Worklog for Blitzplotter

Worklog 1

Finished Product

(Posted 2009-03-14)

Finished the application, a demo of which is available here:

www.wishingwellsoftware.co.uk

Blitz3D & JV-ODE for 3D physics fun, BMax for finishing projects. VStudio, a necessary evil & less fun.

B3D has led to BMax

(Posted 2006-06-13)

However, I was close to giving up on my project.... but Grey Alien's game framework persuaded me to get the full version of BMax.

Apps coming along nicely, very close to just adding the 'polish' that every good app needs. My polish may take some 6 motnhs or so yey....

Blitz3D & JV-ODE for 3D physics fun, BMax for finishing projects. VStudio, a necessary evil & less fun.

A return to the Drawing Board...

(Posted 2006-03-17)

Spent a while hanging together some code without any real'design' as such. I am so amazed by the capabilities of B3D I have to start again from scratch.

My 'hiccup' seemed to be attempting to develop a program using multiple 3d entities without any attention to the frames-per-second. After reading numerous Blitz Research entries, came to the conclusion that starting from scratch (whlist montoring the demands on the CPU) was necessary.

I have only just started plodding through the Blitz 3D manual to gain a full appreciation of the capabilities of B3d.

So far, I've discovered that the following snippet of code, as long as I keep stop_choke at around above 200, will keep my CPU activity below 10%. This was my major problem on my last 'hacked' together code. Just goes to show that time spent on design is time well spent.

In anticipation of the re-development of my application, my hours spent sleeping seem to be diminishing.....

If you press Ctrl+alt+Delete and bring up your CPU's performance you will develop an understanding of the demands 6 entities can place your CPU/graphics card dependant on the stop_choke value....

;--------- Set up Global Variables --------------
Graphics3D 640,480,2,3

Global graphix=1		;(1-4 4 high)
Global no_polys=50
Global nearnow = False
do_once=True
stop_choke = 245	;keeps cpu usage down below 10%

Global Cyls#=60 ;max 60 cylinders on screen 


;--------- End of setup global vars -----------

;----------- Modify Globals from .ini file ----
;-------suits you ----------All in good time-------------------

; load in graphix




;----------------------------------------------

; set up basic graphics:
If graphix=1;low
Graphics3D 640,480,2,3
EndIf
If graphix=2;med
Graphics3D 640,480,4,3
EndIf
If graphix=3;avg
Graphics3D 800,600,2,3
EndIf
If graphix=4;high
Graphics3D 1200,1024,2,3
EndIf

SetBuffer BackBuffer();  double buffering

;Add ambient light of red
AmbientLight 255,0,0



camera = CreateCamera()

CameraViewport camera,0,0,GraphicsWidth(),GraphicsHeight()
;Move the camera back a bit;


; need a more efficient way to create 6 / 26 / 36 cylinders
  Global cylinder1=CreateCylinder(no_polys)
  MoveEntity cylinder1,-7,0,6
  
  Global cylinder2=CreateCylinder(no_polys,1)
  MoveEntity cylinder2,-4,2,8
  Global cylinder3=CreateCylinder(no_polys,1)
  MoveEntity cylinder3,-2,4,10
  Global cylinder4=CreateCylinder(no_polys,1)
  MoveEntity cylinder4,0,6,12
  Global cylinder5=CreateCylinder(no_polys,1)
  MoveEntity cylinder5,2,8,14
  Global cylinder6=CreateCylinder(no_polys,1)
  MoveEntity cylinder6,4,10,16



;Or move all the entities at once
entmove=1

While Not KeyHit(1)
	If nearnow = False  ;making go away to kick off with
	    offset = offset+1
	EndIf
	
	If EntityZ(cylinder1) > 50
	    nearnow = True
		offset = -1  ;if far away bring back
	EndIf
	
	If EntityZ(cylinder1) < 1
		offset = 1   ;if just onscreen push away again
		nearnow = False
	EndIf
	
	;move cylinder offset distance from it's current location
	;need to suss how have an array of icons................
	MoveEntity cylinder1,0,0,offset
	MoveEntity cylinder2,0,0,offset
	MoveEntity cylinder3,0,0,offset
	MoveEntity cylinder4,0,0,offset
	MoveEntity cylinder5,0,0,offset
	MoveEntity cylinder6,0,0,offset
	
	;top_letters()
	
	;updateanims and check for collisions
	UpdateWorld;
	
	;render draw all graphics in world;
	RenderWorld

;--------------------------------------------------------------
;fps checker routine


fpschecker=fpschecker+1
If MilliSecs()>fpstimer+1000
fpstimer=MilliSecs()
fps=fpschecker
fpschecker=0
EndIf
Color 100,100,100

Text 200,200,"FPS:=" + fps
Flip

;end of fps timer

	
	;flip page to see whats happening
	Flip
	
	oldset=offset
	
	
	Delay stop_choke
	
Wend



While Not KeyHit(1)
	
	UpdateWorld
	
	RenderWorld
	
	Flip
Wend

End

Well,progress has been slow.... Work & Social life hampering progress. However my goal is creeping ever closer....

Blitz3D & JV-ODE for 3D physics fun, BMax for finishing projects. VStudio, a necessary evil & less fun.