Grey Alien BlitzMax Game Framework V1.04 out!

Community Forums/Showcase/Grey Alien BlitzMax Game Framework V1.04 out!

Grey Alien(Posted 2007) [#1]
Hi everyone, I'm proud to announce the release V1.04 of the Grey Alien BlitzMax Game Framework.

In case you didn't know, the Game Framework is a collection of extremely useful source code files that you can use to produce professional quality games. For more information please see my NEW web page about the framework:

http://www.greyaliengames.com/framework.php

Please take a look because hopefully it will answer your questions. If you think that I can improve the information on the web page then please let me know. I'd love to hear from existing customers too if you think that I should add some more information to help people decide to get the framework. In fact if any of you have any testimonials that you'd let me put on the site (with your name and country) then please let me know as I know that testimonials really help. Thanks! :-)

Here's a quick link to the AOTMG V0.44 demo but you can also find links to Speed Run and Make Me Happy on the webpage:

*DEMO* www.greyaliengames.com/aotmg/aotmg044.zip (6.22Mb)





This version has many improvements and the next version should have support for "proper" Vista directories and also full Mac support (the framework already compiles on Mac but I am planning to convert some special Win32 features over to Mac).

List of major changes (there are loads of small changes, if you want me too list them then I will do):




If you haven't received V1.04 yet then please let me know!

Once again thanks to my loyal customers for your continued support.


ImaginaryHuman(Posted 2007) [#2]
So what are the new features?


Grey Alien(Posted 2007) [#3]
ahem good point. It's quite a big list, but I'll post the major ones only.


Jesse(Posted 2007) [#4]
gray I just got the new framework and I noticed that the jitter correction timming demo is not working because you forgot to create it before you init it. I got it to work. Just thought I mention it.

great work by the way. And Thanks for the update.
I finally got some time to study it and I started to write my first game in it. I am trying to duplicate the original vector asteroids game. and is working out pretty good.


Azathoth(Posted 2007) [#5]
I'm having trouble finding descriptions of what every command does.


Grey Alien(Posted 2007) [#6]
Jesse. Weird. Do you mean ExampleTimingWithJitterCorrection.bmx ? Because in that code I call FixedRateLogic.Init() just before the main loop. Or do you mean something else? Perhaps you could email me about it in mode detail? Thanks.

Azathoth: Have you look at these:

http://www.greyaliengames.com/framework/commontypes.html
http://www.greyaliengames.com/framework/commoncode.html

Or do you mean longer descriptions?


Azathoth(Posted 2007) [#7]
Yea, I mean indepth. Kind of how the BRL docs list the methods and functions (even if some of the descriptions are next to useless).


Grey Alien(Posted 2007) [#8]
Hi Paul. I'm afraid I don't have that in documentation form yet. At the moment if a function or method needs more explanation I often have a comment at the beginning describing what you need to consider about the input params and what output it gives along with any warnings or whatever. Also most functions/methods are commented in the middle to explain odd bits if need be. However, I would like to make some better docs as you suggest. It's on the to do list, so keep an eye out for it. Are you a customer? Paul Bray or Sagor from Australia?


Jesse(Posted 2007) [#9]
try running the Example TimingWithJitterCorrection.bmx from the frame work you mailed out and you'll know what I mean.
In Bmax debug mode:
I used to get this error "Unhandled Exception:Attempt to Index Array element beyound array length" that is because you are not calling "FixedRateLogic.Create()" before calling FixedRateLogic.Init()
I had to add that line in orted to get it to work. I think everyone should get that error if run in debug mode. I don't know why nondebug mode does not give an exception error. but I think it may cause it to crash sooner or later.
Everyone's shoud crash under debug mode unless you send me a version different from what you send everyone else.


Azathoth(Posted 2007) [#10]
Yea, I'm Paul Bray


Grey Alien(Posted 2007) [#11]
Jesse, thanks! yep that was indeed a bug, fixed it now thanks to you.

Azahoth: OK then :-)


Blitzplotter(Posted 2007) [#12]
Hi Grey, I have a request to produce a full version of my game, produced with your framework. I'd a trial version doing the rounds.... bit more work at the weekend producing the final product, good news - but more work.

