Introductions

[TheKeeper]

Heyla!

I had Game Maker 7 Pro, but due to real life obligations, I hadn't been able to do much, with it. Now, my interest in Game Maker has been rekindled, but because I don't want to purchase Game Maker 8.1, I decided to see if there was a file converter that will allow me to make use of examples and tutorials that made use of GM8 on GM7 Pro. That's how I came across Enigma/LateralGM.

It's an interesting program, though, and I have hopes of actually using both it and my copy of GM7 Pro (that is, once pro activation issues have been resolved). And since I've already come across some issues with installing Enigma, I figure I may as well make an account with the forum, as this very likely won't be the last time I may need help and advice.

Anyhow, that's about it. But before I end this post, I would like to extend my thanks to IsmAvatar and Josh @ Dreamland for taking the time to create something free for use for those who would love to one day make their game ideas a reality.

[IsmAvatar]

Welcome to the project. I hope we can help you resolve your installation issues. We've been having a few of them latetly, so we've been spending some time trying to improve the process so it goes more smoothly in the future. It's to be expected, since the project isn't really done yet. But it's still *very* usable. Many users have already created a good number of games and even submitted them to some Game Maker competitions.

[DarkAceZ]

I AM A BOT. U** BO*TS

[gringo]

Hi,

I just found this project last night while looking into a way to get GM running on linux either under wine or virtual box, when I came across a post mentioning LGM from my reading there I ended up here.

Must say I'm quite impressed with what you have achieved so far and would like to help out, managed to get everything downloaded and built this morning. However the two recommended test games die horribly and fail to compile, reading the output and the forum this would seem to have something to do with the sound system and your move to git, all of which I'm sure would be fixed soon.

That aside though I'd like to help out, I've had a look at the todo list and thought I'd start small and sort out the have a brain stuff, had a look in the source and it looks like a quickish set of tasks. For some of the more advanced stuff where knowledge of Enigma is required is there any sort of primer to get a new developer up to speed?

Gringo

[gringo]

In the progress no brainer section there is a requirement to branch some of the existing drawing function...

Branch the draw_SHAPE functions into sets of outline_SHAPE and fill_SHAPE functions to eliminate* `bool outline` (concerning SHELL/Graphics_Systems/OpenGL/GSstdraw.h). Alternative: draw_SHAPE_outline/draw_SHAPE_fill. (* Not really eliminate, just replace the need for. The outline argument would become optional)

Why not just wrap each of these instead, the function to draw is already there why not just introduce two new function that call the existing function with and without the optional arg?

either way this is pretty much done, having a look at the make files now.

Gringo

[TheExDeus]

I am still not sure why Josh wanted to branch these two functions. As far as I know he wanted three functions? Like one is the current one (for compatibility and ease of use) and then two functions that is FILL and OUTLINE. I don't see how that would really increase speed, as usually the difference between an outline and filled is just one If statement. So I don't think you should worry about that. You could try making some functions which are either missing for GM compatibility, or new functions which are not in GM but useful. I did most of the drawing stuff and I think ENIGMA is at the point it can be used very efficiently to make any game you could think of.

Also, what exactly were the problems that you couldn't run test games? If it just was the sound system and so on, then try setting Sound System to "None" in Enigma settings (via LGM) and then try again. Switch to GIT created so much chaos and no one is willing to fix anything. Windows, for example, is significantly broken. But someone will get around to it eventually.

edit: Also there is not much you need to get to speed. Just the loacations as there are a lot of useless folders. All of the drawing stuff (including all of the drawing functions) is in ENIGMAsystem\SHELL\Graphics_Systems\OpenGL.
ENIGMAsystem\SHELL\Universal_System has generic  multiplatform functions (like math, string, pathfinding, and resource functions).
ENIGMAsystem\SHELL\Platforms has platform specific functions. Like window functions as each platform can use different window system and the system calls and callbacks (keyboard and mouse) is different on different systems as well.

