########## Update 12th of December 2012 - v0.1a released ##########

With the following link you can download the first Alpha Version of the editor:
http://www.stonehill-games.de/downloads/IceX3.v0.1a.rar

It's a very early version with the basic features. A manual is in the root folder.

Here are some basic tips for this alpha version:

• models and textures which you want to use in the levels must be placed in the "ASSETS" folder.
• in the ASSETS folder, there are already some models and textures which can be used in the editor for testing.
• Specular Maps for entities must be saved in the alpha channel of the Normal Map (see example models in the ASSETS folder).
• The editor uses its own LOD system. LOD files must be name with a "_lod" at the end of the filename (see example models in the ASSETS folder). Every entity can have its own lodrange.
• Levels can save with Key K and loaded with Key L. No filenames are supported yet. The level is saved in "My Documents\IceX3" folder as "map.icex3".
• Level export is not implemented yet.
• If you want a German version of the editor, go to "data" folder, delete the file "gui.txt" and rename "gui_DE.txt" to "gui.txt".
• For statistic and improvement purpose, the editor records some user information (language, country, Windows Version, etc..) and sends it to the Stonehill-Games server.

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A few weeks ago I started the development of IceX3. As some of you know, IceX and IceX2 was an outdoor level editor for A6 and A7.

Here you can read some information about the predecessor (IceX2), if you haven't head about it (sorry, only german): http://www.stonehill-games.de/index.php?site_id=icex


The new IceX level editor will be completly compatible with A8 and C-Script. In this thread I wanna show the progress of the editor.

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First I wanna start with the 3D Model Browser. If you wanna insert an entity, a file dialog will be opened. There are not even files listed, you can even see a textured preview of the model file and rotate it with the mouse. This 3d file dialog is completly made with the A8 panel instructions.

Here you can see this 3D Model Browser in action:
VIDEO: http://youtu.be/s6VKNs2HH7M

I am very excited!

Today I've implemented the "Texture Layer Manager". There you can add new terrain texture layers and assign diffuse textures, normal maps, detail maps and specular maps for each layer.

It is planned, that the new IceX3 terrain shader will allow up to 32 terrain texture layers at the same time.




I also adjusted the 3D model viewer dialog. Now it can also show 2D texture previews. This very helpful if you load a texture from hard disk:

LOOOKS AWESOMME"!!

Thank you alibaba!

Really awesome and useful. I`m looking forward this.

really cool project! the more editors the better
the terrain shader sounds fine too.

Oliver2S: Why dont you use the default windows FileOpen dialog? It spoorts file preview and thumbnail-prerendering?

Because I need some tweeks and the Windows file dialog let freeze the engine while it's open.

@Oliver: then run it in an extra thread
And which tweaks are required?