how to create an app package for release?
by Warthog · in Torque Game Builder · 02/25/2009 (10:29 am) · 4 replies
Hi all, we are getting close to releasing a game for Mac and Windows and want to find a way to neatly package the game into one file or package (per platform), and of course change the icons. How is this done? I have tried recreating Apple's "app package" with no luck and don't even have a clue how to set this up for Windows. Are there utilities for this?
Surely this has been covered here, but with the new organization of the forums, I can't find it! If someone could point me in the right direction that would be great.
Thanks!
Surely this has been covered here, but with the new organization of the forums, I can't find it! If someone could point me in the right direction that would be great.
Thanks!
#2
Xcode will make the package for you if you are compiling, but the TGB Build command does not create a package. It would be nice if it did. It seems that these packages are just a specific folder structure but when I try to recreate it, it doesn't seem to work.
02/25/2009 (4:12 pm)
No, I mean like how (on the Mac at least) when you get an app, it is actually a whole bunch of files inside a "package". This package is really just a folder that acts like an exe, and when you double click it it executes the stuff inside it. If you look at TGBGame on the mac and right click on it you get an option to view the package contents, and all the goodies are in there. It keeps things neat, allows simple installations and prevents most people from mucking about in your folders of scripts and graphics etc. I am assuming windows has something similar, but I don't know.Xcode will make the package for you if you are compiling, but the TGB Build command does not create a package. It would be nice if it did. It seems that these packages are just a specific folder structure but when I try to recreate it, it doesn't seem to work.
#3
The process of creating an installer process is much like creating any other application except now you are storing and compressing data and instructions. There are a couple of books out there on how to make MSIs and I'm sure there are some on the Mac's package format, but any of these requires some deal of study.
All in all what you need to do is create an installer, either of your own design, or IMHO just get an application that is designed to do this for you.
Some of the results from Wikipedia has a list including cross-platform options here.
Package Maker
03/09/2009 (11:54 am)
For windows you are refering to an MSI (Microsoft Installer) file or another option is a CAB file with a corresponding EXE. One solution for quick and easy development (Windows Only) would be to use Nullsoft Install System. (Free) Another option, that would work across all platforms, (A little $$ is needed though) would be to buy the Bitrock installer system.The process of creating an installer process is much like creating any other application except now you are storing and compressing data and instructions. There are a couple of books out there on how to make MSIs and I'm sure there are some on the Mac's package format, but any of these requires some deal of study.
All in all what you need to do is create an installer, either of your own design, or IMHO just get an application that is designed to do this for you.
Some of the results from Wikipedia has a list including cross-platform options here.
Package Maker
#4
Right-click on the app, Show package contents.
Browse to Contents/Resources.
Put stuff that normally goes alongside the .exe inside this directory. Game.app/Contents/Resources/ works the same as the path the Game.app is in.
You can automate this in the Xcode project, I'm sure, but I don't find it too stressful to just copy the files manually. The iTGB project might have the automation, so you could copy that.
03/10/2009 (9:33 pm)
Making the files go into your app bundle on a Mac is straight forward.Right-click on the app, Show package contents.
Browse to Contents/Resources.
Put stuff that normally goes alongside the .exe inside this directory. Game.app/Contents/Resources/ works the same as the path the Game.app is in.
You can automate this in the Xcode project, I'm sure, but I don't find it too stressful to just copy the files manually. The iTGB project might have the automation, so you could copy that.
Torque Owner Tomas Hron