How do I get off this ride!!!

#1 Take a deep breath; yes it is complex, but if you scour the documentation and forums you should find your answers.

For starters, have you downloaded the demo? Try that first, just to get a feel. This is a good starting point for you, as you say that you want to add models and maps. You won't have to code anything (C++) to do this, so run the demo and hit the World Editor (F11 key to toggle this on and off)

Then follow the CVS documentation; it really does work as I managed it, and I know nothing about CVS or WinCVS. Here's the CVS documentation page:

http://www.garagegames.com/docs/torque.sdk/gstarted/cvs.win.html

In the WinCVS preferences set the CVSRoot as:

your_username@cvs.garagegames.com:/cvs/torque

Just copy and paste that in. Make sure that Authentication is set to passwd file on cvs server.

Go to the globals tab and set Use TCP/IP compression to 6.

Close the preferences, and select the Admin menu and Login menu option. Enter your password and (I think) you should see a return value of 0 if successful.

Select the Checkout Module option from the Create menu. The module name should be torque, and enter the local folder to where the files will be placed.

Under checkout options, choose either Release or Head, depending on how brave you are. Choose Release if you don't feel brave.

Click OK and the files should be copied onto your hard drive.

Now, using the Explorer go to the directory where you placed the files, go into the directory VC6, and if you have Visual Studio 6 installed, right click on the two .reg registry settings files and choose merge.

Once that's done, open the VS6 project Torque SDK.dsw, and build! Hopefully, if all has gone to plan you are now compiling the engine and the example game.

When it's complete, you'll find the executable in the example directory.

These instructions can all be found on the GG site, but I'm feeling generous so I'm helping you out. It isn't difficult, but you do need patience and time.

Good luck, I hope this helps you.

PS. if you read through the forums first you'll get an idea of what is involved in using the Torque engine.

#2 Calm down and reread the documents on CVS.

You need to download the SDK of course. WinCVS is just a client to download the SDK with (since you don't seem to know what CVS is I think this explanation will do).

Once you've downloaded the SDK (following the detailed steps laid out in Using CVS document) and simply open up the VC++ project, from then on it's all up to you. There are a ton of forum threads on this which go in more detail (for example you need to patch your registry with those two .reg files in the VC directory, it's all explained in the documentation).

Really I'd never used CVS before getting Torque, though I knew what it was, and I found the instructions perfectly clear. There are countless developers on this site who have bought the SDK and use it on a daily basis.

#3 take a step back you have a lot to learn.

there is nothing magic about Torque or the SDK.

1. CVS is probably the most popular and most well documented source control project in the world.

There is a pre-compiled demoGame you can get from the downloads, start there, learn what all the little .cs files do, they are 99% of the "GAME" from what it sounds like what you want to do.

Follow the how to on CVS exactly to the letter! It works, then again I have been using CVS and winCVS and other source control products for years it is no mystery to me. Only check out revision Release_1_1_1 !

search groups.google.com or www.google.com for information if you are having CVS specific problems.

I am not at my dev computer, but somewhere in the forums and resources of GarageGames there is a link to a web site that is "how to setup to compile torque for dummies like me" or something! I know the "dummies like me" is in the web page tile. use google to find it.

There is one difference on that web page there are no longer two workspaces in CVS, only one with ALL the projects in it. Other than that follow those instructions to the letter and it will compile the demo application mentioned earlier that you downloaded.

Only fool with CVS and the C++ if you need to alter that code, many games could be created directly by just using the demo game application available in download without ever having to recomile the source code!

That is the beauty of the scripting language and engine built into Torque.

PS: you will get much better responses to questions if you follow a set protocol in each question, there is no such thing as a "too detailed of a question"

1. List what you want the end result to be.

This is very important, because you might be going about solving the problem in a completely wrong manner and if you don't post this someone can say, oh, drop _THAT_ use _THIS_ way instead.

2. List how you have tried to do it.

This shows that you have thought thru the problem, if only just a little and are not looking for someone to write your code for you. If you really have done some work people are more likely to help get you over the hump rather than pull you over the hill.

3. List exactly what problems you are having with that approach.

See number three! Also it lets anyone that want to help know what NOT to suggest if you have already tried it.

4. If it is short include your script / code, if it is long include a link to it somewhere.

Sometimes all it takes is a second set of eyes to catch a typo or sillyness like that.

5. Don't EXPECT an answer! But you will probably get plenty of help.

Follow the first 3 and you will get great information and help, start leaving out those steps and not only will you get ignored or only partial advice, you might get worse, WRONG advice because of partial information.

#4 Thanks for the helpful posts Jarrod, Luigi, and Mike...

I too just purchased the license, and am having a bit of a problem getting CVS to log me in...

Lemme go over everything and try again.

-----

OK... it seems to be downloading the sdk now.

Like a dummy, I downloaded the latest beta, and I think I got it working... I did get a 'cvs exited with 0" response upon login, but not having read the docs completely, I assumed that it had encountered and error.

So, I went back, downloaded the suggested version, followed the directions precisely, and I think I got it...

One Question... do I need Python Scripting???

Thanks Again
--Mike

#5 CVS was originally a unix application. When a unix application completes without error, it returns '0' ... if it returns non-zero, it means there was an error.

So, when wincvs says CVS returned '0', that's a good thing :)

#6 bool doINeedPython( Coder you )
{

if ( you.knowPython() )
{
if ( you.needToScriptWinCVS )
{
return true;
}
}
else if ( you.needWinCVSReportingAndOtherAdvancedFeatures() )
{
return true;
}
else
{
return false;
}

}


editied for comedy sake :)

#7 Thanks guys...

I got both the Win and the Mac SDKs downloaded succesfully... I'm sure more questions will follow.

So I guess i don't nned Python in order to log on and download/update from cvs... huh???

--Mike

#8 You do not need the Python scripting engine to run WinCVS and/or access the Torque CVS server. I've never tried installing python, so I'm not sure what it get's you.

#9 Python replaces TLK as the WinCVS scripting language as of 1.3.

It is used to automate the program.

Some of the reports which are nothing more than macros require it.