Engine Details
| 3D Rad v6 |
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| User-friendly 3d game editor with a straightforward developing workflow. You can use it to create any sort of stand-alone, interactive 3d project for Windows Vista/XP. Ideal for CG artists and non-coders, but flexible enough to meet the needs of expert coders as well. |
| Author |
3D Rad |
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| Graphics API |
DirectX |
Operating Systems |
Windows |
| Programming Language |
C/C++ |
Status |
Productive/Stable |
| Documentation |
Yes |
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| Features |
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General Features |
Object-Oriented Design:
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Compile to standalone executables or web-browser applets |
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Scripting |
AngelScript |
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Built-in Editors |
Visual 3d world editor |
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Physics |
Basic Physics, Collision Detection, Rigid Body, Vehicle Physics:
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Lighting |
Per-vertex, Per-pixel, Lightmapping, Gloss maps:
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Shadows |
Shadow Mapping, Shadow Volume: |
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Texturing |
Basic, Multi-texturing, Bumpmapping, Mipmapping: |
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Shaders |
Vertex, Pixel: |
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Scene Management |
General, LOD: |
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Animation |
Forward Kinematics, Keyframe Animation, Skeletal Animation, Animation Blending:
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Interactive Bone Control |
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Ability to 'attach' visuals, rigid-bodies and particle emitters to individual bones. |
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Meshes |
Mesh Loading, Skinning: |
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Special Effects |
Environment Mapping, Particle System, Sky, Water, Fire, Explosion, Decals, Fog:
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Networking System |
Client-Server:
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Contents Updating From URL |
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Sound & Video |
3D Sound: |
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Artificial Intelligence |
Scripted:
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Ready-to-use autonomous driving |
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Scripted for all the rest |
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Ease of Use: |
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Support: |
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| Date Added |
Fri, 26 Sep 2008 |
Last Updated |
Thu, 16 Jul 2009 |
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There are currently 10 reviews for this engine
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| License Name |
Price |
Source Code |
Comments |
| Other/Custom |
$159.00 |
No |
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Screenshots:
Member Reviews |
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NOTE: The ratings and reviews below reflect the opinions of their respective authors and as such, do not reflect the opinions of DevMaster.net or its staff.
The reviews are not moderated and some are completely inaccurate. Therefore, most reviews should be taken with a grain of salt. If you find any inaccurate or inappropriate reviews, let us know by stating in detail why you think the review should be removed and any links/documents that support your contention.
| The Best Game Engine You're Probably Not Using |
at the risk of sounding like a bedded and paid fanboy, i'm gonna submit the following review for your consideration (and/or verbal abuse )...
version 6 of 3DRAD is the best overall compromise available for the many aspiring game developers out there looking to make the next killer game application...
this includes not only those who can do (and like doing) the coding thing, as well as those who'se talents and desires are more suited to the artistic side of game development... there is no other development system available today that allows the creation of practically every type of game, in every type of style, with the ease that 3DRAD allows...
this includes first person shooters, real time simulations, 2D in 3D type side scrollers, role playing games, real time strategy games, so called causal games, puzzle type games, cartoon styled fantasy games... whatever...
and because it has a well thought out scene editor for placement of many different types of prebuilt functional objects in a scene, the process can take a fraction of the time that it would take in a pure coding environment, thus dramatically reducing your time from inception to completion...
it has full physics capabilites built in... the objects react automatically to the environment as well as to each other... no additional coding required...
3DRAD works well on, and allows you to target legacy systems that many users out there still are running, as a potential audience for your games, while still giving you the option to include bumpmapping and fast real time shadows (radeon 9200 shader model 1.4 cards included) without any additional coding or external libraries...
for those developers aiming at a higher degree of graphical presentation, several new shader model 2.0 only effects have just been added (refracting and reflecting water shader and a glass shader) in the latest update...
and speaking of updates... there has been one each month (with one exception), and they have always been on schedule... with each one adding to the capabilities of the engine (yes, this one qualifies as an engine) without breaking the functions of the previous builds...
bugs reports are addressed almost immediately... within a matter of days usually... and at the very latest, in the next release...
