miniB3D looks like it is shaping up to be a command by command replica of Blitz3D. The differences are noted in the readme.txt file of the download.
The most obvious difference is that it uses OpenGL instead of Direct3D. This allows it to be cross platform (Blitz3D is windows only)
when you install the miniB3D module and build mods. the help docs are generated.
alternatively, the online Blitz3D docs will help as well.
simonh has stated (somewhere) that a goal for minib3d is to support as wide a number of end user systems as possible (along the lines of the Blitz3D directx7 footprint) which leads us to...
Klepto2's extended miniB3D module
user Klepto2 has extended miniB3D to support more modern hardware and features.
Notably
1. It Adds support for shaders using GLSL (Open GL Shading Language)
2. Adds support for VBO's (Vertex Buffer Objects) that can improve render speeds.
also, Klepto2 is working on a cross-platform module for Newton Game Dynamics that will add physics support to mini-b3d.
all in all, I have been extremely impressed by simonh and Klepto2's work. I was initially reluctant to invest my (very limited) time into what I saw as 3rd party, inferior stopgap before Max3D was released. How wrong I was!! I see the project as a full-fledged 3D solution for BlitzMax. It is stable and does what I expect it to do. Simon and Klepto are extremely helpful and diligent. (Mark Sibly seems to be supporting miniB3D as well by offering code fixes/optimizations and overall BRL support)
I was able to knock up a full Object Oriented 3D game prototype in about 3 days (part time) and I would call my programming skills 'medium'. I am not a professional programmer(I know that is obvious to most of you :) )
The most obvious difference is that it uses OpenGL instead of Direct3D. This allows it to be cross platform (Blitz3D is windows only)
when you install the miniB3D module and build mods. the help docs are generated.
alternatively, the online Blitz3D docs will help as well.
simonh has stated (somewhere) that a goal for minib3d is to support as wide a number of end user systems as possible (along the lines of the Blitz3D directx7 footprint) which leads us to...
Klepto2's extended miniB3D module
user Klepto2 has extended miniB3D to support more modern hardware and features.
Notably
1. It Adds support for shaders using GLSL (Open GL Shading Language)
2. Adds support for VBO's (Vertex Buffer Objects) that can improve render speeds.
also, Klepto2 is working on a cross-platform module for Newton Game Dynamics that will add physics support to mini-b3d.
all in all, I have been extremely impressed by simonh and Klepto2's work. I was initially reluctant to invest my (very limited) time into what I saw as 3rd party, inferior stopgap before Max3D was released. How wrong I was!! I see the project as a full-fledged 3D solution for BlitzMax. It is stable and does what I expect it to do. Simon and Klepto are extremely helpful and diligent. (Mark Sibly seems to be supporting miniB3D as well by offering code fixes/optimizations and overall BRL support)
I was able to knock up a full Object Oriented 3D game prototype in about 3 days (part time) and I would call my programming skills 'medium'. I am not a professional programmer(I know that is obvious to most of you :) )