Mission Editor IDE Extensions
by Jeffrey P. Bakke · in Torque Game Engine · 03/18/2002 (9:11 pm) · 4 replies
After spending some time learning and working with the scripting language I realize now the power of the scripting system that it gives to my non-programmer partners. But it occurs to me that maybe it could be taken further and I'd to see what you developers might contribute to this idea.
What would it take to develop the IDE (the built-in mission/terrain/object editor) to integrate the scripting code into the properties? By this I refer to a Delphi/VB/C++Builder/etc type of visual ability of linking editable "script-lets" or single functions to object events. I'm envisioning (a pre-alpha vision mind you) property items that say "for EventX (OnCollision / OnHit / OnMove / etc) run this script-let". This would bring the engine/scripting into a more event-driven methodology I think and also let you more easily manage and manage your scripts in related areas (AI/Movement/Combat/Inventory/etc). Obviously it would include a pop-up editor window to directly edit relevant script code.
I'm not talking about replacing all of the script code this way, but augmenting the engine to accept these event-based scripts in a nice IDE for editing and easy tracking and changes. Move out some of the game-related scripting from the basic scripts and place them in separate "script-lets" (whatever -- pick your nomenclature here). If designed cleanly, I also believe that you wouldn't need to limit and/or hard-code the types of Events available, you could make user-define events work this way to make it very flexible.
Its an idea that I've thrown around in my head for about a week now but I haven't starting digging into the code to see what ugliness this would really entail. Is there any other interest by other developers to have this capability added and/or developed?
-Jeff Bakke
jeff@gozer.com
What would it take to develop the IDE (the built-in mission/terrain/object editor) to integrate the scripting code into the properties? By this I refer to a Delphi/VB/C++Builder/etc type of visual ability of linking editable "script-lets" or single functions to object events. I'm envisioning (a pre-alpha vision mind you) property items that say "for EventX (OnCollision / OnHit / OnMove / etc) run this script-let". This would bring the engine/scripting into a more event-driven methodology I think and also let you more easily manage and manage your scripts in related areas (AI/Movement/Combat/Inventory/etc). Obviously it would include a pop-up editor window to directly edit relevant script code.
I'm not talking about replacing all of the script code this way, but augmenting the engine to accept these event-based scripts in a nice IDE for editing and easy tracking and changes. Move out some of the game-related scripting from the basic scripts and place them in separate "script-lets" (whatever -- pick your nomenclature here). If designed cleanly, I also believe that you wouldn't need to limit and/or hard-code the types of Events available, you could make user-define events work this way to make it very flexible.
Its an idea that I've thrown around in my head for about a week now but I haven't starting digging into the code to see what ugliness this would really entail. Is there any other interest by other developers to have this capability added and/or developed?
-Jeff Bakke
jeff@gozer.com
About the author
#2
03/19/2002 (6:02 am)
i agree this would be awesome (since i am still haveing a hard time under standing the scripting stuff) i would think half of the works already done, beings the script is recompiled evrytime you start your game
#3
ryan
03/19/2002 (8:30 am)
I can see where the scripts could be hard for anyone who isnt programmer-esque, but they arent that hard... but something like this could help me get some people to help out (even though they arent good at programming)ryan
#4
I think UnrealEditor does have something like this if you want to see an example of how others have done this.
Also a later phase for this could include stuff like the ability to set breakpoints and step through and debug the script. Now that would be fun to play with.
Another thought is the ability to easily take this out of release builds if you don't want people tweaking the scripts in game after its release.
03/24/2002 (10:52 am)
I think this would be a great addition to Torque. It's this single feature that makes Visual Basic so easy to use and understand. You could also easily recompile the script changes on the fly so you can easily do some in game tweaking to the scripts very quickly without having to use Tribal IDE and find where the code is for a collision event script or the like. This would greatly help people get up to speed in Torque scripting. I think UnrealEditor does have something like this if you want to see an example of how others have done this.
Also a later phase for this could include stuff like the ability to set breakpoints and step through and debug the script. Now that would be fun to play with.
Another thought is the ability to easily take this out of release builds if you don't want people tweaking the scripts in game after its release.
Associate James Lupiani
Sickhead Games