Game Development

1:01 PM

How are you generating it anyway? Normalized cube vertices?

using a noise module stack, I get heightmap data that I map to a texture, at this scale its essentially just a perfect sphere

as the scale increases it will eventually just map to raw voxel data

I have deliberately broken up the sphere in to square faces to help later with my approach

It basically boils down me getting a IVoxelContainerView from which I generate a mesh :)

Kevin van der Velden

I see no evidence of square faces? =p

Wardy

yeh im not cube mapping

Kevin van der Velden

That's the kind of distortion you get with square faces

That's nothing to do with cube mapping

This is pure mesh generation

iquilezles.org/www/articles/patchedsphere/patchedsphere.htm

Wardy

thats basically it :) (at this scale)

user92578

1:15 PM

Ouch: pastebin.com/fYASngky

Wardy

good case for generics right there

user92578

what do you mean?

Wardy

not sure I know enough about what this code is doing

usually where I end up a in switch based on type I just write a generic method to handle the scenario

user92578

That's code that writes properties of trigger actions to the level file

user92578

I modify the actions inside the editor, and store the value in an union

Wardy

1:21 PM

var result = SomeGenericMethod<T>(params);

user92578

Then that code I posted translates the value in the union into a string that can be written to the file

Wardy

what's up with using ToString()

hmmm it's c++

user92578

yes

user92578

and it's an union

Wardy

if it was me I would do something like ...

var resultString = Serialiser.Serialise(someObject);

then write an object serialiser to output my format

user92578

1:23 PM

well that's pretty much just wrapping my code into a serializer class

user92578

I don't have any fancy stuff to use

user92578

<Trigger name="Trigger" x="5" y="16" w="4" h="3">
	<Action type="ACTION_SPAWN">
		<Property name="Count" value="10"/>
		<Property name="Position" value="1.000000;0.000000"/>
		<Property name="OffsetX" value="1.000000"/>
		<Property name="OffsetY" value="0.000000"/>
		<Property name="EntityType" value="ENTITY_TRUCK"/>
		<Property name="ParachuteOn" value="1"/>
	</Action>
</Trigger>

user92578

So that results in this getting written

user92578

I will then probably just parse those values into a String, String map

user92578

And use the factory pattern to create the action based on the data

user92578

1:26 PM

Hmm I might have to also save the property type

user92578

Man this stuff is complex

user92578

also my level files are 20000 lines long xD

user92578

Might have to compress this stuff

user92578

or, well

user92578

probably not

Wardy

1:29 PM

so then you would have ...
string Serialize<T>(T objectToSerialise) {
     if(typeof(objectToSerialise) == typeof(string) || typeof(objectToSerialise).IsValueType())
    {
         return "<Property ... value=" + objectToSerlize.ToString() ...;
    }
    else {
        var properties = GetProperties(objectToSerlialise);
        foreach(var property in properties)
               var propResult = Serialise(property);
    }
}

and so on

obviously thats not a whole solution but you see where its going right

probably broken to all hell lol

user92578

Well, that really is just my code wrapper in a layer

user92578

Because basically my switch just implements ".ToString()"

Wardy

do you not get ToString out of the box with c++ ?

Lasse

no

Wardy

can you not just do anyObject.ToString() ?

user92578

1:32 PM

No

Wardy

wow what an evil language

Lasse

there is no class "Object" that everything inherits from in C++

user92578

lol

Wardy

I feel your pain

Lasse

And can you believe it; not everything is passed by reference by default in C++ :O

user92578

1:33 PM

@Wardy thanks :)

user92578

It's just a matter of hiding this code behind some abstraction layer I guess

Wardy

c++ imo is a very flexible language but doesn't seem to be a very helpful language

user92578

But ToString() still wouldn't solve the problem, as I'm using an union

Wardy

I can you not implement ToString globally without creating some base object?

Lasse

it's very old language with a lot of stupid boiler plate things, like that header #ifndef FOOBAR stuff

Wardy

1:34 PM

that's why we have yield in c#

user92578

@Wardy I could, but run-time type detection is a mess

user92578

And I would still have to hard code the translating

Wardy

IEnumberable<string> SerialisePropertiesOf<T>(T obj)
{
       foreach(var p in GetProperties(obj))
          yield return "<Property ... value=" + p.ToString();
}

that would give you back the property array

as strings

user92578

What's "GetProperties()"?

user92578

Reflection?

