Programmers out there o/

[leonheart208]

Well I'm on a programming class and i need to make a project next year, I thought about making a ddr simulator (+ a wood pad ^^'), but i need help on the programming part, I don't even know how to start,can someone help me posting an idea on how can i start doing the basics of ddr?

Thanks o/

[Tokzic]

You might want to take on an easier project if you don't even know where to start.

[leonheart208]

Well its not like that.
It's like.. I've never worked with graphics or this kind of stuff. i just wanted to know how the basics are. so i can try to improve it.

[OrganisM]

What language are you using? If you don't even know how to make even simple apps, I'd recommend getting a book about it, like for example C++ For Dummies.

And by the way, there's absolutely no way you'll be able to program a game like FFR if you've never touched code before. There's so much you need to learn first.

[jecht3009046]

And don't try to write a graphic simulation in C++. Graphics + C++ = no.

[OrganisM]

I never said to code a game like FFR in C++. I was brining up a staple coding language.

If the guy wants to make a game like FFR, maybe he should use what the FFR devs did, and that's Flash. Most of that requires the GUI rather than pure hand-coding which is what you'll learn in a basic programming class anyways.

By the way, "graphics"? ROFFLE.

PS: Ever tried Visual Basic? D'oh.

[LLaMaSaUceYup]

Owned.

[leonheart208]

Well I'm no newbie on programming,after all i am ON the programming class... but Im no expert....
I can program VB.NET and a little of C++.... Is visual basic a good one to try?
Flash uses what language?Maybe I can try that out to.

...I just created this post to get a direction on my project, 'cause , like i said, i'm no newbie on programming but i've never done anything like that, i just don't know how to start ( for somebody who's only been making DB programs, arrays,procedures,and bla bla bla.....)

Thank you all for the help =]

[MRichards]

C++ can be used for graphics, but it's not the choice for a novice.

OrganisM's suggestion of Flash is sensible:
http://fgpwiki.corewatch.net/index.php/Main_Page

You might also want to look at the various "Game Creator" programs - some involve no programming and won't be useful, but others allow you to program a game very simply in Basic or Java, etc. I'm not familiar with any in particular, but this seems to be a good resource:
http://www.ambrosine.com/resource.html

Also look here:
http://gpwiki.org/index.php/Beginner_FAQ

For the record: currently, the vast majority of major commercial games are written in C++, using either the OpenGL or DirectX graphics libraries (or their console variants). Typically tool chains are in C++/C#, with C# creeping into more and more areas of development. Many games use scripting languages such as Lua, Python or similar, as well as other languages for specialist purposes. Assembly language (machine code) is sometimes used in the most performance critical sections.

[leonheart208]

I'll check that out, thanks.



I've already tried a few things but they didn't worked out... like... I was in VB and tried to make an algorithm to move an arrow 'till the top, and then verify if the user pressed the button "A" on the right time. I did 2 picture boxed named pb1 and pb2, the 1 is the receptor arrow and the 2 is the one moving.Then I put a button only for triggering the "move arrow":

At Button Press
for i=pb2.top to 0 step -1
pb2.top=i
end for

And then at the button-press-procedure
if e.keyvalue=keys.A then
if (pb2.top<pb1.bottom) and (pb2.top>pb1.top) then
msgbox("Good")
else
msgbox("Bad")
endif
endif

When i ran it the arrow worked fine, it went up, but that was only one arrow,imagine like... 1200 arrows to move like that, no deal...

And... when I press the A button, it gives me the message BAD even if i hit correctly.
If someone helped me with this start of moving arrows/verifying if the player pressed at the right time you will be helping me a TON.


Thanks o/

[MRichards]

Don't use a loop to move the arrow: while the loop is going round, the key press code won't be called. So your program isn't working because it only accepts key presses before the arrow moves and after it has gone off the top of the screen

In all games you need an Update procedure that is called periodically. In this procedure, you move the game objects by a single small step. This will make the objects move over time, but also allow other code (like key press code) to have a chance to run.

Here's a VB project that does just that. It uses a timer to call an update procedure, called the timer tick. Otherwise it works like your program (press 'A' key for up):
http://www.latent.demon.co.uk/downloads/VB-FFR1.zip

To have multiple arrows, you will need to use an array. Here's an extension of the above program showing the idea, plus a few other niceties:
http://www.latent.demon.co.uk/downloads/VB-FFR2.zip
If you can't understand this program then you need to try something simpler.

BTW: The programs were built in Visual Studio 2005, if you can't load them, then you'll just have to look at the .vb file to get the idea.

[leonheart208]

You can't imagine how much you helped me!
I didn't know this timer, now things will be much easier. Thank you, now i have the basics for the project, just need to figure out how to read a simfile and transform it into a stepchart...

But big thanks to you =]

[leonheart208]

I made the other arrows, but they lag too much... is it because the vector is always with 8 arrows to control? ( that'd be 32 arrows to control...)

And if it is? what's a good solution? I thought about creating the arrow when it's needed and when it is hit or passed from the border of the form, it'd be destructed. ( I tried to make this but i don't know how to destruct an arrow...)



Thanks o/

[MRichards]

Visual Basic is not the best solution for this, regardless of my demos - the lag / efficiency will be poor. If you want to improve on this then you need to look at the alternatives I offered you before. I'm glad I could help you, but you're on your own from here. Good luck...

[leonheart208]

It's OK you've already helped me so much!
I'll try flash... It'll be nice =]
Thanks to everybody o/