I'll release the source code soon, but I want your thoughts on the

T7 Programming Documentation

T7 user Documentation.

There will be other docs for getting started and doing certain tasks, but these are the advanced docs for more serious programmers.

The docs cover every part of the t7.dll, so it can be overwhelming. This section is a good place to start.

So, either I wrote the best documentation ever and nobody has any questions because I made thing too clear.

-or-

Nobody understands the docs so they have no idea where to even start asking questions.

-or-

Nobody cares.


Comments?

From a quick look, i think the docs would serve their purpose really well, that is if the purpose is to help somone use the T7 dll to make their own actions, etc.. The class diagram and explaining all methods briefly is pretty much all i'd need to get me started.

The reason not many ppl commenting is that no-one would want to use beta templates to work on their game I bet you'll get more responses once you release the real thing, and a couple of game examples with it..

Normally, i'd beta test the hell out of it, but after i got to see that T7 is more than just panels and lite-c code, i decided to use the new wed sdk for my plugin. Using T7 just for it's XML parser and panel maker would be kind of an overkill.

Still interested to see your progress though. I'll be following T7 with much enthusiasm..

ah.. i do have some final feedback though.. Just a few things that didn't strike me very well while testing it. I'd much rather you'd had made this in lite-c instead of a DLL, since that's the whole point of a template system, and you could also have made a good example on how to write proper Lite-C code for mainstream stuff, like movement code or weapons.. Also, i'm not sure i see the use for the mixing and matching component thing. I'm sure there is one, but frankly, if i were to make an Npc action, i'd use Ai,Physics,Weapons components, and for the Player action the same without the Ai(if that's how your system works?) But I don't see the need for any other mix and matching apart from that. Just my initial response, i'm still curious how this will turn out and will definatelly try to use it when it's done.

Cheers,
Aris

Thanks for the feedback.

Quote:

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I'd much rather you'd had made this in lite-c instead of a DLL, since that's the whole point of a template system..

---

In my mind, the whole point of the template system is to help people get their projects running quickly and with few bugs.

Lite-C and C-Script are great for making a single game, but they don't allow for easy reuse.

Quote:

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..to make an Npc action, i'd use Ai,Physics,Weapons components, and for the Player action the same without the Ai(if that's how your system works?) But I don't see the need for any other mix and matching apart from that.

---

Correct.
If you want to make a lift or sliding door, use "Trigger" and "Move".
An exploding barrel would use "Physics" and "Health".

I'll cover a lot more of this in examples.

Hi, i am playing with the new templates.

I have A7.06.1 and i installed the new templates and the t7.dll.
My app runs fine, only changes i had to make was:

//CODE:
//---------------------------------
if(project_load("myProj.xml") == 0) // load up game from an xml file
{
sys_exit("Couldn't load myProj.xml");
}
//project_level(1); // switch to level #1
project_level(2); // switch to level #2
//project_level(3); // switch to level #3
//project_level(4); // switch to level #4
//project_level(5); // switch to level #5
//project_level(6); // switch to level #6
//---------------------------------

and in main: for the main loop.
//CODE:
//---------------------------------
while(project_update() != 0)
{
// do stuff here
wait(1);
}
//---------------------------------

I know it is still development, but i wondered if this was going to become the norm?
Reason i ask is i read level_name to get the name of the level
and sometimes the returned string from level_name is empty. See i am removing the .wmb and adding .gsx to load a camera positon file with the same name as level.

It all used to work fine then i installed the A7.07 beta, (in a completely different folder), copied my app dev folder over and tried to run the level.

App does not load the campos file for level_name returns an empty string.

PROBLEM is i removed the beta, deciding to wait for the proper release.
Now the original is doing the same thing. Runs fine except it does not load the campos relevant to level.

printf shows ".gsx" instead of "levelname.gsx" so the campos are not loaded.

They were installed in seperate directories. I even renamed the original GSTUDIO7 to a completely different name before installing the beta.

Anyway i backed up my work and project dirs, removed gamestudio
rebooted and re installed gs A7.06.1

still the problem with level_load. All other things work fine.
//
ANYWAY

will we be able to access these t7 classes from Lite-C in both legacy and pure mode?

//

AND

anyone using mixture of Windows for menus etc and acknex for the rest panels and level etc?
Reason i ask is that when using both the Windows SCREEN is not the same as the ACKNEX screen, or to put it another way:
I have bothe the windows mouse pos and the acknex mouse pos displaying on screen,
and there is a difference on the Y axis of about 35-45 which causes the mouse to select the button around half the button's size below the button. e.g button is 24 pixels high, and button at posx 0, posy 0. then the mouse affects the button from 12 to 36 instead of 0 to 24.
The X axis is fine.

In pure acknex mode (without windows menus etc) the buttons and mouse are fine.

If anyone experience any of these problems?
//
WORDS are insufficient to express the THOUGHTS racing through the mind
therefore this explanation of problems may well be incomplete.

I haven't tested with the current public beta (I'm away from my work PC at the moment). So there may be new bugs.

I'm not following some things in you post however:

Quote:

---

See i am removing the .wmb and adding .gsx to load a camera positon file with the same name as level.

---

Removing the .wmb from where? Adding a "gsx" how?

it was just stripping the file name from the extension .wmb so
i could then add the ext .gsx (camera pos file) and load it.
This ensures that when a level is loaded in my app the right campos
file is also loaded.

Anyway have decided to rewrite my app to work with A7. I have since installed the beta again and working with it as far as i can without the newer docs.

My app started with cutscene.wdl and has progressed from there to a sort of animation application. It was all for learning and still is. If it reaches the stage i am happy with i will post it on the forum in contributions.

My previous programming knowledge was with GFA-basic on the Atari 1024ST (it's still sitting in the cupboard) no less, and that was a long time ago.

I am going to give up windows for now, and use pure lite-c and c++ panels etc.
After playing with menus and toolbars etc, i realise that panels and buttons are very much the same processes as the windows counterparts.

Hi Doug,

you made this a sticky posting but the links are not valid any more.

ciao
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