updated readme

MonoScene.sln

@@ -39,6 +39,12 @@ Project("{9A19103F-16F7-4668-BE54-9A1E7A4F7556}") = "MonoScene.Pipeline.Assimp",
 EndProject
 Project("{9A19103F-16F7-4668-BE54-9A1E7A4F7556}") = "Demo5.Android", "demos\Demo5.Android\Demo5.Android.csproj", "{2C14367C-43E4-40FD-90B6-F860955BF184}"
 EndProject
+Project("{2150E333-8FDC-42A3-9474-1A3956D46DE8}") = "Solution Items", "Solution Items", "{3549110B-73B7-4471-981F-52DF2243E957}"
+	ProjectSection(SolutionItems) = preProject
+		NuGet.config = NuGet.config
+		README.md = README.md
+	EndProjectSection
+EndProject
 Global
 	GlobalSection(SolutionConfigurationPlatforms) = preSolution
 		Debug|Any CPU = Debug|Any CPU

README.md

@@ -3,17 +3,24 @@
 
 ![MonoGame Demo](MonoGameDemoPBR.jpg)
 
-### ⚠️ Temporary pre-requirements ⚠️
+### ⚠️ Before using MonoScene ⚠️
 
-This project requires compiling complex effect shaders with +256 techniques.
+This library was my attempt to modernize MonoGame's 3D support, and eventually to have
+something useful to use in Virtual Reality projects, provided MonoGame would have supported
+VR at some point.
 
-Current version of MonoGame, 3.8.0.1641, is not able to do that and will fail to compile.
+Eventually, I hit the limits of what MonoGame can do with graphics. MonoGame prioritizes
+backwards compatibility and consoles over adding new features, which is not neccesarily
+a bad thing, but it's indeed hurting MonoGame to keep up with the competition.
 
-The issue has been recently resolved and it's available in MonoGame's development branch.
+To overcome MonoGame limitations, the path many choose is to fork MonoGame to add additional
+features, __but IMHO this only leads to a fragmented and broken ecosystem__. So it's not
+a good solution either.
 
-MonoGame's minimum version required is: __3.8.1.1825-develop__
-
-Also Visual Studio 2022 required for Net6
+My objective is to keep this project compatible with the official MonoGame, so I'm limited
+to what its outdated graphics subsystem can do, which led me to __stop development of this
+library (except for maintenance) until MonoGame improves on the missing features or
+another fork takes the lead.__
 
 ### Overview
 
@@ -22,42 +29,72 @@ currently available in MonoGame, providing a number of much needed features:
 
 - PBR effect shaders.
 - Full skeleton animation.
-- Loading asset models at runtime.
-
+- Loading asset models at runtime (No Pipeline required)
+- Basic Scene management
 
-### Architecture:
+### Requirements
 
-By design, the data flow of the framework looks like this:
+- Visual Studio 2022 required for Net6.
+- MonoGame __3.8.1.303__ for Net6.0
+- MonoGame __3.8.1.1825-develop__ for NetStandard 2.1
 
-__3D Assets ⇒ Pipeline ⇒ Content ⇒ Runtime__
+This project requires compiling a huge number of techniques that surpassed what was possible
+with MonoGame 3.8.0, so it absolutely needs the shader compiler that comes with MonoGame 3.8.1
 
-The project is split into 3 sections:
-
-- Pipeline: utilities and classes to help importing 3D asset files.
-- Content: classes used to define an intermediate representation of 3D model.
-- Runtime: framework to consume and render 3D content objects.
+This framework also has third party dependencies that might prevent this project
+to be ported to consoles.
 
 ### Limitations
 
 ##### MonoGame's Content Pipeline
 
-Right now, It is **not possible** to load glTFs through Monogame's old content processing pipeline;
-glTFs need to be loaded at runtime, so only projects able to consume `MonoScene.Pipeline.GLTF` library
-will be able to load glTFs.
-##### Animations
+Right now, It is **not possible** to import glTFs through MonoGame's content pipeline.
 
-- Due to limitations in the rendering API of MonoGame, glTF's morphing features are not supported.
-- Maximum number of bones is limited to 72 bones with SkinnedEffect (as usual) and 128 bones with PBR effects.
+Unfortunately, MonoGame's (XNA) content pipeline is designed in a way that prevents processing many of
+the glTF models in the wild, also MonoGame's built in model importer uses Assimp, which is only able
+to handle a small subset of glTF models, and it's missing lots of key features.
+
+So glTFs need to be loaded at runtime, which means that only projects able to consume `MonoScene.Pipeline.GLTF`
+library and its dependencies will be able to load glTFs.
 
 ##### Textures
 
-Textures are loaded using Monogame's Texture2D.FromStream, which means all of its limitations apply:
+Textures are loaded using Monogame's `Texture2D.FromStream`, which means all of its limitations apply:
 - No Mipmaps
-- glTF texture formats WEBP and Universal Basis KTX2 can't be loaded.
+- glTF texture formats WEBP and Universal Basis KTX2 are not supported.
+
+Not having a content pipeline means the same asset is loaded on all platforms, which might not be optimal.
+This could be mitigated if KTX2 texture format would be supported, because it's a texture compression
+format similar to DDS with cross platform capabilities.
+
+##### Animations
+
+- Due to limitations in the Effects and Shaders API of MonoGame, glTF's morphing features are not supported.
+- Maximum number of bones is limited to __72 bones__ with SkinnedEffect (as usual) and __128 bones__ with PBR effects.
+
+##### Scene
+
+Scene management is extremely basic and it's more an example than an actual framework, and it's missing some key features:
+- Scene culling for models outside the view area
+- LOD management
+- Animation blending (it's supported under the hood, but not exposed yet)
+
+##### Shaders
+
+Shaders are missing three features that I think are key to be able to do decent looking renders:
+- Shadows
+- Glow effect
+- glTF style Vertex Morphing
+
+Vertex Morphing is not supported because it exceeds what MonoGame can do right now.
+Shadows and Glow might be possible, though.
 
+I'm not an shaders expert, so it's unlikely I'll do more work with the shaders, I'll try to add some
+documentation, though.
 
 #### Credits
 
 - [MonoGame](https://github.com/MonoGame/MonoGame)
 - [PBR Shaders from Khronos Viewer](https://github.com/KhronosGroup/glTF-Sample-Viewer)
 - [SharpGLTF library](https://github.com/vpenades/SharpGLTF)
+- [KNI engine for VR Support](https://github.com/kniengine/kni/)