CryEngine Winter Update

CryENGINE

I’ve been remiss in updating news lately, so here is a roundup about the CryEngine from the last several months.

CryEngine Updates

The CryEngine has received several updates over the last few months; the latest version is 3.6.17, which can be downloaded from Steam for all subscribers.

Here are some of the new features from the recent releases. There are many more that include primarily bugfixes and updates.

EaaS 3.6.15 (Jan 16, 2015)

• (Build) Added release build config for EaaS (see the Guide to releasing EaaS-based projects article, which covers information on how to setup your EaaS game to be compiled in “Release” mode.).
• (CrySystem) Allows game code to specify a list of pak-files to load (instead of hard-coding in CrySystem), for use by EaaS.
• Updated to Wwise version 2014.1.2 build 5195.
• Introduced console functions to Execute/Stop Audio Triggers and Set Audio Rtpcs and Switches.
• Added error logging for failed AFCM cache requests if a file not found at the target location.

EaaS 3.6.13 (Dec 08, 2014)

• Include *.wem files in Sounds.pak.
• Added new campfire PFX that responds to wind effects: campfire.small_wind.

EaaS 3.6.12 (Nov 28, 2014)

• If material is in pak file, offer option to extract from pak file instead of explore.
• Added “Clear Registry Data” to Tools menu. This should make fixing any issues with shortcut keys safer and easier to fix (still WIP and doesn’t catch all elements just yet) (CE-4155).
• Added (Editor) tag for displayInfo when in Editor.
• Added additional FOV presets.
• Added e_DebugDrawFilter CVar to filter Helper/Dummies by name on assets with e_DebugDraw 15 activated (CE-4845).
• Allow cloth to be attached to ropes.
• Shadow cascade blending
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5Zzuqc-qUw

• (ACB) Loading of controls done in the audio system implementation.
• (ACB) Removed the need of a model for the audio system implementation.
• (ACB) Renamed classes to be consistent with engine audio implementation.
• Introduced specific define to enable/disable audio logging and re-enabled Wwise specific logging.
• Updated Wwise API to v2014.1.1 build 5179.
• Fallback to loading samples if not found when executing an event.
• Added Localization handling.
• Added “can_rip_off” parameter to define whether mounted weapons can be ripped off or not. Default is true.
• Updated CarryEntity code not caring about asset helper positions.
• Updated scripts to use latest 07 AI Behavior Tree.
• Added ‘usePlayerTeamVisualization’ flag option to enable(default)/disable init of TeamPlayerVisualisation function per gamemode via the GameModes XML script. This function controls the automatic character material assignment based on Hostile/Friendly set by the PlayerTeamVisualization XML script.
• (Mannequin) Added pistol+flag Mannequin aimpose.
• (Mannequin) Added default friendly_leave setup. Set nw idlepose to nw animation instead of rifle.
• (Mannequin) Added HMG Mannequin setup and some additional anims.
• (Mannequin) Shotgun3P reload setup causing weapon to bounce around in hand by removing loop and adjusting timing on swaphand.
• (Mannequin) Added Grenade1P, Pistol3P and Rifle3P melee fragments (CE-4922).
• (Mannequin) Added correct Shotgun melee anims and fragments. Added change_firemode anims. Added bump setup for Shotgun.
• (Mannequin) Added Audio support for Silencer attachments on SDK weapons.
• (UIActions) Added buttonDisabled to main menu.
• Added double_neon_light asset.
• Added new 6x2m cloth asset and material.
• Included XMP Metadata “CE_NoAutoUpdate” into HUD_3D (CE-4594).

