CisLunarFreighter/Software development plan

Software development plan
We plan to use free open source tools to the greatest extent possible to produce data and software that is free redistributable and fully modifiable by anyone who wishes to do so. A former game producer has quite a bit of existing proprietary graphics models which we have now confirmed may be at least partially translated into open source blender files. It remains to be seen the accuracy and usefulness of the translation process. At this time we intend to develop in java with a deployment plan built around an adequate performance MUD server (even if must use different language) and java clients and game servers. Obviously this plan needs a great deal of research, thinking and augmentation before it can be considered a useable draft.

See also: /Open source tools/

Tasks
Let's brainstorm tasks:
 * Create and finalize preliminary specifications
 * Create concept art based on specifications (or use concept art to help guide specifications)
 * Decide what sort of subsystems are to be used...
 * Based on the subsystems (game engine, etc) start creating the art
 * Maybe start a connected project on Sourceforge or Freshmeat to have SVN support

Scripts
In progress, please join in somewhere along the learning trails. Add links to your stories and scripts below to solicit review from dropins or regulars. Stories and scripts may be in industry standard format or informal. Either place them in wikimedia files or pdfs published through the Wikimedia server:
 * /Splashscreen scripts/

Blender3D
Blender3D can serve as the development platform for the entire production. It has a built in game engine, 3D modeling capabilities, animation timeline, and scripting using the Python language.

Potential Java pieces needing evaluation
Editor's note: Move this section to an introduction to initial evaluation and results they grow. Mirwin 20:00, 9 November 2006 (UTC)

We may be able to use these as components or examples to learn applicable technique in Java environment:


 * gazelle - Fundamentally an animation tool. Plays .avi and .mov animation files under JMF (Java Media Framework libary from SUN)  Also, of possible interest to graphics artists or perhaps even programming with SVG.  Will it work with older .avi and .mov file????  A lot of older graphics laying around if we can convince people to free them once they are finished with traditional commercial life cycle.
 * Download links are broke, could be vaporware.


 * xine - GPL'ed media player
 * mPlayer - This seems like overkill for a small project but if we could add borders consistent with a view screen and our GUI appearance (providing appropriate credits in our credits file obviously) could we use this to keep our coding requirements down? Trading bulk for development effort  ... or is there a good player in a Sun Library somewhere we can just call?  Can we find out from reading mplayers code?
 * jslibs - "General-purpose native libraries for SpiderMonkey, Mozilla's JavaScript engine."
 * Ajax3d - 3D engine for Javascript, using tags for output.
 * /Phase transition scripts/