Refactoring cpp-libawd

[80prozent]

Refactor cpp-libawd

The original cpp-libawd was created by other developers, that are no longer active on this project.
I have given my best to expand the cpp-libawd to include more awd features, but I never gotten comfortable with some of the coding-style used, so i am going to make a big refactor, to be able to comfortable be working on this.

Here is a overview over features and coding-style i like to introduce for next version cpp-libawd 3.0.

For the AwayExtensionsFlashPro, I already have a modified version of the cpp-libawd.

cpp-libawd in AwayExtensionsFlashPro

A big reason for the refactor of libawd is to get back to one version that can be used both for AwayExtensionsFlashPro3dsmax and AwayExtensionsFlashPro.

List of features that the new cpp-libawd should support:

• cross platform compatible
• support export and import all AWD3.0 features.
• support export and import of AWDProjects (AWD-files that share assets)
• helper functions:
  • create texture-atlas
  • convert color-materials to texture-materials (printing colors into texture-atlas)
  • merge meshes (incl create texture-atlas and maintain animations)
  • reduce joint-per-vert for skinning data
  • remove unneeded bones from skeleton
  • better helpers for file-handling and path-manipulation
  • better geometry-utility, that allow to easily create AWDSubgeometries with custom streams
• well documented code (documentation created with doxygen).

Coding style / Design-Descisions:

• General: Keep in mind that the cpp-awdlib should be easily portable to python.
• Strings: At the moment the cpp-libawd handles all strings as char-pointers. I do not like char-pointers, when there is something available like std::string. Most occurrences of char-pointer will be replaced with std::string.
• Namespace: To provide name-clashes with other libraries, the complete code will be placed into the namespace “AWD”. [edit:]Besides the AWD namespace, functions, types and classes will be grouped by "sub-namespaces" that are all inside the AWD-namespace.
• Lists: The cpp-libawd makes no use of std::vector. Instead c-style lists are used. Many c-style lists will be replaced with std::vector.
• GeometryUtil: in the new version, the user will no longer need to access the geometyUtil directly. We will now feed the AWDGeometry with the data, and than call AWDGeometry.process().
• Sources: Code will be distribute over more files, because this will make working on the cpp-awdlib easier.
• Type-casting: The cpp-libawd often needs to cast a AWDBlock into a class derived from AWDBlock. At the moment it uses c-style casting for this. This will be replaced with cpp-style casting (dynamic_cast<>)

Comments on this decisions are highly appreciated.

[plepers]

Hi,
+1 for cross platform and custom streams.

It could be nice to also have utility to convert coordinate system, since each formats/authoring have different one (right/left handed, Y/Z up ...)

Let me know if you need help on specific features.

PS : Is there any draft of 3.0 spec somewhere?

[80prozent]

Hey again
Ye. cross platform is one of my main concerns. Right now, i can only test on windows, but i am thinking about buying some mac-stuff. The AwayExtensionFlashPro already is working cross-platform (using a modified version of libAWD), so i think (better: hope) that the changes i am making right now will work cross platform.

+1 for the utility for converting coordinate systems, but for now i will not have time to include this extra feature. Its definitive something i want to see in future, and i will keep it in mind.

For help on specific features:
I would be glad for help, but i think it will need to wait until i got the base-structure for the libawd all setup. I am doing a lot of comments with more or less detailed todo-instructions right now, so maybe once i pushed the update, you can have a look at the source and maybe you find something where you think you will be able to jump in.

I only have one draft AWD3 -specs. This draft is specific for the new features that are added for flash-pro export.
The draft is not 100% up to date. The final specification for AWD3 will be included in the doxygen-generated documentation.
AWD3 Specs
best copy-paste the content of AWD.md in any markdown editor/reader.