My open source software contributions in 2023 to SDL, Quake 3 based games, and Maverick Model 3D.
SDL
Simple DirectMedia Layer is a cross-platform abstraction layer for window creation, graphics initialize, audio, input, etc that is used by most games on Linux. (SDL source code)
I mentioned custom window decoration “hit testing” resizing issues at the end of my Toy Box on Wayland post. Someone fixed Linux (X11 and Wayland) to display cursors when hovering over resizable areas. It assumed the cursors were double arrows like on Windows and KDE. Resize left and right both had a single arrow pointing right on GNOME. I fixed it to have the correct cursors on GNOME using 8 cursors with each resize direction.
I helped explain an issue with Nintendo GameCube Adapter controller mapping so it could be fixed on Windows and Android.
I try to read most of the SDL 3 commits by following an RSS feed. I pointed out a few minor issues as commit comments.
ioquake3
ioquake3 is a project to maintain and extend the source code for the 1999 first-person shooter Quake III Arena. (ioq3 source code)
I made 25 posts to help solve issues on the ioquake3 forum.
Platform
I updated SDL libraries for Windows and macOS from SDL 2.0.14 to SDL 2.24.0. I cross-compiled mingw-w64 and macOS libraries on Linux. I did have to use Windows to build the MSVC libraries.
I made it so macOS can be built separate for “legacy” Universal Bundle (x86/x86_64/powerpc) and “modern” Universal Bundle 2 (x86_64/Apple Sillicon). Legacy macOS App Bundle was updated to SDL 2.0.22 as newer versions (jumping to SDL 2.24.0) dropped support for macOS 10.6. (Building for Apple Sillicon was added by Tom Kidd in 2022.)
I fixed ioquake3 failing to start from macOS terminal due to how the URI scheme handler support was added.
I updated the Windows “NSIS installer” script. ioquake3 and games based on it tend to just use a .zip file instead of an installer. It would be useful to use the installer as it adds integration for the “quake3://connect/127.0.0.1” URI scheme handler to Windows.
QVM
QVM (Quake Virtual Machine) is a cross-platform bytecode format used by Quake 3 that allows game modifications to be compiled on one platform and run on all platforms. (A similar recent technology being WebAssembly.)
I fixed compiling QVMs on Linux if the source code has Windows line endings. MS-DOS used CR+LF to end lines in text files (Carriage return, line feed; commands for a text printer). However Unix-like platforms used only LF. The Windows file API in text mode automatically reads CR+LF as LF but other platforms did not and caused the QVM tools to fail with strange syntax errors.
I made it so QVMs are compiled on all platforms by default even if they do not have a run-time QVM just-in-time compiler. The QVM interpreter works on all platforms. This made QVMs be built on Linux/macOS ARM64 by default.
OpenGL2 renderer
Compared to the opengl1 renderer—which closely resembles the original Quake 3 renderer—the ioquake3 OpenGL2 render has a lot of issues and (in my opinion) poor design decisions. I think it’s too much work to fix it. However when prompted about issues, it’s not that I can’t fix them…
I fixed the edge border for smaller view size (cg_viewsize) being drawn to an framebuffer object and not blit to the screen when using HDR or framebuffer multisample anti-alias with post-process. This was fixed to draw to the screen directly like other 2D drawing.
I fixed updating the loading screen with r_cubeMapping 1. The changes for the previous issue caused Quake 3’s drawing all images to the screen—to ensure the driver loads them—to be visible. However it shouldn’t be visible because the loading screen draws over it. It turns out generating cube maps for the level left the culling state set to hiding the front of polygons and the loading screen was culled until the level is loaded to reset the culling state. This was broken for years but it seemed like it was just really fast after loading the level.
I fixed the developer option to clear the screen to magenta (r_clear 1) before rendering when using HDR or framebuffer multisample anti-alias. This makes it obvious when some part of the screen isn’t drawn or is transparent and the previous frame is visible (hall of mirrors effect or random flashing between two different frames; it’s just bad).
I fixed framebuffer multisample anti-alias on AMD Windows driver. The driver incorrectly requires GL_EXT_direct_state_access extension to bind a renderbuffer for it to be valid. This should only be required for OpenGL Core context direct state access or GL_ARB_direct_state_access extension. Though yes, ioquake3 should probably stop using the EXT extension in an OpenGL Core context.
