Mutation To Do List

[Grimdoomer]

Since I keep getting asked a time frame as to when Mutation will be ready, or at a beta stage, I've decided to make a list of things I need to do so everyone can see how much progress I make and how close it is to betas and what not.

• Fix Bsp Freezing Issues - Not Done
  Clean and Optimize Compiling Code - Not Done
  Add all H2 Data Types - Done
  Add Controls for All Data Types - Not Done
  Make Mutation's Libs Less Dependant On Each Other - Not Done
  Clean Up Plugins - Not Done
  Sucessfully Compile All Multiplayer Maps - Not Done
  Beta #2 - Not Done
  
  Make a Project Handling System - Not Done
  Create a Tag Library System - Not Done
  Create a System to Handle Prefabs, Favorites, and Patches - Not Done
  Add Real Time Halo Support - Not Done
  Beta #3 - Not Done
  
  Work On Scripts, Commands, and Decompiling/Compiling of Scripts - Not Done
  Create a Gui For Script Editing - Not Done
  Beta #4 - Not Done
  
  Recode Rendering Engine with MiniDx, Clean Up Code and Add Support For All Model Raw Variants - Not Done
  Add Asset Import/Export Support - Not Done
  Work On Auto Collision Generation From Model Import - Not Done
  Work On Animation Support for All 8 Codecs - Not Done
  Beta #5 - Not Done
  
  Add New Project Support, Creating Maps From Scratch - Not Done
  Add Campaign Support - Not Done
  Allow Multiple Bsps - Not Done
  Add Error Detection System Pre-Compile - Not Done
  Beta #6 - Not Done
  
  Create Online Account System Based On Remnant Sql Data Base - Not Done
  Add Friends List, Sending Of Custom Tags/Assets Using Patches - Not Done
  Possibly Private Tunneling Server(Although this seems unrealistic) - Not Done Probally Never Will Be
  Beta #7

This is a rough list of features I want to add. The Betas are going to be public, so you will be able to download them in the Utilities section once released.

[NotZachary82]

Get your shit together, gawd.

[Aumaan Anubis]

At this point, I really don't think you should be advertising even an eventual release.

That's a whole lot of "Not Done"s in what's been a long time to work on the application.

Like....

VGameboyplaya (8:49:29 PM): you makinz a game?
xXplayerificXx (8:49:36 PM): im gunna start one soon
VGameboyplaya (8:49:51 PM): fps?
xXplayerificXx (8:49:59 PM): yea, kinda
xXplayerificXx (8:50:05 PM): i have some rough ideas
xXplayerificXx (8:50:12 PM): enough to get started
xXplayerificXx (8:50:23 PM): but not enough to make a good game that a lot of people can enjoy
VGameboyplaya (8:50:34 PM): you'll get it as you go prolly.
xXplayerificXx (8:50:39 PM): yea
xXplayerificXx (8:50:58 PM): but i really want to get the first public beta of mutation out first

That was January 8... of 2009.

[JacksonCougar]

The important parts are done by the looks of things.

[Grimdoomer]

At this point, I really don't think you should be advertising even an eventual release.

That's a whole lot of "Not Done"s in what's been a long time to work on the application.

Like....

VGameboyplaya (8:49:29 PM): you makinz a game?
xXplayerificXx (8:49:36 PM): im gunna start one soon
VGameboyplaya (8:49:51 PM): fps?
xXplayerificXx (8:49:59 PM): yea, kinda
xXplayerificXx (8:50:05 PM): i have some rough ideas
xXplayerificXx (8:50:12 PM): enough to get started
xXplayerificXx (8:50:23 PM): but not enough to make a good game that a lot of people can enjoy
VGameboyplaya (8:50:34 PM): you'll get it as you go prolly.
xXplayerificXx (8:50:39 PM): yea
xXplayerificXx (8:50:58 PM): but i really want to get the first public beta of mutation out first

That was January 8... of 2009.

That was before I set it as a summer project. Then the fucking plugins held me back. Plugins are the biggest part, there are 120 tag types with thousands of fields through out them. Now that I have that pretty much sorted out to atleast compile maps that aren't fucked to hell, the rest wont be as hard.

[troymac1ure]

You've done alot of really awesome struff for the community Grim! keep up the good work. I know how long it takes to program stuff, let alone figure it all out first.

[neodos]

You've forgotten the paypal donation button, if you when you release this it works quite well i got $$$ for you.

