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Level Editing

Started by CamelFly May 26, 2002 at 10:37 AM 6 replies 800+ views

Original Post

May 26, 2002 at 10:37 AM

Hi all! I''ve developed a small demo game which works fine but the progress has slowed to a crawl mainly because of the difficulty to insert proper level data into the application. At first I tried to disregard these problems and wrote my model/level converters in Java as small hacks, but that has proven to be inefficient and unscaleable. So I am now faced with the task of writing a more full featured level editor. This is a problem because I am no good at Win32 or MFC programming. Should I consider doing this in another language, like VB och perhaps C# or just invest the time to learn the W32API properly and do it that way. Are you guys (gals?) experiencing the same problem?

noVum

May 26, 2002 at 10:41 AM

I would definitely learn the Win32 Stuff to know what''s going on. Oh and C++ is very nice

CamelFly

Author

CamelFly

May 26, 2002 at 11:16 AM

I already know C++, and I am quite good at it, but Win32 is not particulary user friendly...

Dactylos

May 26, 2002 at 11:39 AM

I would recommend the wxWindows API, it''s a C++ class-wrapper around Win32 (GTK and Motif on Unix platforms). It''s especially nice when you combine it with Python (i.e. wxPython). Using those you can have windowed apps up and running in no time. And they''re very easy to learn, both Python and wxWindows/wxPython. It took me like 2 days to learn both Python and wxPython well enough to be able to comfortably write windowed programs using them. And it''s so much faster than writing windowed apps using C/C++ and Win32 API.

Anyway, even if you don''t feel like learning Python you could at least check out wxWindows.

the Speed Bump

May 27, 2002 at 8:49 AM

The .NET WinForms API is very, very nice. And when you run into something that doesn't work like you think it should, you can break into the guts and override things with win32. :D

Say goodbye to the possibility of a linux\OSX port until mono matures, though. :/

Teeny example: It takes three lines of C# to make a basic MDI parent window. Three more to make a blank MDI child.

"Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines."

[edited by - the Speed Bump on May 27, 2002 9:50:43 AM]

[edited by - the Speed Bump on May 27, 2002 9:51:04 AM]

CamelFly

Author

CamelFly

May 27, 2002 at 8:54 AM

So Mr Speed Bump, would you recommend me making my level editor in C#. It might be nice since i already know Java very well.

Is it easy to acess C++ Dlls and DirectX in C#?

Golthar

May 27, 2002 at 9:04 AM

Well as with everything, code with what makes you happy

Right now im working with Java, and I love it to bits.
But for example if you like C++ more, use that.
Or if you code happy in VB, but use C++ for added speed in your game engine, use VB for the tools (which its well suited for)

CamelFly

Author

CamelFly

May 27, 2002 at 9:27 AM

Yeah, I guess I''m happy coding in whatever makes it work, preferably fast. Although I do perfer C++ and Java, but most employers crave the VB knowledge I posses. Sigh..

I made a quick prototype in VB but I found it to akward to use C++ dll''s and the renderer in it. I do not want to rewrite code and if C# can prevent this while enabling me to code in a type safe C derived language I am a happy man.

So, is it easy to access my C++ codebase from C#, while making GUI programming fast and easy enough for me?

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