MinApp Tutorial Series started
by John Vanderbeck · in Torque Game Engine · 01/21/2004 (6:09 pm) · 29 replies
Hey all,
I have just posted the first in what will be about a 15 part tutorial series. The purpose of this tutorial series is to start with an absolute minimum demo application and build it step by step to a basic FPS. Along the way both myself and others will hopefully learn the ins and outs of Torque.
This wouldn't have even been possible if it weren't for James Yong. His recent resource release "Basic GUI Demo" is where i've started. It provides nothign more than a main menu with a graphic and an exit button. From there I will be going step by step until i've achieved about the basic functionality of the FPS starter kit.
I have just posted the first in what will be about a 15 part tutorial series. The purpose of this tutorial series is to start with an absolute minimum demo application and build it step by step to a basic FPS. Along the way both myself and others will hopefully learn the ins and outs of Torque.
This wouldn't have even been possible if it weren't for James Yong. His recent resource release "Basic GUI Demo" is where i've started. It provides nothign more than a main menu with a graphic and an exit button. From there I will be going step by step until i've achieved about the basic functionality of the FPS starter kit.
#2
Either way i'm defintly doing this if for no other reason than to learn myself. This is how I learn best.
I plan to release one tutorial a week at a bare minimum, with a goal of 2 or 3 a week.
Thanks for the note of support, and i'll be sure to speak up if I run into any problems.
01/21/2004 (6:21 pm)
Jeff,Either way i'm defintly doing this if for no other reason than to learn myself. This is how I learn best.
I plan to release one tutorial a week at a bare minimum, with a goal of 2 or 3 a week.
Thanks for the note of support, and i'll be sure to speak up if I run into any problems.
#3
However, once that is accomplished, i'll probably go backwards to a more common step in the series, then branch off for some other game types like RPGs for example. That's all down the road though. Right now, our current title is a variant of an FPS so i'm goign that route. Our next Torque title will almost surely be an RPG though. At least, thats how the schedule looks this minute :D
01/21/2004 (6:31 pm)
Also the first goal in this is, as mentioned, to go to an FPS layout.However, once that is accomplished, i'll probably go backwards to a more common step in the series, then branch off for some other game types like RPGs for example. That's all down the road though. Right now, our current title is a variant of an FPS so i'm goign that route. Our next Torque title will almost surely be an RPG though. At least, thats how the schedule looks this minute :D
#4
01/21/2004 (7:38 pm)
I look forward to going through these. Thanks for the effort. I guess I'll go ahead and take a look at the Basic GUI Demo for now. 
#5
These tutorials will be great for noobs like myself. Thanx in advance for all your work.
01/21/2004 (8:25 pm)
Sounds great ,now get to work! :)These tutorials will be great for noobs like myself. Thanx in advance for all your work.
#7
Building tutorial #2 was an interesting process. I found that pretty much all the functionality of the torque tools was combined together, so there was no easy way to split up the gui editor from the world/terrain editors like I had planned. Instead I just kept them all as one unit when adding the support in.
Once I got the GUI editor working, I discovered that the way James made the main menu was a little different than I expected. It is built using an overlay which seems to screw up some of the things I was doing, and confuses the GUI editor as well lol.
Not sure if this is a GUI Editor bug or not, but do this:
1) Run the minapp
2) Open the GUI editor (F10)
3) Click the button that says "MainMenuGui" to open the list of GUIs.
4) Select OverlayDlg
5) Click the button that says "OverlayDlg" to once again open the list of GUIs
6) Select any other UI other than MainMenuGui and notice that the overlay remains visible.
I assume the overlay remains visible because it would allow you to work on the underlying gui (mainmenugui) with the overlay as reference, but at the same time its pretty annoying to have the overlay always up no matter what gui you are editing. Is there a way to turn it off that i'm missing? Is this a bug? Is it a mistake in my porting the editors?
I then tried to use Davis' TorqueIDE and found that the overlay would be on TOP of the IDE and cause the IDE to not function. Hopefully I can find a way around this.
01/22/2004 (5:37 am)
Just a quick note that Tutorial #2 has been submitted so it will be up whenever its approved.Building tutorial #2 was an interesting process. I found that pretty much all the functionality of the torque tools was combined together, so there was no easy way to split up the gui editor from the world/terrain editors like I had planned. Instead I just kept them all as one unit when adding the support in.
Once I got the GUI editor working, I discovered that the way James made the main menu was a little different than I expected. It is built using an overlay which seems to screw up some of the things I was doing, and confuses the GUI editor as well lol.
Not sure if this is a GUI Editor bug or not, but do this:
1) Run the minapp
2) Open the GUI editor (F10)
3) Click the button that says "MainMenuGui" to open the list of GUIs.
4) Select OverlayDlg
5) Click the button that says "OverlayDlg" to once again open the list of GUIs
6) Select any other UI other than MainMenuGui and notice that the overlay remains visible.
I assume the overlay remains visible because it would allow you to work on the underlying gui (mainmenugui) with the overlay as reference, but at the same time its pretty annoying to have the overlay always up no matter what gui you are editing. Is there a way to turn it off that i'm missing? Is this a bug? Is it a mistake in my porting the editors?
I then tried to use Davis' TorqueIDE and found that the overlay would be on TOP of the IDE and cause the IDE to not function. Hopefully I can find a way around this.