Keep up the good work =)

[Grimdoomer]

I started optimizing the compiling code, I did maybe 1/6 of what I wanted to do, and I already cut 30 seconds off build times. So on average it takes 2:30 minutes to compile a mp map. Not too bad but I would love to get to atleast 1:30 if not ~1:00.

Now I need to add the new field types, add max block count to tag blocks, revise tag layouts, and clean up the libs before I can finish optimizing the compiling code. So I backed up the source to a rar file, and now it's gunna be a good few days before I get this stuff done.

[JacksonCougar]

That's really rather poor.

[Grimdoomer]

That's really rather poor.

It's not that bad.

[JacksonCougar]

Do you buffer your read and writes at all? That will give you massive boons in time.

for example:

Code: Select all

stream File; 
const int BufferSize = 512;
int Count = File.Length / BufferSize;
int Remainder = File.Length % BufferSize;
byte[] Buffer = new byte[BufferSize];
for(int i = 0; i < count; i++)
{
     File.Read(Buffer, BufferSize); //I completely forget the argument for this.
}
File.Read(Buffer, Remainder);

etc.

[kornman00]

It really isn't that bad, considering the target audience. Also, it would be up to the backing stream (ie, FileStream, MemoryStream or something custom) he is using to handle buffering and such which I wouldn't recommend implementing until you know you can't improve your own code anymore. At least for now you can rest assured that you're using a tried and tested Stream class from .NET. However, the only real reading being performed is from his own tag files. There is already going to be overhead thanks to file I/O seek times.

What would really be better over buffered streaming in this case is multithreading and async IO (in both reads and writes). Loading multiple tags at once if your system could sport such a feat. CPU speeds and memory are always increasing. HHD RPMs aren't.

[Click16]

Why not add an update feature and after the first beta release, you can just update the beta 1 post and have mutation notify us?

[Grimdoomer]

I also need to handle sound tags and unicode tags properly, since they have different layouts when compiled vs decompiled. Then I need to generate the sound diagnostics tag, since it's supposed to be generated at compile time.

[Grimdoomer]

I completly rewrote all the field type code for Mutation, it now supports 30 different field types. I also added max block count to tag blocks, and expected tag types to tag references. Now I get to go through the 120 tag definitions and fix them all up to work with the new types. Then I get to rewrite the decompiling code, and revamp the compiling code. Then once all that is done, in about a week from now, I get to see if Mutation can still compile working maps.

[Grimdoomer]

Rewrote my entire data type lib from scratch, added all the important data types, it now supports over 30 different field types. Went through every plugin and added max block count to tag blocks, and expected tag type to tag references. I also added support for tag hierarchy. So I have definitions for devi, item, obje, and unit. The tags that inherit these simply add their fields.

Now I get to rewrite my halo map lib, then rewrite the decompiling/compiling code. Then I get to see if I can still compile a map.

[Click16]

OH YES 1/7 until second beta!

[OwnZ joO]

Glad to see progress no matter how small The person who moves a mountain starts by carrying pebbles -Chinese Proverb I saw on Olympics

[SpecOp44]

Keep it up grim!

[Grimdoomer]

I've come up with a new design for the way I handle maps. This new designed also allows me to add support for any and all halo map types, either in parallel with the main support, h2x, later when Mutation is "Complete", or never. But the option to do so will always be there, without having to add any more code other than a single new library for that map type. This system also lets me handle raw data in mutation without having to add any extra logic to the ui to deal with different map types. I also want to add an error system, so instead of return void on all the functions, I will return an enum option. This way if something goes wrong I can have a ui helper class act accordingly to the error. Because exceptions are just nasty. Another thing I've come up with is a sane way to thread the map compiling code, that should allow me to compile each section of the map on a seperate thread. Then write all the sections, and compile the meta table.

[iBotPeaches]

whooaaaa there is one done !!!!

Great progress. nao adapt it for halo reach.

[Grimdoomer]

Got Mutation building again. Decompile is all done and its about 30-40% faster then before.

[OwnZ joO]

Glad to hear you haven't lost interest and moved on. I know how that can happen, no updates in a while makes you wonder sometimes.

[Grimdoomer]

Glad to hear you haven't lost interest and moved on. I know how that can happen, no updates in a while makes you wonder sometimes.

Heh yea. I'm hoping to spend most of tonight working on Mutation. I just hope I'll be able to get high first

[Grimdoomer]

I'm low on motivation and that "drive" that keeps me going. Please if you want to help me right now, just IM me and talk to me and keep me going.