Extensions in Maxwell are dynamic libraries, that are loaded on demand. They have extension .<platform>.mxx and are typically stored in the extensions folder inside Maxwell applications folder. They must be compiled and linked with the maxwell SDK.
All the extensions actually distributed in Maxwell have been created with this same API, without tricks or shortcuts, so it shows what can be achieved with it.
There are several extensions types that group extensions with the same functionality, and that need to implement some specific methods depending on type. All extensions types inherit from class CbaseExtension that handle the general interface with Maxwell, and the methods all extension must implement in order to work correctly. There are currently 3 geometry extension types that can be created, there are plans in the future for more extension types for other different needs and not only geometry, but they are in the works and not fully supported yet.
A extension must inherit from one of the types, implement 3 methods for the interface, and implement the specific methods of the extension type its writing (it depends in avery type).
Example of a basic extension implementing generic methods.
class CubeExampleExtension : public CgeometryLoaderExtension
{
// Macro for burocracy, parameters: extension name, main class in the extension, and the version number
DECLARE_EXTENSION_METHODS( "CubeExample", CubeExampleExtension, 1 )
public:
//declare internal variables for calculation, it must include at least variables for storing extensionData values
double cubeSize;
CubeExampleExtension()
{
// create here the editable values of the extensions, they can be modified when used,
// getExtensionData returns the internal MxParamList to create new fields
// check MxParamList for all possibilities of types creation
//create parameter with name, default value, minimum value and maximum value
getExtensionData()->createDouble( "Cube size", 1.0, 0, 1000 );
}
~CubeExampleExtension()
{
//not needed to implement since we don't reserve memory.
}
bool initialize()
{
//We must at least copy the extensionData values to internal variables, this will be called usually just one time,
//before maxwell needs it, and never during render time. All the heavy work must be done here.
getExtensionData()->getDouble( "Cube size", cubeSize );//Get the parameter value and store it before using it
return true;
}
bool loadMesh( Cmaxwell::Cobject &cube )
{
...
// CgeometryLoaderExtension method, will be explained in the corresponding chapter
...
}
bool getBoundingBox( Cvector &bmin, Cvector& bmax)
{
...
// CgeometryLoaderExtension method, will be explained in the corresponding chapter
...
}
}