Re: [Adonthell-devel] mac os x port - success stories

[Kai Sterker]

On Sat, 4 May 2002 16:16:33 +0000 Nils Hesse wrote:

> > Either you get them from the sources (you'll need codec.h,
> > vorbisenc.h and vorbisfile.h, placed into /sw/include/vorbis/) or
> > you try to install Ogg Vorbis from the sources; then you'll have all
> > neccessary files as well.
> Well, I've ceased fixing the colour problem for now.... so I'm working
> one sound... (ambitious, I know). Kai, I have those files but still, 
> during the ./configure it won't run the test program.... do you think
> I should try re-installing ogg from source?

That might help, I think. Perhaps you can also send me the config.log.
That should give some details what exactly failed: headers or libraries
not found, linking failed, etc. ...

You don't need the Python bindings.


> It would be good to know how you guys 'play' the ogg 
> files... via SDL, python or just via ogg directly (can this be done?).
> 

It is played via the SDL_mixer, which is included in our sources. (Those
few .c files that compile last).


> For the final OS X implementation (see below), it would be kinda cool
> if we could somehow use quicktime ... as there is an oggvorbis
> component for that.

Don't ask me ;). But I think it'll be much easier to get just Ogg Vorbis
to be recognized by the configure script. SDL deals with the rest.


> On a different issue, I was wondering how the adonthell program is
> split up. I know that adonthell is the game engine... and I gather
> that it uses python for certain things and SDL for others.....
> basically what are the different components, what language are they
> written in, what other libs do they use?

All of adonthell is written in C++. There is an abstract layer that
depends on SDL (gfx, input) and SDL_mixer (audio). Most of the code is
based on that layer instead of using the libraries directly. In the same
fashion, there are a few classes wrapped around Python which are then
used throughout the rest of the code.

Python scripts are used by the actual game (WE for example) to control
the engine. SWIG generates the glue between C++ and Python. It makes all
classes and functions of adonthell available to python scripts.

As for the dependencies: Ogg Vorbis is only needed by the SDL_mixer. SDL
is needed by some of our code and the SDL_mixer. Python is needed by our
code. SWIG isn't really needed for the end user. Only we developers need
it to recreate the Adonthell <-> Python bindings when the adonthell API
has changed. The next version will also add freetype 2, but I guess that
won't make problems either.

 
> My reason for asking this is that basically I want to eventually (i.e.
> long time in the future - once I've converted from a Java programmer
> to a C/Obj-C/Cocoa programmer - good 2-3 months) convert adonthell
> into an actual mac os x native app so that we have a 'real' port of
> it. SDL, python and vorbis all exist natively in os x so there's no
> reason why it couldn't work....

Right, that would probably be the best. Guess the major 'problems' is
importing the code into whatever dev tools you'll be using (Code Warrior
still around?) and make a few tweaks to the source where the code
constructs are not portable. 


> BTW, can I get in on the next IRC meeting?

Your welcome, of course! :)

Kai