Game Development

Oliver Schöning

01:30

I have to do a lot of looping through a "3d" array in javascript Array of Array of Array...
Really gotta improve my script, this stuff is a bit heavy in Javascript

BaSha

06:38

hi..
for (b2Body* b = world->GetBodyList(); b; b = b->GetNext())
{

if (b && b->GetUserData() != NULL) {
//Synchronize the AtlasSprites position and rotation with the corresponding body
CCSprite *myActor = (CCSprite*)b->GetUserData();
if(myActor.tag==4) {

destination = CGPointMake(b->GetPosition().x*PTM_RATIO, b->GetPosition().y*PTM_RATIO);
}

}
}

in this loop i had to free 'b' ?

or it's freed as its scope finishes?

there is no GC

snake5

07:07

no and no

pls reread the "pointers" chapter of whatever C++ book you have

Oliver Schöning

10:47

ffs .. Why isnt this working?

snipt.org/zgog7

Even just a loop that is inside the socket connect doesnt work.. always logging NaN

Chunk-e-Yamani

@OliverSchöning maybe you should first initialize HP.hunde

Oliver Schöning

How? Why? It gives the same error even if I do not push an array but just a single element: HP.hunde.push(ID) gives NaN
Could you explain?

@Chunk-e-Yamani

Chunk-e-Yamani

I'm not familiar with JS,

but I think you should write something like HP.hunde = []; in the first line

Oliver Schöning

Hm.. but that would probably clear the existing objects inside it.. I think I gotta post a question about it.

snake5

11:03

I don't see any initialization code there

which leads me to thinking that there might be more code somewhere dealing with that object

that'd mean the bug is somewhere else

Oliver Schöning

But:

HP.hunde.push(myID);
Gives NaN. Is that normal? Or some error somewhere?

Ok, mb I found the error

snake5

if myID is NaN, yes

Oliver Schöning

@snake5 Yes, was one of my typical errors. It's hard to assign a value to a NaN variable.

Still.. this is hard if I am not sure about every part of the syntax and quirks

snake5

programming is hard

there is no way that could ever be changed

Oliver Schöning

I read on coding horror at some point that after 4-5 years you dont get better, your style and attitude towards programming. Makes me a bit anxious because there is SO MUCH to learn for me

coding horror = a blog

snake5

11:12

I'm at the "after 4-5 years" stage and I still find new things to learn

so it can't be true

I remember something similar but about 10000 hours - some say it's the time it takes for someone to become proficient at any task.

Oliver Schöning

I should rephrase it. You do not become a "better" programmer at that point I think it says. If you are a sloppy code monkey, you stay one. Bill gates or similar was quoted on that too.

Brains - learn from mistakes, repeat. We arent computers ^^*

snake5

I'd like to see the source :P

Oliver Schöning

Looking

Must be this one

codinghorror.com/blog/2007/01/… @snake5

snake5

yeah, that's not what it says

Oliver Schöning

enlighten me. The quote seems to say you get put into your box after a few years. Like an athlete.

snake5

11:18

it's not that good programmers do not become better, it's that bad programmers don't suddenly become good after that time

Oliver Schöning

Yeah :) But I am pretty sure I am a bad programmer. So that is stressing me slightly

snake5

and keep in mind that it's just a generalization - all sorts of things are just ignored

most importantly, the time spent on programming

good programmers spend a lot of time on it from the very beginning, it becomes their lifestyle

bad programmers spend most of their free time on other things, it's what they're used to doing and will most likely never change

Oliver Schöning

I think interest is more important then overall time spent on it. (Although you obviously spent more time if you are interested* But I can't achive anything besides those things I have interest in

snake5

yeah, interest determines the amount of time you spend

Oliver Schöning

Sigh.. doesnt help that I appear to get dumber :) It's fun though. I finally stopped wanting to programm and actually started on a project. And I have learned quite a bit this way that I hadnt in some months just reading some articles once in a while.

ClassicThunder

17:16

Why does dream spark have vs 2008 and vs 2012 but not vs 2010 :/

snake5

gamedev.stackexchange.com/questions/50476/… - first he's clueless and then he answers his own question or something? :D

@ClassicThunder what's wrong with Express?