the dev team is open and accesible... they talk to you, not at you... and they are responsive to feature requests, with turnaround and implementation of many requested features usually happening at the next update... you're not going to get this kind of customer care from anyone else that i've licensed anything from (with the possible exception of Giles and Pacemaker) at this price point... they are without question the epitamy of professionalism in this regard...
for those who like to code, the engine is accessible via AngelScript, a c++ like coding language, and the manner in which the internal of many of the prebuilt objects is open enough to allow an almost unlimited functional implementation...
there are multiplayer commands in the scripting language that allow true client server multiplayer apps over the internet or over a lan to be made...
serious... if you've been frustrated and find yourself running back and forth between this engine and that engine for the past couple years, i suggest you give this one a try...
it's not the holy grail mind you... but i think you'll find it the best overall compromise out there... seriously, the best... bar none...
in a few months time you will be able to get a game like Penumbra Overture out the door... with all the eyecandy and physics to boot...
this one is no joke... it can deliver the goods...
good luck with your gamemaking...
--Mike |
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| Perfect for Artists |
Best engine for artists and others who would rather create than program - easy to use, intuitive interface, lots of "starter" objects and sample projects.
Scripting is available for customization and relatively easy to learn if not familiar with a programming language. If you like programming, this is available using AngelScript.
Support is excellent and timely with great community members to help new users and those with more complex requests.
If you are an artist, modeler or animator and are interested in developing interactive 3D virtual worlds, architectural walkthroughs or games without the time investment in learning a programming language first, 3D Rad is the best choice. |
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| A very useful tool |
3D Rad v6 did for me what flash 3 did a million years ago: it dissolved the barrier between art and functionality and i saw myself (i'm a graphic designer by profession) creating interactive content that i only dreamt of before.
3D Rad is at the moment the best choice for the young aspiring game designer! Its also appropriate for quick realtime 3D product or architectural visualisation.
I spent the last 6 years learning/working on indie projects as a hobby, owning licenses to all the usual suspects (3DGS, Torque, TGB, BeyondVirtual (GameCore)... etc) and this is the first time when i just import my models and art, link them together and actually have a great looking, working interactive environment, without a line of code... really.
Very nice and sweet, but 3D Rad v6 is NOT a toy in any way,
- the physics engine is very solid (this alone is worth the price of the engine),
- very good framerates with complex scenes
- all the popular shaders you'd come to expect can be applied to any object just by selecting it from a dropdown menu
- native support for .X format with bone or vertex animation
there are lots of features, but the real hidden gem here is the FUN you can have while achieving serious results... this is the freedom that boosts creativity. With 3D Rad I often find myself thinking of new ways to experiment with gameplay, instead of just trying to figure out how to mimic a feature i saw in a commercial game 10 years ago, or going insane for hours, while trying to understand a script that displays a 'hello world' message.
Someone might say: 'dont be lazy and learn to script... if you want to achieve something you have to work hard'... well, it doesnt work like that anymore!!!
I have an idea that i want to communicate to other people, as simple as that... i take a tool (like a pen or a brush) i materialize that idea and thats it... 3D Rad does just that, simple and straight forward!!!
I wish the best to the developers, because they're doing something really different here and i'm anxious to see this engine evolve and reach the skies.
--clandestine--
PS: i'm aware that my review is much more emotional than rational... at the end of the day emotions are what makes us creative ;) |
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| 3D Rad, an empire of gaming galore |
wow! Where can I even begin to begin?
