The Cafu Engine is a multipurpose and cross platform 3D graphics software and game development software, developed by Carsten Fuchs. The engine is specialized in the creation of 3D applications, games, simulations, training and architectural software.
Written in C++ and Lua language, the Cafu Game Engine intends to make the advancement of new games and other 3D applications simple. The engine is effectively and consistently developed to give the most recent innovation.
Cafu is open source game engine distributed under the liberal MIT License. It might be utilized for any reason, including business purposes, at positively no expense. Simply download it and use it.
In general, Cafu is built with a modular architecture to avoid program constructs and libraries that are explicit to some random working framework, compiler, CPU or designs processor. Keeping that in mind, Cafu source code compiles both as 32-bit as well as native 64-bit software.
Cafu Engine support Windows, Linux, MacOS, Pocket PC, Palm and DOS operating systems. Supported frameworks and APIs are OpenGL 1.2 to 2.0, DirectX 7 to 9, Cg, GLSL and Mesa and can use NVidia, ATI, 3Dlabs hardware.
Game Engine Features
- Using the power of OpenGL and DirectX provides Cafu Engine provides high-quality, real-time 3D graphics.
- Cross-platform and cross-compiler portability allows the user to run the engine on different operating systems such as Windows, Linux, and OS X.
- Well-designed C++ code provides client/server architecture which allows smooth multi-player web and LAN gaming.
- Lightning is well handled under Radiosity components computations.
- Skeleton based model rendering system is implemented in the engine.
- The use of fmod for all sound and music effects also supports 3D sounds.
- The engine uses Lua language for map scripting, substance scripting, and GUI scripting,
- Integrated Bullet Physics Engine for real time physics simulation which is also developed in C++.
Physics are taken care of by an interior framework to manage human development, and everything else utilizes Bullet, a free material science motor; Cafu synchronizes the two frameworks. Characteristically intended for web-based games with different players over a computer network. A game server that halfway deals with the game state and occasions, just as a customer that is utilized by players.
Source Code
The most recent rendition of Cafu is constantly accessible from their Git archive. Visit https://docs.cafu.de/cppdev:gettingstarted for step-by-step instructions on how to compile the Cafu source code and run the binaries.
Useful Resources
- Cafu Engine Homepage: https://www.cafu.de/
- Source Code: https://bitbucket.org/cafu/cafu/
- Documentation: https://api.cafu.de/c++/
- Support Forums: https://forum.cafu.de/
Here's our list of top five game programming books you should read.
Game Engine Black Book: DOOM: v1.1
The book Game Engine Black Book: DOOM: v1.1 is just a masterpiece from Fabien Sanglard as it describes not only the details of how the code works, but also some interesting history and trivia. The description of hardware capabilities, audio/video interfaces, and design decisions behind them is quite interesting.
If you're not a programmer the book is still interesting - it explains lots of neat tricks, plenty of photos, quotes, and backstory about how the game was developed.
Game Programming Patterns
With over 85% 5-start reviews on Amazon, readers agree that Robert Nystrom's Game Programming Patterns is a must have for any software developer. It has a crystal clear look at how to be the benevolent architect of a very complicated software/game without getting lost.
The author presents the architecture of a game in an easy to understand matter not from an academic perspective but from experience. The book contains code examples written in C++, well organised and written so cleanly that it feels like pseudo-code.
Beginning C++ Through Game Programming
With Beginning C++ Through Game Programming, Michael Dawson builds your knowledge from the ground up. This book not only is easy to understand and teaches well, but it is focused on the very subject to learn C++ for game programming.
When it comes to game programming, C++ is the name of the game.
Blood, Sweat, and Pixels: The Triumphant, Turbulent Stories Behind How Video Games Are Made
This is highly recommend book for anyone who likes history of videos games, or just likes good stories. Blood, Sweat, and Pixels: The Triumphant, Turbulent Stories Behind How Video Games Are Made captures the complexity of game development that anyone can pick up and enjoy.
If you have even a passing interest in gaming be sure to pick this one up. (reader's comment)
Foundations of Game Engine Development - Volumes 1, 2
The volume 1 of the book discusses the mathematics needed by engineers who work on games or other virtual simulations. The volume 2 explores the vast subject of real-time rendering in modern game engines.
The book is packed with great C++ code snippets and examples. You have tried-and-true methods that can be incorporated into any game engine and source code is not specific to any API or framework.
