Coding help!

[Gargantou]

Hello, this is the deal, I am a total newb to coding, with only some basic experience in BASIC(No pun intended).
I've gotten the right to for free do a project for 1C for one of their upcoming games called 7.62mm, basically what I need to code is a list system, with the ability to display 3D models with textures.

It will basically be a weapon encyclopedia using their 3D model from this upcoming game, I've gotten the permission from them to do it etc.

What I'm going for is something that looks sorta like an inventory system from an RPG with a list of all the weapons, when you pick a weapon, a new window pops up, with the 3D model of the weapon, and all the data on it, and a list of ammo types it supports and modifications.

As I said earlier, I am a newb to coding and I'm looking for suggestions on what language to do this in, I've been pondering doing it in Python, but there are no real restrictions, most important is that it should be easy for others to download and use, if all goes well it will be a promotional download for the game, so main objective is that it will be downloaded and installed on modern Windows XP computers without any major issues!

Huge thanks for any help!

//Gargantou

 

[Smoke]

Barrel roll.

 

[HunterSeeker]

I hope you know what you are in for. Do you know how to do math with matrixes? If you are going to animate them you also need to know vector transformations. Its really complex I warn you.

Either case, I would suggest that you use either C# or Java.

 

[mortiz]

C# sounds like a good bet. Just look around the net for some C# tutorials then look at the Microsoft sample code that comes with the DirectX SDK (which you can get from their website).

 

[Gargantou]

I don't plan on animating them, merely a rotating 3D model that allows zooming in and out and panning. The most important thing would be some sort of object points, for attaching the different weapon mods just like in the game.

This is not something I HAVE to do but it's something I'm looking into, the entire program that is, my other assignment is aiding them with military research so, but I think it'd be fun to do such a program.

Do any of you guys happen to know any good IRC channels for support with coding?

 

[ZeeM]

 

[mindless_moder]

use an existing graphics engine. i'd advise starting out with irrlicht its EXTREMELY easy to start with and it has java,c# and c++ bindings.Irrlicht is also cross platform compatible so it will be easy to code for different operating systems. also... wtf is 1c?
http://irrlicht.sourceforge.net/
starting from scratch in c# would mean that you would basically have to build a graphics engine and code in a lot of your shaders. if you dont like irrlicht there are a lot of other OSS graphics engines out there. you might want to give ogre a go aswell its what i currently use but it has a steeper learning curve.
http://www.ogre3d.org/

 

[Gargantou]

1C is russias biggest IT/software company AND Eastern Europes biggest game developer and publishing house.

Anyway, I've decided to try to do it with Microsoft XNA first, I'm hoping to get some help from the lead dev with exporting the 3D models.

 

[mindless_moder]

but.... xna is for consoles :S. well not just consoles its restricted to the xbox. seeing as how thats not your primary platform that would be a very very bad decision.

 

[DreamThrall]

XNA is for both windows and xbox.

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/xna/aa937793.aspx

 

[Bad^Hat]

Holy shit.......... SOURCE?!


The memories. They come flooding back. The meeeeeeemoooriiiiiiiiiies D:

 

[StardogChampion]

Try Shockwave. Most computers have that installed along with Flash.

Here's some stuff using it: http://www.shockwave3d.com

 

[mindless_moder]

XNA is for both windows and xbox.

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/xna/aa937793.aspx

i thought you needed to register to play ..

 

[hungryduck]

be the first man to code a 3d engine in PHP.

EDIT: never mind, its been done:
http://www.dreamincode.net/code/snippet685.htm

 

[TheDan]

I have a clone of that which I made once! Oh the fun.

 

[sinkoman]

I hope you know what you are in for. Do you know how to do math with matrixes? If you are going to animate them you also need to know vector transformations. Its really complex I warn you.

Either case, I would suggest that you use either C# or Java.

I really couldn't see Java doing this efficiently :\

Good luck on coding your own methods of reading and visually displaying 3D models