[Openal-devel] Faster buffer model, and more random stuff

[Jason Daly]

Chris Robinson wrote:
> Of course, I'm not saying we should cut them out or anything. But I think as 
> much as we need to keep up with them, they could try keep up with us. With 
> constantly leaving us in the dark WRT new additions, not only does it leave 
> development one-sided, but it also creates problems with other 
> implementations trying to keep up. Their additions become difficult to 
> implement on our side, and our additions don't filter through to them.. might 
> as well end up being two different APIs.
>   

I agree that Creative as a company could be much more active in the 
community.  I believe the Creative people that are active (Dan in 
particular) are really doing the best they can with the restrictions 
that have been placed on them.


> Plans with OpenAL itself, or with the development model (or both)?
>   

Not sure what you mean by "development model", but the idea is basically 
trying to address some of the needs of the game developers they've 
talked with.  I'm not sure how much I'm supposed to say on the list.

I really wish you could have made it to the meeting  :-)


> It just leaves me feeling a little put-out when things we bring to the table 
> don't even merit much discussion with them (not even a "good idea, we might 
> support that" or "that's a terrible idea.."). I can understand company 
> politics and that it's not really the fault of any one person and all, but 
> I'd think an open API's development would be a bit more... open.
>   

What you've done with OpenAL Soft is proof positive that OpenAL is an 
open API.  The OpenAL 1.1 spec was a _very_ collaborative effort between 
people at Creative (Garin and Dan, in particular) and the list members.  
My understanding is that there's going to be some collaboration on the 
new stuff as well.  I don't know why it's being held up, but it is.

Another thing to consider is that on the list, we just have a few 
voices.  Creative deals with hundreds of game sound developers, and it's 
their voices that drive hardware sales.  Because of this, the new 
features that Creative introduces come mostly from the suggestions of 
the developers, although Creative does tend to ask for feedback before 
the new features are finalized.

When we peons present a new feature, there aren't any clear sales 
associated with it, so it becomes a bit harder to convince the bean 
counters that development cost should be spent to implement such a 
feature in the native drivers.  I wouldn't say it's impossible for one 
of us to get a feature implemented by Creative, but there'd have to be 
some critical amount of interest behind it.

-- 

--"J"

"I'm a castaway stranded in a desolate land,
 I can see the footprints in the virtual sand."
	--Neil Peart