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bugle4d: what is it ?

bugle4d is the attempt to create in C++, a object-oriented engine to work with 4-dimensional objects.

4D, you say ? I thought D no. 4 was time ?

Well, yes and no. This is a attempt to represent 4 spatial dimensions. Obvouisly it does not exist in the real world.
It is a mathamatical abstraction.

Its pretty pointless then.

In the sense of conventionial games, yes. But in a more non-conventional sense, let us remember Star Wars and the Millenium Falcon.
They were always trying to get into hyperspace. Hyperspace is mathematically defined as more than 3 spacetial dimensions: n-space, where n > 3, in other words. So theoretically, you could pop into 4-space, travel somewhere, and the pop back out, just like in Star Wars. Naturally you would have to learn some kind of astrogation or have a astrogation module programmed in, but it still represents a definite possibility in a
game.

Thats very interesting, but we arn`t talking the real world here. This is a 2D screen. How will you get 4-space into a 2D screen ?

With Yankee inginooity. <BG> Seriously speaking, it is a very real handicap. The math of course is known; it is essestially the same as
3D-2D perspectiv projection; but putting a 4D-3D-2D operation through is not going to look very good in the final product.
However, that does not really matter to me- its doing it thats the cool part.

Hasn`t it already been done before ?

Actually yes, it has. Mostly in Java, to be honest; when I was looking for 3d source code, I could not find any "real" programming language code
for multi-dimensional work. The only partially comparable work that I have come across is Hollasch`s work, which is a full-software wireframe and raytraced 4D engine. In contrast, mine is designed to sit on top of OpenGL for the 3D-2D component. Mine is much simpler.

Whats with "bugle" ?

I needed a name for a 3D(unfinished) engine that I was working on, so I looked around my room and noticed my bugle.
Naturally I gave it to my 4D engine.

If there`s any questions, email me.