Roadmap

Currently the content of this roadmap is a living document and will be kept up to date with our current estimates for release dates and content.

 V0.9.2 ("Beta 3.2") - Features: (Target Date: December 23rd) 

Online Indie License pre-sales begin here, just in time for Christmas.

1. Enhanced "Entity Editor".  Check it out!  Adds new "Mount Point Editor".
2. Material LOD's.  Now you can specify to use high detail materials up close, and then to use lower detail materials from further away, to provide a more complete optimization for performance.
3. Dialog Editor!  Very usable and capable. 
   1. Integrates with Voice Recognition so that you can "speak the response" and it recognizes it! (Vista has this built-in.  For WinXP, download MS Speech 5.1 for this.)
   2. Easy to use editor, and enables event triggers, sounds/animations with lip sync.
4. Fixes needed for Beta 3.1 features.   Many fixes.
5. Performance Optimizations, to produce higher FPS. 
6. Terrain Tools enhancements.   (Still have usability issues that are being addressed for Beta 3.3.)
7. More stablization of API.  (a little over half done.  Have improved some core interfaces and component model).
8. More Art Path enhancements.
9. Browser Support (runs in IE7 cleanly).
10. Physics Tool set support!
    1. Ability to drag/drop physics into any scene.  (Static Hulls)
    2. Character controllers that use real physics (hull-based collisions).
    3. High performance.
    4. Vehicle physics in Lost Isle now works with the Static Hulls that you can drag in (align cylinders with Palm Trees to produce collision with vehicles). 
    5. HeightModifiers - automatically generated from actor/models placed in scene.
11. Licensing enhanced to integrate with online purchasing of Indie licenses.
12. Scripting Workflow enhancements.  It's getting more usable, and is integrated with the Dialog system.
    1. It is possible to add "Python scripted actions" which it is possible to transfer (dnd) on entity. It is more "for fun" than for practical use
13. Tool set enhancements and Fixes for Asset Library, World Explorer, and Object Editor.
    1. List Editing in Object Editor enhanced.
    2. Object Editor navigation improvements and bug fixes.
          

V0.9.3 ("Beta 3.3") - Features: (Target Date: January 20th) 

1. Migration to XNA 3.0 and XACT/XAudio2
2. <new>1st cut of Interior Scenes support.
3. Finish the stablization of the API.  We're more than half done for Beta 3.1.  It's time to finish the job.
   
4. Documentation and Tutorials for a couple of these:
   1. .NET Programming API
   2. Art Path - importing models, terrains, and configuring their materials, and other adjustments.
   3. Terrain Toolset.
   4. Particle Editor
   5. Physics Design Mode
   6. Scripting
   7. TimeLines and Cinematics
   8. Full Morph Animation support.
      
5. Make use of the new Component and Script model, to achieve the following:
   1. Import your own models, and attach key maps, behaviors, triggers, and scripts (i.e. "bring them to life")
   2. Reconstruction of all scenes to make use of our new Component Model, which will eliminate most of the C# code that has been embedded into custom scene files.  Instead these scenes will be composed of drag/drop reusable components.  You will be able to drag/drop the scene components and configure them to generate a unique scene with your own customized combination of components and settings for each.
      
6. Architect Toolset capabilities to:
   
   1. Completed Events, Triggers, and Scripting for Game Logic.
   2. Completed TimeLines and basic cinematics.
   3. Completed Physics Design Mode.
   4. Completed Particle Editor.
   5. Completed Terrain Tools, with morphing, texturing, and procedural land cover.
   6. 1st cut Animation Designer - allows blending and editing of model, DOF, and node-based animations.
      
      

Content is TBD.  We expect a portion of the content from Beta 3.2 above to leak into this release.  We also believe that we'll think of a few new high priority features to add for this release as well.

We'll update this plan, as it becomes more clear to us.

