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Newcomers DBPro Corner / Making the various Tools Work Together Seems quite Daunting! I feel duped!

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Jaze
20
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Joined: 20th Nov 2003
Location: Connecticut, USA
Posted: 21st Nov 2003 23:41
Hi all. I purchased a bundle (DarkMatter, DBPro, Carto, Texture Maker, and 3DCanvas) and as I'm digging into this whole suite of software... this seems incredibly hard (and I've been coding for 20+ years now)

Now granted I'm a newbie here and I'm sure I'm still quite ignorant about what is available... but here is something that totally discouraged me:

I was under the impression that scenes made with Carto are "understood" by darkbasic professional (They are a suite of software...that I presumed work together) and I then see a source snippet to use a carto scene in DBPro that is like 5 or more pages long to long a sample scene!


IS this always the case?

(Also...how can you find messages you posted on this website if you didn't make your own thread!

Thanx all in advance... and BTW - I am still excited about this new programming avenue but at the same time discouraged...(I dont quit easy)...especially after shelling out nearly $250 for a software package I decided to master!

-=/Jaze/=-
BatVink
Moderator
21
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Joined: 4th Apr 2003
Location: Gods own County, UK
Posted: 22nd Nov 2003 00:38
I don't know what formats CS exports to, but I believe it's a generic package...which includes formats that can be used in DB.

A suggestion...play around with the sample objects and code to see how DB handles them before making your own. At least then you'll know what the constraints are that you need to work within.

BatVink (formerly StevieVee)
http://facepaint.me.uk/catalog/default.php
Jaze
20
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Joined: 20th Nov 2003
Location: Connecticut, USA
Posted: 22nd Nov 2003 00:50
Thanx for your reply. That is basically how I'm going about it (or plan to) Currently I'm writing "play" code to get familiar with components that interest me (DBPro language commands) so I can begin to learn the language and the functions etc is has. I figure once I know that decent... I can go do your suggestion of trying to load and use a model... perhaps a scene ... eventually get them to work together.

I've gone through some tutorials but they leave me kinda like "so what" because I don't yet know the relevance of why you might do it that way versus another because I don't know the language good enough.

Once I get a handle on commands and stuff then I think the tutorials will help me where I can't figure it out for my self or when I want to compare to another method of coding.

I'm amusing myself now by making a bunch of spheres in "blank space" and navigating the camera around and trying to get a handle on the commands (first) and the scale of things ... which seems kinda arbitrary (meaning between camera position, field of vision, and object sizes and stuff) for the most part it seems scale is relative to what you are making. Like a game of outer space is not much different than a game where a fly buzzes around a picnic table (from a virtual space kinda thing)...as it should be I would guess!

So... like I said I don't quit easy... I've written programs that run entire warehouse chains for inventory (where stored in warehouse..) and writing code for wireless hand scanners (like walmart kinda thing).

I just need to relax and start at the bottom...I mean top...I mean Z.. No X, or is it Y.... Angle? Darn!

My Field of vision was set to high! hehe

Thanx!
Jason

-=/Jaze/=-
zircher
21
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Joined: 27th Dec 2002
Location: Oklahoma
Posted: 22nd Nov 2003 01:01
You're on the right path, it does take time to get a feel for it. Last year I was in the same boat, long time programer - new to Dark basic Pro. After a year, I'm pretty comfortable with the language and how to manage 3D resources with it, etc. Even tried my hand at a few projects. Just stay the course.
--
TAZ
ReD_eYe
21
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Joined: 9th Mar 2003
Location: United Kingdom
Posted: 22nd Nov 2003 09:59
cartography shop can export to .x file format, it takes about 5lines to load the map(with lightmaps) and a few more so you can have a look at it(movemeny+rotation)


GO TO THE ETERNAL DESTINY FORUMS!!! http://forums.eternaldestinyonline.com
Do it now!!!
Jaze
20
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Joined: 20th Nov 2003
Location: Connecticut, USA
Posted: 22nd Nov 2003 17:50
Phew...thats music to my ears...or text to my eyes. I figured out (Wasn't to bad either) how to export a 3d canvas model to .X format and then load and move it around in darkbasic pro. (Though positioning it and its orientation and mastering camera code...I'm still working on it hehe )

PROGRESS...baby steps....Yes... PRogress ...and if cartography is not much different like YOU mentioned Red_Eye ... I feel better about the software suite working together.

Now the only thnig that can be discouraging is switching from learning dark basic to ... say a pc game like wraith or using the playstation 2.... Seeing whats out there really can be like ... WHOA ... That would ake me forever! hehe

-=/Jaze/=-
zircher
21
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Joined: 27th Dec 2002
Location: Oklahoma
Posted: 22nd Nov 2003 21:48 Edited at: 22nd Nov 2003 21:49
Quote: "Now the only thnig that can be discouraging is switching from learning dark basic to ... say a pc game like wraith or using the playstation 2.... Seeing whats out there really can be like ... WHOA ... That would ake me forever!"


That puts you head and shoulders above a lot of people. Knowing the kind of challenge that lies ahead of you will help you to plan and mentally prepare for the journey.

I recently finished reading The Indi Game Developers Survival Guide by Charles River Media. Lots of good practical advice about what it takes to complete a large project. Great stuff on team manage, production schedules, testing, business considerations, etc.
--
TAZ
Jaze
20
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Joined: 20th Nov 2003
Location: Connecticut, USA
Posted: 23rd Nov 2003 05:00
Thanx for the kind words

-=/Jaze/=-
Jaze
20
Years of Service
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Joined: 20th Nov 2003
Location: Connecticut, USA
Posted: 23rd Nov 2003 05:01
Oops - message text is contained in source snippet above ... hehe

-=/Jaze/=-
Jaze
20
Years of Service
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Joined: 20th Nov 2003
Location: Connecticut, USA
Posted: 23rd Nov 2003 05:02
(Ignore previous two messages...sorry)

I am used to a lot of the "project management" stuff from my programming career.... the head and shoulders above could be, perhaps, the fact that I am getting a feeling for how "RAD" or rapid darkbasic is (or isn't) and realizing just how much its gonna take to make anything respectable.

So far I'm looking quite cartoonish but I'm learning.

A sample of what a guy can do in less than a week (clipping code, making stuff, throwing examples and things together) Plus you get to hear my song reeper (I'm a musician and I record here at home...people say I should sell my CD's hehe) So you can check it out if ya want: www.wimbleoffice.com/firsttry.zip

See ya!
(Let me know what you think of the song foremost...everything else is just a guy learning dark basic and canvas 3d )

-=/Jaze/=-

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