Source Media Arcade
- Single Player, 3D User Interface, Orange Box Mod.
With public release just around the corner, the Source Media Arcade private beta testing team is working overtime to make sure you have the most enjoyable experience possible when you get your hands on the mod. The coding for the public beta is 100% complete and the remaining weeks until release will be spent refining the official Source Media Arcade maps, as well as creating pre-made arrangement set files for popular non-official maps. We are working hard get the game into your hands as quickly as possible.
This initial release, labeled BETA 1, will be but a taste of the real scope of this project, but will be a full-featured functional program in and of itself.
The goal of Source Media Arcade is to allow you to get the most out of your media, games, and files while utilizing the massive amount of maps and art assets that currently exist for the Source engine.
Source Media Arcade enhances your operating system by adding a full 3D virtual interface to your computer. Pictures, games, documents, and programs are all represented by physical objects with their textures dynamically generated using your own media. This allows every file to have its own unique look; literally opening the door to a whole new way of organizing and browsing your media.
3D objects can be interacted with to open files, launch applications, or even switch between running tasks. The interface is highly customizable and the back-end is designed to be easily expanded beyond the mod's initial capabilities.
Source Media Arcade takes advantage of the Steam content distribution system and allows you to purchase, install, and play NEW games simply by interacting with 3D world objects.
SM Arcade is able to load the world maps of many popular Source engine games such as Half-Life 2, Team Fortress 2, Counter-Strike: Source, and Day of Defeat: Source**. It also comes with all the tools you'll need to place your files quickly and easily no matter what map you choose to play.
Here is a list of some of the key features that the public beta will be released with:
• Launch applications or open files by activating in-game objects.
• Utilizes the Source engine's "window\" mode to open files and applications directly in front of the game screen.
• Lets your operating system decide how to open files.
• Has the option to use detailed application profiles instead, to give YOU complete control over how files are opened.
• Displays your picture files in-game on virtual screens from their current location on your hard drive.
• Utilizes the DevIL image loader to support over 40 image file types that can be displayed in-game.
• Intelligently finds pictures associated with your non-image documents to be used as screens and marquee images on their 3D avatars.
• Organizes your files into playlists that can reference files from any folder on your computer or over a local network.
• Playlists can be auto-synchronized with specific folders so that they never become out-of-date. Files placed in these folders will be on the playlist the next time it is loaded.
• Allows file type filtering and other detailed options when syncing with folders.
• Uses an editable script file to translate Steam AppID numbers to their real names when syncing a playlist.
• Can be expanded with scripts to do this for non-Steam applications as well.
• File avatars in-game are completely customizable allowing you choose their 3D model and associated images.
• All changes take immediate effect and are automatically saved to keep the experience as persistent as possible.
• Uses script-based model presets to organize available models into easy-to-use, expandable categories.
• Easily add your files where you want by pointing and clicking to arrange your 3D world just as you like.
• Quickly switch between predefined arrangement sets to spawn your files at different themed locations around the map.
• On average is able to display up to 70 file avatars simultaneously in "hi-res" mode. (Over 400 avatars in "low-res" mode!)*
• Is able to load official as well as community made add-on maps from many popular Source engine games such as Half-Life 2, Team Fortress 2, and Counter-Strike: Source.**
• Can generate avatar arrangement sets by parsing a .vmf file. (For map designers)
• Easily create new file avatar models by referencing one of the supplied "hot" materials. (For model designers)
• Literally experience what your computer has to offer in the full-featured Orange Box graphics engine.
You can expect to be playing Source Media Arcade by Halloween, 2010.
The official site for the mod is smarcade.net, but it is still under construction. For now you can view more screenshots and vidoes using its ModDb profile located at: Moddb.com
* The actual maximum number of file avatars that can be displayed simultaneously depends on available texture memory.
** You must own the game to load maps from it.
