FAQ

This page contains questions that are frequently asked about the Orion Engine and all of the related tools and applications.

For more information, you could also search the Orion Engine Forums.

General Questions

What is the Orion Engine used for?

The Orion Engine is an advanced, cross-platform, real-time 3D rendering software development kit and tool set. The main target audience for this product is the entertainment software industry, or more specifically, game development companies. The product can also be used to create 3D medical imaging solutions, as well as create architectural walk-throughs.

What is the Orion Engine SDK?

The Orion Engine SDK is a software development kit that can be used to create real-time 3D rendering applications that are powered by the Orion Engine technology.

What is the Orion Engine MDK?

The Orion Engine MDK is a module development kit that is used to create Orion Engine drivers.

What is the Orion Tool SDK?

The Orion Tool SDK is a software development kit that can be used with the Orion Engine to help create tool applications. The Orion Tool SDK is also used to help build drivers in combination with the Orion Engine MDK.

What is Orion Genesis?

Orion Genesis is the world builder that is used with the Orion Engine to create, import and export content. See Using the Orion Genesis World Builder for more information.

What is Orion Script?

Orion Script is a proprietary scripting language that can be used with the Orion Engine, or any other application that contains the Orion Script virtual machine. See Using the Orion Script IDE

Tool Applications

What is the Orion Max Exporter?

The Orion Max Exporter is a plug-in that is used with Autodesk 3ds max to export scene data into Orion Mesh files suitable for use with an Orion Engine application. See Exporting Mesh Data From 3ds Max for more information.

What is the Orion Maya Exporter?

The Orion Maya Exporter is a plug-in that is used with Autodesk Maya to export scene data into Orion Mesh files suitable for use with an Orion Engine application. See Exporting Mesh Data From Maya for more information.

What is the Orion Engine Asset Manager?

The Asset Manager is used to keep track of all the assets required by a specific game and/or application. Assets are marked with revision numbers, so changes can be easily tracked. The file list for a setup program can be easily generated as well.

Licensing

Is the Orion Engine currently available for licensing?

No, the product is still in the alpha stages. We hope to start beta testing soon. See Licensing the Orion Engine SDK for more information.

Other Questions

What programming language was the Orion Engine written in?

All of the software was written primarily in C and C++ using Visual Studio. There are also some inline assembly language routines here and there.