1. The best grafix engine for my project
Howdy folks,
Ok, I have evaluated DirectE.
It looks rather structurally restrictive.
You gotta put stuff in specific procecures like init, display, etc.
This is perfect for making graphics demos but I need to make a game;
complete with gui shell etc. DE also has its own DLL file so I think it
must be a wrapper of a wrapper. If I'm not mistaken, recent versions of
Euphoria do not require this setup for DLLs any more.
Really all I need is a 2D graphics engine. The project I'm working
on is going to be a tile/sprite based game. It should look a little like
Diablo(II), Arcanum, Fallout, etc. So I dont need Direct3D capability. I
just need fast 2D blitting capabilities with all the trimmings (such as
transparency, stretching, etc.).
Question: does Win32Lib have this capability? I know it has some
blitting routines. That would make doing the gui a lot easier but its
got to be fast (blitting) as I'm going to do alot of transblitting to
create 1 sprite. I'm using a compositing system where the arms, legs,
torso, and head of a character are all separate images so I need plenty
of speed.
Another option I have been thinking about is commissioning someone to
write me a graphics engine to my specifications. This is a last resort
as I can't offer a lot of money and can only pay by check.
Any suggestions?
LewyT
2. Re: The best grafix engine for my project
Lewis Townsend wrote:
>
>
>Howdy folks,
>
>Ok, I have evaluated DirectE.
>It looks rather structurally restrictive.
>You gotta put stuff in specific procecures like init, display, etc.
>This is perfect for making graphics demos but I need to make a game;
>complete with gui shell etc. DE also has its own DLL file so I think it
>must be a wrapper of a wrapper. If I'm not mistaken, recent versions of
>Euphoria do not require this setup for DLLs any more.
>
>Really all I need is a 2D graphics engine. The project I'm working
>on is going to be a tile/sprite based game. It should look a little like
>Diablo(II), Arcanum, Fallout, etc. So I dont need Direct3D capability. I
>just need fast 2D blitting capabilities with all the trimmings (such as
>transparency, stretching, etc.).
>
>Question: does Win32Lib have this capability? I know it has some
>blitting routines. That would make doing the gui a lot easier but its
>got to be fast (blitting) as I'm going to do alot of transblitting to
>create 1 sprite. I'm using a compositing system where the arms, legs,
>torso, and head of a character are all separate images so I need plenty
>of speed.
>
>Another option I have been thinking about is commissioning someone to
>write me a graphics engine to my specifications. This is a last resort
>as I can't offer a lot of money and can only pay by check.
>
>
I have for the longest time desired something good and fast (and easy to
use) that would be cross-platform. I always seem to get back to OpenGL,
but haven't really had time to delve into it (something always comes up
when I'm in the midst of a project). Anyway, somebody just uploaded an
OpenGL framework wrapper (GLFW) to the user contributions page. Check
out the demos and let me know what you think. I don't know what its
capabilities are in regard to sprites 'n' stuff.
If you do ultimately decide to have someone write a graphics engine to
your specs, let us know because 1) I'm willing to help get that done,
and 2) I'm sure there are many others on this list who could chip in to
get that done as well. :)
-ck
3. Re: The best grafix engine for my project
This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
--------------060509000206060709040903
Lewis Townsend wrote:
> Really all I need is a 2D graphics engine. The project I'm working
> on is going to be a tile/sprite based game. It should look a little
> like Diablo(II), Arcanum, Fallout, etc. So I dont need Direct3D
> capability. I just need fast 2D blitting capabilities with all the
> trimmings (such as transparency, stretching, etc.).
>
> Any suggestions?
>
>
Oh, 2D.
Okay, I have a suggestion for you: euAllegro. It's what I used to
proto-type my RoboGames game. Check out the attached screenshot. My
graphics are primative, but euAllegro made it very easy to do lots of 2D
work.
--------------060509000206060709040903
Content-Type: image/jpeg;
name="robogame.jpg"
4. Re: The best grafix engine for my project
Lewis Townsend wrote:
>That's the second vote I've heard for EuAllegro.
>The reason I passed over it in my initial scan for gfx libs is because
>its a wrapper of a wrapper. Allegro wraps DX and EuAllegro wraps
>Allegro. But since it's obviously so popular I'll check into it.
>
>
Well, I'm sure it's fast enough for your 2D needs. Check out some of
Ray's demo games.
The other graphics package I'm impressed with is mic's OpenGL stuff. If
only I had more time!!! :/
>LewyT
>
>PS BTW CK if you used EuAllegro for a prototype what did you use for the
>end product?
>
>
My own specially created cross-platform graphics package. It works on
Windows, Linux/FreeBSD, and I've had limited success on MacOSX. I've
also got some primitives working with AmigaOS 4.x. Oh, it's not April 1
yet. Nevermind.
I'm "in the process" of converting the code so that I'll be able to
"plug-in" a graphics manager; that way, I should be able to easily port
it across platforms, etc., and I can use OpenGL, EUallegro, whatever...
Regardless, there is no end product as of this date. :)
-ck
5. Re: The best grafix engine for my project
Ray Smith wrote:
>
>
>Lewis Townsend wrote:
>
>
>>That's the second vote I've heard for EuAllegro.
>>The reason I passed over it in my initial scan for gfx libs is because
>>its a wrapper of a wrapper. Allegro wraps DX and EuAllegro wraps
>>Allegro. But since it's obviously so popular I'll check into it.
>>
>>
>I think putting the words "euAllegro" and "popular" in the same sentance
>is probably a little dangerous ;)
>
>
Hey, it's all relative, Ray... ;)
>Saying that I don't think there are many people around making games in
>Euphoria anymore.
>
>
Yeah, but I bet there are TONS who WANT to make games. :)
6. Re: The best grafix engine for my project
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ray Smith" <smithr at ix.net.au>
To: <EUforum at topica.com>
Subject: RE: The best grafix engine for my project
>
>
> Derek Parnell wrote:
>
> > If by "games" you mean ones with extensive graphic animations, I'd say
> > you a
> > correct.
>
> No, just games in general. There are a couple of people around doing
> some good stuff ... but considering the user base covers the whole
> world there isn't alot going on.
>
> > However, if the term "game" is expanded to include other forms of
> > computer games then you may not be so correct. I'm just putting the
> > finishing touches to a text-based RPG system that consists of a
> > 'compiler'
> > and 'runtime' engine for Role Playing Games that use text as the primary
> > display for users, rather than animated graphics.
>
> I have to say Derek, you are always full of surprises :)
I needed a break from Win32lib and my wife mentioned once how she missed the
'old-fashioned' computer games like "The Colossal Cave". I needed to experiment
with some text parsing and text compression ideas so I said 'what the heck'.
After a week of coding I got something which I'm fairly satisfied with. Euphoria
keeps surprising me by how fast it is to work with and to execute.
>
> > Actually the game system is finished and I'm 20-30% finished a demo game
> > for
> > it. It'll be sent to RDS in either three days or in 24 days (got some
> > vacation time coming up).
I just spent the day in Sydney today (on business) and while on the plane I
thought of a couple of tweaks I could make, so I hope I don't delay it too much.
> I'm on vacation after tomorrow as well. I have some non Euphoria
> projects in the works though.
> You might consider a visit to the national Linux convention in
> Adelaide next week.
> http://linux.conf.au
Thanks, but the family and I will be camping on the southern New South Wales
Coast (Morurya Heads).
--
Derek
