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Become a 3D Rad Addon Author!
THIS TUTORIAL REQUIRES 3D RAD V6.48 OR GREATER
INTRODUCTION
3D Rad addons
are ready-to-use resources that don't require neither coding nor modeling.
Users can just add them to their projects, configure them and go!
Whatever you create
with 3D Rad can be exported as an addon that others can use in their projects,
in a very productive way.
However, in order to be accepted
for inclusion to the official library, your addon must be a ready-to-use resource,
which means that its main functionality should be available to the user
without additional modeling or scripting.
Addons can be anything, from a simple, collision detection enabled prop (tree, building etc)
to something as 'abstract' as a ready to use script which manages the logic of a RTS game,
for example.
As an example, to show you the recommended procedure, let's create now a simple addon.
ADDON CREATION EXAMPLE
Imagine you want to export a customized car in your project as an addon that others can simply add to their
projects as a single, ready-to-use item, without worrying about applying SkinMesh objects to the Car
object, configuring physics parameters and so on. For this example, let's pretend that your project is the
default car demo included to the 3D Rad installation.
- Launch 3D Rad, press Ctrl+O and select the SimpleProject demo.
- Remove all objects from the project, except those you want to be part of the addon. In the example
I removed the sky-box and the terrain. Note that I kept G-Force and CamChase as I want my final addon to be
a car coming with gravity and even a camera. What you include is entirely up to you!
- Make sure that your addon includes at least one Group object.
You don't have to actually group objects together, but grouping objects that you want to be editable as an unique
item by the final user is usually convenient.
- Rename the Group object as shown below, making sure the addon name you specify (BuggyCar_xi in the example)
includes your unique addon-author-identifier and is less than 64 characters in total). I chose 'xi'. It can be any combination of letters and
digits (16 characters maximum, no 'special' characters allowed). Make sure the identifier you
choose is not already in use by other authors. This is very important to avoid conflicts,
on final users' PC, when they install addons from different authors!
- Now save the project as a new file. The project name must be the addon name you specified above
followed by the _source tag.
- Select the Group object (now called Addon: name_id) and then, while holding the H and D keys pressed,
right click all objects you want to be hidden in the final addon.
Note that hiding objects this way makes them inaccessible immediately. There is no way to un-hide them after you have
right-clicked on them (*)!
(*) DISCLAIMER: 3D Rad allows you to protect your addon objects so that they are not listed when projects
containing them are opened by the final user. However the protection is not meant to stop expert hackers.
Currently, there is technically no way to protect digital contents from the attack of expert hackers. The 3D Rad author
expressly disclaims any responsibility or liability for any adverse consequences or damages resulting from this.
In the example I chose to hide everything (including SkinMesh objects), except the Group object
(to allow the final user to position the car in the scene) and the Car object (to allow the final user to link the
car to other objects, for example to enable collision detection with other cars, a race-track etc).
- Save the project as a new project, into the addons folder (not the main projects folder!).
The name must be the addon name you specified above (BuggyCar_xi in the example).
- By using a paint program, make a 128x128 pixel image, in .jpg format. This will be the icon the final user
will see when browsing the installed addons (Project->Addons menu option).
- Save the addon icon image to the
C:\3D Rad\3DRad_res\addons\index\CATEGORY\
folder, where CATEGORY is one of the categories listed in the submission form below (drop down list).
Please feel free to email me and suggest an additional category if none of the existing ones fits your addon!
- To test your addon, create a simple scene...
- ...open the addon browser window...
- ...and select the new item. The visible components of your addon should be listed in a different color.
- The addon created in this example can be positioned after selecting its Group (now 'Addon') object.
Note that the car has its own camera, which means that any other camera in the project should be removed or disabled
to avoid render window overlapping. Due to this, including a camera to your addon isn't always the best choice.
CREATING THE ADDON INSTALLER
- Download and install Inno Setup, a free program to create software installers
- Browse to the 3D Rad installation folder (author_kit sub-folder) and double click the
addon_installer_example.iss file.
This should open Inno Setup and you should see something like the following:
- Save the Inno Setup project with a different name (for example, BuggyCar_xi), to prevent the modifications
you are making next from altering the original example project.
