RenEvo Software and Designs - Community

Small site downtime

Dante — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:45:58 GMT

The web site was down for a few days, I was away so I wasn't aware of it. All has been fixed and we are resuming as expected. As I may repeat, RenEvo isn't going anywhere and there are a few announcements in the pipe, so stick around.

Funny game trailer

Dante — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 20:25:35 GMT

I don't normally watch game trailers for fun, unless they become epic like the Gears of War or the Assassin trailers, but this was just... funny as hell.

Bad Company Trailer

Farewell George Carlin

Dante — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 21:36:57 GMT

As most of you know, if you haven't been living under a rock, the great George Carlin passed on sunday at the age of 71.

George Carlin was by far my favorite comedian of all time, in retrospect, his witty and intellectually based comedy just really got a good laugh out of me, no matter what mood I was in. I don't really have a lot to say, I am still a bit in shock over the news, so I will leave you with this.

The 7 words you can never say on TV

I love words. I thank you for hearing my words. I want to tell you something about words that I think is important. They're my work, they're my play, they're my passion. Words are all we have, really. We have thoughts but thoughts are fluid. then we assign a word to a thought and we're stuck with that word for that thought, so be careful with words. I like to think that the same words that hurt can heal, it is a matter of how you pick them.

There are some people that are not into all the words. There are some that would have you not use certain words. There are 400,000 words in the English language and there are 7 of them you can't say on television. What a ratio that is. 399,993 to 7. They must really be bad. They'd have to be outrageous to be seperated from a group that large. All of you over here,you 7, Bad Words. That's what they told us they were, remember? "That's a bad word!" No bad words, bad thoughts, bad intentions, and words.

You know the 7, don't you, that you can't say on television? "Shit, Piss, Fuck, Cunt, CockSucker, MotherFucker, and Tits" Those are the heavy seven. Those are the ones that'll infect your soul, curve your spine, and keep the country from winning the war. "Shit, Piss, Fuck, Cunt, CockSucker, MotherFucker, and Tits" Wow! ...and Tits doesn't even belong on the list. That is such a friendly sounding word. It sounds like a nickname, right? "Hey, Tits, come here, man. Hey Tits, meet Toots. Toots, Tits. Tits, Toots." It sounds like a snack, doesn't it? Yes, I know, it is a snack. I don't mean your sexist snack. I mean New Nabisco Tits!, and new Cheese Tits, Corn Tits, Pizza Tits, Sesame Tits, Onion Tits, Tater Tits. "Betcha Can't Eat Just One." That's true. I usually switch off.

But I mean, that word does not belong on the list. Actually none of the words belong on the list, but you can understand why some of them are there. I'm not completely insensetive to people's feelings. I can understand why some of those words got on the list, like CockSucker and MotherFucker. Those are heavyweight words. There is a lot going on there. Besides the literal translation and the emotional feeling. I mean, they're just busy words. There's a lot of syllables to contend with. And those Ks, those are agressive sounds. They just jump out at you like "coCKsuCKer, motherfuCKer. coCKsuCKer, motherfuCKer." It's like an assualt on you. We mentioned Shit earlier, and 2 of the other 4-letter Anglo-Saxon words are Piss and Cunt, which go together of course. A little accedental humor there. The reason that Piss and Cunt are on the list is because a long time ago, there were certain ladies that said "Those are the 2 I am not going to say. I don't mind Fuck and Shit but 'P' and 'C' are out.", which led to such stupid sentences as "Okay you fuckers, I'm going to tinckle now." And, of course, the word Fuck. I don't really, well that's more accedental humor, I don't wanna get into that now because I think it takes to long. But I do mean that. I think the word Fuck is a very imprortant word. It is the beginning of life, yet it is a word we use to hurt one another quite often. People much wiser than I am said, "I'd rather have my son watch a film with 2 people making love than 2 people trying to kill one another. I, of course, can agree. It is a great sentence. I wish I knew who said it first. I agree with that but I like to take it a step further.

I'd like to substitute the word Fuck for the word Kill in all of those movie cliches we grew up with. "Okay, Sherrif, we're gonna Fuck you now, but we're gonna Fuck you slow." So maybe next year I'll have a whole fuckin' ramp on the N word. I hope so. Those are the 7 you can never say on television, under any circumstanses. You just cannot say them ever ever ever. Not even clinically. You cannot weave them in on the panel with Doc, and Ed, and Johnny. I mean, it is just impossible. Forget tHose 7. They're out.