ClassicThunder

It can't run plugins

I like my having resharper and a spellchecker

John McDonald

++

snake5

spellchecker? 0.o

John McDonald

Yeah, you don't have one?

snake5

17:24

and having tried code refucktoring tools before, I'd say I wouldn't touch them with a 10-foot pole

@JohnMcDonald no and I disable any that I see ASAP

spellcheckers are dumb

John McDonald

So are computers

snake5

quite literally so

exactly

can't trust computers to do a man's job

ClassicThunder

yeah refactoring tools such I like resharper for the navigation tools and error checking

snake5

if I want to name a variable one way, I don't want any damn computer telling me it's the "wrong" way

ClassicThunder

you can program in what the right way to name variables

just helps you stay consistent

snake5

17:27

@ClassicThunder if I want to name my variable "qufsc", I will do just that

I don't need any tool telling me that it's grammatically incorrect or something

I'm aware of that myself

I wrote it :D

John McDonald

It only spell-checks comments

and strings

ClassicThunder

anyways the code navigation features alone makes resharper worth it to me VS lags behind worth IntelliJ and Eclispe in that regard

snake5

still kind of dumb

if I want to reference my "qufsc" in a comment, I'd be out of luck

John McDonald

so you'd rather make alot of spelling mistakes?

snake5

@JohnMcDonald surprisingly I haven't made any

ClassicThunder

17:29

actually it adds all variables to the dictionary

so kinda smart :D

snake5

the "surprisingly" part was somewhat sarcastic, btw

John McDonald

Doesn't mean you can't purposely make a misspelling

snake5

@ClassicThunder what if "qufsc" is an abbreviation for some item name and I want a lot of qufsces?

John McDonald

Add it to the dictionary

ClassicThunder

not sure never tried that

John McDonald

17:30

or the "Abbreviation List"

snake5

@JohnMcDonald why the hell would I ever want to do that?

it's not a word

ClassicThunder

most of my variable names actually make snense though

snake5

and I'm not here to manage my own dictionary or something

John McDonald

@snake5 They why use it?

snake5

I write code, that's what I get paid to do

ClassicThunder

17:31

no need to abbreviate things with auto complete

John McDonald

Come up with a real scenario

snake5

@JohnMcDonald I don't

ClassicThunder

just write out the name

snake5

@JohnMcDonald it's quite real, just usually less extreme

tools don't care

@ClassicThunder not interested

ClassicThunder

lol not trying to sell you anything

John McDonald

17:32

You can't say "What about this madeup word?" then say that it's not something you'd add to a dictionary or abbreviation list. If it's not one of those, then why are you using it?

snake5

I make things shorter because they're a pain in the fingers to type otherwise

@JohnMcDonald what I meant is that I don't want to manage my own dictionary or some crap like that

ClassicThunder

pretty sure it takes about 5 letters + tab to write something about 60 characters long

John McDonald

Then why are you arguing. You're just going to disable the useful feature anyway

snake5

@ClassicThunder way to go to make code unreadable

ClassicThunder

lol abbreviations are more readable then writing the words out

k

snake5

17:34

@JohnMcDonald I'm saying that spellchecker is useless and takes more time to use than it saves

John McDonald

@snake5 He's talking about dot complete

snake5

@JohnMcDonald I'm talking about his "60 character variable names"

doesn't make sense to use such

John McDonald

I disagree, and I'd rather have my spelling checked than look like a moron

@snake5 Why not?

ClassicThunder

the point is you type any variable already in existence in about 5 button presses

regardless of that words lenght

so abbreviations are pointless

snake5

@JohnMcDonald because it takes more time to write, it adds noise to code, takes up valuable screen space, requires split expressions etc.

@ClassicThunder apparently I forgot who I'm arguing with

John McDonald

17:36

More time to write, no, but more time to read, sure. Screen space, sure

But clearer

snake5

to who?

John McDonald

To everyone?

snake5

not really

verbose names are same as comments - they can easily get outdated and misleading

John McDonald

Current developers won't have an issue, but leave it 6 months and even the current developers (you) will forget what "qufsc" means

snake5

haven't had that issue

John McDonald

17:38

That's because you're young

ClassicThunder

@snake5 how is that argument specific to verbose names?

John McDonald

QueueForSellingCoffee is easier than qufsc every day

snake5

@JohnMcDonald what if it stops being a queue?

John McDonald

Then you REFACTOR

:D

Bam

ClassicThunder

rename it and then hit a button that changes it for every occurrence

snake5

17:40

spending time on things that don't matter, nice :P

ClassicThunder

such a button exists in every ide I have used

snake5

it's much easier to associate more abstract things do data in mind

don't have to remap any time something changes

John McDonald

To rename takes seconds, but to change how it's used will take time no matter what you do

TreDubZedd

What we're all forgetting, here, is that snake writes perfect code every time, so there's no need to refactor. Ever.

7

ClassicThunder

Spending time to maintain code clarity doesn't matter? Have you worked on a large scale project with dozens of people? Its probably the single most important thing. All of your arguments ignore the importance of maintainability.

John McDonald

17:41

@TreDubZedd Oh yeah

snake5

@TreDubZedd heh, I didn't know that :D

TreDubZedd

That's because nobody has ever told you....

because you don't.

