Student Seeking Mentor

1) Turn ints to strings (looked all over blitzwiki couldnt find any info) abnd strings to ints.

Code:

myInt = String.ToInt(myString$)

2) Save a 2D Array into a file and then be able to open it as well.

Code:

' Saving a 1 Dimension IntegerArray
Local myFile:TStream = CreateStream(myFile$) 
For Local a = 0 to myArray.Length-1
   WriteInt(myFile,myArray[a])
Next
CloseStream(myFile)

Code:

'Loading it.
Local Count:Int = 0
Local myFile:TStream = CreateStream(myFile$) 
While Not EOF(myFile)
  myArray[count] = ReadInt(myFile)
  count:+1
Wend
CloseStream(myFile)

3) Collisions - What methods to learn.. so many I suppose
Never used them.

4) Counters - Counting how many types exist, the best way to do so.

Code:

Count = myTList.Count

5) Animation - Figure out the best way to make things animated.

Use animated images but use the code I posted on the blitzwebsite as it uses single surfaces as oppose to the BMAX system of using a new surface for every animation frame. (you'll need a registered copy to download that).

 

Your map program is probably crawling because of the image/surface issue.

Try this, I get a speed increase of about 30% and a VideoMemory Saving of about 40%. It works with OpenGL as well as DirectX.

Code:

Type TAnimImage
	
	Field Image	:TImage
	Field width	 :Int
	Field height	 :Int
	Field u0	  :Float[]
	Field v0  	  :Float[]
	Field u1	  :Float[]
	Field v1	  :Float[] 
	
	Function Load:TAnimImage(url:Object,cell_width,cell_height,start:Int,frames:Int,flags=-1)
		Local t:TAnimImage = New TAnimImage
		Local tx:Int
		Local ty:Int
		Local x_Cells:Int
		t.u0		= New Float[frames]
		t.v0		= New Float[frames]
		t.u1		= New Float[frames]
		t.v1		= New Float[frames]
		t.Image 	= LoadImage(url,flags)
		x_cells	= t.Image.Width  / cell_width
		For Local f = start To frames - 1
			tx	= f Mod x_cells * cell_width
			ty 	= (f / x_cells * cell_Height)
			t.u0[f]	= Float(tx) / Float(t.Image.Width)
			t.v0[f] = Float(ty) / Float(t.Image.Height)
			t.u1[f]	= Float(tx + cell_width)  / Float(t.Image.Width)
			t.v1[f]	= Float(ty + cell_Height) / Float(t.Image.Height)
		Next
		Return t		
	End Function
	
	Function Free(t:TAnimImage)
		t.Image = Null
		t = Null
		FlushMem()
	End Function
	
	Method Draw(x:Float,y:Float,width:Float,height:Float,frame:Int=0)
		Local DXFrame:TDX7ImageFrame = TDX7ImageFrame (image.frame(0))
		If DXFrame
                   DXFrame.setUV(u0[frame],v0[frame],u1[frame],v1[frame])
                Else
                    Local GLFrame:TGLImageFrame = TGLImageFrame(image.frame(0))
                    GLFrame.u0 = u0[frame]
                    GLFrame.u1 = u1[frame]
                    GLFrame.v0 = v0[frame]
                    GLFrame.v1 = v1[frame]
                EndIf
		DrawImageRect(Self.Image,x,y,width,height)
	End Method
End Type

Example:

Code:

Graphics 640,480,0,NOSYNC
Print "Start Memory " + MemAlloced()
Local now:Int = MilliSecs()
Local blob:TAnimImage = TAnimImage.Load("gfx/stoneset0.png",32,64,0,32,FILTEREDIMAGE)
For Local a = 1 To 100
	Cls
	For Local b = 1 To 10000
		blob.Draw(Rand(0,640),Rand(0,480),20,40,Rand(0,31))
	Next
	Flip
Next
Print "End Memory " + MemAlloced()
Local time:Int = MilliSecs()-now
Print "Time Taken " + time
WaitKey()

PS. Show me the green!

 

Start really simple and make a nice pong game. That will get you using sprites/collisions/sound effects/scoring/input/menu system etc

Next you could try something like tetris, where you can then think about multiple levels (eg faster block spawn time), how you'll detect winning lines, removing those same lines etc Or create a space invaders clone. Basically anything that requires more complex game logic and multiple levels but doesn't really require a custom map maker.

After those you can start getting more complex with games that require a map maker (many many ways to do this, some simple some flexible and complex, its up to you) for example a breakout style game or pacman.

Most people will have created one of more of those game styles whilst learning, so you should be able to find lots of resources on the net to do with them. Whether you'll find blitz code or not, I don't know as I've never used it, but I'm sure someone somewhere has posted their code.

Final peice of advice. Don't get too hung up on finding "the best way" to do something. Any method that works is good enough for now. As you become more experienced you'll start to recognise areas of your code that are perhaps not as good as they could be, you'll also find it easier to see why someone else did something a different way to you. At which time you can start finding out better ways to do things without wasting time struggling to work out the best way when you don't yet know any ways.