Organization
by Joe Nessing · in Torque Game Engine · 02/06/2008 (7:21 pm) · 5 replies
I feel very un organized having to edit from the tutorial. Im really confused on how to use the tutorial. How do I use tools outside of the tut? Ive looked over the setting up guides and such, nothing explains how to create your own project and organize it.
#2
02/07/2008 (11:33 am)
Its not neccessarily using the programs, its organizing myself. How do I set up a base working enviroment. All I see how to do is set up the tutorial and use editors. I cant seem to find out how to just create a blank slate with a basic structure or something.
#3
Then bigger changes, then set up some prototype missions to test new art assets.
Then started adding "gameplay scripts" like scoring systems, user interface screens, and so on.
Then started adding console methods to the C++ game engine to make certain tasks easier.
Then started hacking in new physics models in the code, and ...
I implemented several cool resources along the way which helped me get familiar with more and more Torque subsystems.
I really don't see much purpose to trying to start from a "clean slate" of scripts. Sure, after a year or two of Torque experience where you could (perhaps) understand every little wrinkle in the thousands of lines of boilerplate script that have been developed (over years) to setup and initialize a game, you could possibly gain some advantage by starting over from scratch or utterly customizing it. Assuming you didn't get burnt out slogging through becoming expert in the 40 or more subsystems you really aren't (personally) much excited about instead of doing some fun game making too.
However, you would have disadvantages also if you did this. For example, I believe you would have to be pretty savvy about the client/server information flow to integrate something like the grass replicator resource in amongst the lighting step and so on. (perhaps not a good example, but bear with me.) The resource author likely assumes you are using the usual startup scripts and so you would have to translate his instructions into your personal framework to get it working rather than just connecting the dots.
Of course, if you spent the time to become expert in every little aspect of Torquedom enough to completely rewrite all the usual game scripts (instead of, like, developing several different games or prototypes during the same period!), then you would probably be able to do this step also pretty quickly.
Assuming you went this route though, what happens when you hire a second programmer? It then takes him X number of months to learn/be trained in your personal script system even though he was previously experienced in the usual system.
02/07/2008 (1:18 pm)
After the tutorial, I started with the starter.fps example and made small changes. Then bigger changes, then set up some prototype missions to test new art assets.
Then started adding "gameplay scripts" like scoring systems, user interface screens, and so on.
Then started adding console methods to the C++ game engine to make certain tasks easier.
Then started hacking in new physics models in the code, and ...
I implemented several cool resources along the way which helped me get familiar with more and more Torque subsystems.
I really don't see much purpose to trying to start from a "clean slate" of scripts. Sure, after a year or two of Torque experience where you could (perhaps) understand every little wrinkle in the thousands of lines of boilerplate script that have been developed (over years) to setup and initialize a game, you could possibly gain some advantage by starting over from scratch or utterly customizing it. Assuming you didn't get burnt out slogging through becoming expert in the 40 or more subsystems you really aren't (personally) much excited about instead of doing some fun game making too.
However, you would have disadvantages also if you did this. For example, I believe you would have to be pretty savvy about the client/server information flow to integrate something like the grass replicator resource in amongst the lighting step and so on. (perhaps not a good example, but bear with me.) The resource author likely assumes you are using the usual startup scripts and so you would have to translate his instructions into your personal framework to get it working rather than just connecting the dots.
Of course, if you spent the time to become expert in every little aspect of Torquedom enough to completely rewrite all the usual game scripts (instead of, like, developing several different games or prototypes during the same period!), then you would probably be able to do this step also pretty quickly.
Assuming you went this route though, what happens when you hire a second programmer? It then takes him X number of months to learn/be trained in your personal script system even though he was previously experienced in the usual system.
#4
02/07/2008 (1:26 pm)
Hey, if you think starting from scratch is bad, good enough for me. How do I open the FPS Starter in the editor?
#5
Here are two:
CodeWeaver:
www.garagegames.com/blogs/25217/12256
Direct link:
www.torquedev.com/download.php
Torsion:
www.garagegames.com/products/106/
Havng downloaded the TGE SDK version 1.5.2, look in the SDK/example folder. (Not 100% sure of that. Anyway, find the example folder).
In CodeWeaver, you can set up a new project pointing to the example folder, and can set the IDE to automatically go out and find all the TorqueScript files and set them up nicely. I would assume that Torsion likely has similar capabilities.
This sets up a "project" in the IDE that will give you a list of all the scripts that were provided by Garage games with the SDK. You can click and the IDE will open them, then you can edit them with fancy colors and so on. You can set up the IDE to "debug" your game. The IDE becomes an outer shell around Torque that lets you command "break points" (stopping points) in your scripts. Once you are stopped, you can look at the values of script variables by just hovering your mouse over them. You can move line by line through the scripts to see exactly how they are operating. (A good way to figure out an error.)
---
The Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 Express Edition (a compiler, linker, IDE, debugger, etc.) serves a similar purpose to organize and build all the C++ files into the Torque Game Engine's executable file itself.
These are professional level programming tools so if you don't already have experience with similar systems, it will take some time to learn enough to become expert at all of their advanced features.
02/07/2008 (2:16 pm)
Have you chosen an IDE (Integrated Development Environment) that can work well with TorqueScript? Here are two:
CodeWeaver:
www.garagegames.com/blogs/25217/12256
Direct link:
www.torquedev.com/download.php
Torsion:
www.garagegames.com/products/106/
Havng downloaded the TGE SDK version 1.5.2, look in the SDK/example folder. (Not 100% sure of that. Anyway, find the example folder).
In CodeWeaver, you can set up a new project pointing to the example folder, and can set the IDE to automatically go out and find all the TorqueScript files and set them up nicely. I would assume that Torsion likely has similar capabilities.
This sets up a "project" in the IDE that will give you a list of all the scripts that were provided by Garage games with the SDK. You can click and the IDE will open them, then you can edit them with fancy colors and so on. You can set up the IDE to "debug" your game. The IDE becomes an outer shell around Torque that lets you command "break points" (stopping points) in your scripts. Once you are stopped, you can look at the values of script variables by just hovering your mouse over them. You can move line by line through the scripts to see exactly how they are operating. (A good way to figure out an error.)
---
The Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 Express Edition (a compiler, linker, IDE, debugger, etc.) serves a similar purpose to organize and build all the C++ files into the Torque Game Engine's executable file itself.
These are professional level programming tools so if you don't already have experience with similar systems, it will take some time to learn enough to become expert at all of their advanced features.
Associate David Montgomery-Blake
David MontgomeryBlake