Drea,cast port

Darkfalz · 02-06-2002, 09:14 AM

Ah well, I know it would never happen, but a guy can dream can't he?

Dreamcast could certainly handle it.

Btw, Jim has said on many occasions he's really an artist and not a programmer, perhaps that's why he's having big trouble with the 3d background/porting in to DirectX 8. Would it be insulting to suggest maybe he take on an experienced programmer as a partner, and just do the art himself?

Jav400 · 02-06-2002, 10:57 AM

The problem isn't with Jim's programming, but rather resides with the DX8 libraries that Microsoft supplied him with. Microsoft in its infinate wisdom will not support older Operating Systems in what they currently try to produce. The tools supplied to Jim cause problems and crashes in older Operating Systems because of this.

Jim is committed to having his Screen Saver work on older OS's also, not just the current ones that are produced. For this reason, mainly the lack of support from Microsoft to help in any way to adjust what their stuff is geared for, right now he has been forced to remain with a version of DX that WILL run on all OS. To his credit, he has worked his tail off and put in countless hours incorporating everything that he thought he would need DX8 to accomplish into the program using DX6.

feldon34 · 02-06-2002, 11:05 AM

Actually Jim is now working with a programmer at Prolific, but Will has been very busy with other projects so he has only been able to knock out the bigger bugs and help with the installer package.

As for Dreamcast, yes it's probably powerful enough but I don't know if you can just port Direct3D over to it.

P.S. The 3D Background is unrelated to DirectX 8 at this point. It's coming one way or the other.

Jim Sachs · 02-06-2002, 11:42 AM

I've tried working with programmers in the past, but it has never worked out very well. The project ends up looking like all the rest of the software out there which was created by teams.

Most software houses see their work force as divided into two groups, the Programmers and the monkeys. The Programmers run things. The monkeys handle the shipping, telephones, paperwork, and a few of them (called "artists" in their own primitive language) provide pixels for the Programmers to push around.

The Aquarium is an example of what can happen if an artist happens to pick up a tiny bit of programming knowledge.

Lightfeather · 02-06-2002, 01:09 PM

It sucks to be a monkey.

Ook I say.

Ook.

Darrell L · 02-06-2002, 07:47 PM

In Corporate America most programmers are the monkeys and the "creative types" tell the monkey's what to do and how to do it.

The monkeys are thought to have no "artistic" talent and are thus relegated to areas such as help desk, user training, system testing, and a few of them (called developers in their own primitive language) provide bytes for the Artists to use to push their pixels around.

Two sides to every coin.

Jim Sachs · 02-06-2002, 10:09 PM

Almost all software companies are run by Programmers. In fact, in my 20 years in the business, I have dealt with only one which is not. Programmers typically earn about twice what artists make. Even when I did Defender of the Crown, I only made about 1/4 what the programmer did, and all the shots were called according to what was "possible" on the programming end.

gregzbobo · 02-06-2002, 10:33 PM

Actually, you probably COULD port the saver to the Dreamcast with directx. The Dreamcast uses a modified version of the Microsoft Windows CE OS as its interface, so I wouldn't be too surprised if directx could be made to work with it.

02-06-2002, 09:14 AM	#1
Darkfalz Banned Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Australia Posts: 24	Dreamcast port Ah well, I know it would never happen, but a guy can dream can't he? Dreamcast could certainly handle it. Btw, Jim has said on many occasions he's really an artist and not a programmer, perhaps that's why he's having big trouble with the 3d background/porting in to DirectX 8. Would it be insulting to suggest maybe he take on an experienced programmer as a partner, and just do the art himself? Last edited by Darkfalz; 02-06-2002 at 09:18 AM.

02-06-2002, 10:57 AM	#2
Jav400 Administrator Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Tennessee Posts: 9,725	The problem isn't with Jim's programming, but rather resides with the DX8 libraries that Microsoft supplied him with. Microsoft in its infinate wisdom will not support older Operating Systems in what they currently try to produce. The tools supplied to Jim cause problems and crashes in older Operating Systems because of this. Jim is committed to having his Screen Saver work on older OS's also, not just the current ones that are produced. For this reason, mainly the lack of support from Microsoft to help in any way to adjust what their stuff is geared for, right now he has been forced to remain with a version of DX that WILL run on all OS. To his credit, he has worked his tail off and put in countless hours incorporating everything that he thought he would need DX8 to accomplish into the program using DX6. Michael Administrator of Inside:SereneScreen Aquarium Forum, Chatroom, Fan Site & *Gallery* DVD Collection

02-06-2002, 11:05 AM	#3
feldon34 Forum Administrator Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 10,947	Actually Jim is now working with a programmer at Prolific, but Will has been very busy with other projects so he has only been able to knock out the bigger bugs and help with the installer package. As for Dreamcast, yes it's probably powerful enough but I don't know if you can just port Direct3D over to it. P.S. The 3D Background is unrelated to DirectX 8 at this point. It's coming one way or the other. "Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed. Everything else is public relations." - George Orwell "If voting changed anything, they'd make it illegal." - Emma Goldman

02-06-2002, 11:42 AM	#4
Jim Sachs Developer Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Southern Oregon Posts: 9,816	I've tried working with programmers in the past, but it has never worked out very well. The project ends up looking like all the rest of the software out there which was created by teams. Most software houses see their work force as divided into two groups, the Programmers and the monkeys. The Programmers run things. The monkeys handle the shipping, telephones, paperwork, and a few of them (called "artists" in their own primitive language) provide pixels for the Programmers to push around. The Aquarium is an example of what can happen if an artist happens to pick up a tiny bit of programming knowledge. Jim Sachs Creator of SereneScreen Aquarium

02-06-2002, 01:09 PM	#5
Lightfeather Occupation: Nerd Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: California Posts: 314	It sucks to be a monkey. Ook I say. Ook. Experience is what you get when you don't get what you want.

02-06-2002, 07:47 PM	#6
Darrell L Registered Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 20	In Corporate America most programmers are the monkeys and the "creative types" tell the monkey's what to do and how to do it. The monkeys are thought to have no "artistic" talent and are thus relegated to areas such as help desk, user training, system testing, and a few of them (called developers in their own primitive language) provide bytes for the Artists to use to push their pixels around. Two sides to every coin.

02-06-2002, 10:09 PM	#7
Jim Sachs Developer Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Southern Oregon Posts: 9,816	Almost all software companies are run by Programmers. In fact, in my 20 years in the business, I have dealt with only one which is not. Programmers typically earn about twice what artists make. Even when I did Defender of the Crown, I only made about 1/4 what the programmer did, and all the shots were called according to what was "possible" on the programming end. Jim Sachs Creator of SereneScreen Aquarium

02-06-2002, 10:33 PM	#8
gregzbobo Registered Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 19	Actually, you probably COULD port the saver to the Dreamcast with directx. The Dreamcast uses a modified version of the Microsoft Windows CE OS as its interface, so I wouldn't be too surprised if directx could be made to work with it. Athlon XP 1600+ 512 megs PC2100 DDR RAM Gigabyte GA-7DXR dual 40 gig Maxtor in RAID 0 Windows XP Professional GeForce 4 ti4600 with nvidia 40.41 BETA reference drivers Getting up to 80 fps in the saver at 1152 X 864 @ 75 hertz screen resolution.