Absolutely astounding, humble, helpful, flexible, and most importantly, endless. That is the best summary of this engine. When I was first looking for a nice little, free, 3D game design software I stumbled upon a small website, 3D Rad's. It was simple, easy to navigate. The tutorials were obvious (I am always in need of tutorials so this was good) and I was not overwelmed by it. I looked around for a little while and decided to download their free package. I peered at the upgrade packs and looked inside the forum. All was well. Then the install finished and all hell broke loose! IT WAS AMAZING! I had never seen such pure goodness...except for a homebaked pie of course ;). There were Gizmo's and gadgets here and there. Within minutes I had a small racing game...no tutorials needed... I continued to use the program and they continued to upgrade. When November 07 came up and I got that first upgrade email I was amazed! MONTHLY UPDATES! I was about to drool all over my keyboard it just kept getting better and better. I continued to practice around with the free version. I would make science projects and amaze my teachers with small moon sims and what not then summer came. I had nearly all the time in the world. I talked with friends but I became a 3D Rad guru by July. I had joined the forum for a few help issues with angelscript and was loving life. Then they switched to trial versions... :( it was no longer monthly it was month. This, of course, was devastating. I don't have much of an option but to have free programs and free programs only. I tuned off for about 2 weeks after the trial ended...I thought it was the end...I though. Then another email came by...another update...another chance. I was back in. I put it up and played around. I started my next and first real project. Codename: Kenobi. Then Sept. came by and some sweet effects came up...I seized the chance. Now October again. Today...my 1 year anniversary... I am dumbfounded! I have stopped trying to come up with ideas for the next update because I have run out. They are light years ahead of my hobbiest mentality. The forum members were and are the most helpful people in the world for even more that just 3D Rad. All of them some of the nicest people I have ever posted to. I would say buy it. $159 may seem steep to some but it is worth it. You play on the trial for 3 minutes and your hooked like fish to bait. When the 30-day trial ends you'll be on your knees begging for more so desperately you would offer your firstborn child.
-A 3D Rad Forum member, Niwdoog
Visit my website to see what 3D Rad is doing for me :)
http://www.v-games.synthasite.com/ |
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If something is too good to be true... it isPosted by:
at Sep 11, 2009 |
| 3d rad is free now. And free stuff is usually junk when it comes with a list of all these nice features. I spent a while making a tank simulation game in order to learn the engine. Everything worked in the project manager or whatever its called when you can play the game in the engine before publishing it to an executable file. After I did that it totally destroyed what I had made, including the backup I had made as well that was under a different file name! That is just messed up. The windows error reporting gave me a message that the .dll 3drad uses is messed up and was at fault. All that work for nothing. I posted that information on the forums of 3drad in the technical discussion area in much more detail and the administrator just deleted my post. They didn't even send me an email telling me I was out of line or anything, because I wasn't. Clearly it is now freeware because it doesn't work and the authors don't want to get sued for false advertising by selling something that doesn't work as advertised. Personally I think that engine can't handle anything more than a small arcade game, if that. I was working on a tank game with turrets and shells, missiles, smoke trails, many different sound effects, particle effects for explosions and smoke, scenery and separate AI for each unit. It all worked in the "test" mode of the engine but after I tried to compile just one of the projects, (not my backup) it corrupted all the data and I lost everything. Yep, it even managed to corrupt my backup that was in the projects folder. As I said I haven't been banned from the 3drad forums or anything, the administrator just deleted my post and usually when someone has a problem the devs of that "program" try to fix it, supposedly. That's what they say anyway. I guess I busted their forgery wide open and found out 3d rad can't do a whole lot and they didn't like that. I'm going to go with the 3d game studio now, or maybe the torque engine. As I said 3dRAD is now freeware and it is obviously a fraud. It was easy to use sometimes but it lacks the ability to do anything above a simple arcade game. The graphical placement in the 3d world for objects was one of the nicest I've ever seen. I guess the devs thought that would be better than a working engine. I think they spent most of their time attempting to make the physics work and other stuff has suffered, like a working engine that can put it all together. If you keep the physics simple and dumbed down a lot, and I mean a lot, it may actually work. They want people who use it to use skin meshes for most everything, (skin meshes can't do collision checks in 3drad), and if you have to have a 3d aspect to it they strongly encourage you to use a generic 3d bounding sphere for all your skin meshes. And that is what I did mostly. I figured I could have a cube like bounding box for the tanks. I didn't want them bouncing over the terrain afterall. Apparently that may have been a bad idea. That is not very good collision detection as far as I am concerned. In fact this engine seems more like an engine that was made to do 2d instead of 3d. When it came time for the show 3drad was a no show. And I was left out to dry by the people who said they would stand behind their used to be product which is now freeware. And the scripting language is not C++. It is supposedly similar but it doesn't even use all the language that Angle script comes with. If you make something out of Angle script and then import that script into 3drad it will most certainly not work. Apparently the devs think computer programming should be a buffet, meaning they think they should be able to pick and choose what they want and everything should still work. That's not how math works. This "engine" is still alpha if not pre-alpha. I can't understand how they used to charge people for this and I feel sorry for anyone that actually bought it before it was freeware. |
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Outstanding engine for artist to create worlds with characters/vehicles without any code!Posted by:
Mic
at Oct 22, 2008 |
I have worked in the gaming industry for over 8 years, using such engines as Unreal, Hammer, cube2 and a few internal game engines and tool sets over time. So when I say using the 3D Rad engine was easy, you can better understand where I am coming from.
