Pascal Dev Guides

[WILL]

Hey everyone!

I started creating these some time ago, but I never quite got to finishing them. So here they are again! :D

I've updated the first of 4 planned guides which will indicate features of all the top Pascal compilers and the platforms that are support. I've also included a bit or information on the latest version and where to get it. It is posted on the front page of the site.

3 more planned:

:arrow: Pascal Game Library Guide

:arrow: Pascal 3D Game Engine Guide

:arrow: Pascal API Header Guide

These will be great for new game developers and new Pascal developers alike who need a quick run-down of whats available and what it's all about.

Feedback is welcomed and encouraged. If you notice anything missing or incorrect please let me know. If you have reason for a specific compiler, library or engine to be listed, also let me know.

Enjoy! 8)

[pstudio]

I may be blind but I can't find the guide :? Where on the front page did you say it was?

[arthurprs]

WoW vry fast!


but i did not found the guides too =/

[Legolas]

On the right column, just below the "Events" box :)

Edit: Good job, Jason! Btw, Motorola, not Motorolla ;)

[arthurprs]

:? Im idiot =/

Im not finding it :cry:

[WILL]

Ah... I think I forgot to copy over the file for both subSilver and Acid Tech themes as well as the default PGD one... :roll:

Done and done...

[arthurprs]

Ah... I think I forgot to copy over the file for both subSilver and Acid Tech themes as well as the default PGD one... :roll:

Done and done...

Yah now i see, time to read =]

you are right i was using subsilver ;] it looks more clean

[WILL]

wip of the Game Library Guide: Pascal Game Library Guide (http://www.pascalgamedevelopment.com/files/Pascal_Game_Library_Guide.pdf)

I'm considering removing Omega and GLXtreem since they are no longer updated and without any real resource site for continuation.

Feedback appreciated. :)

? is where information is missing.

[Andreaz]

wip of the Game Library Guide: Pascal Game Library Guide (http://www.pascalgamedevelopment.com/files/Pascal_Game_Library_Guide.pdf)

I'm considering removing Omega and GLXtreem since they are no longer updated and without any real resource site for continuation.

Feedback appreciated. :)

? is where information is missing.

Great looking list :)

Phoenix is the spirital successor for GLXTreem, so i think you could remove it, its not entierly abandoned through.

[Robert Kosek]

A "few" errors:
Asphyre fully supports, and primarily supports, Turbo Delphi. And there is a Lazarus/FPC port of Asphyre 3.1 as well.
Asphyre has no official sound support of any kind. Squall is a user header by Ch@$er, not Yuriy.
Asphyre has built in Networking support via UDP and has since early v3.
Asphyre has native integration with Newton for Physics now.
Asphyre is licensed under the MPL 1.1, not the GPL. HUGE difference there. It is open-source as well. Only the betas were closed source.
Asphyre was developed by Yuriy Kotsarenko, whose website is Afterwarp.net; I don't know if he's keeping this name for anything but Asphyre either.

I understand a few errors due to the WIP status, but did you do your research at all for this WILL? :? You really seem to be selling Asphyre short here, though I can't vouch for the other SDKs/Packages because I don't use them.

Powerdraw has been Asphyre for a long time now. It has changed hugely in many ways. A good number of them for the better.

[pstudio]

You're failing to mention Turbo Delphi. :(

[WILL]

Selling Asphyre short? I don't think so. Documentation about the library is very sparse and I don't use it myself so some information was missing/incorrect to start with. I had put in GPL as default, but hadn't gotten to the license yet. No bias here. :)


Turbo Delphi is on the list. (3rd down)


Can anyone tell me if any/which of these work on Vista(or any Win64)?

[Robert Kosek]

If I remember someone used Asphyre on Vista, but I can't remember whom. That's mostly just Delphi version and not library specific; same for win64. So they should work there.

Considering that Yuriy is working to make games, Asphyre, and documentation I say cut him some slack there. :P Not to mention the total, from-the-ground-up rewrite changes a whole bunch of things that have to be documented.

[pstudio]

Turbo Delphi is on the list. (3rd down)
I meant on the Compiler Platform guide.

You mention Delphi for Win32, and under price you write '$847-1999'.
If you're new to programming or Pascal it may be nice to know, that you can obtain a copy of Delphi for free.

[WILL]

Turbo Delphi is on the list. (3rd down)
I meant on the Compiler Platform guide.

You mention Delphi for Win32, and under price you write '$847-1999'.
If you're new to programming or Pascal it may be nice to know, that you can obtain a copy of Delphi for free.

Huh... you're right. Don't know how that slipped by me. I thought to split the 2 new commercial products but completely forgot the free Turbo version. :P

Ok, I'll be sure to put Turbo on it. *bad WILL! bad!* :lol:


As for Asphyre, I agree that Yuriy has done a great job with it over the years. It was the 1st independent game library after DelphiX and it's still going. So I have nothing but respect for it and the work he's done. But it is a well known fact that documentation is well not there. :) It happens in a lot of 1-man projects. But he has done a great job of maintaining a set of support forums for the library. Without those I think he might have gotten the lib to be quite as successful as they have been in recent years. And it is an excellent library. (Good enough for TANX which won last year's PGD Annual ;))


For Win64, I have everything in ? (at least I do in my current version, I might have slopped a stray X in there though) just because 'I don't know'. ^(tm) It happens. ;)

If I had a machine that ran Vista (it'll never happen) I'd test some demos myself, but I'm gonna have to rely on you good people to keep me informed.


