| Why are you using Erlang as your
programming language?
Björn Gustavsson, the original author of Wings, is an
Erlang programmer professionally. So it is only natural that
he used Erlang to write his modeling package.
Is there a published API for Wings3D?
Not yet. The plug-in API is still evolving. It is supposed
to become stable in Wings 1.0. The best way to learn about
the API is to study the existing plug-ins.
How can I add my own Plug-in functionality to Wings3D?
You'll need to write an Erlang module. The name of the module
should start with "wpc_". The compiled beam file
should go into the plugins directory of the Wings installation.
The directory structure doesn't matter, but you might want
to follow the existing conventions to place import/export
plug-ins in plugins/import_export, new commands in plugins/commands,
and new primitive object types in plugins/primitives. If you
want to write a plug-in in another language than Erlang, you'll
still need to write an Erlang module that will interface to
your code. A simple example how this can be done is found
in plugins/win32_file. (Note: The name of plug-in module name
starts with "wp8_" because it is a special sort
of plug-in to extend the user interface for Wings. Your module
name should still start "wpc_".)
How can I contribute to improving Wings?
Become part of the Wings3D community. If you are a 3D artist
(at any level from beginner to expert) your input and feedback
is invaluable in helping build Wings3D. Make feature requests,
report bugs, discuss barriers you encounter when modeling,
contribute models to the OpenSource Model Project. Feature
requests and bug reports have a direct and often immediate
influence on Wings. This is still a beta product and as users
you are beta testers and therefore part of the development
team. If you are a programmer as well as a 3D artist you might
even want to try your hand at writing a plug-in for Wings
and make suggestions on how to improve the plug-in API.
How do I [do this or that technical programming
thing]?
If you need help with Wings3D programming head over to the
Wings3D Programming Forum where you'll find a bunch of experienced
Erlang savvy programmers who normally will be very willing
to help you out.
Is there a Programmer's Reference Manual for Erlang?
You'll find a wealth of information on programming in Erlang
at the Erlang Homepage.
Click on the Documentation link in the left hand column. It
is generally agreed that the most valuable reference you can
read is the Concurrent Programming in Erlang, Part I (pdf
884 KB) which is the entire first (and most important) part
of an actual book on Erlang.
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