Is anyone familiar with it?
I ran all the examples but 3 using dmc, and now I'm trying to port it to D.
(BTW, is this idea good or nuts?). The bad thing is that I can't run any
example that contains set_palette() or such, because I get an acces
violation. Is anyone familiar enough with allegro to have an idea of why
this is happening?

-------------------------
Carlos Santander


---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.483 / Virus Database: 279 - Release Date: 2003-05-19

Carlos Santander B. wrote:
> Is anyone familiar with it?
> I ran all the examples but 3 using dmc, and now I'm trying to port it to D.
> (BTW, is this idea good or nuts?). The bad thing is that I can't run any
> example that contains set_palette() or such, because I get an acces
> violation. Is anyone familiar enough with allegro to have an idea of why
> this is happening?
> 
> -------------------------
> Carlos Santander

One of D's weaknesses is that there's not a lot of code that you can just "plug in."  So, more code is good, methinks.  It's likely that somebody will find it useful.

 -- andy

In article <bac1o9$10b1$1@digitaldaemon.com>, Carlos Santander B. says...

>Is anyone familiar with it?

uh-oh, i guess it's older than me. So i'm not.

>I ran all the examples but 3 using dmc, and now I'm trying to port it to D. (BTW, is this idea good or nuts?). The bad thing is that I can't run any example that contains set_palette() or such, because I get an acces violation. Is anyone familiar enough with allegro to have an idea of why this is happening?

Why do you choose Allegro over libSDL? There already exists a D import for it, and it is very widely cross-platform.

What do you mean by "port"? Writing an import module?

What is your task and why do you need 8-bit color? Maybe TinyPTC is what you need, if you're looking for a really simple framebuffer interface? I think i compiled TinyPTC with DMC.

-i.

"Ilya Minkov" <Ilya_member@pathlink.com> escribió en el mensaje
news:bacvpj$282n$1@digitaldaemon.com...
| In article <bac1o9$10b1$1@digitaldaemon.com>, Carlos Santander B. says...
|
| >Is anyone familiar with it?
|
| uh-oh, i guess it's older than me. So i'm not.
|
| >I ran all the examples but 3 using dmc, and now I'm trying to port it to
D.
| >(BTW, is this idea good or nuts?). The bad thing is that I can't run any
| >example that contains set_palette() or such, because I get an acces
| >violation. Is anyone familiar enough with allegro to have an idea of why
| >this is happening?
|
| Why do you choose Allegro over libSDL? There already exists a D import for
it,
| and it is very widely cross-platform.
|
| What do you mean by "port"? Writing an import module?
|
| What is your task and why do you need 8-bit color? Maybe TinyPTC is what
you
| need, if you're looking for a really simple framebuffer interface? I think
i
| compiled TinyPTC with DMC.
|
| -i.
|
|

I don't have any task, I was doing it because I thought it could be interesting. I want to write a very simple game. Actually, I already have it in console mode. I wanted to add menues and nice things, but then I thought I could just jump to graphics. I also thought windows, and I have some of it (but I'm drawing directly over a form. yuk). The first thing that came to my mind for graphics was allegro, though I've never used it. And, yes, port=write import module.

Another thing that crossed my mind right now was that, afaik, there're many game programmer wanna-bees (maybe that's not well written, but I guess you get the idea) who use allegro, and they probably hear of d, so they'll see what they can do with it, and if they see one of the tools they prefer already ready to use, maybe they'll jump to d. But I could be wrong.

————————————————————————— Carlos Santander


---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.483 / Virus Database: 279 - Release Date: 2003-05-19

Carlos Santander B. wrote:
> I don't have any task, I was doing it because I thought it could be
> interesting. I want to write a very simple game. Actually, I already have it
> in console mode. I wanted to add menues and nice things, but then I thought
> I could just jump to graphics. I also thought windows, and I have some of it
> (but I'm drawing directly over a form. yuk). The first thing that came to my
> mind for graphics was allegro, though I've never used it. And, yes,
> port=write import module.

Writing a game is a task. :)

I didn't know Allegro so far. As i can see, it's much higher-level and more powerful than libSDL.