Lasse

1:36 PM

no properties in C++

user92578

^

Wardy

its my way of saying "whatever in your context for the object you define as a property element from the object that you need to iterate over"

having ToString() in c# is massively helpful

user92578

Sure

user92578

But I need to switch to access the right element

user92578

Because I use an union to save memory

Wardy

1:38 PM

the right element?

surely its just a collection of object fields that you are turning in to a collection of strings

then putting some wrapper around

to produce your final block of xml

user92578

actually I don't use an union it seems

user92578

pastebin.com/DignFVTn

user92578

That's what a single property inside an action looks

user92578

Well in the editor layer that is

Wardy

do you only serialise value types then?

user92578

1:40 PM

<CLevelTriggerAction>
	<Property type="int" name="Count" display="Count" value="1"/>
	<Property type="vector" name="Position" display="Position" value="1;0"/>
	<Property type="float" name="OffsetX" display="Offset X" value="0"/>
	<Property type="float" name="OffsetY" display="Offset Y" value="0"/>
	<Property type="entity_type" name="EntityType" display="Entity Type" value="ENTITY_ENEMY"/>
	<Property type="bool" name="ParachuteOn" display="Parachute" value="1"/>
</CLevelTriggerAction>

user92578

I use XML files like this to define single actions

user92578

So that the editor knows what properties to display

user92578

I load those files, and the initial values to an action

Wardy

So you have a TriggerAction class right?

user92578

Yeah

Wardy

1:41 PM

hows that look?

user92578

struct SLevelEditorTriggerAction
{
	// Stores the action type.
	ELevelTriggerActionType m_ActionType;
	// Stores the action data.
	CLevelTriggerActionData* m_ActionData;
};

user92578

That's in the editor layer

Wardy

so the data is ... a dictionary?

Jon

user92578

CLevelTriggerActionData is a dictionary of TLevelTriggerActionProperties

user92578

1:42 PM

Which is shown in the pastebin above

Wardy

ah ok

user92578

Then when I actually load the level into the gameplay mode, I would use a factory and translate those saved properties into members of an action class

Wardy

TLevelTriggerActionProperties ... if you implement ToString on that class

user92578

So that the layer where the actual action code is located is decoupled from the saving and loading

user92578

@Wardy Yeah I was actually just thinking about that

Wardy

1:43 PM

then implement to string on trigger action to call tostring on each property and then wrap that in a trigger element

be nice and simple right?

user92578

Actually I'll just implement ToString() on the property class

user92578

And do the looping in the writer

Wardy

you could do the looping in ToString in the TriggerAction class

then return a single Trigger action element with the children by simply callingtriggerAction.ToString()

user92578

Sure, but I find it cleaner if all the writing happens at one place

user92578

(Also because of the weird rapidxml element ownerships)

Wardy

1:45 PM

well the writing would

presumably you would have some serialiser that comes along and does this for a ocllection of trigger actions right?

user92578

Yeah, the writer class loops over all the triggers in the level, then all the actions inside the trigger, and then all the properties inside the action

user92578

Neat and straightforward

Wardy

var stuff = SomeCollectionOfTriggerActions;
string result = Serialise(stuff);

and that could then simply do ...

var result = new String();
foreach(var ta in stuff)
   {
      result += ta.ToString();
   }
   return result;
}

makes the code clean :)

user92578

well that's now just a matter of splitting my code into smaller methods

user92578

Which gets messy really quickly because I always need a pointer to the xml document when I create a new element or attribute

user92578

1:50 PM

So the writing/serializing process has to happen close to the document creation

user92578

But I appreciate the help a lot, thanks

Wardy

hmmm ok

user92578

That's the current part of writing: pastebin.com/gGbLFScC

Wardy

Seriously though I would try and go for a generic model so as not to add too much overhead

user92578

That's surely something that would be nice to have, but I'm doing this in C++

user92578

1:52 PM

So that's not something that can be done very easily

Wardy

I guess you could have a TriggerSerialiser and a ActionSerialiser

then you can separate the code that way

user92578

Well true

user92578

Yeah, that's actually kinda good idea

user92578

I'll make a TODO comment of it now, I want to move to loading now

user92578

:)

Wardy

1:53 PM

niiice :)

user92578

// TODO: The translation process of different classes to XML elements could be split to separate classes:
	// CLevelEditorSerializerTileLayer, CLevelEditorSerializerEntity, CLevelEditorSerializerTrigger, CLevelEditorSerializerTriggerAction...

user92578

Thanks

user92578

So for loading I need to first load the template data from the separate XML files

user92578

And then apply the values from the level file ontop of that

user92578

And then I can move onto the Trigger/TriggerActionFactories

Wardy

2:24 PM

:)

awesome

Wardy

2:43 PM

anyone know a cheap / easy trick for debug rendering normals for a mesh in unity?

user92578

I've had my mouse for like 4 years now, I bought it for 5e from my friend

user92578

Razer SC2

user92578

I just learnt that I can change the colors on it

Wardy

5e?

user92578

yeah

user92578

2:44 PM

eating brb

user92578

3:11 PM

Now I just need a keyboard with red backlighting

user92578

I've got a headset with red cushions, USB speakers with red speaker rings, and now the red mouse lighting

Jon

3:44 PM

Shen Ruki

sprites

I'm calling it Fall of Rome

Jon

I call it derp wizzerd

=P

the king

[Levitation]

3:55 PM

not very good with this wacom but its fun

2 minute sketches

Shen Ruki

you draw fast to learn without conscious awareness. when you draw slower you can reach contours that are impossible with speed drawing. good practice though.