V0.9.4 ("Beta 3.4") - Features: (Target Date: February 2009)

Content is TBD.  We expect a portion of the content from Beta 3.1 above to leak into this release.  We also believe that we'll think of a few new high priority features to add for this release as well.

We'll update this plan, as it becomes more clear to us. 

Version 1.0 - Features: (Target Date: March 2009)

1. Integrations with Visual Studio 2008.
2. 1st cut of Gui Editor
3. Capability to Deploy your own world applications.
4. Enhancements and Fixes on existing features.
5. Many bug fixes and minor enhancements to ensure usability.
   

Version 1.1: (Target Date: April 2009)

1. High Priority Bug Fixes for existing features.
2. Migration to XNA 3.0, and XACT/XAudio (we currently use DirectSound for audio support).
3. Advanced Asset library management (intuitive incorporation of 3rdparty Asset Libraries, and publishing of your own).
4. Robust Art Path, supporting a number of new formats (currently support only .mesh, and .DAE.  Will add support for formats such as OpenFlight, .FBX, .X, .OBJ).
5. Web Player - browser plugin.
6. Advanced Scene Portals, and large-scale spatial management (to support inter-planetary simulations and games).
7. More Adanced Physics, such as SoftBodies, and conversion of meshes into physics body approximations.
   
8. Collaborative Design Mode.
9. One-Click Deployment.
10. More Documentation and Tutorials.
11. More sample content packages for various genres (e.g. RPG, RTS, FPS).
12. Essential Security Features.
13. More robust and advanced networking.

Version 2.0: (Target Date March 2010)

1. Advanced MMO Features.
2. Advanced Security Features.
   

Beta 2.3 - Features:  (Target Release Date:  July 28th) RELEASED!

1. Advanced Rich LandCover Feature, defined via XML.  Makes use of ARGB channels of the referenced image file, and then overlays procedural generation of plants overtop your scene or terrain.  This feature has been enhanced to auto-transition 3D models into billboard equivalents at a configurable distance from the camera.  This enables much larger/richer scenes than before.
   
   You will see these benefits realized inside the "Lost Isle" and "LandCover" demos.
   
   
2. New Advanced Terrain System (GIS2) - Preview.  We have a new terrain system that has been under development since February of this year, and has finally matured to point that allows us to present it to our users.  Our ultimate plan is that this new system will be obsoleting the previous terrains.
   
   
3. Iron-Python Basic Scripting - Preview - This might give you a taste of what is to come, although at this point, this feature will still be highly under-developed.
   
   
4. Global Performance Setting now used to scale content richness to best suit your PC specs.
   

Beta 2.4 - Features:  (Target Release Date:  August 21st) RELEASED!!

1. [Done] Enhancements and Fixed for Advanced Rich LandCover Feature.
   
   
2. [Done] GIS2 Enhancments
   
   
3. [Done] EarthBuilder Terrain Editing Tools - Preview.  This toolset is still under development, but can be previewed in Beta 2.3, so you can see how this toolset is coming together.
   
   
4. [Partial] Scripting System enhancements.
   
   
5. [Partially Done] Enhancing support for Collada with the following:   
   a. [DONE] LOD Generation and Configuration
   b. [Done now, but not in Beta 2.4] Animation splitting and merging (to split up a single large animation into many smaller ones).
   
   
6. [DONE!] Fixes for Model/Material Editors - to make sure the workflow is very intuitive.  Right now the process of editing materials on your new models is a bit bumpy and quirky, and requires you to have instructions on how to make it work.  We're aiming to eliminate these main issues, to ensure artists have a better experience with importing their models into Visual3D first try.
   
   
7. [DONE] More realistic Physics Demos using "real objects/models" provided by BlackSkullStudios.
   
   
8. [Not Done] Physics Design Mode - Preview - We will show you most recent progress on our Physics Design mode, which is likely to be rudimentary for this release.  Our ultimate goal is to have seamless robust integration between full-physics simulation and the rest of your application logic (configurable by each application).
   
