[Scummvm-devel] Status of ScummVM Android port

Andre Heider a.heider at gmail.com
Thu Mar 3 14:22:20 CET 2011


yeah, i started working on it because the official 1.2.1 release
didn't work on my shiny new pad.

what i gathered about the situation with the inofficial version:

it has features that the in-tree version doesn't have. all those come
from the libsdl port, the scummvm port itself only added a few lines
to the configure script.

comparing it to the official 1.2.1 release:
- less or no gfx problems, like some ppl report (which is was broke it
on my device, fixed on master)
- probably 16bit gfx support (didn't try)
- the input system works way better, giving multiple options how to
emulate a mouse - even fixing gameplay because ppl get stuck (missing
mappings on the official version)
- downloading stuff at runtime (the $DIST_FILES_* maybe, didn't check)
- a full screen sdl logo on startup

from a user's perspective, the sdl port is superior to 1.2.1 - once
you get past the sdl logo and the endless hierachy of settings.

my opinion: technically its using the wrong approach. instead of
keeping it minimal and efficient with older devices in mind, its
bloated. the libsdl port tries to do everything and more in a very
generic way, it does all the java<->native voodoo for you. but it also
ruins many possibilities to optimize for specific needs and/or
behaviours. that's why i concentrated on fixing the in-tree version

comparing it to a nighly, i'd say we're closing in ;) the missing big
thing is an overhaul of the input system.

about the market situation:
the main package is marked as "Requires Android: 1.5 - 1.6", while all
engine plugins read "1.5 and up".
result: when you search the market for scummvm on a 2.x device, you
see all plugins, but no main application. it's not a usage problem,
that kinda confused me too :P

regards,
andre

ps: porting native code and targeting android 1.5+ isn't as easy as it
sounds. it can get confusing with all those required jni kris kross
calls, event based callbacks and threads on top. while the lines above
might sound negative, there's already alot of work invested on this
port, and angus did an excellent job on it.




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