3D Rad is outstanding as an artist tool. You can import anything you create from Max, Maya, milkshape, gmax etc... Into 3D Rad using the Direct X format. The default game object is a skin mesh, so adding bones and animation is easy. Even if Bone animation is a bit too high end for you, you can export multiple models as 001, 002, 003, and use that to play the animation.
3D Rad uses the ODE physics system, and the physics integration is very solid! In general, all static objects can use any polygonal concave shape, while all dynamic shapes use spheres for collision. A slight limitation to the physics engine is you can't collide 2 custom shapes. General rule of thumb is: custom to sphere collision & sphere to sphere collision is supported.
The engine also utilizes some great shader tech to create a next gen look, using normal maps, cube maps, or real time reflections with real time lighting and shadows create an outstanding scene. A bonus to the shadow system, is being able to import my own low poly mesh to be used as the shadow mesh, so the engine only has to calculate only a 200-300 poly shadow for a 4000-5000 poly mesh... Users can also create a custom LOD system in the skin mesh. If you need to fill the space with a ton of stuff, and your limited to on screen polygon count, this is a great method to combat this. Anyone who as worked on a console title should be well versed in creating LOD models, even if you just relied on your art software to hack up the model to a lower poly count.
The current state of the engine is well suited for any type of vehicle game: vehicles, boats, tank, air... In the last few updates, great improvements have been made to the 1st and 3rd person objects. Allowing you to add a character and script movements, as well as controlling its movement in script and pathing. I think anyone could create a FPS with 3D Rad, but you would be required to script the pickups, weapons and AI behavior for your game. Just like any other FPS engine...
My biggest hook for using 3D Rad is being able to work in my own software, and export it into game, and what you see is what you get. The 3D Rad editor is not a brush editor, so you need to use some sort of 3d party software to create worlds and assets. With countless art packages out there, you should no issue picking the right one for you. From free ones like Gmax, to expensive packages such as 3dsmax. The only requirement is that your art package can export into the direct X format.
3D Rad uses the 3impact engine as it's backbone. (3D Rad and 3impact are made by the same team.) I have released a title using 3impact engine in the past, while having to hire out the engineering work. But now I am using 3D Rad, so little or no coding/scripting will be needed for my next project! YAY! |
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| Best choice for a single/small teamed developers and artists |
This engine is the one I've spent most productive hours into.
It comes with a set of resources and alot of examples ready to use. I like the fact that you can put all resources into a commercial game royality free.
Physics in a box, g-force, rigidbodys, static and dynamic, it all just works, no coding needed, they collide, bounce, it just works. Airfoils for air, fluid simulation, just works.
This engine comes with Flightsim example projects, Racegame, Lensflares, Instancing skinmeshes (imposters of an existing skinmesh), ready to use cameras, Character object, forcefeedback, skyboxes, terrains, particles, trees, cars, wheels, wind/fluids, bonebased animation.
The community via 3drad's forum has supplied ready to use resources like infinte terrain/water, skyboxes, script examples, animated ragdolls, particle clouds generators,, radars etc..
Compared to other engines I've tried, you actually (as a single developer without a team) can finish games or simulations here within a lifetime. Engine is stable, support is excellent.
As a single indiegame developer this would be my best choice.
So is it all glitter and glory ? Well almost, but I do miss features like terrain generated from heightmaps / noise. More shaders, custom shaders, support for more formats like .obj, .3ds and animated formats like mdl and md5. Ability to load new objects into a running simulation (you can update model/textures however)
Overall I give this a pretty high score. The engine has also comes with a new free updated release very month and that's pretty awesome. |
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| Excellent for the artists and the beginners |
A very good engine, with correct performances, very simple to use. It's ideal for the artists and the beginners in programming.
He is stable and allows to make 3D applications very quickly. The forum is a very good support with lot of add-on and scripts.
I regret that he does not read the collada... |
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