   
9. [NOT DONE, Sorry] Character Creation, Prototype - we're aiming to just support a single humanoid character for this release, to enable the import of humanoid characters with the typical humoid actions such as "Idle", "Walk", "Run", "Backpedal", "StrafeRight", "Attack", "Jump", etc.  Although this won't initially be a "robust" feature, it should help alleviate some of the pains that AndroidAdam was attempting to alleviate with his "Character Creator" utility.
   
   
10. [Partially Done, Hiccup Recitification] More Dynamic Global Performance Configuration Options - We have been integrating logic into our demos to detect "Low FPS" and respond by turning down some features (like Plant counts, or Particle counts), in order to enable the PC to catch up with Application logic, and restore FPS to a respectable rate.  We are going to mature this feature a bit more, in an attempt to enable those with "kick-#@$!@!!" systems to see "our best quality effects" while enabling those with "middle-end" systems to still "good performance with decent quality".   It has been a challenge for us to create demos like Lost Isle that cater to both ends of the spectrum effectively, and also to enable users to figure out which features/settings are causing them the most performance issues.

V0.9.0 ("Beta 3.0") - Features: (Released Nov 4th)

1. Stabilized .NET Programming API.  [More than half done.]
2. Advanced Skies (Day/Night transitions, Moving Sun, Star map, and moving clouds).
   Should be designable via Architect.  [Try this! Edit your Scene Node, then select the Sky Tab in the Object Editor!]
3. Ground Fog.  Sweet looking.
4. Enhancements for LandCover.  Looking better than ever.  Now we include 3D model LODs as well, so that the impostor becomes the Lowest LOD, rather than just having a single 3D model followed by the Impostor (it was too abrupt in Beta 2.4).  You can partially edit LandCover in Architect now.  More to come.
   
5. Lost Isle2!  Enhanced Terrain Demo with GIS2, Advanced Skies, Physics, and Ground Fog.
6. Architect Toolset Enhancements
   1. Usable new Terrain Tools, with morphing, texturing, and procedural land cover.  [Partially Usable, but still awkward.  There is much more work planned for this toolset.]
   2. Fixes and enhancements to Model and Material Editors.  [Check out some sweet new enhancements.  Better than ever.]
   3. 1st cut of Physics Design Tools. [Not too usable, but presents a first draft for you to look at.]
   4. 1st cut of Particle Editor. [Only a placeholder for this release.  It does nothing yet.]
   5. Import Models and configure their behavior in scene (either with AI, Scripts, or User Controls). [NOT DONE! Sorry.]
   6. Replaced old Asset Library panel with an all new Asset Explorer with added features and nicer interface.
   7. Many miscellaneous improvements.
      1. Fixed the XSI Ogre Exporter issue where animations didn't work.  Now they do!
      2. Object Editor presentation enhancements and fixes.
      3. Baseline implementation of the new "Component model" shown on the Lizardman with a Fire Weapon effect.
         
7. Enhancements to Art Path:
   1. Not much done here, but we did fix the XSI Ogre Exporter issue.
      
8. Error Submissions will be working.  [Yes they are, and they attach your log file as well!]

V0.9.1 ("Beta 3.1") - Patch Release, (Targeted for Nov 14th)

1. Fix critical bugs from Beta 3.0 release (all main bugs reported in forums).  You'll see few error dialogs!
2. Performance enhancements.
3. Speech Recognition!  (done for a client, and you reap the benefits)
4. Import 3d Models and hook them up to Key Maps, physics, and behaviors - all from Architect.
5. Some fixes for Terrain Tools, Physics panel, and Scripting.
6. More changes to API, moving towards a stable API.
7. More "componentization" of scenes and complex actors, so that you can compose more of them from Architect (instead of using hard coded custom classes for each).
8. More... currently unplanned fixes or enhancements that catch our fancy (those developers can sometimes be "out of control" you know).