EaaS 3.6.11 (Nov 14, 2014)

• (Flowgraph) Added Flownode to change ocean material.
• Refine terrain texture tiles added into main “Terrain” menu, in addition to inside Terrain Texture Layers tool menu (CE-1391).
• (Particles) New enum classes and macros, for conveniently declaring enums without prefixes, and creating TypeInfo simultaneously. No longer need ENUM_INFO definitions. Nested all ParticleParams enums in ParticleParams.
• (Physics) Exposed stiffness and death pose on deadbodies/ragdolls (CE-4736).
• Using PhysProxies to compute the BBox.
• Save VCloth params in CDFs.
• Added r_DeferredShadingAreaLights=1 to system.cfg for AreaLight use.
• Initial implementation using SDL Mixer.
• Added support for executing TriggerFinished callbacks on the Main thread.
• Added the Trigger Finished Event handling to the FlowAudioTriggerNode.
• Added TriggerFinishedCallback support.
• Introduced ability to playback streamed files in Wwise.
• Re-enabled toggling of audio updates on particle effect instances, introduced ability to select any RTPC for being used during particle effect updates.
• Initialize Wwise Comm system only if needed, for that introduced new cvar “s_WwiseEnableCommSystem”.
• (AISystem) New behavior tree SDK_Grunt_07 with emphasis on further AI assignments through the Flow Graph (CE-4475), tweaked existing TPS queries and added new ones for the new AI assignments.
• Added a GetViewCameraUpDir ScriptBind.
• Switched boat script to use new boat model, updated helpers, tweaked handling slightly. Updated idle anim in Mannequin setup. Removed passenger setups for now.
• Added additional green_fern_bush asset variations.
• Added beam_spotlight projector material.
• Added pumpkin asset character attachment.

EaaS 3.6.10 (Oct 31, 2014)

• Added streaming support for VCloth.
• (Statoscope) Custom display scaling (CE-4605).
• (Statoscope) Append datagroups to the filename (CE-2112).
• Introduced e_MergedMeshesOutdoorOnly CVar to force ERF_OUTDOORONLY on automerged vegetation patches. Fixed Group mismatch ID on addgroup (CE-4681 / 4666).
• Change to splitted texture format, for Editor compatibility (.dds.0 is now .dds).
• (ACB) Support for localised soundbanks.
• (MaterialEffects) Added character_speed parameter support for footsteps.
• Added support for Rtpcs in AudioEnvironments, fixed AudioEnvironments being stuck at non-zero values, added removing AudioEnvironments after their amounts reach 0.0f (CE-4713).
• Adjusted audio proxies to make use of pseudo lip-sync.
• Added an ability to register a callback to be called when a Trigger is finished.
• Enabled new listener_distance feature in Wwise 2014 and implemented on explosion blend containers.
• PBR Area Lights support. (Area Lights support for PBS compatibility using the r_DeferredShadingAreaLights 1 CVar is available as a WIP enhancement.)
• Per Character Shadow Maps (Environment:PerEntityShadows node).
• Method to disable shadow lod bias per rendernode.
• Added shortcut key (numpad insert/0) to toggle mn_debug for the local player.
• Restored optional stdwheeled vehicles from SDK 3.4 (CE-4723).
• Added RocketLauncher Mannequin setup.
• Added Grenade 3P mannequin setup. Some tweaks to nw setup to match C3.
• Shotgun: Added forcefeedback and weapon_lowering fragments.
• Added rocketlauncher animations.
• Added workshop files.
• Adding Object and Animations and Libs for C3 boids to SDK.
• Animations for the spider.
• Added HMG anims.
• (Audio) Added generic explosion assets and implemented in Wwise and Editor.

EaaS 3.6.9 (Oct 17, 2014)

