MinGRo game engine

[Ñuño Martínez]

Before to work in the data containers I was working on the graphics subsystem.

The old way to initialize the graphics display was quite complex. There were a method to create it telling the size, depth and if we want a window or full screen. Then I added a method that implements a few pre-defined "legacy graphics modes".

I didn't liked it so I've finally rewrote the initialization code with a simpler one. Now there's only one method that receives a single parameter: an identifier that tells the kind of display we want (i.e. the bigger definition available, or simulate an old graphics mode as the PC-VGA or the C64-multicolor mode). Then the class decides the actual size and mode (windowed or full screen) of the display from the system information and the configuration. It is possible to drive the way the display will be created by using the configuration file. For example, we can force to create a window of a specific size.

It also defines most methods as virtual so the default behavior can be modified as needed. For example, current code creates the display using true color pixels allways. I'm planning to add to the engine a display class that initializes the code using a shader that simulates 8bpp palette modes (i.e. VGA/MCGA) so it will allow to use color animations and the actual color values of old computers. I just have to figure how to load the color palette information from image files as Allegro 5 doesn't do it.

[Ñuño Martínez]

Ok, I got it.

I've just finished the data package subsystem. There's an abstract base class that defines the interface and defines a few basic tasks. Then you can extend it to use any package you want. Right now I've included a simple custom IFF-based package system, format description has been included in documentation.

I had to add a binding between Object Pascal TStream and Allegro's file system too. I had a few problems with this (the way C and Pascal use pointers and parameters makes binding stuff a bit tricky) but now it works seamlessly and you can use Allegro's functions to load stuff (bitmaps, fonts, sounds...) from my package subsystem.

I think it's time to release a new alpha version of the engine. May be this week-end or sooner.

[Akira13]

One thing overall I might suggest both for the examples in Allegro.Pas and Mingro: make them Lazarus projects instead of a single monolithic makefile. This will ultimately be far easier for everyone, on all platforms. It's far easier to change any settings you might need to within Lazarus than it is to scroll though makefiles and try to figure out exactly where things are going wrong if you run into a build failure.

[SilverWarior]

make them Lazarus projects instead of a single monolithic makefile. This will ultimately be far easier for everyone, on all platforms. It's far easier to change any settings you might need to within Lazarus than it is to scroll though makefiles and try to figure out exactly where things are going wrong if you run into a build failure.

Wouldn't that mean that people would be forced to use Lazarus IDE while now you can compile the whole project by using Free Pascal alone. This in turn allows people to use any code editor they want.

[Akira13]

Well, I wasn't suggesting that he has to delete the makefiles from the repository. He could of course (and should) leave them there for anyone who wants to build it that way. I'm just saying it's far easier to make project-specific settings adjustments when you have actual project files to work with.

[Ñuño Martínez]

Just uploaded a new alpha release. Pretty happy with it. Look at it: https://sourceforge.net/projects/min...les/1.alpha.1/

I'll take a break now, until the next LudumDare. I'll still programming but will be stuff for my website because it is a big mess.

One thing overall I might suggest both for the examples in Allegro.Pas and Mingro: make them Lazarus projects instead of a single monolithic makefile. This will ultimately be far easier for everyone, on all platforms. It's far easier to change any settings you might need to within Lazarus than it is to scroll though makefiles and try to figure out exactly where things are going wrong if you run into a build failure.

May be useful, but that mean the examples directory will became a (small) mess with duplicated names. Anyway, I'll think about it and I'll do something with the next Allegro.pas release (no date though).

[Ñuño Martínez]

One thing overall I might suggest both for the examples in Allegro.Pas and Mingro: make them Lazarus projects instead of a single monolithic makefile. This will ultimately be far easier for everyone, on all platforms. It's far easier to change any settings you might need to within Lazarus than it is to scroll though makefiles and try to figure out exactly where things are going wrong if you run into a build failure.

As I've said in the Allegro's thread, I think I've found a way to do this in an ordered way.

[Ñuño Martínez]

Project is far to dead.

After releasing a new Allegro.pas version I'm working in MinGRo. I want to release a new alpha version this Friday, so I can use it in Ludum Dare and TINS.

There are many changes, most subsystems are now more robust and with better API (I think). Some of the latest changes where to fix data loading and configuration management. Previous version was confusing and a bit buggy. Also I've improved the sound subsystem.

So a lot of under-the-hood work fixing bugs and improving design, much with the GUI subsystem which was quite confusing even for me! Now it has a more coherent design, it is easier to use and the map editor have (finally!) a proper file selection dialog:
200413_202543.png
It is inspired in the file selector from 3D Construction Kit. I liked it because it is simple. On Windows it is a little bit different: Instead of the "CD", "media" and "mnt" buttons it has 5 buttons for drives.

And see how much has evolved graphically:
170318_1824.png

[Ñuño Martínez]

Ok, did it. And four hours before Ludum Dare (yay!). If you're curious, visit the project page. And if you test it, let me know what do you think.

[Ñuño Martínez]

I'm quite happy. Today I've finished a simple music sequencer that uses the PSG to generate music, and you can use BASIC Music Meta Language (MML) to generate music. I is quite simple and I'm sure it can be improved, but at the moment you can add music in a very simple way.

But I don't like the PSG sound right now. It doesn't sound very old school. It generates triangular waveforms, and it should generate square ones, like good old micros did. I think this will be the next thing I'll do.