-
In the A zone, specify the name of your addon (must be identical to the addon name, for this example, BuggyCar_xi).
Also make sure the source path (second line in zone A) points to the main 3D Rad folder (usually C:\3D Rad).
-
In the B zone, specify the category folder you are using for your addon (see 9., above).
-
In the C zone, specify all the files required by the addon. Note that only files that are specific to this
addon have to be specified here.
You MUST NOT specify files that are included to 3D Rad by default,
even if your addon requires them. Failing to do so will make the installation file bigger than necessary and also risk to
overwrite future updated default resources with the same name, on the final user's PC.
IMPORTANT! The name of your resource files or folders (like for example the name of customized SkinMesh data folder)
must include your identifier. In the example, I called the data folder BuggyCar_xi_body, where xi
is my unique identifier.
-
In the D zone, specify any icons associated with the files required by the addon. This could be, for example,
the icon associated with the SkinMesh of a car-body you have created.
Note that you can omit these icons if the objects associated with them, in your addon, are hidden.
Omitting resource icons allows you to avoid adding unnecessary items (displayed
when the SkinMesh aspects browser is opened for example) to the final user's 3D Rad installation.
- When your Inno Setup project is complete, you can compile it (Ctrl+F9) to generate the installation file for your addon.
The file is generated into the output folder, within your main 3D Rad folder. When launched on the final user PC,
it will install your addon there, making it available in the Project->Addons menu.
ADDON INFORMATION FILES
- Make an additional .jpg image (800x600) for the online library browser and name it NAME_screenshot.jpg
where NAME is the addon name (for example: BuggyCar_xi_screenshot.jpg). This image is typically a screenshot of the addon
in action but it can be anything you think is appropriate for the library browser.
Make also sure you have a short description to help users immediately understand what the addon is about, when they browse the library.
Also, a YouTube video showing the procedure to add and configure your addon within a 3D Rad project, can be the most effective way to
show why your addon is worth installing. This will be displayed on the addon webpage.
For an example, please see this page.
DEPLOYING YOUR ADDON AS FREEWARE
-
Before creating the installer (see above), make sure the C:\3D Rad\addon_readme.txt file includes your name (or nick-name) and that
you like the license terms. Please feel free to modify the text in any way you believe is right for the distribution of your freeware product.
The final user will have to accept the terms before installing your addon.
- Make a .zip file with the addon installer, the 128x128 .jpg image (see 8. above) and the 800x600 .jpg screenshot (see 22. above).
Make sure all 3 file names are in line with the guidelines (for example: BuggyCar_xi.exe, BuggyCar_xi.jpg, BuggyCar_xi_screenshot.jpg).
- Send me the .zip file by using the form below.
DEPLOYING YOUR ADDON AS A COMMERCIAL PRODUCT
-
Before creating the installer (see above), in the Inno Setup project file, make sure the LicenseFile line points to a
.txt file specifying the license terms for your commercial product.
-
Open a seller account at Plimus.com, add your addon as a new product.
Set the price you think is appropriate for it.
Make sure you also upload the installation file of your addon to Plimus.com, so that customers will be able
to download it immediately after placing the online order.
On the Plimus control panel, you can manage product file uploads by clicking the product contract and
selecting the Related Files/URLs tab. Please see Plimus.com help section for details.
IMPORTANT: it will be your responsibility to provide customer support for your addon, if needed. You will
be able to do so through the 3D Rad community forum or by using the email address you provided to Plimus for
customer support purposes.
- Make the new product available for affiliate sales, which means that you allow other Plimus account holders
to sell your product and get awarded a percentage of the sale price whenever a sale is made.
Please make sure the affiliate commission is 30% (which means you keep 70% of the sale price).
Click here for more information.
- Make a .zip file with the addon installer, the 128x128 .jpg image (see 8. above) and the 800x600 .jpg screenshot (see 22. above).
Make sure all 3 file names are in line with the guidelines (for example: BuggyCar_xi.exe, BuggyCar_xi.jpg, BuggyCar_xi_screenshot.jpg).
- Send me the .zip file by using the form below.
ADDON SUBMISSION FORM
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