"Games authoring never was easier"

3D GameStudio is the leading authoring system for 2D and 3D computer games. It combines a javascript-style language with the high-end A5 3D engine, a 2D engine, a VC++ interface, a map and model editor and huge libraries of 3D objects, artwork and pre-made games. It was never easier to create 1st person games, 3rd person games, role playing games, side scrollers, flight simulators, spaceship simulators, board games, sports games, 3D pinball... realtime presentations, virtual exhibitions... and 3D applications never seen before!

GameStudio is for everyone. If you are a professional, program your game in VC++ using the DLL interface - it's much easier than with usual 3D engines. If you are a beginner, use the easy to learn scripting language. Or 'click together' simple 3D games from predefined elements. It's up to you.

Games authoring systems are the future of games programming. Even with no programming knowlegdge, by following the step-by-step tutorial you'll build a simple action game in one afternoon! By investing a little more time you can program games in commercial quality. If you want to know more about GameStudio's capabilities, try the demos, visit the user community or the screenshot gallery, read the frequently asked questions, or take the guided tour...

"An excellent toolkit to quickly prototype and
develop 3D graphics applications"
Dr.Dobb's Journal August 2000

     
 
   
 Some of the commercial titles produced with 3D GameStudio

The Editors

The WED (world) and MED (model) editors make creating levels, placing light effects, defining movement paths and modeling actors a straightforward process. For quick results a huge library of over 1000 prefabricated textures, building parts, furniture, vehicles, weapons and actors is included. Due to the import compatibility to most common 3D formats and popular 3D games, levels (MAP files), textures (WAD, PCX, BMP, TGA files) and 3D models (MDL, MD2, X, or 3DS files) can easily be created or downloaded from on the Internet.

Each level consists of an environment with fixed and moving parts - landscapes, dungeons, buildings or cities. Within the environment you can place colored light sources, which throw real shadows, and 3D sound sources, which emit background sounds. Textures and Sprites can be created with any paint program. Animated models, which are used for actors, are created through the model editor MED. You can import animation frames from X, 3DS or ASC files. As soon as your levels are ready, a button click generates a file set plus EXE file ready for distribution via Internet or on CD-ROM. The optional File Packer compresses everything into a tiny single encrypted file.

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The 3D engine is the core of the development system - it generates the 3D effects and controls the artificial intelligence of the actors. Due to its BSP-Tree and terrain renderer, the new A5 high-end engine handles indoor and outdoor sceneries equally well. It has a lighting engine that supports true shadows and moving light sources. The sophisticated three-fold culling algorithm renders even huge worlds of more than 100,000 polygons with over 60 fps. Programmers can use the DLL interface for adding new effects and features.

Technology ...........................................................

Six degrees of freedom, true perspective rendering Blazing fast: 70 fps in 1024x768 (P2-350, TNT2) Supports DirectX, Direct3D, DirectSound Fast software renderer for low-end systems without 3D card Screen resolution up to 1600x1200 8-bit, 16-bit, 32-bit colour, window or fullscreen mode BSP tree, portal renderer and z buffer algorithm Geometric LOD and mip mapping Animated soft-skin models and sprites Heightmap based terrain for landscapes Unlimited skin size and frame numbers for models Polygon level collision detection on fixed and moving 3D objects Real time creation of objects Unlimited number of levels, objects and players

Special effects ........................................................

Static and dynamic coloured light sources Static and dynamic shadows Coloured fog areas 3D sound sources with doppler effect Alpha-channel transparency Animated multi-layered sky and backdrop bitmaps Procedural textures for water or lava Morphing and mesh interpolation for models Programmable particle generators for smoke trails, explosions, tornados.. Unlimited 2D and 3D effects (lens flares, bullet holes etc.) can be created by scripts

Versatility ..............................................................

Multiple 3D windows and realtime cameras for 1st or 3rd person views, side scrollers, split screen, zoom, remote or missile cameras Arbitrary axis (quaternion) rotations for space and flight simulators Path tracking for camera, actors or vehicles 3D objects can be taken or manipulated with mouse in real time Full programmable and customizable through javascript style language Script compiler, debugger, single step and console mode DLL interface and SDK for programming in VC++ CD Audio, MID and WAV support for music and 3D sounds Game score save, load, screenshot functions Integrated 2D engine for background pictures, 2D sprites, panels, buttons, sliders, overlays, 2D controls, text, and AVI movie scenes Two-player mode via split screen, serial cable, or modem Multi-player client/server mode via network or Internet End user level editor for distribution together with game

The engine is improved permanently to support emerging hardware and technologies or new graphical advances. Free updates appear regularly on our website.

