DeleD Community Edition

Jeroen · Posted: Fri Nov 20, 2009 8:44 am Post subject:

Thanks for that, Grandmaster B, that's exactly the kind of spirit we're looking for. Smile

Rest assured, DeleD will go open source. We see it as the best way to ensure that DeleD is enhanced and expanded in the future, even when PJ and I don't have that much time anymore. We hope a number of people of this community and coders from SourceForge are willing to contribute.

The fact that DeleD has thousands and thousands of users worldwide should attract coders to its development, I think. It will be, indeed, all up to you guys. The more programmers and managers willing to contribute, the more chance DeleD has of becoming bigger and better.

Btw, having DeleD ported to Linux or Mac is certainly possible when DeleD goes open source, I would say. But you're right when you say that learning and improving the existing code should have priority. It's a pretty large bag of sourcecode there... Wink

_________________
Check out Figuro, our online 3D app! More powerful 3D tools for free.

Mr.Fletcher · Posted: Fri Nov 20, 2009 9:51 am Post subject:

I've been a Mac user for a couple of months now and I would love to see DeleD ported to Mac Very Happy

_________________
Behold! The DeleD Wiki! Please help us expanding it Smile

DeleD on IRC

chronozphere · Posted: Fri Nov 20, 2009 9:58 am Post subject:

Porting DeleD is a good idea, but It should be done when most of the current bugs are solved and most of long wanted feature-requests are implemented. Furthermore, porting code is not my piece of cake. We need other programmers to do that.

Grandmaster B · DeleD PRO user Joined: 03 Jul 2007 Posts: 218

According to this: http://www.lazarus.freepascal.org/index.php/page,7.html
If we port to Lazarus/Free Pascal its possible to compile to Linux and Mac without changes...

paul_nicholls · Posted: Fri Nov 20, 2009 12:36 pm Post subject:

Paul-Jan · Posted: Sun Nov 22, 2009 10:21 am Post subject:

I think trying to get DeleD ported to FPC is an excellent idea. Making the source code accessible through a free toolset(*) is a worthwhile goal in itself. Cross-platform compatibility is a long-standing dream.

However, do not underestimate the troubles you will run into when doing such a conversion. Lazarus' automatic conversion will not handle anything but the most trivial GUIs correctly, and the DeleD interface is anything but trivial.

From our initial research in this direction (some time ago), I'm guessing it will be at least 1.5 months FTE worth of work. This is a very loose guestimation as I have no hands/on experience porting GUIs, but what I hear (from FPC's own crew amonst others) it won't be very easy.

Still, it would be awesome, and might be one of the most valuable directions to take the application into.

(*) DeleD is pretty much compatible with the free Turbo Delphi 2006 Explorer edition, but that compiler product line is EOL.

Jeroen · Posted: Sun Nov 22, 2009 10:32 am Post subject:

I just installed Lazarus and did a basic conversion of DeleD. Indeed, lots of challenges to overcome here. It will take some time before such a conversion is performed.

The main thing is that Delphi's VCL and Lazarus' LCL are not compatible 100%. While most properties of forms, frames and controls are supported, a number of them are not. I also noticed that the FPC doesn't like some assembler code. Also, it doesn't seem to like the opengl.pas file we use, which contains a number of indentifiers Lazarus doesn't seem to be able to find. Might have something to do with stdcalls in the opengl.pas file.

These are just some things I discovered while playing with Lazarus for an hour or so. First impression of Lazarus is pretty good and I think it is certainly possible to port DeleD to that environment. Just takes time... time... time... Wink

_________________
Check out Figuro, our online 3D app! More powerful 3D tools for free.

chronozphere · Posted: Sun Nov 22, 2009 10:53 am Post subject:

fik · Member Joined: 11 Oct 2006 Posts: 303

Maybe you could make it compatible with free Turbo Delphi 2006 Explorer. I know this is not avaliable anymore but I bet most who are interested in developing Deled at start with you already have this installed. I do.
Then goal should be to port to free pascal/ lazarus.

Jeroen · Posted: Sun Nov 22, 2009 5:03 pm Post subject:

Grandmaster B · DeleD PRO user Joined: 03 Jul 2007 Posts: 218

I dont have it either, this side seems to have the official download files:
http://www.turbomirror.com/

But you also need to register for an activation code which is no longer available! I've an old activation code for Turbo C++ which i will try. I'll tell you if i get this working...

fik · Member Joined: 11 Oct 2006 Posts: 303

Maybe this helps http://threads.embarcadero.com/threads/threads.exe/view?commentid=42196

Grandmaster B · DeleD PRO user Joined: 03 Jul 2007 Posts: 218

No, there is no normal way to activate it anymore.

tpascal · Member Joined: 23 Nov 2009 Posts: 11

Great news,

But just dont give the source expecting programers will come with their own initiative to do newer versions; we need a leadership, we need direction, we need a path to follow, lets get organized, plan for a next deled version coded with the help of volunteers.

it is important to define:

* Which will be the base compiler.
You have current deled version and it compile right away in which delphi version?,
Maybe you can post a pool wich delphi version is more commun among programmers around here and are interested in participate in the project.
Or you can state that develompment can be done in more that one compiler but avoiding exclusive compilers features so its keep compatibility with lets say delphi6, delphi7, delphi9, delphi10.

* A list features you want to include in that next deled version.
Yeap, you can get some programers interested in participate in the project, some they can program in pascal, even beter some they have the compiler version is required...and you are lucky if some of they also have the knolodges about the 3d feature you wish to get help to be implemented.
Let make a list of realistic new features for a next version, bone weigthed vertex for skined mesh?, Normal map (bumpmap) features, perpixel lights?, particles effect editors?....

* Once you have defined the above, then ask for programers raise their hand and assing them tasks, give they direction and rules, and give them some docs, short tutorials or examples about your basic functins and procedures or classes used as fundation in your deled; (dont allow every programmer use their own matrix or vector library if you already have those working and integrated in your own base.

If you just give the deled source code, with no vision plan, then most likely it will happen few guys will donwload the source, will make it compile with the compiler version they have, they will add some features for their own purpose...and that is.

Jeroen · Posted: Mon Nov 23, 2009 7:33 pm Post subject:

Thanks for that, tpascal, excellent post. You're absolutely right. It is good to mention thoughts like that and its important to emphasize that we need programmers, testers and managers.

More details will be made available a.s.a.p. We just want to get as much input from the community as possible before defining those details.
_________________
Check out Figuro, our online 3D app! More powerful 3D tools for free.