Jon

oh yeah, i just like sketching

Shen Ruki

it's fun

Jon

Shen Ruki

lol

exa.unicen.edu.ar/escuelapav/cursos/bio/l7.pdf

for artificial intelligence

Lokkij

4:18 PM

Oh dear.

Shen Ruki

Jon

Kinda tablet u got?

Shen Ruki

intuos

wacom

Kevin van der Velden

4:45 PM

I like how the "Should we split the site chat" meta hasn't actually received an answer from the person that proposed doing it ( CC @AlecTeal in case it's a matter of not being aware of it)

Wardy

ok now im confused

this guy asks a question about how to uv map stuff from his atlas

I give him a complete solution to writing a texture atlas wrapper for unity and he tells me he cant put his atlas in ram

if he can't put it in ram how the hell can his gpu code work on it?

0

A: Tiling atlas textures correctly with a custom shader in Unity

I took a different approach and created a texture atlas on the cpu, from there UV mapping was just like normal UV mapping all I had to do was assign a texture to the vertex info from my atlas ... My scenario is a custom voxel engine that can handle anything from minecraft to rendering voxel base...

or am i missing something here?

Alec Teal

5:04 PM

@KevinvanderVelden I cannot post also I didn't want a meta post about it.

Kevin van der Velden

@AlecTeal oh suspended. And why didn't you want a meta post about it?

Alec Teal

@KevinvanderVelden because I've seen the user base for this chatroom, and can only assume it's the group that visits the meta and didn't want that crap spilling out of here.

Kevin van der Velden

There's way more people visiting meta than chat

Which is actually kinda a reason against going to meta because... it's not people that actually use this chat

Alec Teal

Either way, I do not "endorse" the meta discussion, I don't want to "split the chat" please do not think I do.

I also REALLY want Almo to stay in this chatroom too.

Kevin van der Velden

Well he'd go to the other chatroom

The social one

Alec Teal

5:10 PM

One hopes.

So yes, @KevinvanderVelden if you could put a comment saying the "suggesting user" deems it as clickbait, doesn't endorse it, nor wants to "split" the current chat. That'd be great.

Slereah

Hello

Alec Teal

Yeah it really doesn't convey enough how separate from the main chat I want it to be. You guys can keep this as is. I don't want transfer.

Kevin van der Velden

@Slereah \o

Slereah

found out some more problems with my sprite engine, hurray

Sprites weren't animating while moving because I reinitialized them every step :p

Kevin van der Velden

Heh, oops

Slereah

5:17 PM

Because of that "decide what sprite to use for which direction" thing just put in a new animation each time

So rolled back to frame 0

Alec Teal

So yes, just to reiterate, please don't split the site chat. You lot; stay!

Kevin van der Velden

Oh don't worry, the no answer has 5 votes and no opposing viewpoint has been presented, I don't think it's gonna go through =p

@Slereah time for some logic of "If curDir == oldDir: do nothing"

Alec Teal

Also I wouldn't say that the majority of you lot, the meta, the site's visitors are ... it's not "aimed" at you guys, if that makes sense. Which is why I declined putting it on the meta, twice.

Slereah

@KevinvanderVelden : Pretty much yeah

Or just "if same sprite as old sprite don't do a thing"

I dunno

Also currently the path finding doesn't do anything if I click on a collision type tile, which is what I wanted, but it's a bit strict

Is there a good heuristic to decide what tile to go to in those cases?

I guess checking the closest tiles to the user to see if they're reachable?

Alec Teal

@KevinvanderVelden just as an example, this topic right now. That should stay here.

Kevin van der Velden

5:23 PM

@Slereah the most common heuristic to my knowledge is the "Play a sound so the user knows they were dumb" heuristic

Lasse

@AlecTeal Everything should stay here. If it didn't, this chat would become way less interesting and people would go away. I'd prefer more people coming in

Alec Teal

@Lasse I will agree to a slightly different statement: "everything that has happened in here, was best in here"

Also yes, people should come here first if anywhere, without like an invite or something.

Kevin van der Velden

Yes, if there were more highlevel discussions going on then a discussion about the basics of pointers could move to a different room, on an as needed basis. Making a room is trivial here =p

Slereah

@KevinvanderVelden So should it be a trumpet or a horn???

(heheh)

Alec Teal

No, the basics of pointers, that's also in here.