You can also check audio_system and collision_systems for audio and collision respectively. Though not really much to do there (mby adding polygon collision or pixel perfect collision?).

[gringo]

Hi HaRRiKiRi,

I've done some digging around today and done some things on the list, I've done all the drawing changes in the working brain section anyways as it was simple enough and why not get started on something. Just had a flick through the GM manual for version 8 and there are a few functions missing from the drawing function so it seams like a good place to start implementing things.

In my test run the whole openAL class seems foobared, i've tried setting the audio setting to none but to no avail. I'll play around later and see where I get. I would paste the error but for some reason Ubuntu won't let me copy paste from the progress console. Basically there is an error for every other line, not gone into it in any great detail.

If the git is broken is there another repo I can use to get a more up-to-date / working branch.

I was thinking (early days yet and my intention really is to make some games... eventually) that I may give pixel perfect collisions a crack, I had to do this in a python game engine for a project a while ago and I can probably rip the guts out of that.

I've attached the updated drawing files for now, I'll look to doing some work on the missing functions over the next day or sol and then look for something else todo.

EDIT I was going to attach files though it's either broken or I'm not allowed.

Gringo

[Josh @ Dreamland]

Hello, Gringo!

Do you have an account at GitHub? If you do, you can maintain your changes in a fork, and send us pull requests when you are ready to have them included.

What distribution are you on? OpenAL should work if you have it and ALURE installed.

Also, feel free to stop in at the IRC; we are #enigma on Freenode. There's a link to a webchat on the forum listing. We can help you get the audio worked out there.

[IsmAvatar]

I believe the split of the drawing functions was a decision made by myself and... I think polygone. Josh was largely uninvolved.

Branch the draw_SHAPE functions into sets of outline_SHAPE and fill_SHAPE functions to eliminate* `bool outline` (concerning SHELL/Graphics_Systems/OpenGL/GSstdraw.h). Alternative: draw_SHAPE_outline/draw_SHAPE_fill. (* Not really eliminate, just replace the need for. The outline argument would become optional)

Why not just wrap each of these instead, the function to draw is already there why not just introduce two new function that call the existing function with and without the optional arg?

Actually, if you read it carefully, I think this is exactly what we were proposing.

[gringo]

Hey guys,

Josh: I'm running ubuntu 10.04 32 bit, I'll check I have openAL and allure installed, tbh I've not had chance to play today. The drawind stuff has all been done and I've had a further poke around the src to get used to finding my way around.

I may have a crack at either the particles or the pixel perfect collisions, are these best done as an extension or going else where? Both are for purely selfish reasons.

ism:

This is what I went ahead and did any way, I noticed that a member TGMG (I think that's right) did some compile tests way back last year and produced a list of what wasn't implemented function wise and where the priority was (in terms of game crash reasons) does this utility still exist and is it maintained by the community?

Gringo

[polygone]

TGMG hasn't kept that up to date. The ENIGMA todo list on the wiki is the best place to look, there's a link to a list of needed functions on that page as well:
http://enigma-dev.org/docs/Wiki/ENIGMA:Todo

By the way I advise going on the IRC as it provides much better discourse with the members here. Everyone eventual succumbs to going there, even the unwilling

[IsmAvatar]

Particles would probably be best done as an extension.
Pixel-perfect collisions should go in Collision_Systems.

[Josh @ Dreamland]

Particles don't need to be extensions. Extensions are for things that manipulate locals.

[IsmAvatar]

But we don't need the particle module hooked in to games that don't use particles (e.g. > 80% of games). I figured, uncheck it in the Extensions panel, and that makes it not included. Or is ENIGMA/G++ just smart enough to figure out "oh, unused functions. *snip*".

Guess that's a dumb question.

[Josh @ Dreamland]

It's supposed to be, but it's becoming more and more evident that if I actually want them stripped, I'm going to have to pack them into a static library and just link against it. That way, only bare minimum symbols are even considered.

Point is, theoretically, we shouldn't *need* a system for removing code just because it's unused. Locals, yes. Code, no.