Gladly Pay to Learn TGB - Scripting

#1 Hey,

I'm pretty new to TorqeScript as well. I have some Java experience so that kind of got my foot in the door for learning.

If I had one tip for you, that would be to just find something you want to do and try it out. Learn to scan the forums properly and use the reference docs. I barely learned anything with tutorials until I actually started making something. The learning process starts when you muck something up and have to figure out how to fix it I've found.

Good luck with learning, it's a blast once you get it.

#2 What better way to learn than from a finished game? Those cool guys who made Larva Mortus, Be a King and other TGB games have released source from several titles:

blog.rakeingrass.com/?cat=3

#3 Ronny - Thanks for the links to the finished game source code. That will help me some.

The only thing that with source code is that the comments are in another language. It was a good find, I just need a better grasp what I am doing scripting wise.

#4 I myself wouldn't mind some sort of 'training' even it was paid for. Any chance someone at GG would be willing to start up a few Torque courses? No reason it couldn't be done online using Livemeeting or something to that effect.

#5 Well, it's an opportunity to learn both Czech and TorqueScript :P

Could you list specific examples of things you want clarified? This would be a nice thread to build a wishlist for TorqueScript tutorials.

#6 Have a look here:

BMOH Dev Thread

If you guys would like, I could quickly turn what I'm doing in the above thread into more of a step by step guide. As is, feel free to take a look at what is there so far, and ask questions, or for more explanation about what I've done so far.

I'm attempting to have weekly updates to that thread, and the more questions and comments that get posted, the easier it will be for me to keep to that schedule. As it is now, since I'm the only one posting to it, I'm not super motivated to keep to the schedule.

Let me know if you would be interested in more step by step explanations. Essentially, doing that would allow anyone following the thread the opportunity to build the game I'm building right along side of me, minus the specific content for my game of course.

#7 I have two tutorials if you would like to try them and could use some feed back. The first goes through all of TGB's editor tools. The second is a paddle game with 'some' scripting.


Let me know if you would like to see them...

#8 Post them or links to them Steven if you need a place to host them let me know

#9 Tutorials are awesome, and I'll definitely check out what you guys have, but I find I learn a lot more with something that is Instructor led. Something you can ask questions as you're in the middle of a line of code :)

#10 I'll give you an example of what I am looking for.
Whenever I look through code and see

if (!isObject(moveMap))
return;

I think to myself, where did moveMap come from. What is it. What relationship does it have to the object that I am dealing with. Then I also see that the object moveMap is being used to bind keyboard commands and I trying to figure out why am I using it to bind keyboard commands now.

Another one is the Name, Class and Superclass when you are editing objects. What is each one used for? Why did I give an object a name if I am only going to refer to it as %this. In what cases would I want Class, Super Class.

I'm not saying the tutorials are bad by any means. The issue that I am having with them is that I really want them to go into more detail with the code.

@Eric - That's pretty close to the format that I am looking for. Very nice.

@Steven - I would like to see that too that would be great if you could put that up for us.

Thanks!!

#11 Well if anyone is interested in following the development of BMOH as a learning experience, I'm willing to host weekly online sessions where we can talk about the code as it is being developed.

If there are enough people interested, and they would be willing to pay maybe $5 a month or so, I could setup an online conferencing service to allow shared desktops and such, which would make things easier. Or we could simply work via IM.

Let me know if that would be something that interested people, and we can discuss further.

Eric Armstrong
Trihex Software

#12 For really good generic coding lessons to build your foundation read Learn C++ in 21 days. I think they have a C# book as well. That way you'll know what variables, operators, methods, classes, loops, if statements, case statements, arrays, matrices, and all that other coding jargon that will build you coding foundation. When I was in college there was a free open source site that gave lessons in every language on the planet from basics to who knows what. I don't remember the url but if you dig you may find it. You'll get lessons there that you wouldn't get with a masters in computer science and best of all it was open source and free. Made by programmers for programmers.

#13 @Glenn - That's good information if I was looking for information on programming. Which I am not. Torque Script is no where even close to being C++/C#. What I am talking about is the intricate dealings with Torque Script and using it in TGB. I have Ken Finney's books but those deal with TGE. Now granted I could use a re-fresher on C++ or C# but I already have books for those as well.

#14 Actually, knowing C++ would help you quite a bit with TorqueScript. Some of your questions are answered by having that knowledge coming in.

Questions specific to TorqueScript are generally answered here:

http://tdn.garagegames.com/wiki/TorqueScript

Other answers come with time. I had the MoveMap question myself until I studied the issue a bit. I tried to find a tutorial on it online just now, but can't seem to. :-( The gist of it is that at some point early on in your code, someone does:

new ActionMap(moveMap);
moveMap.push();

then whenever you do stuff like:

moveMap.bindCmd(keyboard, gPrefs.leftKey, "updateLeftKey(true);", "updateLeftKey(false);");

it affects that MoveMap. The "push" command makes it the currently active one. You can also "pop" it.

>>Another one is the Name, Class and Superclass when you are editing objects. What is each one used for?<<

This allows inheritance. Again, covered in any object-oriented programming book. The problem with TorqueScript is that it only allows *one level* of inheritance. So I can have

Monster
BigHairyMonster

But I can't have:

Monster
BigHairyMonster
BigHairyBlueMonster
BigHairyRedMonster

The useful part of inheritance is that you can stiff methods and data common to everything in "Monster" with stuff specific to the individual types in their own class.

#15 If you get your foundation in C++ then all you really need to do is dig through the the TGB reference and TGB glossary to figure stuff out. I have a back ground in C++, Javascript, and Actionscript, I often run to actionscript and get something working there then dig through TGB Reference to figure it out in TorqueScript. My process is far from efficient but until I'm completely familiar with TorqueScript that's what I do.

@Vern Well Said.

#16 Honestly the TDN is a dis-organized, outdated and poorly formated mess.
Here's an example.

tdn.garagegames.com/wiki/TorqueScript_Console_Functions_7#fileBase.28_filename_....
Look at the example call of the function.
fileBase(“egt/main.cs”); // will return “main”

Did you understand what was being passed in as a value and the comment line after it?

As for C++, I already know C++ programming. I don't disagree that it's a good idea to have a good background in it coming to this but Torquescript and using it in TGB is a completely different thing than programming in C++. That is what I why I was asking for training on TGB and Torquescript. When I was learning the Artiva Scripting language for the Artiva Debt Collection Software that my previous employer had purchased, it was very good that we had a training course on it. The language is structured similarly to C++ but there were some key differences. One was that it didn't follow the standard order of operations. Like 5+5*6=35 only with Artiva it was 5+5*6=60. Then all the little functions that was part of it. It helped me out in understanding how to program in that system. Reference information is only good if you know what you are doing with it. Your philosphy about using the reference is like taking a Car Mechanic putting him on a Nuclear Submarine with only the reference guide and saying good luck.

#17 Not sure if this helps out some but there is a web page out there that i found using google. http://www.makingindiegames.com/TGB.html. They have a video tutorial, and some PDF tutorials for TGB.

#18 @ Stephen:

Try this out:
TGB doc

Tell me what you think... There is one sound file that you will have to replace.

#19 @Steven - Hey, thanks for putting this together. I've started looking at it and will be working through the steps tonight.

#20 I'm the creator of making indie games. I've created the Torque Script Interactive tutorial, and Sync Reloaded project which might help you.

I'm interested in how I can better make my resources to help you, as in explain code more in-depth, and how helpful videos are? Any feedback would be very helpful.