But there are some 2-way words, those double-meaning words. Remember the ones you giggled at in sixth grade? "...And the cock CROWED 3 times" "Hey, tha cock CROWED 3 times. ha ha ha ha. Hey, it's in the bible. ha ha ha ha. There are some 2-way words, like it is okay for Kirk Youdi to say "Roberto Clametti has 2 balls on him.", but he can't say "I think he hurt his balls on that play, Tony. Don't you? He's holding them. He must've hurt them, by God." and the other 2-way word that goes with that one is Prik. It's okay if it happens to your finger. You can prik your finger but don't finger your prik. No,no.

Released! Flowgraph Plugin System and More!

vloktboky — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 10:05:00 GMT

It’s been several weeks since we first introduced you to the Flowgraph Plugin System. Well the wait is finally over and we are now happy to announce the system, along with SIX (6!) Flowgraph Plugins are available for download now. Also available is the Source Package which contains the source code solutions for the system and the six initial plugins, as well as a template project to help you create your own Flowgraph Plugin.

Download Links

System: Flowgraph Plugin System
Plugins: EntityScreen, GOC, Math1, Signaler, SpawnEntity, StringCombine
Source Package: Flowgraph Plugin Source Collection

Remarks
There are still several plugins I have in the works but are not completed yet. As these become completed, I will release each one immediately. So be sure to keep an eye out for them here at RenEvo Software & Designs or over at the CryMod Modding Portal website. I’m also open for any suggestions; if there’s a large enough public demand for a particular Flowgraph Node, I’ll make it a higher priority to complete it.

Related Links
- Forum Thread: Released! Flowgraph Plugin System and More!
- Intro News: Introducing the Flowgraph Plugin System

I hope everyone enjoys this feature and I am looking forward to seeing what creative things are invented with the aid of these new Flowgraph Nodes!

- Cry-Vlok for RenEvo Software & Designs

R.I.P. Command & Crysis: The Dead Six

Dante — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 21:12:31 GMT

Figuratively speaking, the Dead Six has almost always been a mod of dead activity. Early back in the humble beginnings of the mod, it was planned as an expansion to the Single Player campaign for C&C Renegade that would allow you to play more with the characters somewhat introduced in the last half of the game. First called "Renegade X".

The Dead Six has literally moved through 4 game engines, and has little to show except a huge chunk of programming done on those 4 game engines, some concept art, and a handful of models made for those different engines. W3D engine, Source Engine, CryEngine 1, and finally CryEngine 2.

I would like to take the time to thank everyone that ever supported the mod, as well as any past members of the mod. It was my honor to work with you all and have you help me try to make a game that only lived in my head. I blame no one but myself for the failure of this mod, and I expect to hear all of the banters of "i told you so" and "and?" responses across anywhere this may be posted.

If I was to give one piece of advice to anyone wanting to start a new mod, especially a Total Conversion, be sure you know what you are getting into, what you want to make, and make lots of notes on what you want, because not everyone can read your mind. This will help you share your vision with the communities, and specifically, with anyone crazy enough to join you on that trip of making a very selfish game based on your ideas.

RenEvo is not going anywhere, I still plan on keeping it up for support of Wiisis and other old projects, as well as my programming blog, but currently there are no big projects that need to be announced from RenEvo.

The source code for the project as well as the resources for the mod will most likely be released (all versions we still have) at a later date, for people to play around with.

Again, thanks to everyone who ever helped or supported this mod and my vain attempt at making "my" perfect game.

"tooting" my own horn a bit

Dante — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 17:24:14 GMT

Here for the last few months I have been rewriting a vb6 application into 100% .Net and upgrading a web site from .Net 1.1 to .Net 2.0. This system is one of our feature products where I work.

NorthStar Recipe Viewer

The NorthStar Recipe System was designed to give recipe administrators the ability to centrally manage recipes and cooking procedures in a stable, user friendly environment. Recipes are centrally managed and disseminated via a web based portal, which allows multi-unit chains the ability to edit and update any recipe company wide with the push of a button. The Recipe Editor program makes it easy for users to embed pictures and multimedia into recipes. Streaming video allows companies to truly demonstrate your cooking procedures and other training, such as quality of service and safety programs.

The Recipe Editor software allows a single user or groups of users to create, edit, and delete recipes quickly and simultaneously. Users can access the database from different workstations at the same time, and an entire recipe collection can be created within days. Recipes can then be added, modified, or put into practice immediately; and every unit within the organization can be notified of the change within seconds.

The application consists of two parts, the front end of the system is a portal based web application that is geared for kiosk touch screen terminals.

One of the requirements for the application was to have a WYSIWYG editor for the Recipes. In the screen shots below, you will see the actual Recipe editor, which is as close to WYSIWYG as I could get in the first rev.

The application was a lot of fun to develop, and still has quite a ways to go until it is fully released, but from the screen shots above and the description, you get a general idea of what I have been working on for the last couple months.