Shame you haven't sorted that TTediousButNecessaryWork type. {;-)


Grey Alien(Posted 2007) [#13]
Hey great news! :-) Well you just gotta stick this last part out, it's what "finishers" do. I'm on the last leg of my game now, gonna take several weeks yet. The game screen is totally done and polished, just gotta do all the sub-screens (and there's a lot) then Vista support (ack) and a Mac version oh and level design and beta testing...

I spend most of today making a TGameText type which reads in Unicode files (suitable for special characters e.g. Russian) and then applying it to various places in the game.


Blitzplotter(Posted 2007) [#14]
TGameText type sounds very useful, I've a letter/graphical image mixer that I use at the moment outside of the framework. I use the framework to produce the text for an external app, works well.


Grey Alien(Posted 2007) [#15]
TBitmapFont added!

[edit] It also supports Unicode characters!


Blitzplotter(Posted 2007) [#16]
Cool Grey, the TBitmapFont is a great addition to the frameworks functionality. Sort of completed the full version of my app - I just need to set aside the time to alpha test it. Now where'd I put that time travel device...


Grey Alien(Posted 2007) [#17]
I just checked out your trial app. Looks familiar ;-) Good luck with it! The installer auto launched the VB inferface and later when I closed it the installer was still there with the bar saying finishing and I had to Ctrl+Alt+Del it. I first when into the game without selecting a word list and play game bombed out - it was OK once I selected a word list. Perhaps a default word list? Or a warning? Also the high scores screen crashes. But I guess you've got more work to do on it yet.


Blitzplotter(Posted 2007) [#18]
Cheers Grey, I thought I'd invoked a default path - my version control isn't what it should be! I'll have to look into the high scores screen. And as for the installer, yep work to do. Thanks for helping to alfa it.

I've just checked my code and I missed resetting an ini file before compiling my installer exe. I've thought of a sweeter way to implement this functionality now.

Of to check out the other gremlins, as I said alfa's are prone to them (;-)

Just checked out your new website for your framework, the in-game pause menu looks pretty swish. I can see some more possibilities now... code is forming in my swede... But it's Saturday night and I've a movie to see.


Grey Alien(Posted 2007) [#19]
Yes it's pretty normal to have an in-game menu that pauses the game. Also good if Escape calls it up. It always disturbs me when escape just quits of of the game with no warning!


Grey Alien(Posted 2007) [#20]
***PLEASE NOTE*** I'm away from 28th July to 10th August in the Ukraine doing Aikido so I will be unable to offer customer support during that time period. I hope that this does not inconvenience anyone.


Grey Alien(Posted 2007) [#21]
OK I'm back! Thanks to everyone who placed orders when I was away for your patience. You should all have your copies of the framework by now. If not, please let me know.


Blitzplotter(Posted 2007) [#22]
I'd 3 more requests for my final product whilst on holiday, have put another 4 hours or so into it. Haven't put any of the improvements into the trial version yet, came across TortoiseSVN which'll help with the merge's with your updates (it's got a great diff / merge tool!)

As for the InnoSetup bugette (I use InnoSetup for my installer scripts), she's elusive as I haven't managed to replicate it.

The High score crash was concerning me, but I just realised it was related to the 'not picking a word list initially' issue. With TortoiseSVN I'm keen to merge in v104.... might manage it this weekend.


Grey Alien(Posted 2007) [#23]
That's great that your are generating this interest. Anyway good luck with it - just get it done and polished now.


jhans0n(Posted 2007) [#24]
Do you have a list of which features currently do not work properly on the Mac? I'm thinking about buying this, but I develop primarily for OS X. I apologize if you already posted this elsewhere, but I cannot seem to find it.


Grey Alien(Posted 2007) [#25]
FAO: "Ringo Münchow"

Hi Ringo, I've received your email and just in case you are not receiving mine I've posted here too. I sent the framework to you
on 09/09/07 at 19:15 along with two plain text emails for you to confirm receipt in case the zip files didn't get through. If you receive my email OK this time then I can try again. Please respond soon.

jhanson: I sent the details by email, as you know, but you got me thinking that I should probably add that detail to my FAQ.


CodeD(Posted 2007) [#26]
Looks useful!


Czar Flavius(Posted 2007) [#27]
"Introduction

CommonType.bmx contains a large library of very useful types including the main TGame type. It also contains several keyboard and mouse functions which override the BRL ones because the framework uses it's own event-based input."

You shouldn't put an apostrophe in its if it is being used as a possessive. It's only ever means it is or it has.