What type of models can Ps2 handel? and about DreamGL

[Thanhda]

As a total noob to ps2 dev i have a few question. i have been doing some opengl sdl programming, and i am currently using md2 file formats. i have written my own loader, and animator, and want to create a port to the ps2. my ps2 has yet to be moded so i havnt tried anything yet. i would like to first of all know whether i can implement md2 file formats in the ps2.

Secondly, i've been searching around through this forums about opengl implementation for the ps2, i have come up with several post about DreamGL, or miniGL, but have yet to find any details about it. what is there limitations in a sense of functions. and is there anyway to test your program on the PC, or linux without having to use naplink to the ps2?

i am currently checking out
http://cvs.ps2dev.org/dreamgl
and trying to find as much as i can, but there is no readme file that says what it can and cant do. if you know of any such readmes please direct it my way.

thank you.

[rinco]

Dreamtime originally developed DreamGL. Unfortunately he got a real
life, but feel free to talk to me about what's in the CVS.

There used to be lots of information about DreamGL from Dreamtime's
website, www.ui.com.au. The Google cache may be of use to you.
Also, it had source files for win32... so I suspect Dreamtime may have
indeed tested his GL on a PC before the PS2. I do not have a copy of
these files, sorry.

Loading md2 models is possible and DreamGL is a good place to start. You will need to use a tool on your dev platform to convert the md2 file
into a C data structure. The utility is called md2c, it's under tools. I
have had a small amount of success creating and rendering my own
md2 models.

I assume you have probably done the Nehe tutorials. I found that I
could implement about 5 or so tutorials before I quickly ran into
limitations of DreamGL.

[blackdroid]

Dreamtime is usually extremely helpful, I bet if you mail him and ask him questions he will answer, you should find his email address in the readme file.

[Thanhda]

Dreamtime originally developed DreamGL. Unfortunately he got a real
life, but feel free to talk to me about what's in the CVS.

There used to be lots of information about DreamGL from Dreamtime's
website, www.ui.com.au. The Google cache may be of use to you.
Also, it had source files for win32... so I suspect Dreamtime may have
indeed tested his GL on a PC before the PS2. I do not have a copy of
these files, sorry.

Loading md2 models is possible and DreamGL is a good place to start. You will need to use a tool on your dev platform to convert the md2 file
into a C data structure. The utility is called md2c, it's under tools. I
have had a small amount of success creating and rendering my own
md2 models.

I assume you have probably done the Nehe tutorials. I found that I
could implement about 5 or so tutorials before I quickly ran into
limitations of DreamGL.

okay, well yes i have gone through Nehe, Gamedev in OGL, and the redbook. how limited is DreamGL exactly, like what tutors where you able to compile. when you got your md2 file format to work, did include animation, or was it just a static object? so you say the win32 api of dreamGL did exist somewhere? i pretty much want to make a small game similar to grandia 2. can dreamgl do something along the lines of that. Also, if it wasnt for DreamGL, what other model format does ps2 take? or do people usually write there own file format. o_O

edit:
okay i have just downloaded DreamGL v0.2
i notice that they have a win32 md2 loader, and have notice that the model and the skin has been converted to a C file. just wondering if it convers only static or 1 frame, or will it convert all frames? When i convert my code it doesnt generate a txt file. or the code. is there a way to copy this code? or do i have to write a output method to a text file.

Also, i notice that they have a bunch of demo projects, and all of them include windows and gl.h, is this just a demo that shows what dreamgl is able to do from the original gl lib. And in ps2, what does gl use as a wrapper? glut? sdl?

One more thing. for loading levels, what file format can ps2 take. i am currently using a 3ds file. but i'm sure they dont take that type of file format. would it be ase files?

[Neil Stevens]

The biggest limitation in DreamGL that I saw when I tried it is that GL_TRIANGLES doesn't exist. You have to use quads, so any code using triangles has to be modified.

[Thanhda]

Dreamtime is usually extremely helpful, I bet if you mail him and ask him questions he will answer, you should find his email address in the readme file.

check out http://www.ui.com.au./
he finally updated the site. TODAY.

[rinco]

The biggest limitation in DreamGL that I saw when I tried it is that GL_TRIANGLES doesn't exist. You have to use quads, so any code using triangles has to be modified.

or GL_QUADS doesn't exist and you have to use triangles...?

and adding it is pretty easy... if I recall correctly, just add this to gs.h:
#define PRIM_QUAD 7
plus this to gs.c:
case GL_QUADS: gs_prim = PRIM_QUAD; break;
then uncomment this in gl.h:
//#define GL_QUADS 0x0007

[Neil Stevens]

The biggest limitation in DreamGL that I saw when I tried it is that GL_TRIANGLES doesn't exist. You have to use quads, so any code using triangles has to be modified.

or GL_QUADS doesn't exist and you have to use triangles...?

and adding it is pretty easy... if I recall correctly, just add this to gs.h:
#define PRIM_QUAD 7
plus this to gs.c:
case GL_QUADS: gs_prim = PRIM_QUAD; break;
then uncomment this in gl.h:
//#define GL_QUADS 0x0007

Shoot, yes... It's been too long since I could play around with all this. But I do remember trying that, and it didn't work here. Maybe I did it wrong though. Maybe I kept linking to an old copy. I'll have to try again once my current not-for-fun project is finished.

[Thanhda]

i have justed emailed Tony, from DreamGL, and he tells me that the md2c only imports the first frame of the md2 file. i was wondering how do people usually port animated models in ps2? or do people here right now just use scene graphs?