here's the full raycasting rendering code you need to start putting a shooter (or RPG or racing game or whatever) together. Have fun!

[LedZepp]

Could you elaborate on this part:

Performance on the Zune just couldn't keep

[SimReality]

The Zune was only managing about 20fps once I tossed in just a couple bad guys. And if you got really close, it slowed down lots because of all the alpha blending it had to do for the transparent edges. So at times it would bog down to 2 or 3 fps if you got really close. I'm sure there are optimizations that can be made, but the Zune just wasn't keeping up with it. But even at the 15-20fps it was stable at, it was a little too jerky to be much fun.

However it was recently "discovered" by a bunch of us users that the 30GB models might actually have faster processors than the 4/8/80GB ones. Some people in the XNA forums reported that the 30GB would run their game around 60fps whereas the 4/8/80s would only run around 30fps. If that's true and it's just a framework thing, then we'll be all set. If it's a hardware thing, then that really sucks. I use an 8gb one so being able to have more power there would be great.

Beyond that, the ZuneShooter's main problem was point 2. It's just not really fun to play it on a Zune. I used the touchpad to move/rotate with Play as shoot. Clicking in the middle button reloaded. It was too hard to really move around, my hands got really cramped, and it just wasn't as much fun as I was hoping. Maybe something more akin to Doom RPG or Orcs & Elves would be better since it wouldn't be fast paced. And raycasting could still be used for the 3D environment.

[Soccerfreak24]

No's! I'm sorry to hear this game was canceled, I too was much looking forward to it. Hopefully someone uses what you have created to make some sort of game.

[Manticore-X]

Thanks for releasing this. I pm'd you but never got a response, but this is just as good I suppose. I am currently trying to use this for a game. Hopfully it will turn out how i am envisioning it!

[ZeroCool2021]

I can't get it to work.....
one of them builds but cant deploy
and one can't build


"This is just visual, I don't want anyone to think Half-Life is coming to zune"

You do know this isn't a game, right?

Yes, the first download worked for me, but "RaycasterX" wont work
I thought maybe he added stuff

[Spike!]

Originally Posted by ZeroCool2021

I can't get it to work.....
one of them builds but cant deploy
and one can't build

You do know this isn't a game, right?

[SimReality]

There is a demo game in there. When you open the project you first right click on RaycasterX Demo [zune] and select "Set as StartUp Project". Then go up top and switch the platform from x86 to Zune (there's a drop down near the run button). Then you should be able to build and deploy to the Zune. Granted it's a real basic demo and it's exactly the same as if you run it on PC, but it's there.

But yes, the whole thing is largely intended for the developer crowds. If you aren't a developer, you really aren't getting much out of this.

[Soccerfreak24]

Originally Posted by Manticore-X

Thanks for releasing this. I pm'd you but never got a response, but this is just as good I suppose. I am currently trying to use this for a game. Hopfully it will turn out how i am envisioning it!

Whoa, what are you thinkin of making?

[Manticore-X]

ok fail . I am actually not using this engine. It doesn't work for what I am trying to do. So a friend and I are going to attempt to create our own engine. Heh.....we'll see how it turns out...

[Spike!]

Originally Posted by Manticore-X

ok fail . I am actually not using this engine. It doesn't work for what I am trying to do. So a friend and I are going to attempt to create our own engine. Heh.....we'll see how it turns out...

Well i'm not very savvy with C#, but Raycasting is the only way to render "3D - esque" graphics on the Zune. Unless your referring to something else when you say creating your own Engine.

[Robert13]

Ok, couldn't someone easily add a gun and cross hair. Plus the ability to shoot?

[Spike!]

Originally Posted by Robert13

Ok, couldn't someone easily add a gun and cross hair. Plus the ability to shoot?

...why? So you can run around empty hallways shooting at nothing?

[DiNoGames]

I played around with it yesterday and I already got a few nice things working...

I added some kind of fog. Now things that are close are visible and the greater the distance the the camera, the darker the things get... this add a bit of spooky athmosphere.

It runs very nice on my 80GB Zune, and I don't think the 80GB Zune has another processor than the 8GB. I will definetely use this engine for some kind of small game in the near future (and I already know what game I will do)

Great stuff so far Nick.

[Ricardo Dawkins]

Originally Posted by DiNoGames

I played around with it yesterday and I already got a few nice things working...

I added some kind of fog. Now things that are close are visible and the greater the distance the the camera, the darker the things get... this add a bit of spooky athmosphere.

It runs very nice on my 80GB Zune, and I don't think the 80GB Zune has another processor than the 8GB. I will definetely use this engine for some kind of small game in the near future (and I already know what game I will do)

Great stuff so far Nick.

dude..are you human ?

I dont think you can work on so many things w/o falling apart.

[Soccerfreak24]

Originally Posted by DiNoGames

I played around with it yesterday and I already got a few nice things working...

I added some kind of fog. Now things that are close are visible and the greater the distance the the camera, the darker the things get... this add a bit of spooky athmosphere.

It runs very nice on my 80GB Zune, and I don't think the 80GB Zune has another processor than the 8GB. I will definetely use this engine for some kind of small game in the near future (and I already know what game I will do)

Great stuff so far Nick.

You are my hero Dino games, I don't know how you can possibly be creating so many amazing games at once! +rep.

[SimReality]

Actually the 4, 8, and 80GB models all have the same processor in them (or so I was told). The basic raycasting works great for me as well. Usually around 27-35 fps. The performance hit usually comes in when you start adding a few sprites and have them all on screen at once.

[Robert13]

Originally Posted by Spike!

...why? So you can run around empty hallways shooting at nothing?

i obviously meant to add enemies too...

[SimReality]

Yes it is easy to add all of that. But then you'll see all the same performance issues I ran into. A shooter at 15fps on a Zune isn't much fun. You'll need to put in a lot of work optimizing it or it just won't be fast enough to be fun.

[seifer93]

Originally Posted by SimReality

However it was recently "discovered" by a bunch of us users that the 30GB models might actually have faster processors than the 4/8/80GB ones. Some people in the XNA forums reported that the 30GB would run their game around 60fps whereas the 4/8/80s would only run around 30fps. If that's true and it's just a framework thing, then we'll be all set. If it's a hardware thing, then that really sucks.

Woot go 30 gig ! lol, it does suck not having a touch pad though... Anyway I am sorry the game didn't work out, but good luck with the contest.