Key Concepts

Repository Reference | previous chapter: Introduction

Development vs Release

Blood Omnicide release version is different from what you get in repository.

For development version:

• All files are real files (except for test installation)
• All textures are uncompressed, DDS cache is optional
• Sources and development files included
• SDK and tools included

In release version:

• All files packed into game archives
• Textures are compressed (DDS cache only)
• Source files and development files are deleted
• SDK in separate download

Release version for the game is about 800 Mb and has shorter loading times.

Linked to Blood Omen

By just downloading a working copy of repository you don't get a working game. Since Blood Omnicide is a port, it heavily depends on original game media files.

Blood Omen files got copied when Blood Omnicide release version is being installed on a computer. Development version doesn't have such installer, but it has a test installation script that does the same job. The process of getting a working copy of Blood Omnicide is called test installation.

Sources are saved

All media file sources get saved to SVN, including source files for tools, textures and models. The only reason a source file doesn't get saved is when its size is too big (>100Mb). Sources are saved in the same folder as the exported files. The code sources don't need a further explanation, but textures and models apparently do:

Texture sources

Source is the base image (PSD or whatever) you are exporting to TGA texture.

Model sources

These have a lot of variations. For static models it is best to save sources as ASE files, if models are animated, store whatever source file you have (MAX, blend etc.)

Common conventions

A number of rules that should be followed in order to keep repository clean.

Files names

All files, folders, file extensions must be lowercase with all-latin characters and with no spacers. Failing this rule can throw a number of problems like limited portability and SVN errors.

Commits

Dont commit files no one will use. SVN is not a light version of FTP. It stores all file versions, even if it was deleted. So abusing it with many unused files will waste HDD space.

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