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DarkBASIC Professional Discussion / Why isn't there something like Particle Candy for DBP?

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Bursar
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Posted: 12th Aug 2010 20:14
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Just curious why there isn't a good particle editor for DBP (or is there and I haven't found it yet)?

I'd gladly pay for an app like Particle Candy that could output DBP code in order to create particle systems - even if it was just a front end to the standard DBP particle commands.

Any thoughts on why this might be, or an existing app that offers similar functionality?
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Hawkblood
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Posted: 12th Aug 2010 20:19
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I don't know why there's not an app that outputs DBP code, but particle systems are not all the same. You can make specific code for such things like fire, smoke, and water particle systems. Sure, you can make a system that can govern all possible particles, but that makes for slower code because you have to make a bunch of IFs or CASEs. Do you need to know how to make particle systems, or do you just want something that does it for you?

The fastest code is the code never written.
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Posted: 12th Aug 2010 20:40
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Bit of both really

The ideal is an app that lets you load up some images to use as the base for your particles, and then a whole load of sliders/boxes to control how the particles look and move, their colour and lifetime and so-on. You can then export the .dba code required to recreate that particle system in your own game.
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Sixty Squares
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Posted: 12th Aug 2010 20:54
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Zerk released a plugin called ZParticle a while back, here is the link: http://forum.thegamecreators.com/?m=forum_view&t=111357&b=5

It comes with a particle editor and an easy way to load the particles into your game. I've found a few issues with it though (for me at least):
-The particles won't show beneath ghosted or transparent objects if you are looking from above (minor issue)
-You can only load one particle template at a time (I don't recall why this was an issue since it's been a while since I used the plugin. I was still able to load lots of different particle types though.)
-The particles didn't show up when I used the Bloom Shader that came with DarkShader.

It was overall a pretty good plugin though. It exports a .zpi template that you can load into your game and has most of what you're asking for.


Guns, cinematics, stealth, items and more!
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Rich Dersheimer
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Posted: 12th Aug 2010 21:18
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That download for zparticle is no longer a good link.

Anybody have a current link to it?

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BatVink
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Posted: 13th Aug 2010 00:02
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I have a particle editor but it needs a little sprucing up. I'll see if I can dig it out.

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BatVink
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Posted: 13th Aug 2010 00:41
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The editor isn't usable right now, there's some quirks with the newer compiler. Attached is the demo of some of the simple effects you can create and the code it produces - be aware it's a few years old now.

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Bursar
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Posted: 13th Aug 2010 01:12
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BatVink, I think I found the forum threads about your editor as well, but couldn't locate a working download link. If it could be bludgeoned into working, I'm sure lots of us would find it useful.

I'm currently looking through the Pyro code from the Feb06 newsletter as well. That uses images and objects rather than particles, but it is quite pretty.
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Sixty Squares
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Posted: 13th Aug 2010 04:27 Edited at: 13th Aug 2010 04:29
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I think I have it lying around here somewhere....

Found it . It's attached.

Also, here's an early video of a game I used ZParticle in. Just an example of some of the particle effects it can do (I think it's capable of a lot more though.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0y_QgsPvpE


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Rich Dersheimer
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Posted: 13th Aug 2010 06:44
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Quote: "I think I have it lying around here somewhere...."


Thanks!

When I tried to download it, I discovered I already had a copy!

Silly me.

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Rich Dersheimer
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Posted: 13th Aug 2010 06:45
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Quote: "I'd gladly pay for an app like Particle Candy that could output DBP code in order to create particle systems - even if it was just a front end to the standard DBP particle commands.
"


Hmmm, that almost sounds like a challenge...

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Rain Man
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Posted: 13th Aug 2010 07:53 Edited at: 13th Aug 2010 07:54
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ExGen is another option.

Ten minutes to Wapner.
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Posted: 13th Aug 2010 10:40
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Quote: "Hmmm, that almost sounds like a challenge..."

If you're willing to pick up that gauntlet...

Quote: "ExGen is another option."

ExGen is a 2D app though. It might look nice on the screen but it just ouputs animated sprites of the effect you want.

In some situations that might be fine, but for others you need particles so your effect can have depth and volume.
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baxslash
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Posted: 13th Aug 2010 15:19
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Quote: "In some situations that might be fine, but for others you need particles so your effect can have depth and volume."

Agreed, but it does provide a good starting point when used well. It also reduces the number of particles you need to produce an explosion vastly. I've used the results of ExGen loads in 3D games without any particles and it still looks great.

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Rich Dersheimer
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Posted: 13th Aug 2010 15:28 Edited at: 13th Aug 2010 15:28
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ExGen does look interesting. But I'm going to use this as an opportunity to learn how DBPro particles work.

So, gauntlet picked up!

Here's what I have so far...



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baxslash
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Posted: 13th Aug 2010 15:43
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Nice!

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Bursar
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Posted: 13th Aug 2010 17:03
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Excellent work Rich
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Rich Dersheimer
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Posted: 15th Aug 2010 03:54
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Hey Bursar, check it out!

Particle Sandbox

It's pretty basic, but there's only so much that can be done with the stock particle system.

Anyway, thanks for the inspiration!

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Posted: 15th Aug 2010 11:17
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Amazing I'll go and post in your announcement thread.
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