imported>GreenC bot: Rescued 1 archive link. Wayback Medic 2.5 per WP:URLREQ#gamasutra.com

2025-05-02T01:10:11Z

Rescued 1 archive link. Wayback Medic 2.5 per WP:URLREQ#gamasutra.com

New page

{{Single source|date=November 2023}}{{Infobox Software | name = Visual3D Game Engine
| developer = [[PowerAccess]], Realmware Corporation
| released = 2003
| latest_release_version = v1.0
| operating_system = [[Microsoft Windows]]
| platform = [[IBM PC compatible|PC]]
| genre = [[Game engine]], [[Game integrated development environment|In-Game Editor (IDE)]]
| license = Free, Commercial, Open-source
| website = [https://www.poweraccess.net/visual3d-game-engine/ Visual3D Game Engine]
}}

'''Visual3D Game Engine''' is a 3D [[game engine]] and [[game development tool]] written entirely in [[C Sharp (programming language)|C#]] and built for the [[.NET Framework]], with development of its 3D rendering engine first beginning in 2003.

Visual3D was founded by ''[[PowerAccess for Microsoft Access]]'' founder, Dan Moorehead, after its [[free and open-source software]] predecessor, [[RealmForge Game Engine]], was featured as the cover story and namesake for ''Software Developer's Journal'' July 2015 issue titled ''3D Games in .NET'', for first proving that C#, .NET Framework, and managed languages were feasible for mainstream 3D game and simulation development.

Visual3D (formerly known as ''Visual3D.NET'') is built on the [[Microsoft XNA]], as the first major XNA-based engine and game development tool. However, Visual3D predates XNA and XNA's successor, [[MonoGame]], with it first being built upon managed wrappers for [[Direct3D]] and [[OpenGL]].

Visual3D is also notable for providing its game development tools as integrated or hosted within whatever game is being developed with it, for live, real-time world building, terrain editing, game development, scripting and mission/level/scenario editing, as well as allowing end-users to redistribute its development tools to End-Users as a Mission/Level/Scenario Editor and Modding Toolkit.

==History==

''Visual3D Game Engine'' is the commercial successor to the open-source RealmForge Game Engine with roots going back to the [[OGRE]] 3D [[open-source software|open-source]] engine. Visual3D is the flagship product of [[PowerAccess]] predecessor Realmware Corporation, based in [[Seattle, Washington]].

Visual3D was founded by Dan Moorehead, who, in addition to founding PowerAccess and RealmForge, had also lead development of the [[Axiom Engine]] (a C# port of [[OGRE]]) and [[CEGUI|CEGUI#]] (a C# port of [[CEGUI]] [[graphical user interface|GUI]] [[Library (computing)|library]]).

Visual3D has 30,000 registered users, and, as of July 2008, ''Visual3D Game Engine'' has been employed for multiple private business projects and by the [[United States Department of Defense|US Department of Defense]] for [[military simulation]] and [[military training|training]]. Also in 2008, ''Visual3D Game Engine'' has begun to permeate education and [[Independent game development|Indie]] sectors as a part of the recent [[Microsoft XNA|XNA]] trends.

Visual3D license editions included Indie, Professional, Enterprise, Enterprise Source, as well as Free editions for Open-Source and Educational use.

==Migration of game development to managed languages with C#, Microsoft XNA and MonoGame==

Following Visual3D predecessor [[RealmForge Game Engine]]'s success as the first 3D game engine and integrated development toolset for C# and .NET, and it features as the cover story for ''Software Developer's Journal'' July 2015 ''3D Games in .NET'' issue, [[Microsoft]] announced the first public release of its [[Microsoft XNA|Microsoft XNA Framework and XNA Game Studio]] products in the August 2006 keynote speech at Microsoft Gamefest conference, confirming the viability of C# and .NET for game development and opening up [[Xbox 360]] and [[IBM PC compatible|PC]] for [[game development]] by [[Independent game development|Indies]] and students with C# and .NET.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2006/aug06/08-13XNAGameStudioPR.mspx |title=Microsoft Invites World to Create Its Own Xbox 360 Console Games for the First Time |website=[[Microsoft]] |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080720044732/http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2006/aug06/08-13xnagamestudiopr.mspx |archivedate=July 20, 2008 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web| title = Microsoft to Enable User-Created XBox360 Games | url=http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=10458| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060820135149/http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=10458| url-status=dead| archive-date=August 20, 2006}}</ref>

This announcement set into motion the rise of many new [[Microsoft XNA|XNA]]-based [[game engines]], such as [[Torque Game Engine|Torque X]], a rewrite of [[GarageGames]]'s popular [[Torque (game engine)|Torque Game Engine]] in C# using the XNA Framework.

[[Microsoft]]'s [[Microsoft XNA|XNA]] initiative is a part of the larger trend for gaming technology migrating from traditional [[C++]] to higher level [[managed code|managed languages]], such as [[Java (programming language)|Java]], [[C Sharp (programming language)|C#]], and [[VB.NET]], which is a continuation of the historic trends for the migration of software development from [[Low-level programming language|lower level languages]] such as [[Assembly language|Assembly]] and [[C (programming language)|C]] to [[High-level language|higher level languages]] such as [[C++]].

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://www.poweraccess.net/visual3d-game-engine Visual3D Game Engine]
* [https://www.PowerAccess.net/MicrosoftAccess-ExcelQuery-Database PowerAccess for Microsoft Access]

{{Video game engines |state=autocollapse}}

[[Category:Video game engines]]
[[Category:Video game level editors]]
[[Category:XNA game engines]]
[[Category:.NET game engines]]
[[Category:Video game IDE]]

Visual3D Game Engine - Revision history

imported>GreenC bot: Rescued 1 archive link. Wayback Medic 2.5 per WP:URLREQ#gamasutra.com