I’ve shifted my focus over the past few weeks to Nintendo DSi Browser software development. (Many of the projects also work in the older Nintendo DS Browsers.) Here’s a summary:

Twiiter Lite:
Members can now post twiits while on-the-go. Take your Nintendo DS or Nintendo DSi to any Wi-Fi hotspot, and continue twiiting like you have been from your Wii consoles!
http://twiiter.wiioperasdk.com

DS Opera SDK:
I’ve been running some tests of the Nintendo DSi Browser and posting the results at the DS Opera SDK website. Tests include canvas drawing, JavaScript object snooping, key input, UNICODE values, and more! I’ve also scaled down the old AJAX chatroom from HullBreach Online’s Wii section so that it will work on the handheld.
http://dsoperasdk.com

HullBreach Online Lite:
I’m shrinking the HullBreach Online MMO RPG to fit the dual screen resolution and changing the Wii button interface to a fully touchscreen-based control scheme. Due to the crippled support of the canvas object on the Nintendo DSi Browser, I’ve opted to use nothing but standard HTML objects conntrolled by JavaScript. Layered images with scrolling background achieve graphics of space exploration. Although combat will initially be removed from the game, chatting, trading, missions, mining, and all the other features, will be present. I will announce when the game is ready to play and add new content to both version of HB Online. All character stats and missions carry seemlessly between the versions.
http://hullbreachonline.com

All these projects use the same member accounts. You can sign up at http://hullbreachonline.com or http://twiiter.wiioperasdk.com to take advantage of twiiting, chatting, gaming, and more!

Some of the code in HullBreach has been refactored to pull some additional speed, but the big change is how graphics are displayed.  Previously, everything in the pixel range (0,0)-(500,300) was drawn to a page-flipped canvas.  It ran fine on a standard desktop computer but proved to be slow on a Wii.  Now, the starfield background has been moved from within the canvas to a displaced CSS background, greatly increasing the speed.  The overlay map used to be a section of the main canvas and was drawn as several translucent shapes.  This has been changed to a separate canvas with a CSS opacity of 0.5 and solid shapes, allowing a little extra burst of speed in the game.  Overall, I’d estimate HullBreach Online may be running as much as 50% faster. Don’t think it will stop there, though.  I may move the planets and locations from the canvas to be IMG elements inside a clipping DIV (that’s the same size as the canvas), depending no how much speed I can get.  This would leave just the ships inside the canvas, where they will permanently reside, to allow the freedom of rotation.

Mode7 Class Preview

An alpha preview of the new Mode7 is available at http://wiioperasdk.com/mode7.html.

Available features from the original goal list are as follows:

• Per landscape pixel coordinate mapping
  Default tiles for empty locations
• Variable pixel size Variable strip size (for speed vs. visual clarity optimization)
• Variable canvas size
• Controls for motion, turning, strafing
• Import custom tile maps
• Import custom tile images

Originally, the class was going to draw landscapes on a per-pixel basis, but that proved to be way too slow for not only playing but just for viewing.  This I’ve taken some shortcuts (in a similar manner to how the SuperNES did) which create a decent, but not mathematically correct, effect for games.

Much of the class is not yet automated in the manner that the 3DFPS one is, and some tweaking to the perspective projection math is required.  Beyond that, it is functionining.  I just need to run some benchmarks on the Wii before creating a game or two.

Mode 7 Sample

The new class for the Wii Opera SDK / HullBreach SDK that mimics the popular affine texture mapping of the SuperNES era is almost finished.  This class will give the ability to create graphical effects like those produced in Super Mario Kart, Pilotwings, F-Zero, and other games, by scaling scanlines of rotates planes on screen mode 7 of the SuperNES.  The interface will be similar to that of the Raycasting class on the homepage of http://wiioperasdk.com.

It is my hope that when this class is finished and fully-optimized that Internet Channel versions of SuperNES favorites will see their lights-of-day.

The demo image shows the functionality with a sample checkboard pattern.  Final game engines using this class will have the following abilities:

• Per landscape pixel coordinate mapping
• Default tiles for empty locations
• Variable pixel size (for speed vs. visual clarity optimization)
• Variable canvas size
• Controls for motion, turning, strafing
• Panoramic backgrounds
• Import custom tile maps
• Import custom tile images

The class will be ready in the next week with a simple demo.  Once this class is finished, I will begin work on the next project: Terrain Mapping.

Wii Opera SDK Dungeon Generator

The Wii Opera SDK has been updated in several areas for speed boosts.  These updates include several functions within the 3D math class, the FPS class, and the drawing class.  I haven’t benchmarked the speed increases yet, but they are visibly noticeable for all the demos on the website.  The optimizations have obfuscated some of the code, so it’s more difficult to follow for those who wish to understand how the underlying classes are working.  There have been no functional changes in those cases.

I’m currently working on a new terrain-generation class that will be available shortly.  It’s based on a combination of the JavaScript raytracer and the raycasting engine with a bit of the 3D math class thrown into it for good measure.

FPS Dungeon Generator

An early version of a dungeon generator for creating first-person games is available on the website.  This editor allows the creation of dungeons based on default textures and inserting teleportation zones by typing the coordinates.  While a dungeon is being edited, a real-time preview rotates on the right side of the screen.  Many changes will be made to this editor over time, but I thought a preview release was in order.  Please note that creations cannot be saved at this point.

The final release of the generator will include the following features:

• Uploadable textures
• Uploadable sky and ground textures
• Drag-and-drop wall editing
• Drag-and-drop teleportation spots
• Hyperlinking of teleportation spots
• Save finished dungeon to the Dungeon Gallery
• Download text file of final dungeon for use on another website