Frequently Asked Questions

This is a list of questions we have been asked about the Qoole-AID project.

Q. Why did you drop support for Goole?
A. One simple reason. The Qoole99 source code is just too braindead and insufficient for the projects needs. The original intent was to use the Qoole99 source code in order to save development time and create a solid and configurable world editor for game developers. Unfortunately in order to implement much of the desired features and functionality would require that over 10,000  lines of code be rewritten.

I also haven't completely dropped support for Goole. In fact, bugs will still be fixed as time permits. But no new functionality will be included. If a developer wants to step up and acquire responsibility for maintaining and extending Goole, they are more than welcome.
 
 
Q. Didn't you say that the Qoole99 source code was better designed than most?
A. Yes I did. My bad. It's brain-dead.
 
 
Q. What tools are required to participate in the development of Qoole-AID?
A.

A working knowledge of C++, ability to adhere to standards documents, responsible for reviewing and contributing to designs, and a fair to decent knowledge of 3D concepts and math.

For a list of tools that you need, and the reason why you need them, see the Development Tools page.

 
 
Q. What is the goal of the Qoole-AID project?
A. The same as it has always been. To provide a powerfully robust and extendible polygon mesh and patch based editor to independent and open-source game developers.
 
 
Q. Will you be including support for commercial games?
A. The chances of that happening are very likely, although only one or two will be officially supported. The big reason is that by supporting commercial games we have a known base of requirements to test from. Quake III will allow us to test and include support for curved surfaces while Fly3D and CrystalSpace will allow us to test and validate some of the more advanced features normally not supported by commercial games.  There has even been talk about supporting ray tracers and other production quality rendering engines, but at this point it is only brain-storming.
 
 
Q. I am a game developer and would like to use it for my game but I have very specific needs. Will Qoole-AID be for me?
A. Just like Kool-Aid was right for you as a kid, Qoole-AID is right for you now. If you want to use your own file format, just write a simple plug-in. Need to add an object with a special properties dialog, just write a simple plug-in. Developers will have an enourmous amount of resources available to them. Everything from
 
 
Q. What mailing lists are available?
A. Currently the only mailing list available is for developers. Once development gets into a normal schedule and more stable and functional releases become available, other mailing lists will be created on an as-needed bases.
 
 
Q. Couldn't you just use QRadiant, Quark, or some other editor to base Qoole-AID on?
A. Yes and no. The Licensing for QRadiant is neither Open Source nor a Free Software license such as the GPL.  There are very specific restrictions with editors such as QERadiant, UnrealEd, and others. With editors such as QRadiant, you are restricted from adding enhancements or even using the editor for a game other than what it was originally designed for (Quake). That is just unacceptable for our goal.

Quark is another story. While it's freely available, includes support for many games, has a clean interface, and works quite well, it is written in Delphi (see PASCAL) and uses Python for it's plug-in architecture. Configuring Quark for use in creating your own game is a NIGHTMARE. There is little support in the tools for editing the configuration files and the format of the configuration files is undocumented. This makes everything guess work and takes a tremendous amount of time for setup. This too in unacceptable to our goals.
 
 
Q. Why are you doing this?
A. Because I learned that the true secret of the universe is not life, but size.
 
 
Q. If the level editor is generic, how can it support commercial games?
A. The design for how Qoole-AID operates is based on a module plug-in architecture. The plug-in system allows for library components and scripts to be added that support file new tyoes of context objects, loading/saving, world building, easy layout management for properties editing, additional menus and sub menus, and countless other possibilities that can extend the base functionality of Qoole-AID.
 
 
Q. Ok, so it has plug-in support. But how can a generic editor be used for a game that may not support the features found in the editor?
A. Simple. For games that do not support a specific mode of operation or the ability to do something that the level editor provides, that functionality simply will not be made accessible. As an example, if support is added to the editor to allow for curved surfaces and a game such as Quake 1 doesn't support it, the properties for the Quake 1 editing support will simply specify that it doesn't allow it.

The flip side to this is that if the rendering engine a game developer is using doesn't initially include support for curved surfaces, but half way through development that functionality is implemented in the game, they can simply open the properties for the project they are working on and enable support for it.
 
 
Q. There are lots of projects out there to create a robust level editor but they seem stagnant, what makes yours any different?
A. It comes down to two things; dedication and need. I am dedicated to this project because it is something that I need. I have been writing software for 18 years and I know what it takes to complete a project.  Even if I end up being the only person working on the project, it will continue for as long as possible.
 
 
Q. How do I become a member of the Qoole-AID Team?
A. See the Developers FAQ.
 
 
Q. If I'm not a member of the Qoole-AID Team, does this mean I can't develop for Qoole-AID?
A. Certainly not, in fact we encourage people to actively participate in the development process. If you make changes or enhancements to Qoole-AID and would like to see your changes included in the main source, by all means submit it. From there the Qoole-AID Team will review the changes and if they reflect the goals of the project, there is a high possibility they will be merged in.
 
 
Q. How do I know if my changes are relevant?
A. The best way to keep track of the development process and find out what is and isn't needed it to participate in the Qoole-AID developers mailing list. This is the best place to find information on what development is currently going on, what plug-ins are being developed, and how relevant the changes you want to make are.