Posting to Keep in the Habit
by Nate "Nateholio" Watson · 12/14/2006 (2:33 pm) · 8 comments
In my attempt to start and keep a habit of posting at least once every seven days (time and work permitting) I'll go ahead and post today, with a screenshot. I think that if I include a screenshot it will give me a little motivation to make good progress so they all dont look the same.
This week's progress was ok, I could have done a lot more, but alert keeps you busy sometimes. Im pretty sure that over the past seven days I spent about 16-20 hours on the jet each day troubleshooting equipment, putting officer's heads back on straight, and doing general management activities for what amounts to a nationwide DOD telecom network, network manager for a 100-ish user network, and a crapload of other electronics stuff. And of course, there is the leadership and mentoring of a bunch of Airmen. All of this done in-flight and between flights. I think it was one of the busiest weeks Ive had since Sep. 11, 2001. Along with all this I've decided that I need to take a different attitude, a positive one, so I dont have a stroke in an internal anger fit over equipment or Airmen. A positive attitude also has the benefit of helping one treat others better, developing leadership, and developing leaders around you (Just another thing my dad told me and I ignored until now, lol). So In my posts I'll be thinking of things in a positive manner, even if not much was positive.
After a jeer of sorts in IRC about not having anything but trees and terrain, I decided to start making other parts of the engine such as the HUD. I had a comment from someone in IRC about not having enemies and such, granted its boring not to have them, but Im not to that point yet. So now I have a digital compass readout top-center and a circular radar display top-left. The compass works perfectly, but the radar sits there as there is nothing for it to track in the level yet, and no code to control tracking even if there were objects. Next things on the HUD to do - elevation bar, targeting recticle(s), weapons status display, targeting window, speed/temperature/time/etc readouts, and a damage display. Some of these will depend on other functions and objects being loaded, but I can at least make the display portions for now. Besides, doing my HUD now will allow for more critique as I post screenshots, so I can change things around to get HUDs more user friendly.
Now for the (note to self: think positive, not witty) screenshot:
So as you can see, nothing has changed overall except for a compass and radar up top. Some of you may recognize these as being very very similar to other games of olde, but I like them because they are simple and informative. The compass still needs the digital number readout below the bar readout, but the compass itself works fine.
The compass works by taking the heading of the player and converting it to a measurement of how many pixels it is equal to in reference to a set standard, i.e. the above image. It then chooses the proper row to grab the angle image from, and grabs a 256 pixel wide area which centers on the desired angle. Originally I was going to just have the angle readout, no black background or frame, but it proved hard to read under certain conditions.
My plans are to make an altimeter in the middle-left similar to the compass readout, weapons display/status in the upper-right, turret/torso "angle-from-center" indicator above the compass and a similar one for aim/target elevation next to the altimeter, a damage displayin the lower-right, a targeting display lower-left, and systems status lower-middle.
I have also started logs for each week, a progress log detailing what I have done/fixed, a screenshot page, and a code page. The code page won't have too much in it, considering I dont want to release too much of my code.
The log pages can be found at:
K96 Logs
This week's progress was ok, I could have done a lot more, but alert keeps you busy sometimes. Im pretty sure that over the past seven days I spent about 16-20 hours on the jet each day troubleshooting equipment, putting officer's heads back on straight, and doing general management activities for what amounts to a nationwide DOD telecom network, network manager for a 100-ish user network, and a crapload of other electronics stuff. And of course, there is the leadership and mentoring of a bunch of Airmen. All of this done in-flight and between flights. I think it was one of the busiest weeks Ive had since Sep. 11, 2001. Along with all this I've decided that I need to take a different attitude, a positive one, so I dont have a stroke in an internal anger fit over equipment or Airmen. A positive attitude also has the benefit of helping one treat others better, developing leadership, and developing leaders around you (Just another thing my dad told me and I ignored until now, lol). So In my posts I'll be thinking of things in a positive manner, even if not much was positive.
After a jeer of sorts in IRC about not having anything but trees and terrain, I decided to start making other parts of the engine such as the HUD. I had a comment from someone in IRC about not having enemies and such, granted its boring not to have them, but Im not to that point yet. So now I have a digital compass readout top-center and a circular radar display top-left. The compass works perfectly, but the radar sits there as there is nothing for it to track in the level yet, and no code to control tracking even if there were objects. Next things on the HUD to do - elevation bar, targeting recticle(s), weapons status display, targeting window, speed/temperature/time/etc readouts, and a damage display. Some of these will depend on other functions and objects being loaded, but I can at least make the display portions for now. Besides, doing my HUD now will allow for more critique as I post screenshots, so I can change things around to get HUDs more user friendly.
Now for the (note to self: think positive, not witty) screenshot:
So as you can see, nothing has changed overall except for a compass and radar up top. Some of you may recognize these as being very very similar to other games of olde, but I like them because they are simple and informative. The compass still needs the digital number readout below the bar readout, but the compass itself works fine.
The compass works by taking the heading of the player and converting it to a measurement of how many pixels it is equal to in reference to a set standard, i.e. the above image. It then chooses the proper row to grab the angle image from, and grabs a 256 pixel wide area which centers on the desired angle. Originally I was going to just have the angle readout, no black background or frame, but it proved hard to read under certain conditions.
My plans are to make an altimeter in the middle-left similar to the compass readout, weapons display/status in the upper-right, turret/torso "angle-from-center" indicator above the compass and a similar one for aim/target elevation next to the altimeter, a damage displayin the lower-right, a targeting display lower-left, and systems status lower-middle.
I have also started logs for each week, a progress log detailing what I have done/fixed, a screenshot page, and a code page. The code page won't have too much in it, considering I dont want to release too much of my code.
The log pages can be found at:
K96 Logs
#2
12/14/2006 (6:24 pm)
Reminds me of my old Wylee Coyote and Road Runner days:) That's a complement - Looking really nice. 
#3
12/15/2006 (9:20 pm)
Looks very promising, what kind of model type are you going to be using .dts? .max? for players and interiors?
#4
12/16/2006 (11:45 am)
All models are DirectX format.
#5
do i get it right, r u making your own game engine?
12/16/2006 (1:00 pm)
ive been reading all your blogs and i have just a question.do i get it right, r u making your own game engine?
#6
And even though Im using Basic, which isnt exactly high performance, I will design the engine to provide the best and most entertaining demo of my game. I've already had a number of naysayers, but I dont really care, I'll keep going until I finish with a decent demo.
12/16/2006 (2:22 pm)
Yes, Im making my own engine for a proof-of-concept version of my game.And even though Im using Basic, which isnt exactly high performance, I will design the engine to provide the best and most entertaining demo of my game. I've already had a number of naysayers, but I dont really care, I'll keep going until I finish with a decent demo.
#7
but as the models r directX format, i guess its running on directx?
but to make a engine just for your game, i guess must be a good idea :)
12/16/2006 (4:33 pm)
cool, looks like a big job:Obut as the models r directX format, i guess its running on directx?
but to make a engine just for your game, i guess must be a good idea :)
#8
And I'm a little late, but Happy Chanukah to all my fellow Jewish indies!
12/16/2006 (4:39 pm)
Yes, its running only on Windows. But thanks for the compliments.And I'm a little late, but Happy Chanukah to all my fellow Jewish indies!
Torque Owner Johnny Hill