• (Flowgraph) Added ‘OnSprintStaminaChanged’ to ActorSensor flownode.
• (Flowgraph) Added surfacetype to phys raycast fg nodes (CE-4550).
• (Flowgraph) Output weapon firemode name (string) from WeaponSensor node.
• (Layer Editor) Extra layer control buttons to allow easy enable/disable of layers (CE-3960).
• Added “Convert to GameVolume” function to allow conversion of shapes (watervolumes) into GameVolumes (CE-1739).
• EntityAudioProxies now handle any number of AudioProxies.
• Added CryAudioCommon project for the header files shared between the ATL and AudioSystemImplementations. (See the ATL for Programmers article for details.)
• (Tools) Add peak time to statoscope frame profiler.
• (CryExporter 3dsMax) Added button Select in Viewport to select items directly from export list (CE-4213).
• Support for geom cache physics interactions.
• (Audio) Added bush and leaves rustling loop events and assets to physics project.
• Added explosions for all SDK vehicles and implemented in Wwise and Editor.
• Added example facial animations. Added new head_a with face anim setup. Renamed existing head_a to head_noanim. Added head_a max file. Updated skeleton FXL file.
• Geomcache example brickwall with instancing.
• Added Stamina bar on HUD.
• Added explosion placeholder to forcefeedback xml.
• Added new campfire pfx where the smoke reacts to wind resistance.
• Added 3p/Sounds ADBs for Grenade/Shotgun.
• Shotgun: Added idle_break fragments. Fixed up several wrong animations. Removed some unneeded proc clips. Fixed ironsights. Added forcefeedback and weapon_lowering fragments.

EaaS 3.6.8 (Oct 2, 2014)

• (Flowgraph) Flow Graph node “AI:ActiveCountInFaction” to count the currently active AIs of a specific faction (4522).
• (Flowgraph) Added flow graph nodes for regenerating the nav mesh and for getting an entity’s bounds (AI:RegenerateMNM + Entity:GetBounds) (CE-4351).
• (Flowsystem) Support multiple port activations per update.
• Increased Time of Day ‘Bloom Amount’ param maximum to 10.
• (ACB) Multiple selection support.
• (ACB) AutoLoad on by default.
• (RCJob) Support for compiling lua scripts.
• Removed 64K mesh vertex limit.
• Allow vertex cloth character attachments.
• Allow mesh slicing on character attachments + improved cloth-cgf association consistency.
• Adjusted proxy dialog for different proxy types.
• (AISystem) AI corpses are now also enabled and managed when playing in Sandbox (CE-4520).
• (Action) Allow custom player entities.
• Added back Sprint Stamina function. Tweaked stamina params. Exposed PlayerParams script reloading to Reload Actor Scripts function in Editor.
• Added “Jump” and “Sprint” outputs to Actor:Sensor flownode.
• Added Shotgun mannequin setup. Still WIP, will be some bugs with it on this release.
• RocketLauncher: New geometry and textures.
• Added AI Debug config which can be executed in console for quick access to common AI debug vars. Use ‘exec aidebug’ to run.
• Added additional character variation CDFs to reference new character attachments.
• Tent, and Mud Geomcache example assets.
• Bush and leaves rustling loop events and assets to physics project
• Beanie, Helmet and Necklace character assets.
• Added several example glass materials.
• Added SDK character from 3.5.
• Added ATL triggers for shotgun.
• Added missing animation fragments for “Relaxed+Run” and “Relaxed+Sprint” (CE-3765) used by AI when in running/sprint stances.

EaaS 3.6.7 (Sep 17, 2014)