#8
Tutorial #4 should be done today as well, and this will be a fun one. Tutorial #4 will create a couple brand new GUIs and tie them all together.
01/22/2004 (7:50 am)
Tutorial #3 - Main Menu GUI, has now been submitted as well. Seems we're off to a great start!Tutorial #4 should be done today as well, and this will be a fun one. Tutorial #4 will create a couple brand new GUIs and tie them all together.
#10
01/22/2004 (7:56 am)
Lol half birthday? That like a 6 month thing? Lol I wouldn't even know when my half birthday is. You sound obsessed :p
#11
01/22/2004 (8:06 am)
Hehe.. 6 months is a long time! its more then 5 and a half months :)
#12
I am trying to make a dialog box that pops up with text on it.
I've created the dlg, and can get it to pop up with no problems via the button on the main menu. Using canvas.push/pop dialog I can display it and properely close it.
My problem is placing text on that dialog. If I put a text control over the dialog, it works fine until you clock on the box at which point the box comes to the front and the text dissapears behind it.
Obviously they aren't linked or anything, and I can't figure out how to do that. Can anyone help me out with this?
01/22/2004 (9:35 am)
#4 should be out soon. I'm just getting hung up on one problem.I am trying to make a dialog box that pops up with text on it.
I've created the dlg, and can get it to pop up with no problems via the button on the main menu. Using canvas.push/pop dialog I can display it and properely close it.
My problem is placing text on that dialog. If I put a text control over the dialog, it works fine until you clock on the box at which point the box comes to the front and the text dissapears behind it.
Obviously they aren't linked or anything, and I can't figure out how to do that. Can anyone help me out with this?
#13
01/22/2004 (10:13 am)
Ok i've got it figured out now.
#14
01/22/2004 (1:09 pm)
Can someone just verify for me that I have this right? MyControl::onWake() is called when the control is first created, and MyControl::onSleep() is called when its destroyed?
#15
01/22/2004 (2:15 pm)
I am 99.2% positive that onSleep is just called when the control is not visible (not there). And then I am 94.3% sure that the controls destructor is called when its destroyed. Hope someone can correct me if I am wrong! :)
#16
I've seen little to no comments on any of the resources. Am I makign these things faster than you all can do them? lol.
Anyways, please speak up if you have any problems with them. As they get more and more complex it is always possible i'll miss something or not be clear enough. Feel free to voice any opinions as well. This is for everyone else as much as it is for me.
01/22/2004 (2:46 pm)
Ok, Tutorial #4 has just been submitted to the old gods of GG and hopefully will be up soon.I've seen little to no comments on any of the resources. Am I makign these things faster than you all can do them? lol.
Anyways, please speak up if you have any problems with them. As they get more and more complex it is always possible i'll miss something or not be clear enough. Feel free to voice any opinions as well. This is for everyone else as much as it is for me.
#17
01/22/2004 (3:17 pm)
Wow that was fast. Tutorial #4 is approved now :)
#18
Might be good to have a "summary steps" at the end or as an appendix resource.
For example:
Create a New GUI:
1 - Execute MinApp
2 - Press the "F10" Key to display the GUI Editor
3 - Select "File" from the Menu
4 - Select "New GUI"
5 - In the "name" field enter the file name for the GUI
6 - Press "Create" Button.
I find this format better to follow for a reference and the "text" descriptions of it with the "what and why" useful for learning.
This "appendix" sort of thing would be nice to refer to.
For example:
Create Chat Screen.
First you need to create a blank gui with the name "chatDlg". (See "Create a New GUI" for steps.) ... Continue with detail of chat.
Or even better yet, have the "doc" have "blank gui" as a hyper link. If the user clicks on it it loads those steps.
If you think that is valuable and you need some help, let me know. I could read through all the tutorials and pull out this sort of "high level" cheat sheet data for you.
Anyway, these tutorials are defiantly something I am going to use.
01/22/2004 (3:31 pm)
I have read through them, but not tried the details. Looks very good from my first pass.Might be good to have a "summary steps" at the end or as an appendix resource.
For example:
Create a New GUI:
1 - Execute MinApp
2 - Press the "F10" Key to display the GUI Editor
3 - Select "File" from the Menu
4 - Select "New GUI"
5 - In the "name" field enter the file name for the GUI
6 - Press "Create" Button.
I find this format better to follow for a reference and the "text" descriptions of it with the "what and why" useful for learning.
This "appendix" sort of thing would be nice to refer to.
For example:
Create Chat Screen.
First you need to create a blank gui with the name "chatDlg". (See "Create a New GUI" for steps.) ... Continue with detail of chat.
Or even better yet, have the "doc" have "blank gui" as a hyper link. If the user clicks on it it loads those steps.
If you think that is valuable and you need some help, let me know. I could read through all the tutorials and pull out this sort of "high level" cheat sheet data for you.
Anyway, these tutorials are defiantly something I am going to use.
#19
01/22/2004 (3:41 pm)
I am working on putting up a website to better handle the tutorials as they keep growing. I like your ideas and will take a look at that soon. 
Torque Owner Jeff Tunnell
ALex and I have this project on our agenda here, but probably won't get to it for a while. We really appreciate any help you can give us on this. Let us know if there is anything we can do to help.
-Jeff Tunnell GG