Terminology


Engine

ODE

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ODE (Open Dynamics Engine) - is an open physics engine distributed for free as a dynamically linked library. Its main components are an Absolute-Solid Dynamics system and a collision detection system.

Source Code

A-Life

A-Life (Artificial Life) - artificial intelligence system. More About

Smart Terrain

A smart-terrain is a specific script class in the game, which is used to populate locations. Smarts organize jobs for NPS, implement logic for certain exclusive characters, respawn NPS and monsters, and organize emission shelters for NPS.

OpenAL

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OpenAL (Open Audio Library) - cross-platform application programming interface (API) for working with audio data. A key feature is working with sound in 3D space and using EAX effects.


Object Types

Dynamic object

Any movable object (which can be displaced from its place regardless of the scripts)

Example:

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Distinguishing features:

  • Has a bone collision

Static object

Any static object at the level

Example (in this case, part of the collision level):

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Distinguishing features:

  • Does not have a bone collision

Progressive Meshes

One of the methods of dynamic level of detail

MU (Multiply Usage) Objects

Needed for automatic creation of LOD at compilation stage

HOM (Hierarchical Occlusion Mapping)

One way to optimize the level

Sector

Sectors are a connected empty closed area bounded by static geometry and portals. In X-Ray 3D Engine, level geometry is not involved in sector creation, it uses HOM objects for this purpose.

Portal

Portals are "windows" through which (and only through which) an observer can see the insides of other sectors.

object_hud

HUD (Head-Up Display) - is a set of graphical interfaces and decorative elements located in the foreground and/or in the game world, which are designed to clearly and quickly convey to the player the necessary information from the game at a given point in time, without interfering with the gameplay experience.

In stalker modding, object_hud is a model in front of the player in the hands of the character. Usually it is a model of a weapon, grenades, etc.

Example:

example centered

Distinguishing features:

  • Does not have a bone collision

object_world

Model, in-game world (NPC weapons, 3rd-person view). The difference from the _hud model is that the _world must have a collision to calculate the interaction with the game.

Example:

example centered

Distinguishing features:

  • Has a bone collision
  • Dynamic object

Animations

object_hud animations

Animations for the _hud object


Material

Material

In the X-Ray engine, game material is a set of surface properties, namely: