Andromeda Media Universe Specifications

Here is the long awaited features list for AMU Preview 1. "Preview 1" is our way of saying "closed beta, first test" since there will obviously be some continued work during this time in order to make it better prior to full launch.

This list will be long and will cover extensively everything we are cramming into the system as of this release. While the functionality may be built into the system, keep in mind that as of Preview 1 we may not have enabled it for use. This list is merely to explain what the system can actually do when everything is enabled (which will probably be during RC1)


Platform Independant

From the beginning it was our intention to allow Andromeda Media Universe to run cross platform in order to maximize the compatibility and versatility.

• Windows 98, ME, NT 4, 2000, XP, XP64, Vista (32 & 64)
• Linux
• MacOS (Intel & PowerPC)
• Sun Solaris/SPARC

Sound Sub-System

Plays Multiple File Formats

.WAV, .OGG, .MOD, .XM, .IT, .S3M, .MID, etc

Buffered & Streamed Audio Playback in 2D and 3D

• Fast 3D audio on low end hardware: Because some low end audio hardware is not able to play 3D sounds without significant performance loss or do not support 3d audio buffers at all, the system has a high performance 3d sound buffer emulator built-in, causing a sound experience nearly as it was a real 3d sound buffer.
• Multiple rolloff models: supports linear as well as logarithmic rolloff.

Built In Audio Effects (DirectSound 8 Only)

In addition to the doppler effect for 3D sounds, the system currently supports the following sound effects, both for 3D and 2D sounds when using DirectSound 8 or higher:

• Chorus
• Compressor
• Distortion
• Echo
• Flanger
• Gargle
• Interactive 3D Audio Level 2 reverberation
• Parametric Equalizer effects
• Waves Reverb

Platform Independent

Sound subsystem runs on several operating system including Windows 95, 98, NT, 2000, XP, Vista, Linux, Mac OS X (Intel as well as Power PC). This is to ensure that most features listed here will be available on all platforms.


High Level Resource Management and Auto detection

Just tell it to play a sound file, and it will load, cache and/or stream sound data for you automatically, depending on what is best for performance and memory usage.

Graphics Capabilities

Graphics Modes Support

Direct3D 8.1
Direct3D 9.0
Direct3D 10 (coming soon)
OpenGL 2.0
Software Renderer [Speed]
Software Renderer [Detail]

Built In Capabilities

Bump Mapping
Parallax Mapping
Transparent Objects (And Shadows)
Light Mapping
Customizable Particle System
Sphere Mapping
Texture Animation
Skyboxes
Fog
Web on Prim

Materials & Shaders

To be able to create realistic environments quickly, there are lots of common built in materials available in the system. Some materials are based on the fixed function pipeline (light mapped geometry for example) and some are relying on the programmable pipline (normal mapped/parallax per pixel lighted materials for example) todays 3d hardware is offering. It is possible to mix these both types of materials in a scene without problems and when using a material which needs features the hardware is not able to do, the engine provides fall back materials. However, if the built in materials are not enough, it is possible to add new materials to the system at runtime, without the need of modifying/recompiling the engine. Current supported shader languages for this are:

• Pixel and Vertex Shaders 1.1 to 3.0
• ARB Fragment and Vertex Programs
• HLSL
• GLSL

Supported Graphics Formats

• Adobe Photoshop (.psd)
• JPEG File Interchange Format (.jpg)
• Portable Network Graphics (.png)
• Truevision Targa (.tga)
• Windows Bitmap (.bmp)
• Zsoft Paintbrush (.pcx)
• Graphics Interchange Format (GIF)
• etc...

Dynamic Texture Format (HyperTextures)

A procedural texture is a computer generated image created using an algorithm intended to create a realistic representation of natural elements such as wood, marble, granite, metal, stone, and others.

Usually, the natural look of the rendered result is achieved by the usage of fractal noise and turbulence functions. These functions are used as a numerical representation of the “randomness” found in everything that surrounds us.

In general, these noise and fractal functions are simply used to “disturb” the texture in a natural way such as the undulations of the veins of the wood. In other cases, like marbles' textures, they are based on the graphical representation of fractal noise.


Texture Painting


The ability to "paint" a texture over another. Think of such things as graffiti on a brick wall, a stone path in the grass, or any number of things. Texture Painting in world will allow a more organic feel for your created environment without dealing with traditional "tiles" or making custom PNG files.


