Game Blender is a sub-application of Blender, the popular open source 3D application, used to make games using Blender. The Game Engine was written from scratch in C++, including support for features like Python scripting and OpenAL 3D sound. Blender being programmed in C and Game Blender in C++ kept development strictly separated.

History

Erwin Coumans and Gino van den Bergen developed Game Blender in 2000. The goal was to make a saleable commercial product that users of the freeware Blender could use to create games and real-time presentations. These games could either run as stand-alone applications or embedded in a web page; using a special plugin created from the Game Blender sources. An alpha version of the Internet Explorer browser plugin is on preview, and Firefox and COLLADA support is under consideration. Game Blender is used by inserting logic bricks (a combination of "sensors", "controllers" and "actuators") to control the movement and display of objects in the engine. Game Blender is also able to be extended via the Python programming language. Game Blender is bundled with Blender 3D which can be downloaded freely from Blender's official website, http://www.blender.org/.

After version 2.37a was released, the game engine was almost completely stable again, but it wasn't until version 2.41 that a complete and stable version of the Blender game engine was released. Currently, a team is working on developing Blender, releasing many new additions and changes periodically. Version 2.42 shows even more additional features being implemented into the game engine, including integration of the Bullet Rigid Body Dynamics and Vehicle Physics.

GameBlender

Release version 2.41 of Blender showcased a version that was almost entirely devoted to the game engine. Audio is now fully supported whereas previous versions did not. A new system for integration of GLSL shaders has been added to help bring GameBlender back in line with modern games.

Game Blender is intended to reach a broad community and work on as many platforms as Blender 3D currently supports. It achieves this by using OpenGL, a cross-platform graphics layer.

Game Blender layout is simple and easy to use, and easy for non-programmers to learn creation of simple games. Larger and more complex games requires knowledge of the Python programming language in order to simplify tasks. GameBlender has a full Python implementation, allowing game programmers to use Python in order to program their games.

The GameBlender uses a system of logic bricks with link lines to develop logic within a game. This allows non-programmers to click and drag logic into their game. These logic bricks are highly adaptable and can be used for such purposes as implementing a Python script.

The latest version of game blender is 4.5

Game Blender Future

Current development in Game Blender is focused on the new Bullet physics engine in an attempt to make it faster and more life like with better collision detection and object interaction. A car physics engine is also added in version 2.42 that makes it easy to create cars and subsequently, racing games. The process of modifying cars has been simplified, leading to a more realistic feel and better customization of individual cars.

Game Blender Requirements

Version: 2.42
Location: www.Blender3d.com
System:

• Microsoft Windows
• Linux
• Mac OS X
• Free BSD
• Irix
• Solaris
• OS/2
• Can be built from source for other systems

Hardware:

• 300 MHz
• 128 MB RAM
• 20 MB hard disk space
• 1024x768 px display with 16-bit colour
• 3 button mouse (built-in switch for 2 button support)
• OpenGL graphics card with 8 MB RAM

Features

• Full 3D
• Integrated armature and action system for animation development
• Texture mapping
• Multiply texture per-model support
• UV mapping
• Bump mapping
• GLSL Shaders
• Reflection mapping
• Alpha mapping
• Split screens
• OpenAL audio built-in
• Easy to use game building interface
• Full Python support
• Bullet physics engine with rigid body dynamics, ragdoll and vehicle physics
• Full OpenGL lighting support
• Interactive playback without need for compiling or pre-processing
• Easy level development
• Multi-layer per level
• Easy to build games for distribution

The Blender software package has had a lot more support in previous years for its animation and modeling capabilities, which gives users the ability to easy model, animate and texture everything from characters to levels.

See also

• Bullet (software) Game Blender's Physics engine
• Crystal Space

External links

• GameBlender.org
• GameBlender Wiki
• Official Blender website
• Blender's Wiki
• Blender3D Home
• Bullet Physics Engine

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