G.T.A.2 Map Editor

[hwnd]

Ok, thanks. So im not the only one.


Btw, i compiled simplest app using nxPascal, game loop etc in C++ Builder 6.
I know, noone probably uses it, but i have personal version around and decided to try.
BCB is able to compile / link Delphi units. I had to do some minor tweaks (the BCB code converter is a bit buggy) but it compiles and links fine.

Had to replace #include "dglOpengl.hpp" with "#include <GL/gl.h>"
But it works fine. I dont use shaders or other fancy stuff. So its enough.


Got my nice black window

I have plan to rewrite my editor in C++ Builder because of all the nice stuff C++ has, vectors, templates, auto_ptr etc etc.

I got game loop to work and thats the most important thing.
And even more important for me, all the timing code (fixed fps) etc.
I dont know how to code it properly.

So i have the power of nxPascal and power of C++ / STL at my hands.
I wanted to try and do this for a long time now.

I once tried this, but got so many errors and i gave up.
Now i found that i actually already had some generated .hpp and .obj files from nxPascal sources and decided to try again.

Add files carefully to C++ Builder project and compile each time and link.
Finally it compiles everything and no unresolved things or such.

Had to of course derive from nxPascal classes like in Delphi. But again this was also very good learning step. C++ is not new to me but alot is unknown for me. Because im more of a Delphi guy. Doing this "porting" is good exercise.

EDIT: cube is rotating on the screen

I can still use all the code of yours, nxTypes etc, only difference is that instead of Pascal syntax i have to use C++ syntax, all the stuff is available. GetMouseRay etc etc.
Ofc. after you do some major updates, i have to rebuild fully.

[User137]

I have plan to rewrite my editor in C++ Builder because of all the nice stuff C++ has, vectors, templates, auto_ptr etc etc.

On defence of pascal language, it has all those features aswell. Vectors - TList, inc(pointer_variable) etc. I cannot say about templates, generics whatever, it is my assumption they exist in some form in FPC, but i don't use them.

If i understood right, you are somehow using pascal-compiled object files with C++, then just making header files for it? This might not be crossplatform way at least, not even 32-64-bit compatible. But if you create something that could be shared in public, i could let you upload to new folder in SVN trunk. (I cannot say that i would be able to test it though :/ )

[hwnd]

On defence of pascal language, it has all those features aswell. Vectors - TList, inc(pointer_variable) etc. I cannot say about templates, generics whatever, it is my assumption they exist in some form in FPC, but i don't use them.

I know, i like Delphi more, its compiler is faster than BCB6. I can modify something in my Delphi project src and run and see the results immediately, Delphi compiler is so fast (talking about D7 here). The more recent version the slower the compiler is.
In BCB its pretty slow. I know it has to compile also alot but still its faster than i guess the BCB2009 and newer.
Whats really bad in case of BCB6, the TBX and TB2k do not work well in it. I get lots of out of memory access violations and BCB6 IDE just crashes and doesnt allow itself to close.
There seems to be no free replacement for TB2K / TBX addon. Just the ugly default TToolbar and TMainmenu. But with TBX its possible to make alot nicer interfaces.
For my script compiler i use Delphi and im able to use TBX there, all working smoothly.

Also it works fine in CodeGear BCB2007 but it doesnt like the BCB6 for some reason. Too bad..

And to be even more honest with you, im not sure if i will convert it to BCB.
I could and already use some DLLs made in BCB for texture caches etc, using STL stuff in DLL. And using in my editor project.

All works fine.
I have to think about it.

If i understood right, you are somehow using pascal-compiled object files with C++, then just making header files for it? This might not be crossplatform way at least, not even 32-64-bit compatible. But if you create something that could be shared in public, i could let you upload to new folder in SVN trunk. (I cannot say that i would be able to test it though :/ )

Yes, BCB generated .hpp and .obj files from Delphi DCUs and links them into exe.
I wish Delphi could link PURE C++ .obj files / libs into its exes. And if this would allow to link stl stuff in, i would be very happy.