Guide is updated, I'm going to massage it a bit more weeding out any remaining ?s and boo-boos. I'll probably publish it on the front page tonight after work. (Real busy today for some reason. :scratch:)

[Legolas]

What about Quadruple D (http://karen.saiin.net/~hayase/dddd/index.html)? :)

[WILL]

Wow, that does look impressive. Looks like there is some sign of Pascal life left in Japan. :D

[Almindor]

Free Pascal supports PowerPC 64, Lazarus runs fine on win64 as of late, and also Lazarus runs on amd64 nicely too (native I mean) :)

On library side, GLScene works with Lazaurs/fpc on Linux 32 bits atleast partially (we still miss fullscreen and fonts, but other things work)

[WILL]

Ok, I've updated the Compiler list...

GLScene still has Linux support as partial. I'd consider fullscreen a rather major feature. :) Once you get those completed, let me know and I'll put it as full.

Also have you guys gotten a project/showcase page up anywhere for the Linux port of GLScene? Would be a good idea if you wanted to promote it.

[Robert Kosek]

Will, when are you going to factor in my corrections for Asphyre?

Asphyre fully supports, and primarily supports, Turbo Delphi. And there is a Lazarus/FPC port of Asphyre 3.1 as well.
Asphyre has no official sound support of any kind. Squall is a user header by Ch@$er, not Yuriy.
Asphyre has built in Networking support via UDP and has since early v3.
Asphyre has native integration with Newton for Physics now.
Asphyre is licensed under the MPL 1.1, not the GPL. HUGE difference there. It is open-source as well. Only the betas were closed source.
Asphyre was developed by Yuriy Kotsarenko, whose website is Afterwarp.net; I don't know if he's keeping this name for anything but Asphyre either.

[WILL]

It's already factored in, I just have to polish off a few more things and upload/post it on the front page.

[Robert Kosek]

Oh. Then don't say you updated it because I assume that you uploaded a new copy. :roll: Be sure to say you haven't uploaded a new copy, next time.

[WILL]

Yes, sir! :salute:

:lol:

[arthurprs]

Yes, sir! :salute:

:lol:
:lol:

[WILL]

I've updated and posted both of them on the front page.

Again, comments & critiques welcomed. ;)

I'm also working on a 3D engine list now... Suggestions would be most appreciated.

So far I have only;

:arrow: Rage 3D Engine
:arrow: Necro3D Game Engine
:arrow: Quake 2 Delphi
:arrow: Genesis Device Engine
:arrow: A3D nGine 2003
:arrow: True Vision 3D (Which I don't believe is made with Pascal so it might get removed.)
:arrow: LEAF2 (which appears to be a 3D engine more so than a game library so it's on here)

[Robert Kosek]

You still mark Asphyre as closed source, you nutter!

Crazy Canadians, gotta ride 'em hard to get anything done right... :P

[WILL]

Isn't it? Ok, fine changed... updating in about 5 mins. :P

You know you want to move here. :p

[Mirage]

What is the difference between a game engine and a game library?
Why GLScene, or, say, DanJetX is not an engine?
BTW, good work. :D

[WILL]

Thanks Mirage. :)

A library is something that allows you to make an engine or any other type of program. It only has the basic functions or interface to an existing API. An engine on the other hand is an already built system from which you would need to modify to make a different game or program with it.

ie. Quake 2 Delphi is an engine. DelphiX is a library.

The concept of an engine is that it already exists in executable form. The bulk of the work is done for you where as a library doesn't have any of that, you'd have to use it's functions to make or add to your project.

[jdarling]

So far I have only;
:arrow: Rage 3D Engine
:arrow: Necro3D Game Engine
:arrow: Quake 2 Delphi
:arrow: Genesis Device Engine
:arrow: A3D nGine 2003
:arrow: True Vision 3D (Which I don't believe is made with Pascal so it might get removed.)
:arrow: LEAF2 (which appears to be a 3D engine more so than a game library so it's on here)

DeathTruction ships with JEDI-SDL. No idea how good it is, but its supposed to be a 3D engine :)

Also I found "The Sheep Killer" to be a good resource :)

[WILL]

Those are good engines, but they are packaged as games. I need to list engines that haven't been made into games yet.

The only reason Quake 2 Delphi is listed is because it was released by id Software as a stand-alone open sourced engine not as a game.

I dunno, maybe I could make a quick open source 3D game list on the bottom of the guide with a link to their source...?

[Reiter]

Hi there!

Just found this project and I like the idea. Actually wonder what happened to it. Are you still working on this?

I checked the "Pascal Game Library Guide" which can be found in any post of you and it is a nice and useful overview. I wished the "Pascal 3D Game Engine Guide" would have been released yet. Maybe you should edit the first post and list all the released guides there otherwise one have to check the complete string for new guides.

Btw.:
[quote="WILL"]I dunno, maybe I could make a quick open source 3D game list on the bottom of the guide with a ]

That would be great :).

[WILL]

Thanks! I'm glad to see people are enjoying and able to make use of my guides. I think the lack of emphisys on the front page of PGD might be why some have a hard time finding them.

I am still working on them, but haven't really had time of late to update/finish the rest of them.

I have actually found quite a few genre-specific engines/sources using either Delphi, FPC or Laz posted around, so I might be tempted to do a list like that.

ie. GTA-clone engine, RTS engine, FPS galore! (Quake 2 Delphi, etc) and others...


If you know of any library, API, engine, etc that might fit into any of these lists, please feel free to let me know. I'm always on the lookout for more resources (even if I don't use them--which is usually the case. :P)


BTW, any suggestions for sprucing up the front page so these resource guides are easier to see or seem more friendly?