   Files
  I'd never used OpenGL a week ago, and now I'm totally neck deep and quit frightened.  My engine is a solid 1000 lines of code, easy doubling the largest project I've ever written.  And now as I begin to ponder things like models, animation, textures, clipping, preformence, physics etc, I'm beginning to realize I may have jumped in a little over my head (but, hey!  this is pretty fun, too!)My main concern right now is with files.  I want to develope some kind of a package of file(s) that contains all of the world textures, animations, models and maps for easy/quick access.  Since I haven't even placed a texture on anything yet, I've been just trying to think about models, since I'm getting a pretty solid understanding at this point of how the 3d geometry works.  So I thought it would be kind of cool to do my own thing, like just a very simple list of coords for creating a model, but then I realized that no artist in the world is going to develope that way, so I'm probably going to have to use someone else's modeling system and model storage system.Can anyone recomend a storage system like I described that's free (as in open source)?And then it's like, what?  just a collection of sets of 3 floats that I use as triangles?  I want to start brining an artist on board with this project, but I have no idea what to suggest he use, nor even how I would use it once he makes it.Thank you,Stephen***EDIT***Oh, yeah, and what about maps, how do I store and retrieve those?  Is it different from models?   
  A big advice would be to make a design , the importance of planning for something as complex as a game engine can't be over-emphasized . your getting ahead of your self here ,you need to research this stuff , take someone else's engine as refrence . your probably too inexperienced to make your own design ,since you never finished a game , youhave no idea for what to expect. iam not sure about what you mean by packaging , if you meanthat you want to create a simple model format , why bother. you have .x fiels , .3d files and a bunch more model formats . you can however write your own .x file parser , and you wouldbe have access to the model raw data ( you mentioned list of coords),i think that's a better approach.a diffrent motive would be "creating a level editor ", you would then create your own data files with info about the level created , you can even generate .x files with that format if you like the script that is.the same applies for maps. if you really want to get down & dirty, you can integrate the modeling program , this would give you the ablility to apply realstic motion (mainly I.K., because you get to read the riging data off the model) . this applies to mostof the major modeling app(3ds max , maya , lightwave.) , thier dlls are compatible with c++ and the help files (packed with the app) are full of code examples and tutorials. Modeling progrmas for non-modelers1.GeoScape 3d (Terrians)2.cartography shop (Levls) ^for more info , visit www.thegamecreators.com3.3d milk shape (modeling)i know a lot more , but for most games these should be satisfying.if your looking to meet artists visit ww.cgtalk.com.good luck.   ;  Regarding packaging files, theese might helpCreating a PAK File Formathttp://www.gamedev.net/reference/programming/features/pak/orProgramming a Virtual File System that can be found herehttp://www.flipcode.com/articles/index.shtmlhth   ;  Ok, a lot of those sound like good ideas but things like .x I can't use.  like I said I'm using opengl and SDL, this is a game for linux, and all software used has to be gpl.Any suggestions for GPL stuff?Thank you,Stephen   