John McDonald

@ClassicThunder iirc, snake is ~22. So no

ClassicThunder

So am I :/

Cooped though so learned a ton there/

TreDubZedd

22 and arrogant (and unteachable) is different than 22 and willing to learn.

John McDonald

17:43

@ClassicThunder And you can honestly answer "yes"?

@ClassicThunder Ah, interesting

snake5

@ClassicThunder yes, I have

and the API matters, which is the part that I write really carefully

making names for variables before ironing out their usage patterns is like picking design patterns and writing code from them

John McDonald

"No battle plan survives contact with the enemy" - Colin Powell

but, it's better to have a plan. You should still anticipate change though

snake5

who's talking about a plan?

John McDonald

7 mins ago, by snake5

making names for variables before ironing out their usage patterns is like picking design patterns and writing code from them

snake5

ah, that

yeah

well, I do have plans

Almo

17:54

I name variables. Then if the names don't fit usage, I use "Refactor..."

snake5

but I do anticipate change as much as possible

the way I make variable names is one part of that

John McDonald

@Almo exactly

Almo

ok back to the iOS project gotta fix up the color-select menu

Jimmy

18:22

I like short-ish variable names for locals

it's easier to read for me when there's less letters or something. The shape of the code stands out more.

snake5

18:41

@Jimmy that was one of my arguments, which apparently was skipped :P

not in the same words but yeah, easier to skim code

visDEVion

19:00

how do i calculate a normal for a vertex of a triangle?

Benjamin Danger Johnson

just one triangle?

Almo

cross product of two of the vectors that make the triangle

Benjamin Danger Johnson

that should give you the normal of the triangle face

if you want the normal of a vertex

you need to get the average of the normals for all triangles it is part of

visDEVion

i want to set normals for each vertex of a generated surface

Benjamin Danger Johnson

okay, well you are going to need to calculate the normals for all faces on the surface, then use those values on the vertices they apply to.

visDEVion

19:05

okay

so i just pick two vertices of a triangle, make a cross product of theyr position, and i get the normal of the triangle?

Benjamin Danger Johnson

opengl.org/wiki/Calculating_a_Surface_Normal

to summarize:
Nx = UyVz - UzVy
Ny = UzVx - UxVz
Nz = UxVy - UyVx

where U = triangle point 2 - triangle point 1 and V = triangle point 3 - triangle point 1

snake5

@visDEVion two edge direction vectors

ClassicThunder

lol I'm trying to write a email to a company telling them that I really like their offer but need 2 weeks to make a decisions to follow up with other opportunities.

And it keeps sounding like a break up letter when I read it in my head.

I suck at this.

Benjamin Danger Johnson

they all sound that way. Just make sure they know you want to stay friends

ClassicThunder

Just trying to get away from the tone of "your awesome but..."

snake5

19:13

@ClassicThunder yeah, that'd sound like "f**k off" to me :P

Benjamin Danger Johnson

well, tell them that it's not them, it's you

snake5

what I'd write instead is "at this point I cannot give a definite answer" or something like that

@BenjaminDangerJohnson that's what all break up letters look like :D

Benjamin Danger Johnson

that's pretty much what a defferal letter is

snake5

anyway, I'd also add something along the lines of "it'd be cool if you can wait until I decide but I will understand if you can't"

people like respect

Almo

I've told employers I needed time to decide

Benjamin Danger Johnson

19:16

but yeah, more seriously, you can just tell them that you are still in the interview process at a few other companies and that you would like to take some time to finish the interview process with them.

Almo

if they're pressuring you then there's a problem

snake5

sometimes even more so than friendliness

yeah

I'm also pretty sure it won't be the first time they get an answer like that

Jimmy

2 weeks should be reasonable

Benjamin Danger Johnson

what is the company?

ClassicThunder

yeah 2 weeks is right when I should be finishing up with the other companies

ClassicThunder

19:41

Thanks guys I think I managed to write it where the needing to hold of a bit doesn't have the tone of a reservation but that of a nessesity

ToddersLegrande

Yay for job offers though :D

ClassicThunder

Thanks the summer internship hunt is actually going pretty well. People must like the coop experience because my grades are pretty average.

ToddersLegrande

I think internships / coops are great for companies. Try out a student as an "employee" at a reduced rate. If it turns out they are a good mesh for the company it can turn into full time employment. Win for both parties

If it turns out to not have been a good fit for the company then they part ways. Student got experience and the company got work at a reduced rate. Win for both parties

ClassicThunder

I agree and time at my first coop taught me way more practical skills than my 4 years of university have. Working closely with people who are 20+ year veterans on an actual product is infinitely more informative than throwing shit together for a class.

ToddersLegrande

19:59

I wish I could actually get on some projects with bigger teams. Doing it by myself mostly just confirms that I'm doing it good enough and not helping me get better necessarily.