I fixed q3map2 lightstyles effects for dynamic pulsing lightmaps with r_mergeLightmaps 1 and r_sunlightMode 1.
r_mergeLightmaps 1 combines internal 128×128 pixel lightmaps into a larger atlas and modifies the geometry texture concordances. This broke materials using both internal and external lightmap and materials using texture concordance offset with internal lightmaps (two obscure things I didn’t know q3map2 did). I corrected external lightmap to apply a transform to convert the texture concordances back to the original and made offset for internal lightmaps use the scale of the texture atlas.
r_sunlightMode 1 changed lightmap stages in materials to support cascading sun shadows by using white image modulated by the lightmap texture. However it didn’t work with some blend mode that use the alpha of the lightmap texture. I fixed it to only apply to normal lightmap stage blend modes.
I fixed parsing q3gl2_sun without two additional “optional” tokens. Quake 3’s text parser has an option to not allow line breaks but it still sets the text pointer to after the line break. So effectively it can only check for an optional token once. And then must not check for any more because it will be on the next line. I fixed parsing q3gl_sun to only check for additional optional tokens if the previous optional tokens existed. (I previously fixed the parser in Spearmint to stop at end of line so it doesn’t have this problem but I’m more concerned about compatibility with weird content in ioquake3.)
World of Padman
World of Padman is a freeware first-person shooter based on the ioquake3 engine. (WoP source code)
My widescreen HUD support from “ZTM’s Flexible HUD for ioq3” was merged into World of Padman for version 1.7. I helped fix two widescreen issues with health station icons (distance independent 2D sprites on the HUD) and lens flares.
Some of the OpenGL2 renderer changes in ioquake3 were for World of Padman or at request of one of the World of Padman developers. q3map2 lightstyles effects are used by the wop_trashmap level.
Q3Rally
Q3Rally is a freeware racing and third-person car shooter based on the ioquake3 engine. (Q3Rally source code)
Some changes I made include:
- Bots can drive around more race maps now (“Fix bots going in reverse for no reason in races”)
- Fixed spectator observer camera to rotate smoothly
- Fixed intermission view angles
- Fixed players in race have an invisible chainsaw
- Fixed client error dropping to menu when player dies if sv_maxclients is too high (“Fix out of range death events”)
- Updated to latest ioquake3
- Various other bug fixes
I fixed game network compatibility and enabled ARM64 support for the new Q3Rally Flatpak package for Linux.
Spearmint
Spearmint is my enhanced engine and game-logic based on ioquake3. (engine source code, game-logic source code)
opengl1 renderer
I fixed two issues in the opengl1 renderer due to adding changes from Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory.
Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory added far plane culling. The level BSP node bounds doesn’t include surfaces for q3map2 skybox portal hack (_skybox entity) so the far plane wasn’t set far enough and the skybox scene was cut off. Instead the bounds of surfaces in the BSP node should be used, which Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory also added.
Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory fixed surface culling for two sided level surfaces but this broke snow flakes in rgoer_seasons user created level for Quake 3 using “deformVertexes move” material feature to change the surface position. I changed back to Quake 3 behavior of not using exact view culling for two sided surfaces.
OpenGL2 renderer
I fixed bullet/explosion marks on doors and moving platforms in splitscreen player views. (It was pointed out to me that I fixed this in opengl1 years ago but I forgot to apply it to the OpenGL2 renderer.)
Game-Logic
I added an option to disable view kick when receiving damage.
I added setting the frame rate in the graphics options menu.
Maverick Model 3D
Maverick Model 3D is a 3D model editor and animator that I maintain that supports some game specific formats. It’s based on Misfit Model 3D that ceased development. (Maverick source code)
I developed/released Maverick Model 3D 1.3.14 in April.
In addition to that:
I fixed a couple issues for macOS and made GitHub Actions build and upload macOS build. If you’re logged into to GitHub, the macOS build can be downloaded from the bottom of the “Actions summary” page for each commit. I haven’t tested it as it requires newer macOS than I have access to.
I fixed a couple issues that I found through the Debian package tracker several years ago. CXXFLAGS are now respected by configure and it compiles for GNU Hurd. Though OpenGL—required for displaying the model—didn’t work in the Debian 2023 GNU Hurd virtual machine image.
I added support for exporting a Quake 3 player model with three separate models (head, upper, lower) to IQE format which can be converted to IQM for use with ioquake3 and derivative projects.
IQM uses skeletal animation which allows for less memory usage and better animation quality compared to Quake 3’s MD3 format that stores lower precision vertex positions for each frame and interpolates vertexes in a straight line between frames which may cause meshes to deform. Though IQM may be slower to draw.
I got IQE Quake 3 player model export working in 2018 (as reference in this ioquake3 forum thread where I was working on improving performance and fixing issues with ioquake3’s IQM support). I wanted to move Quake 3 player model export out on the individual format exporters but that never happened. So now it’s in IQE exporter.
P.S.
Most of these changes are a result of interacting with people rather than my own ideas or done for the sake of hypothetical other people.
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