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In this newsletter you will find information about our release of the Texas Hold'em poker source code, new 3D application APIs, the January game challenge winner and a tip of the month.
==Texas Hold'em Source==
You probably have all enjoyed the Texas Hold'em poker 3D application in Kaneva. This 3D application covers nearly every aspect of 3D app development and we wanted to share this code with you. We have included it as a template in the new 3D app installer. If you want to create your own poker game now all you have to do is create a new 3D application and select the template. You will then have your very own copy of the Kaneva Texas Hold'em poker that is currently available. We look forward to the new poker game styles and other card games that can be created by modifying this source. Once we get the release published we will announce it at the google group so that everyone will know when to download the new version.
Download the latest version of the Kaneva 3D Application platform from here:
http://docs.kaneva.com/mediawiki/index.php/3DAPP:DownloadProductionKanevaPlatform
==A Winter Wonderland chosen as contest winner==
At the beginning of the year we raised the bar for 3D application developers. In order to win the monthly challenge money they had to not only create an engaging experience and attract at least 1000 visitors, but they also had to integrate at least two of the social and viral APIs. We knew they were up to the challenge and we are pleased to announce a winner for January. This months prize goes out to SmileySmile for the application "A Winter World". Enjoy a competitive collection game with your friends and see who can collect an return the snowflakes to the penguin. But be careful because your so called friends can steal your snowflakes if they get near you.
If you want to compete in the challenge all you have to do is:
- create a new or update an existing application with verifiable game play
- get at least 1000 monthly unique members to try your application
- use at least two of the viral or social apis in your application (blasting, leader board, leveling and badges)
- entry is automatic and we are watching all the 3D applications for the next winner
For more information on the challenge see:
http://developer.kaneva.com/info/Kaneva-3D-Apps-Contest.aspx
==The Latest Update==
This last update included a lot of new features for developers and some needed fixes reported by the developer community. If you have not updated your 3D application please make sure to do so because the older version is not compatible with some of the changes we just released. Here are some of the high points of the update: ==Kaneva Media==
We added the ability to use TVs to stream media into your 3D Apps. This works exactly like Kaneva so place one of the tvs or boom boxes and you can select any playlist from your media library to use in your 3D application. Soon there will be APIs released to allow you to set the media via scripts. We will keep you posted. ==Updated APIs==
There are a couple of new APIs that allow game designers to create a more immersive experience. Theses specifically are playerequipitem and playerunequipitem. Previously it was not possible to change the equipment of the players in your 3d application. Now its possible to automatically arm weapons, clothing, armor or whatever you want by using these new APIs. The only stipulation is that the owner of the 3D app must have the clothing or equipable items in their inventory.
Example: When a player enters your application you want them all to wear a hat you created. The hat is global id 3001234 for men and 3001235 for women.
function kgp_arrive( user )
local gender = kgp.playergetgender( user )
if( gender=="M" ) then
kgp.playerequipitem(user, 3001234)
elseif( gender=="F" ) then
kgp.playerequipitem(user, 3001235)
end
end
All of the APIs relating to object manipulation through scripting were updated with an additional parameter at the end. Previously if you were using kgp.objectgenerate to create a dynamic level the items that were generated would sometimes be out of sync between two different players. You could code around this in your lua but we decided it would be far easier for you if we handled this on the server. Now there is a boolean parameter at the end of some of the object functions that specifies if you want the system to ensure all of your objects are in sync across players. Note that this parameter is optional and defaulted to true. Of course if you want to manage this yourself you can pass a false to the parameter and the server side management will not process that object. The apis affected were: objectgenerate, objectmove, objectsetanimation, objectsetfriction, objectsettexture, objectsettrigger and objectsetparticle
Complete documentation can be found here:
http://docs.kaneva.com/mediawiki/index.php/3DApp:3DAPPS
==Tip of the Month==
A number of games use a simple state machine for core functions such as game state and AI. You can also do this in lua with the kgp_timer event. Here is a short snippet to get you started.
local state={startup=1,pregame=2,playing=3,gameover=4}
local player={health=100,power=100,strength=50,agility=45}
local currentstate = state.startup
function kgp_timer( tickcount )
if currentstate == state.startup then
--prepare game
--show welcome screen
currentstate = state.pregame
end
if currentstate == state.pregame then
--teleport player to game
--spawn monsters
--equip weapons and armor
currentstate=state.playing
end
if currentstate == state.playing then
--update player hud
--process AI movement and action
--update health and statistics
if player.health <= 0 then
currentstate = state.gameover
end
end
if currentstate == state.gameover then
--show score screen
--update leader board
--award badges and achievements
--teleport player to lobby
end
end
More examples can be found here:
http://docs.kaneva.com/mediawiki/index.php/3DAPP:Examples
==Useful Resources==
If you are just getting stared or you are a pro remember there are great resources out there for 3D application developers. Here are some links:
Google Group: http://groups.google.com/group/kaneva-3d-apps
Documentation: http://docs.kaneva.com/mediawiki/index.php/3DApp:3DAPPS
Examples: http://docs.kaneva.com/mediawiki/index.php/3DAPP:Examples
That's all for this update. We hope you found this information useful. Don't forget that if you are having issues we have a weekly get together in the Developer Central 3D Application inside the world of Kaneva at 7:00pm EST each Wednesday night.
-- Team Kaneva
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