ATTN Plugin Authors: Gathering plugin sources

[Crimson Wizard]

As many of you should know, we have a number of AGS ports now that let run AGS games on other platforms (linux, etc). Plugins remain a problem, because they were written as Windows dynamic libraries. JJS already rewrote couple of plugins, and Calin disclosed his AGSBlend and SpriteFont plugins, so that their code could be used to compile plugins for other systems too.

Are there anyone else who would like to disclose his/her plugin source to let the games, which used them, become fully portable? Perhaps someone may contact plugin authors that did not visit forums for a while?
Could there be a reason to not to disclose plugin source?

Additionally, I want to mention, that maybe it could be a good idea to state a rule, that AGS plugin should be made open source from the start (NOTE: "open-source" does not mean "free to use")? Aside from portability, this would also ensure that no one will put something unexpected, like malicious code in there.

[Sslaxx]

As many of you should know, we have a number of AGS ports now that let run AGS games on other platforms (linux, etc). Plugins remain a problem, because they were written as Windows dynamic libraries. JJS already rewrote couple of plugins, and Calin disclosed his AGSBlend and SpriteFont plugins, so that their code could be used to compile plugins for other systems too.

Are there anyone else who would like to disclose his/her plugin source to let the games, which used them, become fully portable? Perhaps someone may contact plugin authors that did not visit forums for a while?
Could there be a reason to not to disclose plugin source?

Additionally, I want to mention, that maybe it could be a good idea to state a rule, that AGS plugin should be made open source from the start (NOTE: "open-source" does not mean "free to use")? Aside from portability, this would also ensure that no one will put something unexpected, like malicious code in there.

It wouldn't work for plugins like AGSteam (because of Valve's licensing arrangements).

[Crimson Wizard]

I feel a need to bump this, just to make people read this suggestion again.

Since we have a number of ports now, it might be important to encourage people to either write plugins in a portable form (not dependent on OS or OS-specific libraries), or provide alternative versions for other platforms. Or let other ppl convert their plugin DLLs. In fact, this may be so important I'd suggest mention this somewhere in one of the sticky topics.

[Wyz]

Yes I can see how important this is for portability. Before when AGS itself was not opensource one could argue not to make their plugins open source but now the engine is in the open it is rather silly (unless there are licencing issues like with the steam plugin). I would still not have penalties or anything but instead let's make it very clear to game developers: if you use this plugin your game will only work on windows or maybe even: don't use this plugin unless...

That said I have a few plugins that are not in the open generally because I like to release it after it has seen a period of maturity. For those that have been around long enough I really want to but lack of time has kept me from doing so.
For instance I like to port the Joystick plugin to Linux and DirectX and then release the source. It is currently using the windows native API which obviously is not portable and is also causing problems with the newer Windows versions. It is also not in a state where I'm happy to release the source. I will work on this once my schedule clears up.
The Sockets plugin that is currently in the alpha phase already is portable (although I have not tested the posix parts yet) and after it has seen some miles I will release the source as well.

I don't really remember what other plugins I made from the top of my head, probably they are not that important.

[Calin Leafshade]

I think I've released the source for all my plugins that are in use.

Am I missing any?

[Gilbert]

In fact, this may be so important I'd suggest mention this somewhere in one of the sticky topics.

Yeah, I understand that, and this thread is now made sticky(which we should wait and see, as I sometimes feel that making a thread sticky makes it even harder to notice; if that's the case I can unstick it again).

[Crimson Wizard]

Here's a table of the plugins I could find on forums.
Marked most needed to be opensourced/reimplemented (commonly used in games) with red font.

Plugin	Author	Status
SpriteFont	Calin Leafshade	Open source
AGSBlend	Calin Leafshade	Open source
Lua For AGS	Denzil Quixode	Open source; not fully compatible with 64-bit builds (AFAIK)
Sockets for AGS	Wyz	Closed source
AGSSpeech	SteveMcCrea)	Closed source; depends on C# wrapper
Text-To-Speech	Tzachs	Project dead?; depends on C# wrapper
D3DVSync	Calin Leafshade	Closed source?; Win/Direct3D only
AGS Plugin API for C#	smiley	Open source; C# (Win only?)
FMOD For AGS	Calin Leafshade	Open source
AGSSteam	monkey_05_06	Closed source
Fire plugin	SteveMcCrea	Closed source
AGS Joystick	Wyz	Closed source
Flashlight	a-v-o	Portable reimplementation by JJS
Snow/Rain	Scorpiorus	Portable reimplementation by JJS
Razerblade	DKH	Closed source; Win/Direct3D only
Direct3D/Theora	AJA	Closed source; Win/Direct3D only
Character 3d	Besh	Closed source
AGS 3d	SteveMcCrea	Closed source
agsCreditz	AJA	Source
ags_theora	scotch	Closed source
Custom Properties Helper	helios123	Closed source
TCP/IP plugin	a-v-o	Closed source
AGS_TimerHelper	helios123	Open source
CharacterD3D	Besh	Closed source
C# Runner	Tzachs	Open source? (link dead)
PlayVideo Proxy	helios123	Open source
AGI Graphics Emulation	scotch	Closed source
OtherRoom	SteveMcCrea	Closed source
Wii Remote Control	scotch	Closed source
FileNet	Dorcan	Closed source
AGS Shell	scotch	Portable reimplementation by monkey0506
Log Writer	fjeronimo	Closed source? (link dead)
AGS Parallax	Scorpiorus	Portable reimplementation by JJS

[RickJ]

Maintainability is another very good reason to make plugins open source. People tend to come and go, and when they go their plugins are stuck in time and eventually become unusable. 

[Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens]

I remember intending to ask Wyz for a copy of the agsjoy source but for some reason I didn't get around to it.  If he's around I'm sure someone can get him to release it.

[Calin Leafshade]

I have lost the source for the D3DVSync plugin but it was a single line in the initialisation of the graphics engine that enabled VSync. I'd argue that VSync should be enable by default anyway on D3D.

(Actually i'd argue that directX should be removed entirely in favour of opengl but whatever)

[Crimson Wizard]

(Actually i'd argue that directX should be removed entirely in favour of opengl but whatever)

Offtopic, but there's an OpenGL renderer by JJS, it is used for mobile ports only, can work on Windows too. The only reason it's not in the selection list is that it's incomplete, works only in windowed mode with predefined dimensions.

[Joseph DiPerla]

I have lost the source for the D3DVSync plugin but it was a single line in the initialisation of the graphics engine that enabled VSync. I'd argue that VSync should be enable by default anyway on D3D.

(Actually i'd argue that directX should be removed entirely in favour of opengl but whatever)

This would be nice one day. But no rush on this. AGS is great enough.

On a side note, since you sent out the e-mail today and made this a sticky (Can probably post this on AGS Blog too!) Has anyone with closed source projects come forward yet?

[monkey0506]

As I am an author of one of these plugins, I feel I should stick my head in. I still maintain that the AGSteam plugin cannot be usefully open-sourced in any way due to the licensing restrictions of Valve's Steamworks API. That is, with the references to Steamworks removed, there's little left beyond the sample plugin functions -- that's really all there is to it. The plugin exists solely as a middleman between AGScript and the native C++ calls to the Steamworks functions.

All that being said, the Steam platform itself is currently not really portable. I have successfully managed to get the AGSteam plugin running on Steam for Linux, but currently none of the AGS games using Steam have been released for Linux.

I will also note that I am not opposed to sublicensing the source to appropriate parties as needed. Currently I have licensed the source out to Wadjet Eye Games (pending their licensing agreement(s) with Valve, etc.), and would be willing to extend the same to others who may have need of it.



In general, I absolutely agree that making plugins open-sourced will be in everyone's best interests overall. I am actively working to develop a new plugin that has been requested of me, and if I can actually get the thing to work then I will have no qualms whatsoever about sharing my code.

[AJA]

I have a bad feeling that the agsCreditz source code has been lost in time and space, unfortunately.
But I'll go through my backups just in case when I get back home within a couple of weeks.

Also, holy crap, the plugin is over ten years old already! I feel dizzy. And old.

[Crimson Wizard]

It is perhaps possible to rewrite OtherRoom plugin using a script module of same name for the reference. The functions must be registered under same names as in original plugin.

Plugin thread: http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=14203
Module thread: http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=20650

Example of very simply made plugin rewrite for Linux: https://github.com/onitake/agsteamstub
(probably can work for Win too)

"OtherRoom" plugin is required for running several games, including some of the "Barn Runner" series.

[monkey0506]

@CW: The agsteamstub is a pretty reasonable example of what the plugin looks like with no direct references to the Steamworks API. If anyone needs a non-Steam version of the plugin for any reason (e.g., porting a Steam game to another platform) then that should get you going.

I will note that although previously unreleased, the AGSteam plugin is now released as a Linux shared library as well, and a beta test is under way for an official Steam for Linux launch.

[monkey0506]

I wrote an open-source variant of the ags_shell plugin. You can grab it here.

NOTE: I'm not sure what scotch originally used for the final parameter to the native method, which controls how the new window is displayed. It may need to be changed to reflect the original behavior.

This version also declares AGS_SHELL_VERSION for your AGS scripts to check for the plugin.

[Crimson Wizard]

AJA opened agzCredits source: http://www.serpentpictures.net/randomia/agsCreditz2.0.src.zip

[Monsieur OUXX]

what is "ags_shell" ? I find almost no reference to it in the forum. Is it a plugin that allows to run OS commands, such as "mkdir", etc.?

[monkey0506]

Monsieur OUXX, yes, that's precisely what the shell plugin is for. Al Emmo, for example, used the shell plugin in the demo to open a browser window to buy the full game.

This is why I wrote the open-source replacement, but it is still only designed to operate on Windows.