Character editor using lua scripting and lua/xml based GUI
Excecutable (43.5Mb)
Abstract
This simple character editor was created for my younger brother to help with his Honours project. The project aimed to discuss the pros and cons of allowing user generated content - specifically characters - within modern games. I was asked to create an editor that was capable of displaying a number of models that the user could pick to create their character. A few requirements of special importance for this project were:
- The models must be lit well to give an atmospheric feeling
- Normal maps were to be used to give the impression that the supplied low polygon models had a much higher polygon count
- The editor must be easily extensible and easily changed without the need to recompile.
While the functionality of the program may look limited, its what is under the hood that counts! The engine it runs on is pretty dynamic. Some of the features include:
- Heavily scripted using lua, allowing changes to be made to the functionality of the program without having to recompile
- Model library is parsed from XML, making it easy for an artist to add parts
- Dynamic lighting, using 2 point lights with emissive, ambient, diffuse and specular lighting components
- Normal mapped, self shadowing models with alpha blending and sorting.
- Fully dynamic UI, defined in powerful XML syntax with layering and events that call lua functions. Animation/transition functions are easy to use and allow for a very dynamic, smooth and responsive UI
