Orthographic Shadows

Shadows - Old and New Compared
Thanks to Moguri and Kupoman, orthographic shadows will soon be available in Blender.  Here is a pic of the old way using Blender 2.63a

Here is a pic of the new way, using Blender 2.64 - really the latest build from http://builder.blender.org/download/


The 2.63a shadow was done using a spot light.  Here is the shadow panel.

The latest build orthographic shadow was done using a sun light.  Here is the shadow panel for it.

The blend files can be downloaded at: http://www.mediafire.com/?18il3o06x8e8045 and
http://www.mediafire.com/?f49rwod59fsu8jf
This was done using a MacBook Pro with Intel HD Graphics 3000 512 MB.
Comments and corrections are welcome. The idea for doing the shadow is from:
http://www.tutorialsforblender3d.com...Shadows_1.html

Here is the link on the BlenderArtists forum: http://blenderartists.org/forum/showthread.php?256306-Orthographic-Shadows

Cucumber Branch - Improvements - By Kupoman

https://kupoman.wordpress.com/

Swiss Cheese Branch GSoC 2012

Spencer Alves - GSoC project: Hive system for Blender: Nodal logic!

Deliverables

1. Bindings for existing Hive nodes to the Blender Game Engine
2. Low-level optimizations to the evaluation pipeline
3. Steps towards a node-based GUI for the BGE

http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/User:Impiaaa/Hive_system

 

The Hive system, by Sjoerd de Vries, is a generic was to implement game logic. It uses nodes (called bees) to define behavior given circumstances. My job will be to build this into Blender, so that (eventually) we can have a more extensible and robust logic system for the BGE than the logic bricks editor.

http://blenderartists.org/forum/showthread.php?254219-GSoC-project-Hive-system-for-Blender-Nodal-logic!

Alex Ku - GSoC 2012 - Android Blenderplayer Port with OpenGL-ES(2.0)
Because Android primarily uses java, java is unavoidable. But with Android 2.3 and higher we can minimized java code. The java jni binding will happen behind the scenes by using Android' Native Activity. It does all boring (and annoying) API binding for developer.
http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/User:AlexK/Android

Major Targets

• Make BGE compatible with OpenGL ES 2.0 (Mobile graphics)
• Port Blenderplayer to Android

http://blenderartists.org/forum/showthread.php?255746-GSoC-2012-Android-Blenderplayer-Port-with-OpenGL-ES-(2.0)

Moguri GSoC 2012 
1.  BGE Converter Improvements -

• Save out pre-converted files
• Asynchronously load files (blend or pre-converted)
• Converter-time optimizations

http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/User:Moguri/GSoC2012_BGE_Converter_Improvements

2.  BGE Fixup -
Animation Bugs
LibLoad Bugs
Components

This is mostly getting the existing component code I have polished up and "trunk-worthy".

• Make UI for finding components easier
• Fix any Python scoping issues

Custom Shaders

Same as the components, except for with my GSoC 2010 custom shader code.

• Re-examine code and figure out a list of todos

http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/User:Moguri/GSoC_2012_BGE_Fixup_Docs

http://blenderartists.org/forum/showthread.php?255832-Dev-GSoC-2012-BGE-Fixup-Converter-Improvements-Feedback-Thread

GSoC BGE Fixup Status Report Week 1
http://mogurijin.wordpress.com/2012/05/25/gsoc-bge-fixup-status-report-week-1/

Candy Branch
Implemented Features:

• Subsurface Scattering
• Area Lamps
• Logic Connector Highlighting
• Mipmapping option per-texture

In progress:

• Composite nodes in realtime
• Parallax mapping
• Volumetric Lights

Some other things that we have planned:

• Volumetric Shadowing for Volumetric lights
• Environment cube-mapping
• Scrolling texture coordinates in material node editor
• World normals in material node editor
• Extra uniform inputs for 2D Filters
• Sky and Atmosphere
• Fog volumes

http://blenderartists.org/forum/showthread.php?248538-New-BGE-Features&highlight=candy

http://devlog-martinsh.blogspot.com/

Harmony Branch 
The Harmony Phase I proposal.  Includes a revised shadow panel, point light shadows, variance shadow maps, shadow cookies, and shadow color.  
http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/User:Kupoman/Harmony_Phase1

Harmony Phase I merged into trunk.
http://blenderartists.org/forum/showthread.php?253638-BGE-DEV-New-features-are-now-going-into-trunk-starting-with-the-BGE-harmony-branch&highlight=harmony+phase

The Harmony Phase II proposal.  Includes a prepass system for generating information buffers, a light clean up of the current 2D filter system, anti-aliasing for the embedded player, and basic high dynamic range (HDR) rendering.
http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/User:Kupoman/Harmony_Phase2