Sure I can get wiser to what worked and what didn't for a project and where I can improve. But yeah...

John McDonald

I feel the same way right now

ToddersLegrande

Time to start the Lonely Coders Club.

visDEVion

look

varying vec4 varyingColor;
varying vec3 varyingNormal;
varying vec4 varyingVertex;

void main() {
	vec3 vertexPosition = (gl_ModelViewMatrix * varyingVertex).xyz;
	vec3 surfaceNormal = normalize((gl_NormalMatrix * varyingNormal).xyz);
    vec3 lightDirection = normalize(gl_LightSource[0].position.xyz - vertexPosition);
    float diffuseLightIntensity = max(0, dot(surfaceNormal, lightDirection));
    gl_FragColor.rgb = diffuseLightIntensity * varyingColour.rgb;
    gl_FragColor += gl_LightModel.ambient;

this is a shader fragment program for opengl per pixel lighting

i'm new to this stuff

how can i change the lighting radius?

ClassicThunder

20:20

Actually I'm not sure what you mean by radius. How far the light can effect objects?

TreDubZedd

I think the float fspecular = pow(specular, gl_FrontMaterial.shininess); line is where you want to focus.

Jimmy

there's also no distance falloff that I can tell

you could scale the diffuseLightIntensity by 1/(distance-to-light), for example. Or, if you are gamma-correct, 1/(distance-to-light)^2

visDEVion

@ClassicThunder yes

@TreDubZedd that for specular lighting, i want to change the radius of diffuse

TreDubZedd

I wasn't aware diffuse lighting had a radius

maybe I'm thinking ambient

It looks like it's (supposed to be) directly related to the "diffuse reflectance" of the material

so...change the reflectance, change the radius.

pyopengl.sourceforge.net/context/tutorials/shader_5.xhtml

ClassicThunder

I swear windows 8 is basically windows 7 with the most retarded start button ever.

ToddersLegrande

20:36

Windows Key + Typing == the only start button I need. Working as needed since Windows Vista. Still works great in Windows 8

ClassicThunder

For some reason never bother to learn short cuts for windows. Know a whole lot of them for Linux (which I rarely use) but not the OS I use every day.

ToddersLegrande

In Windows Vista and Windows 7 there is a big ol textbox in plain view in the start menu. Not much of a hidden shortcut ;)

A little more hidden in 8 (you have to start typing for it to appear) but yeah

And I don't know about you, but I don't carefully aim my mouse in the middle of the start button. I just force my mouse into the corner. So the hidden location has not impaired my ability to press the button at all

ClassicThunder

20:53

Oh yeah the the search bar. I took the + to mean at the same time so holding the windows key and pressing a hot key.

Like I know windows + Q jumps to search apps. But that is the only one I have memorized.

John McDonald

heh, Win+Q brings up Lync for me

Win+E and Win+R are the two I use most frequently

and Win+L

Explorer, Run, and Lock respectively

ToddersLegrande

Win+R (this is quickly dying for me), Win+L and Win+D would be my top 3

Win+E is getting there though

John McDonald

I never use my desktop

ToddersLegrande

I tend to get lost in windows (Don't ask because I have no clue) so Win+D is my panic "hide all the things" button

melak47

Win+D is also the magic "ew ew ew ew metro" shortcut :)

John McDonald

21:02

hah

ToddersLegrande

21:14

@melak47 I'll admit I'm guilty of that once in a while

Alt+Shift+Esc I have discovered does the same thing and ONLY minimizes metro instead of all the things

Thats a lot of keys though

TreDubZedd

I use ctrl-shift-esc all too often...

...turns out the software I'm helping to develop isn't what you'd call "stable"

ToddersLegrande

Oh yeah thats a good one too

I usually do it for performance monitoring reasons though

TreDubZedd

Ah, right...yes... that's what I use it for...

John McDonald

23:37

Bah, I'm trying to find an article posted here a while back. Something along the lines of a designer added a duck to this princess animation because he knew that his super needed to feel important by being critical

melak47

I read that. but I can't remember where :/

John McDonald

It's not called rubber ducking or duck typing, but there's a name for it, right?

A decoy

Man, we mention "duck" a lot in here

melak47

lol

John McDonald

"not for ducks, they have webbed feet"
"ducks don't use power lines"
"ducks are smart :) "
"Mmm, stuffed duck. Tasty. "
"Round, orange-y pink duck. "
"I wish I had a duck. :) "

43 pages of that

Jimmy

23:56

I see it on the QA sites somewhat frequently

maybe programmers.SE?

don't know if it was in chat

Almo

That was Battle Chess with the duck

put the duck into the queen's anim

but in a way easy to remove

gave his producer the thing to say "it's great but get rid of the duck" so they could have it exactly the way they wanted it

they knew the prod would try to change at least one thing

Transcript for