In libSDL you usually have to take care converting your graphics to a corresponding bitplane format before using. It gives you some help though. It allows do any low-level thing you can think of, but its powerful functionality allows to wrap it into an object-oriented higher-level interface. The low-level interface has been tuned to be as efficient as possible with DirectDraw and corresponding systems under X(Unix/linux), BeOS, QNX, MacOS, and other OSes, i guess even DOS. It is extensible with drivers, number of which constantly grows. The few existing ports of commercial games to Linux, like the new Civilisation, were done using this library.

Also, libSDL provides simple sound output and joystic+mouse input capabilities, as well as timers and threads. I believe it is simple to make an object-oriented wrapper for it which would simplify its usage a lot. Another good thing is that it can work together with OpenGL very well on mainstream platforms, serving as a more powerful and faster/ more appropriate replacement to GLUT.

At the contrary, TinyPTC is a library for 64K-demos, and allows you to draw to a flat 32-bit surface, which allows for terse and fast code, and then displays it onto DirectDraw or libSDL. As it has no sound capabilities, it is usually combined with miniFMOD for simple music, or with a tiny custom software synth.

> Another thing that crossed my mind right now was that, afaik, there're many
> game programmer wanna-bees (maybe that's not well written, but I guess you
> get the idea) who use allegro, and they probably hear of d, so they'll see
> what they can do with it, and if they see one of the tools they prefer
> already ready to use, maybe they'll jump to d. But I could be wrong.

Allegro seems to contain everything ready-made... So i guess it does make sense to port it.

-i.

"Ilya Minkov" <midiclub@8ung.at> escribió en el mensaje
news:badtft$44i$1@digitaldaemon.com...
|
| Writing a game is a task. :)

Not for me. I usually start writing games but I never finish them. I write them because I think I could have a good time with them. The only game that I finished was a NBA Simulation, but it was more a demo than a game: the user didn't do anything because the program automatically generated the results. And I lost the source code. The closest thing to a finished game would be a minesweeper I wrote in D, but it: 1) doesn't know how to end, and 2) doesn't compile anymore (don't ask me why. All I did was change all the printf's to Console.io.write and now I get an internal error. But that's another story). That's basically the sad story of my so-called games. But it's like a general story of myself: I don't finish those games because they're not too interesting, but that's because I can never think of a really good program to make. Ever. So sometimes I find myself doing nothing but wanting to do something, but I just can't think of anything good or good enough. Is it just me or is it a common problem?

|
| I didn't know Allegro so far. As i can see, it's much higher-level and
| more powerful than libSDL.
|

I don't know libSDL or TinyPTC, and I've never played with DirectX. In fact, this is my first experience with Allegro too. I don't know how it came to my mind.

|
| Allegro seems to contain everything ready-made... So i guess it does
| make sense to port it.
|

I guess I should continue then.

| -i.
|

-------------------------
Carlos Santander


---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.483 / Virus Database: 279 - Release Date: 2003-05-19

Off-topic:

One of the things people look for when hiring games programmers is people who can actually finish what they start.

That said, most of my pet projects sit unfinished.  ;)

Sean

"Carlos Santander B." <carlos8294@msn.com> wrote in message news:baelui$v1l$2@digitaldaemon.com...
> "Ilya Minkov" <midiclub@8ung.at> escribió en el mensaje
> news:badtft$44i$1@digitaldaemon.com...
> |
> | Writing a game is a task. :)
>
> Not for me. I usually start writing games but I never finish them. I write them because I think I could have a good time with them. The only game
that
> I finished was a NBA Simulation, but it was more a demo than a game: the user didn't do anything because the program automatically generated the results. And I lost the source code. The closest thing to a finished game would be a minesweeper I wrote in D, but it: 1) doesn't know how to end,
and
> 2) doesn't compile anymore (don't ask me why. All I did was change all the printf's to Console.io.write and now I get an internal error. But that's another story). That's basically the sad story of my so-called games. But it's like a general story of myself: I don't finish those games because they're not too interesting, but that's because I can never think of a really good program to make. Ever. So sometimes I find myself doing
nothing
> but wanting to do something, but I just can't think of anything good or
good
> enough. Is it just me or is it a common problem?

