Now as for your post, would you mind answering some questions?
Well, I’m kinda hijacking your thread. OpenSim is only vaguely related to what you were suggesting, but does demonstrate the basic idea of interfacing different code in a single simulation by getting them all to speak the same protocol. Once you accept that, anything is possible; it’s merely a matter of time and effort.
>The projects that you have shown, do they create a third environment for two >different programs to join or do they translate from one to the other? Was it >intended for games or did they have other purposes in mind?
Well, I’m still digesting it all myself, but from what I’ve seen, it seems to me they are developing the interop protocol and various tools and server to host the content. Once a Grid is created, it could possibly host any number of other programs written to its protocol. 3, 10, 50. Doesn’t matter.
I don’t think they have a single particular purpose in mind. It’s like asking what purpose they had in mind in writing TCP, games or other stuff? Anything that could use it is the answer.
I’ve seen everything suggested from a virtual environment for researchers to share, explore, discuss, and manipulate 3d models of protein molecules, to goofy Second Life type socializing worlds. It’s COMPLETELY up to who is creating the content what it’s used for.
I may have hopelessly confused the discussion by introducing OpenSim, because it’s taking a bit of a different approach to what you suggested. But it’s interesting and has a lot of similar possibilities. In OpenSim however, it does appear to be the intent to all see the same level of detail and same graphics. However, it does allow multiple contributors to share content without having to share the underlying source code necessarily. It is of course in its raw infancy. Just in the R&D mode still it looks like, but the possibilities look intriguing.
Well, now that I’ve completely muddled things, let me do a little more damage. Let me just describe a scenario of how I can see this technology being used someday. Maybe that’s the best way for me to make my point. (I you prefer I can move this to a different thread, but it touches on a lot of other ideas in this thread…)
OK. So I get bored one day and write a little WWII flighsim based on the OpenSim framework in C++. I get about 20 planes build and decide to go commercial. I create 10 or so Private For-Pay Grids. Each a “Map” like in AH. “Guadal Canal”, “Battle of Britain”, “Kursk”, etc. I set up all the logic for things to behave the way I want. I hook up with a portal like Valve’s SteamWorks. They handle billing, license keys, micro-transactions (important later), community services, etc. People buy my Client and start flying planes on my private grid. Cool. But now the ungrateful bastids start demanding tanks. “Sorry”, says I, “I only do planes.”
So Lusche hears this and see a commercial opportunity. He knows enough Java to be dangerous so he downloads the OpenSim SDK and start making a tank. He tells me “Hey! I wanna provide my tank as content in your sim!” So we test things out and I approve of his work and change my grid permissions to permit that content. Lusche starts tooling around in my flightsim world in his new tank blowing up stuff.
When Muzik logs into my flightsim, Lusche’s tank sim downloads its mesh, textures, sounds and animations to Muzik’s cache. Muzik can’t drive the tank yet, but he can see it in his world. He can be shot at by it. He can shoot at it, and drop bombs on it. My flight sim know how to tell Lusche’s tank object about bullets and bombs hitting it and visa versa through the shared protocol.
Muzik is suitably impressed and wants to drive a tank too. I setup the ability for him to purchase Lusche’s tank module plug-in as a micro-transaction through Steam (think like buying additional planes in RoF) for $5. He downloads it onto his machine. Now he not only can see tanks, but now he has the module to simulate driving one himself. Now Muzik can fly planes and drive tanks in my Grid world. I take a 1% cut. Lusche adds content to my sim and I funnel customers to by his add-on module. We both win and I didn’t have to go learn how to build a tank.
So know Muzik knows a bit of C#, so he gets the OpenSim SDK and starts building a submarine module. Wash, rinse, repeat.
So know MonkGF knows a bit of VB, so he gets the OpenSim SDK and starts building a fancy infantry module. Wash, rinse, repeat.
Anyway, just day dreaming on a Friday afternoon. ;o)
,
Wab
