Quote: "A single format will both help in reducing compatibility issues and debugging... As well as reducing application file sizes and possible overheads of loading and manipulating multiple formats... These are not high end processors though powerful...
"
Yes. It depends on the format though.
What it seems like is that they're developing AppGameKit with it's own proprietary 3D format. That's the problem, and I do not like the sounds of it.
Why?
1) It's going to be a new file-format. Which means no external support through outside applications (MS3D, Fragmotion, or even major apps like 3DS Max or web applications like Mixamo)
2) TGC is looking to out-source the programming to external programmers to develop plug-ins for this new format. This means that the quality of export/import options is based upon 3rd party work (this means that if your favorite modelling tool has no plugin support for this format, you'll have to write it yourself or SOL).
3) My fear is that TGC will create this format, and then due to customer demand, support another format as well. Thus, we now have two file formats to support in the engine, twice the problems will crop up eventually down the road, and this whole mess was for nothing.
4) This will kill AGK's userbase, because people interested in AppGameKit will notice that it only supports this proprietary file format, and then pass on the toolkit
Look at Dark Basic Pro. It supports .X, .DBO, and a handful of other file formats. From what I've heard, .DBO had its flaws and was only supported by ONE development language, making it highly coupled with the coding. Plus none of my tools supported it. So I went with .X, which I've used before and most familiar with.
EDIT: I hate going on these rants, I really do. I love AppGameKit - even with it's flaws - and that without it, I would not have sold or developed ANY apps for mobile devices (i'd be $400 poorer
). It's just that, after using DBPro and seeing the custer-fark that became with plug-ins implementing core features that should have been there to begin with (IMO), and feature-overload that created a bunch of options (but none of them well implemented IMO), that AppGameKit will go down the exact same path and will feature a horrible death because of it.
I'm just saying is, let's cut to the chase. Ditch this format before it becomes a nightmare, and stick with a industry-standard format that almost any software app can use. Like FBX. Almost any 3d-modelling software worth it's salt can support it out of the box, so why can't AppGameKit? Why force a proprietary format - possibly broken and feature-devoid - onto it's customers when we can just go with something that's well documented, including it's features and flaws?
I can EASILY see the forums containing posts, "Well why doesn't my model work from MS3D?" Well, the exporter for MS3D is outdated, and was written by XXXX, who was smited from the planet and can no longer update the plugin. It's broken - it get's the angles wrong - you'll have to convert to YYYY and use that app to convert to the format".
EDIT2: The reason why I post all of this, is also because I've seen it with other engines too. TrueVision3D went this exact same route, and the tool they included to convert models into it's own proprietary format either A) failed to run, or B ) failed to do anything productive besides create a file of garbage. And that was their official team developing the tools.
I'm not capable of seeing the future, perhaps this will work out well. I have my doubts, and you know what they say - "the road to hell is paved with good intentions"
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