This blog post on Qt Labs shows how to easily embed regular desktop widgets in a three dimensional Wolfenstein-like maze. The example includes web browser views, a mediaplayer with sound and video, OpenGL integration, and even a soldier scriptable in QtScript. All done in relatively simple code using Qt’s QGraphicsView API. The example might not be directly usable by itself, but it demonstrates how easy it is to map 2D widgets to 3D scenes in Qt and could act as inspiration for future user interfaces.
That video is incredibly cool – I especially liked when he recompiled the soldier’s code while the soldier was standing right next to him
Yeah, super awesomeness
I just can’t wait for a Qt 4.5 based KDE. (I know, I know 4.2 will be “The Answer”, but 4.3 with Qt 4.5 will really rock!)
Yeah. I noticed that. I think the part I liked most was the recursion where he kept walking through the same portal over and over.
Not sure how useful it is but that’s beside the point. It’s. So. Cool!
Some sort of WolfenDesktopSomething would ease the pain until we get flying cars!
When I played Doom 3, the (only) thing that impressed me were the seamlessly interactive computer interfaces. In the past, using a computer within a game meant switching out of first person to some sort of mini-game. The Doom 3 engine let you print clear, readable, dynamic text and widgets on a surface and interact with them. The open source game Saurbraten uses something similar for it’s main menu. This Qt4 demo blows all that out of the water.
This has applications, not only in games but in any 3D interface where you want to present people with standard widgets without taking them out of context. It could do for applications what Compiz has done for the desktop.
Now if only that stupid song would get out of my head, I’d be happy…
Regrettably the Qt Labs server seems to be down at the moment, but it is possible to view the demonstration directly at http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=MXS3xKV-UM0