Capellan Conflict Development

For the GUI (Menu system) I'm wondering.. Is there a way to render it to lets say a standard resolution of 1024x768 and then scaling it to the resolution of the user?

The reason why I'm asking is that otherwise I'm going to have to think up some weird method of locations based on percentages instead of fixed coordinates (x,y).

Example GUI Script

Code:

---

    DrawGUIOBJ("Background", "GUI_BG", BGTextureObject)
    DrawGUIOBJ("Text", "EULA_TEXT", GetResourceText("_EULA"), (1024 /2), (768 /2))
    DrawGUIOBJ("Button", "ButtonY", GetResourceText("_YES"), GetGUIOBJLoc("Text").X - 50, GetGUIOBJLoc("Text").Y + 120)
    DrawGUIOBJ("Button", "ButtonN", GetResourceText("_NO"), GetGUIOBJLoc("Text").X + 50, GetGUIOBJLoc("Text").Y + 120)
    BindGUIOBJ("ButtonY", "EULA_ACCEPT")
    BindGUIOBJ("ButtonN", "EULA_REJECT")
    BindSoundToOBJType("Button", ON_MOUSE_HOVER, GetSoundKey("GUI_BUTTON_HOVER"))

    BindSoundToOBJType("Button", ON_MOUSE_CLICK, GetSoundKey("GUI_BUTTON_CLICK"))
 
    ScaleGUI(UserResolution)

---

Last line kinda says it all; The Script is based upon a standard resolution of 1024x768.. but people might be playing on 800x600 or even 1280x1024/1600x1200. Since I'm not really interested in creating 7 scripts for every resolution I was wondering if it would be able to scale at .render ;)

(PositionX,Y/1024,768)*ResX,ResY
Or, make the main menu a fixed res.

yeh I guess we could just use fixed resolution.. problem is at that point that we need to take a lower resolution (800x600 or 640x480) max.. as some people have crappy screens :p

Then a percent system.

Addendum ToDo:

- Write Renderer :P

Basic top-down renderer. Don't bother about culling or anything, once you've done that, I will. Can we have single-player objective-based, top-down?

If I can get a Isometic engine up and running by myself I'm going to try that first; If not then I'm going to try top-down.

Good luck, if you want any help, I'm around :)

First things first meaning I'm building most components that are required later on:

- Script engine (as good as done)

The script engine is as good as finished except for the fact that it's currently rather unprotected. Anyone with VB.NET knowledge could write a script that could seriously damage the OS or do other weird stuff. Have to implement sandbox mode but keep a certain connectivity to the main app.

- Audio engine

There are a number of freeware sound handlers out there that sparked my interest as they are easy to implement. Though first option would be to just support OpenAL as that's the common standard these days.

- GUI Engine based upon Script files (tricky part)

Not much to say about this one yet. First need a 2D rendering engine so I can actually load in textures and create handlers for the UI objects. I wish there was a ready to implement package for this ;)

- Console Class

Ability to control and modify variables in-game.

- Map and Sprite formats

Self-explanatory...

- Game Design Document

Self-explanatory...

- Probably trashing FreeCVS and using CVS or SubVersion (due to Web-view)

Don't fix it if it aint broken - doesn't count here.. Missing features I need :p

For the GUI -
You could use a class for buttons and menus. Basically, a point-box test for mouse clicks, and DXRender2DBox + DXSetTexture for rendering buttons.

Fairly easy ;)

Mmh.. True.. Going to use Dx9Tools r5 for most of the DX calling methods :]

Does it run with an existing D3DDevice or does it create a new DirectX Device?

Both .. :p

That does not make sense. :(

In other words you can bind it to an existing device or create a new device -.-

That make sense. :)

I just noticed something, in the VB6 MWGB terrain renderer, which does not occur in the VB.NET Capellan Conflict terrain renderer - Incorrect normals for lighting, with a very very simple fix. A little late to mention now... Oops ;)

Sure you want a 2D game? Right now, I'm working on a new terrain engine in VB.NET. If you ever change your mind, it'll be done by then.

CC is in the freezer for the moment till I can get enough time to get it all properly put together (Due to a long forgotten project which got picked up again today (big project)).

And 3D or 2D or 1D for my part; CC first needs a set of 'guidelines' to work with which I won't step off after those are set. No more mid-dev changing from 3d to 2d etc. So far my ideas are still set on 2D Isometric (Starcraft/Isometric style). Which imho I'll prolly stick with due to lesser problems peeking their ugly head out mid-development.

So for now it's going into hibernation for a few weeks so I can get my main project back on-line and setup (which is still in pre-dev stage)

Had a bit of free time.. a few interesting pics below :)

Neat ;)
You make em?

Nope, but they are freeware.. (what the hell are you doing up at this time of night? :))

It's 6:30 am :P
http://aura-blue.com/cade/vbsite/Scr...rainBloom1.JPG

CC will be top-down that's for sure; So:

- Heightmap render
- Sprites for the mechs and 'soldiers'
- Maybe simple 3D meshes for buildings and turrets and such.. they ain't too hard to make in 3dsmax.

If we can get all that working it wouldn't be hard to slowly change from sprites to 3d models and move the camera a bit more isometric. in other words getting to the original idea.

Wadda ya think?

Edit:
Interesting pic ;)

Start in 3D is what I think. ;)

Well yeh; No more isometric tiling thingies.. 3d Landscape and meshes but prolly billboards for the sprites till we can get a few modellers doing work :)

So, we are going to start in 3D, whenever we do?

Yeh.. Back to square 1 :)

Edit: Driving to work now.. will be back online in +/- 39 minutes ;)
Edit: @ work :}

And online?

Yeh..
Little status update:

I got working:
- A splash screen ;)
- Script Engine (Based upon line parsing with variables).. No VB.NET parsing as I found out it was very 'local'.
- Looking into an easy to use sound engine.

The script 'engine' basically loads the cfg files starting at the root (autoexec.cfg) which can load other configs. So far the script engine supports 2! commands (w00t).

LoadConfig("PathToOtherfile");
SetVariable("Var", "Value");

Any command after SetVariable can use the variable. for instance:

SetVariable("FS_ROOT", "C:");
SetVariable("GAMEDIR", "%FS_ROOT%\Program Files\CapellanConflict");

VB.NET can use the variables with KEY.KEY("Bla"); (Property let/get)

Key.KEY("FS_ROOT") = "C:"
Msgbox (Key.KEY("FS_ROOT"))

Hopefully it's looks as simple as that it sounds :]

--
Edit:

Also working on a package class so files can be easily packed together into 1 file (or more).. I had made something like this before called VFS (Virtual FileSystem) but it was lacking features. I'll probably rewrite it with something like ZIP in mind.

Status update: Probably finishing up a few modules this evening/weekend.

So, full 3d this time?

If I have to write a terrain engine for you again after this, I quit.
=|

Yeh, but feel free to take a long time to do it .. we don't have any modellers yet :p

I'm not even going to start yet, unless I have something to work with.

Check

not sure what language you're developing this in, but you might want to take a look at the Realmforge GDK, a 3D engine written in C#. :wave:

well VB.Net can use C# :)

Do you need 3d modelers? Cause I'm good at doing Low-poly game models and such in 3ds Max 5.1

-Girvo

Got any screenies of work you have done? (And yes we need modellers)

Status:
Project dead =p

Who knows this project might be resurrected later on but for now it's a bottomless pit where work done disappears without result.

explain?