Where could we buy old official blitz3d manual?

Blitz3D Forums/Blitz3D Beginners Area/Where could we buy old official blitz3d manual?

Happy Sammy

(Posted 2010) [#1]

Hi all,

According to the first review of blitz3D:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Guildhall-Blitz-3D/dp/B00005T690/ref=sr_1_cc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1264470044&sr=1-1-catcorr

If you are a total beginner then you simply need to follow the excellent tutorials that are found in the included 322 page ring bound manual.

Where could we buy (or download) this if we are licensed users?

Thanks in advance

LineOf7s

(Posted 2010) [#2]

While you're waiting for an answer to your specific question, try this one - it's pretty good:

http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/blitz3d-programming-manual/459990?productTrackingContext=center_search_results

Happy Sammy

(Posted 2010) [#3]

Hi LineOf7s:

The lulu does not display the table of content or any sample chapter.
According to an old thread of puki:
http://www.blitzbasic.com/Community/posts.php?topic=64518#722955
markcw said:

It's ok, looks like a printed version of what you get in the b3d help.

Is that true? Or, something extra? Some more examples on certain commands?
:)

LineOf7s

(Posted 2010) [#4]

It seems to have a comprehensive command reference in it, but without the examples given in the online help that comes with Blitz3D. The command reference is preceded by a series of tutorials by 'Paul Gerfen' which takes you step-by-step through a variety of aspects of Blitz3D.

Here's the table of contents to give you an idea:

The Blitz3D Program Editor
    Installing Blitz3D
    Checking Out The Samples
    Using The Help Features
    The Blitz3D Debugger
    Toolbar
    File Menu
    Edit Menu
    Program Menu
    Help Menu

Language Reference
    Keywords
    Comments
    Identifiers
    Data Types
    Constants
    Variables
    Arrays
    Expressions
    Program Flow
    Program Data
    Functions
    Custom Types

First Steps In Blitz3D
    Printing Strings
    User Input
    Drawing Graphics
    Bouncing Balls
    Bomb Da City

An Introduction To Blitz3D By Paul Gerfen
    Introduction To Entities
    Introduction To Camera Entities
    Introduction To Planes
    Introduction To Meshes
    Introduction To Texturing
    Introduction To Terrains
    Setting Up A Simple Blitz3D Program
    Moving Objects In 3D Space
    Camera Movement
    Texturing
    Object Animation
    Lighting
    Collision Detection
    Vertices

BASIC Commands
    Type Conversion
    Logical Operators
    Integer Operators
    Float Operators
    Mathematical Functions
    Trigonometry Functions
    Random Number Functions
    String Functions
    Flow Control
    Function Declarations
    Variable Declarations
    User Types
    Program Data
    Compiler Directives
    Application Control

Graphics Commands
    Graphics
    Printing and BASIC Input
    2D Drawing
    Text And Fonts
    Images
    Drawing With Images
    Image Handles
    Image Manipulation
    Collision Functions
    Graphics Buffers
    Graphics Modes And Drivers

System Commands
    Keyboard Input
    Mouse Input
    Joystick Input
    Sound And Music
    Movies
    Time
    Banks
    Files
    File/Stream
    Network
    TCP Network
    UDP Network
    DirectPlay
    External

3D World Commands
    3D Graphics Displays
    3D World Commands
    Cameras
    Lights
    Primitives
    Textures
    Brushes
    3D Graphics Modes And Drivers
    3D Maths

3D Entity Commands
    Position
    Rotation
    Scale
    Hierarchy
    Visibility
    Painting
    Collisions
    Picking
    Meshes
    Surfaces
    Properties
    Comparisons
    Animation
    Terrains
    Sprites
    MD2 Animations
    BSP Map Files
    Listeners

Appendix
    Keyboard Scancodes
    ASCII Chart
    Blitz3D File Format

Index

Whew! It was worth the $US22.95 just for the opportunity to type that out. :o) It certainly has enough to give you a solid grounding in Blitz3D, even if you know nothing to start.

Fernhout

(Posted 2010) [#5]

I have the book to. It was worth the money. But only on the tutorial. The rest of the material is the same as the online one.

The only advantace i have with the manual is that is did write some special notes on some commands. Reason there are some commands i use so rarely that i sometimes forget the special handling on that command.
E.G. LOADFONT wil only work if you font is of a TTF and that the file name match the internal name of the font OR its already installend in the window fonts directory.

Still i find it a very usefull help in programminging. And its surely its money worth.

I o use Blitz from the start. In the time its started on the AMIGA i did follow it and when the AMIGA died it took a time before it was on the PC. And now i am using it.

I did try another language like DarkBasic. It was good but some time when the new version of windows come out you have to wait a long time to get a version thats working correctly on that version of windows.

That is one of the great pro's of Blitz3D. Its working on all levels of windows. Downwards compatible, that is some thing you cannot say of DarkBasic.

But enough of it. There are lot of places where you can buy this book. I recomment it to buy it. If you are a beginnere in programming. Its helping you a big long way.

bart.

Kryzon

(Posted 2010) [#6]

E.G. LOADFONT wil only work if you font is of a TTF and that the file name match the internal name of the font OR its already installend in the window fonts directory.

You sure about that? Check this.

big10p

(Posted 2010) [#7]

I have a Blitz3D manual. It's hopelessly out of date. Forget about it.

Fernhout

(Posted 2010) [#8]

Kryzon.
You are right. It wil load also other font type. And it have some problems load fonts who are not installed in the windows. i have test it and did use a startrek font. first i loaded it and try to display it. some characters did not displayed right or were replaced with the standard font. The i did installed the font under windows. I use window7. and loaded it again. now the second time all the used characters were displayed right. Why this is the difference i can not tell you. i only found it out.

So in the forum you linked to, is better to convert your fonts to bitmaps. then you are sure that everything is going alright.

To Big10p
The manual is not realy out of date. Its out of date for you. Your experiance in Blitz3D is over grouing the manual. and that made it for you useless. For the real beginners its a good start to work with. And in the beginnen its handy for them to have it beside te computer. At one time even they wil not need it anymore. And as soon as you create your own functions and get the right DLL you wil overcome some drawbacks.

But keep in mind its still (And i think that) the best basic compiler there is. Its an easy way to do 3D. And to start with it you can use the book.

I have learned blitz the hard way. Start programming and stumble over all the bugs i made in the source code. It did give me a better way of understanding blitz. To make bugs learns you what reaction you can get on you program. some bugs wil not detected during compiling. but your program is reacting not on a way you think it will. And that help you to program better then reading a book and type over the code.

ok i can go on a long way but i cut it short here.
Thanks for the repley.

_PJ_	(Posted 2010) [#9]

My manual had missing pages :(

Ross C

(Posted 2010) [#10]

I didn't use the manual. I used the tuts that came with blitz. They helped me out a good bit :) The command reference is a bit pants though. The online one is much better.