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Hi, I'm still working away on DarkPRINCIPLES, a tutorial video set for DarkBASIC Professional, aimed at getting beginners founded in the basic's of the language. I've got a few video's already posted free of charge at http://uk.youtube.com/user/dcforemanuk feel free to comment and subscribe. This isn't a commerical venture at the moment, just something to help new users lives easier.

The file I'm uploading is a pre-video release for my next tutorial, a 3D clock created and programmed in DarkBASIC Professional. It's medialess, so nice and small. It will found new users in:

Text and image Operations (Set Font, Write Numbers, Get Image from screen)
Object Creation and Movement (Rotation, location etc)
Data Processing (converting Get Time$ into Hour, Mins, Secs varibles)
Loops (For, Next, Do, Loop)
Functions (keeping the program as modular as possible, allows you to reuse code)
3D Object's (Creation, location, Rotation, and texturing)
Camera Commands (Position, Point at, and Follow commands)
Input (Inkey$, Get Time$, Get Date$)

Will add:

Data Types
Arrays
Varible declarations.

Etc.

Alot of the old pro's will look at this code and cringe most likely. I'll rewrite the object handling before I start making the tutorial, so there's a dynamic object numbering system in place. At the moment I'm just using a quick 1 to 62 object number via for and next loops. Then 100 to 104 for the hands. The 3D perspective code needs a little work I think, though for a beginners tutorial it's not bad. Either way I'll replace the object numbers with a naming system using types and arrays, this should allow the code to be more easily understood at a first glance.

But, the program itself is working. I've released it in a proper installer I created using Nullsoft's NSIS Scriptable Install System, saves all the adverts from ClickTeam.

The clock will appear in a 640x480 window, with time, date, and an analouge Clock. So it's not just a TEXT 10, 10, Str$(Get Time$) command on a black screen.

Comments and suggestions welcome. I need to get the source code sorted before I start making the Video, for obvious reasons.

Thanks for reading! I hope this made sense, I'm typing on the fly between other jobs!

Video Links:

DarkPRINCIBLES Tutorial #2 Keyboard inputs

Keyboard Inputs:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=OsP2YKl2MYw - Part 1
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=_SKIyoNQTuw - Part 2
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=OJ1EbXmlQ7U - Part 3

Full on the fly audio commentary, slides, video footage and examples.

Old Tutorials

DarkPRINCIPLES #1
Random Number Guessing Game:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=fXRT1jreF6A

Full audio commentary, slides and principles used, video footage and examples.

Spinning Cube Tutorial (Pre-DarkPRINCIBLES Concept)

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=aki9xuwDEt0

No audio commentary, music, slides used and recorded video used.

TreeMagik G3 to DarkBASIC Professional



Video Links are as follows:

Part 1 - Introduction
Part 2 - TreeMagik
Part 3 - Media Management and transparency
Part 4 - Object Instancing
Part 5 - 1000 from 5
Part 6 - Finishing Touches

Just a quick screenshot

Ooo Thats very nice!

Hey Daniel. Ever get that book written? I want to buy a copy for vanity's sake.

Good choice of subject, it covers a lot of angles (quite literally) and is something that everyone can associate with.

For beginners? Just right up my alley then! I've always wanted to check DBP out. This might help me get convinced.

Sorry, I'm still intending to finish the book, but I fell into the age old trap, of too many good idea's and not enough of me to go around them. The video tutorials I released on youtube kind of took a life of their own. Also modularisation of the competition entries that where submitted didn't go quite as easily as I had hoped. The tutorials I'm writing fit a specific pattern of design, command modularisation though the usage of functions, and a specific structure and flow. The consistancy will hopefully allow users to pick up programs that grow in complexity, by chopping them up into reusable functions. But the simple fact of the matter is that my plans grew so elaborate, I had to stop and re-evaluate my approch. With no budget to speak of, and again, only one of me to go around. I lack the manpower to achive my intended goals. For this reason I'm refocusing my attention on a series of lessions rather than detailed tutorials exploring each and every command used in a program. Rather than run the risk of nothing ever getting finished, and released, the youtube short video approch seemed better. All the lessions can be expanded into something commerical later on.

But, the little book of source code isn't forgotten, it's just awaiting my undevided attention. At very least I'm putting the work I've already put into it, into the youtube video's I'll slowly release one by one.



Yes, for beginners, the code will be fully commented, and placed into an easy to use installer. I will then write a lession plan that's likely devided into three parts. The first explores the programs concept and design, its sounds boring, and sure when I wrote this program, I did it on the fly without any prior planning. But that's why it's a good point to write about the design, structure and flow here and now, while the program is complicated enough to justify it, thus introducing the user to pre-programming design, but at the same time not being so complicated it will make new users run away and hide. The second part will be going threw the program line by line in my usual fasion, explaining what I'm doing and why. The final will be a more detailed look at the 45 commands used throughout the program, and how they can be deployed in other ways, hopefully this will challange new users, allowing them to realise that just because I've used it in a particular way in this case, it doesn't mean the command can't be used in alternative ways.

It sounds a bit verbose I admit, but hopefully once you see the video tutorial, you'll understand what I'm trying to achive.

http://uk.youtube.com/dcforemanuk is my youtube channel if you want to view the existing tutorials.

The video won't appear for a week or so at least. I have to write the script, record the video, edit the video with notes, symbols, titles, etc. Then record the voice overs, edit them into the video, and render it to together. Usually takes at least 48 hours obsessive work for a 6 - 10 minute video.

Video Links:

DarkPRINCIBLES Tutorial #2 Keyboard inputs

Keyboard Inputs:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=OsP2YKl2MYw - Part 1
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=_SKIyoNQTuw - Part 2
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=OJ1EbXmlQ7U - Part 3

Full on the fly audio commentary, slides, video footage and examples.

Old Tutorials

DarkPRINCIPLES #1
Random Number Guessing Game:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=fXRT1jreF6A

Full audio commentary, slides and principles used, video footage and examples.

Spinning Cube Tutorial (Pre-DarkPRINCIBLES Concept)

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=aki9xuwDEt0

No audio commentary, music, slides used and recorded video used.

Hi guys, I've recorded an on the fly tutorial covering how to use TreeMagik G3, and load it's models in DarkBASIC Professional, covering transparancy, and how to create a forest. Screenshot below. All video's are on youtube. The tutorial arrives in six parts, but by the end of it anyone will be able to use treemagik media with DarkBASIC Professional.



Video Links are as follows:

Part 1 - Introduction
Part 2 - TreeMagik
Part 3 - Media Management and transparency
Part 4 - Object Instancing
Part 5 - 1000 from 5
Part 6 - Finishing Touches