More Information

News - Displaying full posts now

Dante — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:37:44 GMT

After some hacking around (additionally) I am now displaying the full posts on the front page of RenEvo, instead of the tiny previews.

Hope you enjoy!

PicLens Support

Dante — Tue, 13 May 2008 23:52:28 GMT

RenEvo Home page officially has PicLens support (officially as in it works, not in as we are sponsored by them).

Check it out.

Site Updates Coming

Dante — Tue, 13 May 2008 21:01:09 GMT

Just letting everyone know (and as a reminder to myself) that during this week I plan on restructuring the top links a bit, as well as adding some "landing pages" for each section.

The new proposed layout will be:

Home
Products

Game Tools
Wiisis
Command & Crysis: The Dead Six
Archived Projects

Community

Dashboard
Blogs
Media
Forums
Affiliates

Downloads
About

Some other site enhancements will be done as well.

Add link to RenEvo Dead Six Forums for people to talk about the mod and ask questions (dead6.renevo.com)
Enable PicLens support for both RenEvo and Dead Six web sites (home page support)
Change the way that the front page displays recent blog posts, changing to display last 5 full posts, instead of 5 summaries.
Add an affiliate registration process, so other sites can link-exchange (must be a registered user of this site).
Provide banners and image buttons for link-exchange.
Add some snazzy graphics on the right side of the home page, instead of static links to sub-sections (dead six, wiisis, etc...)

Exciting Team News

Dante — Sat, 10 May 2008 20:19:13 GMT

For those of you that might not know just yet, one of our very own RenEvo developers has been hired and relocated to work at Crytek. If you have been living in a hole for a few years, Crytek is that amazing company that created CryEngine 1 and 2 as well as the games to go with them; FarCry and Crysis.

I would like to take this time to say how proud I am personally of Kevin "vloktboky" for being able to achieve his dream of working at a game studio, and landing a job at a triple A game studio to boot!

So everyone congratulate "Cry-Vlok"!

http://www.crytek.com
http://www.crymod.com

Wiisis Updates & WiiMod

Dante — Sat, 10 May 2008 20:12:24 GMT

We have a large update to deliver from WiiLabs today and it is chock full of many goodies for all you modders and players alike. We (finally!) have the release of WiiMod available for download. We also have an update to the WRLib C++ API and the Wiisis modification.

WiiMod Release
It took a bit longer than we had expected, but available now for downloading is WiiMod. WiiMod is an asset for mod teams who wish to incorporate the Nintendo Wii Remote and Nunchuk controllers into their own custom modifications, but do not have the means or desire to deal with C++. WiiMod is a pre-compiled custom GameDll and file package that adds support for the Wii Remote and Nunchuk controllers to your custom modification by means of exclusive Flowgraph Nodes and an expandable Lua scripting framework.

Features of WiiMod include:

Over 50 custom Flowgraph Nodes that let you control up to 4 Wii Remotes and get button, motion and sensor input from them.
Complete Lua framework that gives you equal power and accessibility of the WRLib C++ API.
Customizable Xml file to control basic mod features, including intro videos and starting Singleplayer map.

WiiMod Demonstration Modification
Also available is a small mini-mod that utilizes WiiMod and demonstrates its abilities. It comes packaged with a small level with several mini-games that use the Wii Remote. All of these mini-games were made using WiiMod’s custom Flowgraph nodes and Lua framework. One of the puzzles involves “constructing and using a light switch” using the Wii Remote’s motion controls in a style similar to Metroid Prime and Zelda puzzles.

Wiisis and WRLib C++ API Update
One of the top priorities when constructing WiiMod was to correct any major problems that arose after Wiisis’ release. Wiisis is a modification released last month that brings the Wii Remote and Nunchuk controllers into Crysis. The WRLib C++ API is the source code package that adds support for the Wii Remote and Nunchuk controllers to the Crysis C++ Mod SDK.
These two items have been updated to improve the support and overall functionality. The change log for Wiisis is as followed:

[Bug] Fixed bug that caused Nunchuk gestures to not be recognized very well
[Bug] Fixed bug that sometimes prevented LED lights from refreshing on start
[Bug] Fixed bug that caused the default Windows cursor to be used
[Bug] Fixed bug that caused the Wii Remote Manager to think it was in the main menu while playing in Editor mode
[Change] Reworked Wii Remote Warning video
[Change] Reworked Nano Suit Menu controls to use the IR Sensor cursor instead of the Nunchuk analog stick for selection usage

We hope you enjoy these releases and we are looking forward to seeing any mods that add support for the Wii Remote controller.