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We can create a game by clicking together a level, placing player, weapons and monsters, attaching behaviours to them, adding a game menu, and then publishing the whole stuff. So why do we need a programming language?

Let's face it: games 'clicked together' from predefined elements are boring. We should at least have some individual effects and behaviours in decent commercial quality games. We have to program those effects. The task is not to avoid programming totally - it is to make it as fast and easy as possible. The WDL scripting language was made for this.

WDL scripts can be attached to every object through a mouse click. They react on certain events like being hit or touched, coming near to something, spotting a player, being clicked on, whatever you imagine. Because the syntax is similar to Javascript, you know WDL already if you've ever programmed a web page! Otherwise you'll pick it up fast by working through the included tutorial "Learn Game Programming in 6 days". It's fun to learn programming with WDL: while you type code, you can observe the results immediately in the virtual world!

WDL scripts normally are very short. With only around 30 lines of code you can create a simple shooter. Nevertheless it offers all features of a programming language, like multitasking, arrays, 3D vector arithmetics, file I/O, a compiler and a debugger (command list). You can program any 3D and 2D realtime application with it - even a business spreadsheet. And you can realize ideas never seen before in any game.

Unlike other scripting languages, WDL scripts are not interpreted, but compiled - translated on-the-fly into optimized Pentium machine code. Therefore your WDL scripts can run ten times faster than other scripting languages like Basic or Javascript. They run almost as fast as if they were 'directly programmed' into the engine. And speed is of the essence for most games.

But if you really don't want to bother about programming, you don't have to. A huge library of premade behaviour scripts for all purposes is included.

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There are four GameStudio editions available. All contain the same editors and the same speedy and powerful engine - they only vary in some features. In most cases the $49 standard edition will suffice. For entering professional game development you may consider the commercial or even the professional edition. You can upgrade whenever you want: all editions are 100% up- and downwards compatible. Try before buying? Download the 30-days trial version with the predecessor A4 engine, and start today creating games!

Edition	Standard	Extra	Commercial	Professional
Level editor	yes	yes	yes	yes/distributable
Model editor	yes	yes	yes	yes
Client/Server	no	no	no	yes
Max players	1 or 2 **	1 or 2 **	1 or 2 **	unlimited
Max screen res	640x480x16	800x600x16	1024x768x16	1600x1200x32
Light sources	white	white	coloured	coloured
Static shadows	yes	yes	yes	yes
Dynamic shadows	no	no	yes	yes
Terrain	no	yes	yes	yes
Transparency	plain 50%	alpha/flare	alpha/flare	alpha/flare
Geometric LOD	no	yes	yes	yes
AVI scene player	no	no	yes	yes
CD audio player	no	no	yes	yes
File packer	no	no	no	yes
VC++ SDK	no***	no***	no***	yes
Watermark *	yes	yes	no	no
Support (email)	no	no	90 days	1 year
Price	$49.-	$99.-	$199.-	$1250.-

*   Tiny transparent 'A5' in a screen corner or on a panel. See gallery.
**  2-player games through split screen mode only.
***  Available separately. See price list.
Update / Upgrade prices see price list. Interim updates are free. Features listed apply to the latest version that is shipped, or is available for download at our website.

Price list / Order page - Click Here

System requirements
Minimum: P-75, 16 MB RAM, CD-ROM, sound card, standard VGA card or laptop.
Recommended: P-300, 64 MB RAM, CD-ROM, Joystick, 3D video card (16+ MB), 3D sound card, Internet access.
Windows 95 or above, and DirectX 5.0 or above are required for software rendering. Windows 98 / ME / 2000 and DirectX 7.0 or above, and a decent 3D card are required for hardware rendering.
Imported file formats: 3DS, ASC, X, MAP, MDL, MD2, AVI, BMP, PCX, TGA, WAD, MID, WAV.

Royalties: Nope!
You have the right to create as many games as you want, and to sell them without having to pay any royalties or license fees. There are three conditions for public distribution: mail us a copy of your game; display the A5 engine logo for one second on your startup screen; and don't use 3D GameStudio for a game that intentionally propagates genocide against a certain group, race, nation or religion existing in today's real world.

For special purposes - for example, using GameStudio applications commercially at public places, like TV shows or arcade machines, or for abandoning the engine startup logo - a one-time license fee can be required. Depending on the kind of the application, the fee ranges between zero and $10,000 maximum (for details see reference manual).

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