But atm we must use DLL's, at least they invented DLLs.

To be honest in my projects i dont care about crossplatform. GTA2 is only for WIN32 so is my editor.
And also i dont make games so much. At least currently.
Im not very much interested in latest XE4 also, it has some new and maybe even crossplatform things in it. But i dont know. I havent read about this. I know it should support 64bit but i dont have such computers. People talk pretty bad things about latest versions. People constantly leaving or laid off from Embarc. etc. Bad things going on.
I have seen many articles from real ex. people from inside Embarc. talking about how bad things inside Embarc. actually are.

I miss the good "old" Borland.

If you would want to include this BCB version in svn, then i will have to make it more clean and more professional. Atm its quick and dirty. But i guess it wont hurt to add BCB version there.

[hwnd]

Any ideas how implement undo redo guys?
I have tried several Delphi units for undo/redo, even with command patters and state machines. Even dig out some website archives for SHAREWARE (!) Delphi units for creating undo / redo and mailed to authors of them to get the units for free (without much hope for any response).
Etc.

I got them but nothing works for me. I see "lots" of examples that use simple TBitmap.SaveToStream method.
Its neat and easy way to make undo / redo.

But how about 3D map editor like this?
Map is 256x256x8 (W*H*Z), i only draw small portion of it (20x20).

I guess i have to invent "gamemap.portion.savetostream" command.

Whole uncompressed map takes 6MB of disk space, depending how complex map is. But 6MB is minimum for empty map.
So saving whole map each time is not way to go. it would work for small tilemaps / tilemap editors, but not in this case.

One way would be just save all the blocks in current view but if camera moves, then what to do?
I tried that without moving cam, it seems to work, its buggy a bit, i just cant think clearly atm why its buggy, i have to eat and come back to this.

When camera moves i guess i have to remember the offset to the place where previous undo / redo was made or something and undo / redo in that area, or make some record and in record make a member called XYZpos for storing the start position of the area where the changes were made, dunno something like that maybe.

Map has so easy format, i didnt know that making a undo/redo will be so difficult for this.
I have read that if you dont think about undo/redo at the first time you create your app, integrating later any of the algorithms for undo/redo will be difficult.

So i guess here i am.

I could modify my rendering function if i could reorganize my map array somehow.

This is where i need your help / tips / tricks / ideas how to do it.
Even some pseudo code would help i guess.

Thanks.

[User137]

Few ways come to mind. All solutions consist primarily of array or list of undo operations. But what each operation is, may differ:
1) Compress the map using TCompressionStream and TDecompressionStream. Your data size per undo-operation might go down to some number measured in kilobytes.

2) Just save the action what was done, not whole map (unless necessary). You can make base-class TUndoAction, and inherit from it like:

// Some action where you select rectangular area, and move it in some direction...
TMoveUndoAction = class(TUndoAction)
public
  selEnd, selSize, moveDelta: TVector3f;
  procedure Execute; override;
end;

// Free tile-painting for map. You might need to save the entire map for this, so you can use the TCompressionStream
// to write in TMemoryStream.
TPaintUndoAction = class(TUndoAction)
public
  map: TMemoryStream;
  procedure Execute; override;
end;

You get the idea, there can be lots of kinds of undo operations, some of which may not be related to tiles at all. And i'm not sure what all your editor can do.

[hwnd]

Ohh, you gave me great idea about compressionstream.. Thanks.
I did a quick test atm, official large map fully compressed is 1.23MB.
It contains lots of cubes / tiles. After 7z: 343KB

Empty map, compressed 273KB.
And now compressed with 7z: 385 bytes lol.

This map format contains lots of 0. Thats why 7z is able to compress it so well.
I will try with compressionstreams..

Yes maps must be first compressed with specific way, before game is able to load them.
For undo its not needed.

