Question regarding PlayStation development

[MODERATOR NOTE: This thread has been split from isufje's ROLL BOSS RUSH thread as it was going too far off topic.]

I downloaded the PSY-Q SDk a little while ago, I was waiting until a had free time to use it. Some of the files however wont work, and sometimes it doesn't specify why, so i'm not sure whats wrong.

AS for the software Plug ins, a file says it contains plug ins for 3d studio, Lightwave, and Alias wavefront. In another file it says that a plug in will only supports 3d studio R4, as well as needing the DTL-H2000. I was planning on using 3ds studio max R2 to model 3d characters, and environments, Is there any way for me to be able to use 3d studio max R2 as a plug in compatible with the sdk?

Yea I understand it can be very time consuming, have you ever worked the any of the physical development tool such as the DTL-H2000, and DTL-201A, and if so how do they compare to the development tools from online PSY-Q SDK?

 

The (Psy-Q) SDK is what you use to create the code, while the DTL-H2000, DTL-201A, etc is the hardware where you test/run it, so you cannot compare using the software (SDK) vs using the hardware; they are used together.
Of course, you can always develop without the hardware, then test/run it in an emulator, or burn to a CD and try it in a real PS1.

 

Doesnt the SDK contain the plug ins for them? A while ago I was thinking about purchasing the DTL-H2000, and the DTL-201A, however I wasn't sure what else I needed to be able to develop the game on the Playstation 1 console. I will put a list here of all of the software from what I assume is needed to make playstation 1 games, if some of this software is not needed to make a PlayStation 1 game, then let me know. Getting a hold of all this is certainly not easy.
DTL-H2000
DTL-H201A
DTL-H700
DTL-H800
DTL-H1002
DTL-H2010
DTL-H2080
DTL-H2510
DTL-H2700
DTL-S2020

there are also the programmer tool manuals, which would make the development process much easier.

 

That list is all hardware, and it is not really required to do the programming, or even to test or run your code. You can buy it and use it, and it may or may not help in some areas (ie. debugging), but it's not really needed.
If you want to go ahead and buy some/all of it, the bare minimum you'll need is either DTL-H2000, DTL-H2500 or DTL-H2700.

The most important part is the software (ie. SDK), including compilers, libraries, documentation, etc.
Several versions have been leaked/shared, some complete, some incomplete. Latest version known to exist is 4.7
Said software was delivered in two different discs:
-Programmer Tools / Runtime Library: this disc included drivers, compilers, debugger, libraries, tools, samples, etc.
-Technical Reference: this disc included all documentation for the Hardware and Software.

 

The sdk that I have the one form psxdev.net. I believe it is 4.6. What it be possible to be able to have your game/program run on the PS1 with just using the DTL-H2000? and how much would you say they go for? just so I can keep a price range in check if i come across one.

I have never heard about the technical reference disc, keep in mind that all of this hardware is very difficult to find, so i would be more then likely having to rely on the online files for documentation (some work, some don't).

As for 3d development, would 3d studio max R2 be compatible the sdk, or would I have to use older software such 3d studio 4 , or Alias wavefront? the reason i ask is because the plug in files are from 1995, and one of them even says it will only work with 3ds 4.

 

Yes

 

So would 3d studio max R2 work? its from 1997.

 

No.

 

do you have the disc for 3d studio 4, or did you download it from somewhere?

 

The Floppy Disks!? R u kidding me!? DO U WANT MY MS-DOS 6.2 AS WELL!?!?

 

I'm done... good luck

 

it was just a question. I wasn't asking for anything,I just wanted to know if you were using the physical software, or a downloaded version of it. That's all, there's no need to get all upset.

 

The best solution would really be an updated converter. I wrote one myself for collada, so it doesn't even rely one bit on whatever software I'm using, just as long as it supports collada for import and export (I use Cinema 4D to model stuff). You don't need to waste time on obsolete pieces of software, especially if the output formats aren't exactly the most difficult to manage. For example: TMD is rather bare bone, even if it's bloated to hell due to the code library and primitive types.

Also, one extra suggestion: don't ever use MIMe. It's slow as hell and sucks way too much room. Try with skeletal animations and 100% weights on vertices. That's what the most optimized games used to have back in the day in order to animate one-skin meshes.

 

Not sure if 3D Studio Max R2 would work; however you may be able to find the proper version online... hopefully
You should download one of the Technical Reference discs (also shared in the forums) and start reading some of the PDFs, that should help you get a better understanding.

 

I found the technical References download files , however some wont work, and one requires me to burn the file onto a disc. I know that SoftImage|3D works, and many developers used that to model their characters, for instance the character models in Final Fantasy 7 were made with softimage, maybe poweranimator as well, but I know the CGI scenes were done with PowerAnimator. Would you say that I would have better luck using 3d Studio Max R2 to design for the Dreamcast, rather than PS1?

 

I realized my previous post was incorrect (3D Studio Max was not shared; what was shared is Lightwave, which was an optional purchase with Net Yaroze).
You should be able to open the various disc images (ISO / BIN&CUE) for the technical references with IsoBuster and then extract its contents.
Not sure about which 3D software works best as I've never been into that.

 

3D artists used SoftImage for the most, it came with a ton plugins for PSX specific assets. It even included a wide set of options for managing vram, lights, and whatever you can possibly imagine. Still, in order to use such an ancient piece of software you will be needing a virtual machine (slooow) and waste way too much time on creating assets which take literally 1/10th the time on modern software.

 

3D softimage is very common for developers to use, unfortunately Autodesk is killing them off. Autodesk literately bought out almost all of the major modeling software programs like Maya, and 3ds max, softimage. Maya as one of the best software to use back in the earlier to mid 2000s, when it was still apart of Alias, and It was the main software for many game companies to use such as Capcom during that time, once Maya got bought, Capcom switched back to Softimage. It was better back when all of these software programs were under their original company and not all under one company.

 

I've looked a little more into it (not much though, so take the following with a grain of salt):
The plugins included with the SDK are for 3D Studio Max 4 (DOS, 1994), Alias|Wavefront 8.0, 8.2 and 9.0 (SGI Irix only?), Lightwave 3D 4.0. Additionally there were some plugins for Photoshop 2.5, 3.0 and 4.0 (found docs for these, but haven't had time to look for the plugins themselves).
Softimage 3.9.2.2 (latest 3.x version) has support for PS1 and N64 formats, and may work in Windows XP (I tried it in a Win7 32-bits VM, but it required a screen resolution the VM did not support, so I couldn't get it running... maybe with the right resolution it will run).
Another software that was available (though I think it's more of a picture editor, rather than a 3D thing) was OptPix Image Studio.

I'll see if I can get a list of 3rd party Tools & Middleware companies that supported PS1 development; such a list is publicly available for PS2, PS3 and PS4, so it may have been for PS1 as well, but haven't had time to look into it.

 

Thanks for informing me, so 3d studio max 4, was the only version of studio max that could be compatible with the SDK. Wouldnt softImage|3D 3.7 work, since that has the PlayStation attributes?