Pretty

Dante — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 21:48:17 GMT

Just a random thought, haven't posted in a while.

I am still alive, one more house warming party to go, them I am free and clear to start my regular life (well, as regular as it gets with a new house) again.

Hope everyone is groovy!

Home Sweet Home

Dante — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 20:21:19 GMT

So, in case some of you did not know, or read any previous blogs, I am in the final process of purchasing a new house and should be getting the keys on Wednesday to move in!

Here is a picture of my new home, in Orange California.

So, needless to say, I do have my Sprint Card for my laptop, but I may be offline for a few days during the move.

Get Your Wiisis On!

vloktboky — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 19:41:00 GMT

The wait is finally over! Today, RenEvo Software & Designs is proud to present a project that had started out half a year ago as a simple question: could the Wii Remote be used by a PC modding community? We think Wiisis has answered that question. And now, we would like to offer you the opportunity to see for yourself. And for our modding friends, we have a special gift for you as well!

Wiisis

Download: Wiisis 1.2

Available now as a full-featured C++ modification for Crysis, Wiisis will allow you to explore the fun world of Crysis using your Nintendo Wii Remote and Nunchuk controllers. All of the controls in the game have been mapped to your Wii Remote and Nunchuk through buttons and forms of motion. Everything from movement and aiming, to Nano Suit controls and menus, to vehicles including tanks and VTOLs, are fully supported.

Wiisis supports many different gesture controls, including:

Jumping by flicking your Wii Nunchuk up
Crouch by tilting your Wii Nunchuk down or prone by tilting it even further.
Punch or zoom in with your weapon by motioning your Wii Remote forward
Pick up objects by lifting your Wii Remote up
Throw a grenade by lobbing your Wii Remote over your head

Wiisis supports many other unique features, including use of the Wii Sensor Bar (not required) for higher-precision aiming, utilization of the remote's rumble ability, and extra game features such as Retain View Mode for aim assistance.

With Wiisis, you can experience Crysis in a whole new way.

Note: In order to play Wiisis with your Nintendo Wii Remote and Nunchuk, you will need to have a Bluetooth receiver installed on your computer with an HID profile created for the Remote.

WRLib C++ API

Download: WRLib API 1.0

As a special treat to the wonderful Crysis modding community, we have prepared for you a C++ API complete with documentation, tutorials and a tool which you can use to bring the Nintendo Wii Remote into your own Crysis modification!

This API can be compiled into a custom CryGame.dll, allowing you to receive input from up to four (4) connected Wii Remotes. You can operate the remote’s rumble and LED lights, receive buffered button input, handle motion control, and receive IR input data easily using the Wii Remote Library (WRLib) class set! A complete feature set is included in the API. This library is well documented with a comprehensive tutorial that will guide you through setting up and using the library in your own mod.

Also included is the Wii Remote Sandbox tool. This handy tool will allow you to play around with your Wii Remote to test its many features. It also has a real-time motion chart for the Wii Remote and Nunchuk’s accelerometer to help you plan out gesture controls!

But that’s not all! We have also included for you the source code for Wiisis as an aid for getting a Wii Remote in your own Crysis modification. This source code, along with the library itself, is released under the ZLib license, which is included in the download. Even if you don’t plan on using WRLib in your own project, you may find this code to be a handy learning tool for the Crysis Mod C++ code.

Special Thanks

RenEvo Software & Designs would like to give special thanks to Crytek for allowing them the honor of being one of the exclusive teams to receive the Pre-SDK. Without this, we would not have been able to complete Wiisis and deliver it so soon to this game’s wonderful community!

And of course, we would like to thank the Crysis Modding Community and the Crymod Modding Portal for their continuous support and unquestionable drive to be the best. The amount of amazing and unique content that has been born in such a short period of time has been a great inspiration to us.

Related Links:

Download – Wiisis 1.2

Download – WRLib C++ API 1.0

Link – Wiisis Website

Link – Wiisis ModDB

Link – Wiisis Support Forum

Link – WRLib C++ API Support Forum

Happy Wii-ing from us to you! And please, do make sure that wrist strap is on tight and the area around you is cleared before playing. We don’t want any “remotes through monitor” pictures coming in. ;)

(And now if you’ll excuse us, it’s Super Smash Brothers Brawl time!)

- RenEvo Software & Designs Team

Wiisis Release Date Set!

vloktboky — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 00:55:00 GMT

RenEvo Software & Designs is happy to announce that Wiisis will be available for download on March 9th, 2008, just a few days away! Be sure to check back here at the RenEvo website or the Wiisis website at some point during that day to download your copy of Wiisis!

Also available on the same day: something extra special. But we're not revealing what until it is released!

Edit: Mod is now released.