Supported Static 3D Model Formats

• 3D Studio meshes (.3ds)
• Alias Wavefront Maya (.obj)
• Cartography shop 4 (.csm)
• COLLADA (.xml, .dae)
• FSRad oct (.oct)
• Microsoft DirectX (.x) (binary & text)
• Milkshape (.ms3d)
• STL 3D files (.stl)
• Renderware (RWX)

In World Content Creation System

Constructive Solid Geometry

Constructive solid geometry (CSG) is a technique used in solid modeling. CSG is often, but not always, a procedural modeling technique used in 3D computer graphics and CAD. Constructive solid geometry allows a modeler to create a complex surface or object by using Boolean operators to combine objects. Often CSG presents a model or surface that appears visually complex, but is actually little more than cleverly combined or decombined objects. (In some cases, constructive solid geometry is performed on polygonal meshes, and may or may not be procedural and/or parametric.)

The simplest solid objects used for the representation are called primitives. Typically they are the objects of simple shape: cuboids, cylinders, prisms, pyramids, spheres, cones. The set of allowable primitives is limited by each software package. Some software packages allow CSG on curved objects while other packages do not.
It is said that an object is constructed from primitives by means of allowable operations, which are typically Boolean operations on sets: union, intersection and difference.

A primitive can typically be described by a procedure which accepts some number of parameters; for example, a sphere may be described by the coordinates of its center point, along with a radius value.
Using CSG as the procedural basis for in-world object construction, we will allow the ability to create the widely popular Primitives Construction as well as the lesser utilized Primitive Sculpting, which allows the user to more accurately shape their object pieces and reduce component waste. Essentially, the user will be able to fully model a custom object within the space of the world itself as an alternative to using a premade static object.

Character Animation

• Morph target animation: Meshes are linear interpolated from one frame to the next.
• Skeletal animation: A skin is manipulated by animated joints. The engine will do this when loading .ms3d or .x files. It is easily possible to attach objects to parts of the animated model. It is possible e.g. to attach a weapon to the hand of a model, which will be moved as the hand moves, with only one line of code on our part.

 

Physics Sub-Systems

Ageia PhysX: High End Physics Simulation (With or Without PhysX Card)
Newton: Low End, Speed Based Deterministic Solver for Older Computers (also MacOS)



Complex Rigid Body Objects

• Collision primitives (sphere, box, capsule, plane, heightfield, convex shape, triangular mesh)
• Various joints types (spherical, revolute, prismatic, cylinders, fixed, distance, pulley, 6DOF)
• Advanced ragdoll creation and editing
• Materials and friction model
• Continuous Collision Detection support
• Collision groups + Collision Filtering

Advanced Character Control

• Auto-stepping feature
• Dominance Groups

Ray-cast and Articulated Vehicle Dynamics

• Wheel shapes
• Joint-based suspension

Volumetric Fluid Creation and Simulation

• SPH (Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics) or simple (without interparticle forces) simulation mode

• Possibility for the user to control the simulation of each individual fluid particle
• Implict Meshes support
• Two-way interaction with rigid bodies/cloth/softbodies

Cloth Simulation

• Self-collision support
• Cloth tearing, pressure and deformable 'Metal Cloth' support

Soft Bodies

• Soft Bodies Attachments (fixed joints/shapes)
• Soft Bodies Self-collision and damping support

Volumetric Force Field Simulation

• Various Force Fields shapes (sphere, capsule, box, convex mesh)

Additional Functionality

This section includes functionality that did not fit in elsewhere on this list. Keep in mind that this list is still partial and can be amended to at a later time.

Terrain Manager
Sky Manager
World Manager
Planet|Space Transitions
Realistic Weather Patterns
Day|Night System
Spherical Planets
Hybrid P2P Server Structure
Jooce Web Desktop
P2P VoIP
Text Chat with Spellcheck
Procedural Tree System
Built in Culling for optimal FPS versus looks.
Volumetric Clouds
Procedural Sky (think Stars)
Wind (In Conjunction with the Physics Systems)
Destructable Objects
Web on Prim

As of AMU Preview 1, this is the most comprehensive list of abilities made to the public. There are undoubtedly more included, and we will make adjustments to this as we find time.