In article <baelui$v1l$2@digitaldaemon.com>, Carlos Santander B. says...
> That's basically the sad story of my so-called games. But
>it's like a general story of myself: I don't finish those games because they're not too interesting, but that's because I can never think of a really good program to make. Ever. So sometimes I find myself doing nothing but wanting to do something, but I just can't think of anything good or good enough. Is it just me or is it a common problem?

I myself am a demoscene progammer, currently a lead programmer of a lame finnish group Numedia Cyclops, which has released one real prod before me with a c0der who has quit, and one fake (broken) one with me. As you can guess the story of my production is yet more sad than yours: originally being a rather experienced Pascal/Delphi programmer i started learninhg C after joininhg them, since i expected someone else to help me with programming and debuggung if i do it in C. After 2 months of hard work and rewrites which were gradually better, but still didn't work, i fell into a kind of coding-depression and refused to program anything at all, but by now i start to program again. As Cyclops are not an established demogroup, the demos itself are intended to be humrous as oppsed to technically stunning, so seing anything ready would be a great fun. And as you mentioned Allegro and i read the manual, i decided i could revive that broken demo, probably in part using Allegro, and porting it to either C++ or D or Sather.

C was apparently a great shock to me. :) but during this no-coding time i have been exploring different languages and safe programming techniques, and i believe i'm ready for a comeback.

If you're looking for a project to contribute to, i may invite you to our demogroup - mail me at (miticlub at tiscali dot de). Another really important and interesting thing to do would be an utility to convert C headers into D importa automatically. I don't think i'll be starting any project alone now.

The br0ken Demo is called T-time and was intended to be textmode - look at our
previous demo
http://www.pouet.net/prod.php?which=6984

The next one shall be called "Numedia Frogs vs. Invader Space Cyclops" :>

>|
>| I didn't know Allegro so far. As i can see, it's much higher-level and
>| more powerful than libSDL.
>|
>
>I don't know libSDL or TinyPTC, and I've never played with DirectX. In fact, this is my first experience with Allegro too. I don't know how it came to my mind.

Because it was already there at DOS times - while libSDL is a new thing and was primarily developed for Linux and Windows - DOS port came later, but i don't know whether anyone has ever used it.

>| Allegro seems to contain everything ready-made... So i guess it does
>| make sense to port it.
>I guess I should continue then.

May i be of help?

-i.

"Sean L. Palmer" <palmer.sean@verizon.net> escribió en el mensaje
news:bafc5k$1ons$1@digitaldaemon.com...
| Off-topic:
|
| One of the things people look for when hiring games programmers is people
| who can actually finish what they start.
|

No problem there: I don't expect to be a game programmer.

But that sets a point: I'm 20 and I like programming. But (personally) I don't want to be 30 and be programming because I need to. I'd like to do something else, like have someone do the programming for me ;). Since I'm not working yet, should I get a job as a programmer or not? If I start as a programmer, will people see me forever as a programmer or that image can change? (BTW, I'm having quite a lot of personal dilemmas in my life. Too bad some of them are being reflected here)

————————————————————————— Carlos Santander


---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.483 / Virus Database: 279 - Release Date: 2003-05-19

"Ilya Minkov" <Ilya_member@pathlink.com> escribió en el mensaje
news:bafn09$22c0$1@digitaldaemon.com...
|
| If you're looking for a project to contribute to, i may invite you to our
| demogroup - mail me at (miticlub at tiscali dot de). Another really
important
| and interesting thing to do would be an utility to convert C headers into
D
| importa automatically. I don't think i'll be starting any project alone
now.

I started class this week, and it seems to be a very busy semester, but if I can get a workaround to it, I'll see if I feel like doing it.

|
| >I don't know libSDL or TinyPTC, and I've never played with DirectX. In
fact,
| >this is my first experience with Allegro too. I don't know how it came to
my
| >mind.
|
| Because it was already there at DOS times - while libSDL is a new thing
and was
| primarily developed for Linux and Windows - DOS port came later, but i
don't
| know whether anyone has ever used it.

Probably that's why.

|
| May i be of help?

Help is always appreciated, especially since I started class this week.

|
| -i.
|
|

————————————————————————— Carlos Santander


---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.483 / Virus Database: 279 - Release Date: 2003-05-19