This of course probably will be the easiest solution. Just take whole map and compress.
And if i limit undo count, maybe it will even work.

Atm i would like just to have undo / redo for tile "painting".

[SilverWarior]

Making Undo/Redo function laregly depends on how you want to track theese changes.
If you are tracking changes for each cube seperately then I would suggest creating dynamical array of special records which will contain cube position, old and new state of it.
If you are tracking changes of several cubes at once (making cube shaped hole in your terrain) then I you can euther use similar system as above with the only difference that you now have seperate arrays for each undo/redo action. Or you can create some kind of submaps (array smaller than the whole map array) which will store previus state of the map section before it was changed.

[hwnd]

Yeah, for each individual tile making undo / redo seems easy, but if user makes lots of changes, then he must wait alot before undo reaches the stage where he started to draw these tiles.
I tried and its very slow.

Its better to create group of undos.
And i have found idea to create stack_of_[tile+tile_coord]_lists

In c++ something like this: stack< list<unsigned long> > undolist;
Actually instead if unsigned long there was a simple struct (record) which just contains tile_id and its XYZ coordinate.
This way each modification is actually a group. Pop a list from stack, loop through each of its item, get XYZ and tile ID. Put these tile_ids back at these XYZ coords on map. And do this for each LIST item in stack.

Atm im trying to implement this system. Undo first.
Dunno how to do this in Delphi without generics but i will try this in a DLL again.
I already can successfully receive and send block_data to / from C++ DLL.

[User137]

You could save a new undo-point of the map when there has been at least 2 seconds of no mouse-down events (but mouse must have been clicked at least once for undo saving to happen). That way you can reduce the amount of undo storing, and you wouldn't need to save undo-point in the mouse-down event, which would always make a small lagspike.

[hwnd]

How to properly handle key presses in game?
After a long break i decided to take another look at adding ped(s) to map editor or any demo i work here.
But problem is that if i detect the key pressed (either VK_LEFT or RIGHT) or whatever the ped starts moving always with some delay.

I mean:

1) I press the up key (forward movement)
2) It waits for few secs and then starts moving
3) I release the key and press again..
4) Again it waits for 1sec or 2 and then starts moving.

Same with rotating, first the small delay then the rotation.

Why is that? its in nxpascal code and in my non nxpascal code.
I have to look how i did it in nxpascal version, ie where i was reading the input..

EDIT1:
Ok, i found the src and i handle input in formshortcut event.
For some reasons in old versions of my editor the gameunit keypressing code didnt work.
Or stopped working after doing something in graphicsunit or main.pas
I dont remember.

How to properly handle input?

I got the movement to work for ped, i mean with sin/cos and it walks in direction he is looking but the delay at the start of the moving/rotating is really bad.

In the meantime i will try with fresh src from nxpascal and gameunit keyhandling.

EDIT2: also it must always move, even if i press rotation key when he is moving. But he stops.

In my non nxpascal demo i use form.keydown and timer with interval of 16ms.
Thanks.

EDIT3:
As expected, in fresh source and gameunit keyprocessing everything is smooth and nice.
No delays.
So i guess keydown/keyup are not for games.


Actually its mega smooth. Looks so great, i can rotate ped with arrows and walk around, it doesnt stop when rotating and walking at the same time.
Just like in original game.

What do you guys think, coldet will be able to get the collisions for me?
The vertices are so simple and each block face is made of 2 triangles in my vertex data.
Each slope has own vertices but because many slopes have lids, then lids are same and use same vertices, i dont share them ( i know i could to reduce my vertex data unit size even more, atm its 322KB).

Coldet had recently a update with useful example.

Probably not all the blocks on whole map must be checked but only those that are near to the ped. But since my visible are of map is just 15x15 (x,y) blocks + Z maximum 8 blocks i probably could check all these blocks in visible range.
I dont care about speed atm, i just want quick and dirty to test, if it works, then i will try to make it better.

It will never probably be full game, i just want to walk around and have collisions.