• (FBX) Added source-unit support for FBX import.
• (FBX) Added support for unit size conversion.
• (Terrain Editor) Loading PGM with optional clipping function.
• (Flowgraph) Add userstats node for example GameSDK.
• (Flowgraph) Added Actor:LocalPlayerMovementParameter Flownode. Allows controlling of several player movements such as jump height, changeable at run-time (CE-4234).
• Added “ed_keepEditorActive” CVar to prevent sandbox (and viewports) from freezing when no focus is set (CE-4290).
• Added Editor toolbar buttons for single step physics (step/pause).
• Added ToolbarIconSize setting in Sandbox Preferences to allow changing of Toolbar icon size without using ed_ToolbarIconSize CVar (CE-4350).
• Improved non-uniform scaling support on brushes with various setups (CE-3918).
• CVar ed_ToolbarIconSize can be changed during run-time.
• Added link to Documentation portal in Sandbox dashboard/welcome screen.
• Added “Photoshop.exe” to the Texture Editor slot in Sandbox Preferences so users don’t have to add this in manually.
• Additional logging info for some sys CVars on startup (CE-4323).
• Added the Cube Editor. (See the Cube Editor documentation for details.)
• Added the boundary check in the Bevel tool as expanding edges.
• Made dimension numbers displayed as 3 digits.
• Added a function for merging the selected faces in the existing Merge tool in addition to merging the selected designer objects.
• Switching to loading Audio System Implementations as plugins.
• Added sound obstruction/occlusion capability to the AudioAreaEntity.lua script.
• (ACB) Filter the list of controls in the popup selection menu to only the ones available to the currently loaded level
• Boids audio support.
• (RC) RC will now show a warning when attempting to run an RCJob-job that doesn’t use the same platform as RC thinks should be used.
• (RC) (CharacterCompiler) Added support of /vertexpositionformat=exporter and fixed code formatting.
• (CryPak) Added cvar sys_pak_loadmodepaks (default 0), controls if the pak files in modes folder are used (CE-4341)
• (ScriptSystem) Added additional overloaded ScriptAnyValue::CopyTo() method that outputs into a string object.
• Added ability to specify Poly/Tris limit for system budget monitoring via sys_budget_numpolys CVar.
• Updated to Steamworks 1.30.
• Added debug info text to e_ShadowsCascadesDebug CVar to inform which color represents which cascade (CE-4349).
• Particle editor “Assign to Selected” button now has persistent mode (indicated by highlighted button). Selecting new effect auto-assigns it to selected entities.
• Selected effects display bounding boxes of emission volume. Requires editor “Highlight selected geometry” on (CE-3259).
• Added CVar “i_lying_item_limit_sp” to control the number of dropped items lying around in singleplayer games, renamed existing CVar “i_lying_item_limit” to “i_lying_item_limit_mp” (CE-4320).
• (UIActions) Added visible attribute to addImage FG node to make image visible once it’s loaded (CE-3793).
• (UIActions) Add get-listbox-value node (CE-4378).
• (UIActions) Create dialog spinner for waiting times (CE-4178).
• (UIActions) User stats for Steam (CE-4128).
• (UIActions) Added new Difficulty selection to Singleplayer menu.
• Added assault and sniper scope scripts for use with Rifle weapon. Added ironsight_rifle accessory, cut existing ironsight mesh from rifle and referenced new mesh in accessory. Updated rifle fp/tp meshes, moved/added attachment helpers in tp. Updated CDF for fp to reference additional/moved attachment helpers. Fixed proxy missing from material and referencing alternate material in max file. Updated equipment packs to reference new accessories and set initial setups. Delayed shell eject PFX so bullets don’t travel through weapon/attachments.
• Updated grenade asset material/textures. Added grenade animations. Updated grenade scripts.
• Added blurmask textures for weapon scope attachments.

EaaS 3.6.6 (Sep 2, 2014)

• (FBX) Added support for ‘pivot’ attribute in export info file.
• (FBX) Updated dialog with static mesh import options.
• (Material) Option to convert single- to Multi-Material via right-click context menu (CE-4116).
• (ACB) Added icon for sound banks. Show in connection panel instead of preload icon.
• (ACB) Added hardcoded defaults when config.xml file is not present.
• (ACB) Save with Ctrl+S.
• (ACB) Show all levels in the scope drop-down.
• (ACB) In the scope menu highlight levels not found in the project.
• (ACB) Prevent controls with the same name in the same scope.
• (ACB) Loads default controls when they don’t exist in the project.
• Added AudioAreaAmbience entity for convenient implementation of area based audio ambiences.
• Added sniper scope, assault scope, knife, and character glasses assets.
• Added assets for daytime ambience.
• Added forest/hangar reverb environment.
• Adding Object and Animations and Libs for new boids.
• Added environment_listener and environment_sound parameter.
• Added v_shared_a bank.
• Added wind_intensity game parameter.
• Added new metal cable mat and textures.
• Created soundcaster session for airfield.
• Animations for the spider boid.
• Added assets to originals folder for general_ambience.
• Added Sound layer to Airfield Level. Removed Sound Objects from Airfield Layer and added to Sound Layer.
• Added forest and airfield reverb auxiliary.
• Added several archetype examples for Light setups.
• Added forest reverb and created a shareset workunit for the sdk reverb presets.
• Added AS_wind_intensity on mountain.
• Game parameter general_ambience_wind_intensity in ACB.
• Added v_shared_a, containing shared vehicle media.
• Added Generic Leaderboard (CE-3527).
• Lobby can support voice chat between teammembers, or everyone in the lobby (CE-3525).
• User stats for Steam (CE-4128).
• Create dialog spinner for waiting times (CE-4178).