Kevin van der Velden

5:26 PM

@Slereah vuvuzela

Alec Teal

As I said, what goes on in here, you can totally keep in here. I don't want to split anything.

So @Lasse if you're just starting out and the things that stump people in her are useful to you, THIS is the room for you, and I don't seek to change that. Honestly, I'm not trying to sift on/off topic in here.

Lasse

I've been programming for almost 20 years, of which 1,5 years making games professionally

Shen Ruki

awesome.

Alec Teal

I'm not looking for credentials, I need to BRB now.

Lasse

This chat is a place for me to socialize

Alec Teal

5:30 PM

Yeah, see, I want that here.

Lasse

Then I don't understand this: chat.stackexchange.com/rooms/29410/conversation/…

Alec Teal

@Noctrine if you could remove the meta post or something that'd be great.

@Lasse I don't want to convince you. Honestly.

Lasse

You don't have to

Alec Teal

I declined a meta post twice ( @Noctrine if you could delete that that'd be great) I don't want to split. If you come for light/casual chat, and are happy here PLEASE do not come across.

Not trying to split you guys up

Kevin van der Velden

So what are you trying to make? =p

Alec Teal

5:33 PM

@KevinvanderVelden I'm not entirely sure, this is why I didn't post to the meta, or advertise at all. I am annoyed that @JoshPetrie did.

I was talking with Arantor (or something) for a bit, but we've switched to email for now. I haven't been "recruiting" any others because of my suspension.

If you could star some of those messages (or comment on the meta that it is not my intention - or simply tell others later) that the meta post is nothing to do with me, nor the room I've named "Game Tech & Internal" nor conveys what I had hoped or wanted for it, great.

Kevin van der Velden

@AlecTeal I think that message is the clearest, otherwise I'd have to star half a dozen which is annyoing to read =p

Alec Teal

Thanks, and sorry you found out this way

Kevin van der Velden

Sorry for what? I see nothing you've done wrong

Alec Teal

@KevinvanderVelden if you could put a comment (a link to that maybe) on the meta post that'd be great. It really isn't intended to siphon off any of this chat. The only answer so far is from someone I'd probably want to block for talking. It isn't intended as a "general chat" - you know just an on topic version of this.

Lasse

I bet there has been some kind of misunderstanding then, which is always confusing for everyone

Alec Teal

5:48 PM

@Lasse TBH, last time when no one had spoke for for 24 hours and 3 minutes the person who posted the meta post froze the room. I had to get a community mod to unfreeze it. I think this meta thing (which he suggested in a chat called "On a second chat" or something) is an excuse to close it when you guys vote as you have already for what he's presented it as.

If you actually read the chat I mentioned, you'll see I DO NOT want to split this chat. I didn't want to post to the meta either (at least until I got a better feel for what it was becoming) - I was hoping it'd just sort of develop.

Kevin van der Velden

That was a weird flag

Danu

@KevinvanderVelden Indeed.

Alec Teal

Mountain out of a molehill really, I started a chatroom and it's apparently a big deal. (What got flagged?)

Lasse

flag? lol who flagged what?

Kevin van der Velden

15 hours ago, by Josh Petrie

Should we split the site chat? http://meta.gamedev.stackexchange.com/questions/2019/should-we-split-the-chat-in‌to-on-and-off-topic-rooms

Dunno who (flags are anonymous) but that

Lasse

5:52 PM

yeah that's not what flags are for

It's not a big deal for me, I just saw the question on meta and responded to that. I know nothing else about the whole thing

You don't have to defend it to me @AlecTeal

Alec Teal

So to sum up! (I have to go) I don't want to make a big deal out of clicking the "create new channel" button. I don't want to submit a formal proposal, I don't want to split stuff off from this chat room. If we could stop making a big deal out of it, that'd be great. Also I really sense this is an excuse to freeze that room again... Josh please don't.

Kevin van der Velden

@Lasse Btw, regarding your comment: You don't have to keep multiple rooms open, there's this "Other rooms you're in" thing (Though I typically have 3 tabs open)

@AlecTeal I doubt josh will do that, do note that rooms get automatically frozen for lack of activity =p

Alec Teal

He did. I had to get a community mod to reverse it.

Lasse

@KevinvanderVelden yeah, I know. I think it does not work really well as I have to close this chat to get to the other one and it's slow changing chats that way. Other way could be to open both chats up at once in different tabs, but that's taking up tab space.

Alec Teal

Also 24 hours isn't the threshold.

Kevin van der Velden

5:55 PM

@AlecTeal I'm aware, I meant more like, again

@Lasse yeah the speed thing is an issue

Alec Teal

I really do think though that the meta post will be used to try and freeze it again. Why can't he just leave me to it!

Kevin van der Velden

Because he sees it as splitting the community, which is a bad thing =p

Lasse

To me it seems more like a subreddit