S3DE

Project status: archived

The first full 3D engine, built in an era when graphics cards were purely 2D. Everything from drawing a line to rendering a textured triangle had to be implemented in software – assembler for the rendering pipeline, C for the rest. The engine powered the early Sanction PC Demo Group productions.

Tech Stack

  • Language: Watcom C, x86 Assembler
  • Platform: DOS (VGA/SVGA), Win95 (VfW 15-bit)
  • Target: Pentium CPU with fast graphics card

Supported Resolutions

Color Depth Modes
8-bit 320x200, 320x240, 320x400 … 1280x1024
15/16-bit 320x200, 320x240, 320x400 … 800x600

8-bit Rendering

  • Lines, flat shading, Gouraud shading, Phong shading
  • Texture mapping (flat, Gouraud-shaded, Phong-shaded)
  • Bump-mapped Phong shading, bump-mapped Phong-shaded texturing
  • Translucent Gouraud texture mapping
  • Perspective texture mapping (decomposing, scanline subdivision, or per-pixel)
  • Environment mapping, Phong-shaded environment mapping, Phong glass mapping
  • RGB palette mapping for faces and textures

15/16-bit Rendering

  • Lines, flat shading, Gouraud shading, Phong shading
  • Texture mapping, Phong-shaded texture mapping

Engine Features

  • Camera tracking on objects
  • Animated textures and structures
  • Structure morphing, linear path movement for objects
  • Planet projection, starfield background (8-bit only)

File Format Support

  • Images: 8-bit PCX (textures, backgrounds), JPEG (15/16-bit version)
  • 3D Meshes: 3D-Studio ASC, Caligari COB (ASCII) via 3Dto3D Converter
  • Sound: GUS support (SoundBlaster for noise), S3M format
  • Virtual File System for asset management

Downloads

MS-DOS

Win95