EaaS 3.6.5 (Aug 7, 2014)

• FBX Import Dialog (View -> Open View Pane -> FBX Import). Preview version with lots more features to come!
• Send mousewheel event in Editor.
• Character editor shows tris count and drawcalls.
• Revived “KillOnTrigger” function to “RemoveOnTrigger” for ProximityTrigger to remove entities (except player) on entering the proxy trigger.
• (LODGen) Added LOD Generator option “Add to parent material” (CE-3670, CE-3913)
• (Mannequin) Added a simple new “MannequinObject” GameObject entity. This allows mannequin testing without a complete Player/AI character.
• Added ability to project deferred decals further than ‘1’. Will now project up to ’10’ times further (CE-1576).
• Implemented the Smoothing Group tool. (See the Smoothing Group documentation for details.)
• Implemented the RemoveDoubles Tool. (See the RemoveDoubles documentation for details.)
• Implemented the HideFace Tool. (See the HideFace documentation for details.)
• Added switch sides of a selected region in the magnet tool.
• Made it possible to create rectangle and Disc separately.
• Added an undo for selection of vertices, edges and faces.
• Added a new way of moving the selected vertices, edges and faces on a viewport by moving a mouse holding LMB.
• Added a function to insert edges connecting between the selected face and the inset face holding CTRL in the Offset Tool.
• (Action) Added “PlayerProfile” nodes to interact with user stats.
• Split Input:Mouse node up into smaller nodes for performance reasons and made some improvements and fixes.
• Added FlowSystem containers and nodes to manipulate them.
• (Mannequin) EnslaveCharacter node can now define a custom ScopeContext.
• ParticleParams.eGeometryPieces is now has 3 options: Whole, RandomPiece, AllPieces.
• Added options for particle collision: die/ignore/stop. Finally renamed Bounciness to Elasticity.
• Switched to PostingRequests for all external communications with the AudioSystem.
• (ACB) Create controls by dragging directly from the middleware panel.
• (Steam) Enable Steam by default.
• (Steam) Save to steam cloud when USE_STEAM is defined
• (Steam) CVar net_useSteamAsOnlineLobby to determine to initialize Steam or not.
• (Physics) Optional runge-kutta integrator for more precise rigidbody rotation.
• (GeomCache) Added geom cache attachments.
• Added Radar threat level in HUD (CE-3521).

Full details for each release are available in the CryEngine Documentation pages. Also see the GameCode documentation, which has been updated here: Getting Started with Game Code.

CryEngine at GDC 2015

While Epic and Unity were announcing their new pricing structure for attracting developers, Crytek focused on expanding the capabilities of the CryEngine. New announcements for VR and Android, followed expansions for platforms like the PlayStation®4, Xbox One and Linux. Here are the CryEngine showcase trailers from GDC:

Looking Forward

At the end of the year, Crytek released an announcement from CEO Cevat Yerli to all Cryengineers:

An Open Letter from our Founder, CEO and President Cevat Yerli on the next steps for #CRYENGINE http://t.co/8CvlkX1xSR

— CRYENGINE (@cryengine) December 8, 2014

This announcement looked forward to the upcoming CryEngine 3.7, and in this release all of the tools and codebases used throughout the CryEngine platforms will be merged. The plan, therefore, is to give licensees unfettered access to all of the systems that power the latest and greatest of the Crytek game library.

Get It!

You can become a CryEngine developer (or as Crytek calls them, Cryengineers) by subscribing to the Engine-as-a-Service (EaaS) for as little as $9.90 per month. The latest EaaS, and all future updates, are downloaded on Steam, with sample assets and Wwise integration available as free DLC.