Boxycraft released

[Bobby5808]

Hi

I entered Boxycraft into indiecade, and I just want to thank you for
the great engine and all the help Ive got rom everyone :)

You can download it here: http://boxycraft.wordpress.com/

Id like to hear what you think of it and of how Ive used the engine,
the physics, and any comments, problems etc.

Thanks, Cheers
XD

[JonoPorter]

I tried to run it but all I got was a blank black screen. I'm running
vista business 64 using a ATI radeon HD 4830 with duel screens.

[Daniel Story]

I seem to have the same problem, Vista 64bit; ATI HD 2900XT;
1680x1050.

However, after a few seconds I do get music.

In the Console.txt file (the lost device is from me pressing the start
menu, Esc didn't work to quit):
[code]
Windowed : False
Hide Mouse : True
Resource Directory : C:\Users\Daniel Story\Downloads\Boxycraft
\Boxycraft\Resources
Loading Settings...
Done.
Screensize : 1024 , 768
Initialising Texture Manager...
Done.
Initialising Grafix Device...
Configuring Device...
Device Reset
Done.
Done.
Initialising Input Devices...
--Initialising Keyboard
--Keyboard Initialised
--Initialising Mouse
--Mouse Initialised
Done.
Device Lost
Device Reset
HiResTimer Started.
Initialise Begun. Time : 4.26662518293597E-05
Initialising Sound Manager...
Done.
--Camera Initialised
Initialising GUI...
Loading Menus...
GUI.AddMainMenu : Menus\MainMenu.mnu
GUI.AddLevelSelectMenu : Menus\newLevelSelect
GUI.AddLevelSelectMenu : Menus\newLevelSelect2
GUI.AddGameOverMenu : Menus\gameover.mnu
GUI.AddPauseMenu : Menus\PauseMenu.mnu
GUI.AddLevelCompleteMenu : Menus\LevelComplete.mnu
Done.
Done.
Loading Level List...
--Number of levels in list : 10
--Number of levels in list : 5
Done
Loading Profile...
Done.
Initialise Complete. Time : 0.784041523933411
SoundManager.AddSound : "sounds\twinkle 2.mp3"
SoundManager.AddSound : "music\Soundtracks\Orientation.mp3"
SoundManager.AddSound : "music\Soundtracks\Station-Ska.mp3"
SoundManager.AddSound : "music\Soundtracks\stray strumming.mp3"
SoundManager.AddSound : "sounds\Crowd_cheer6.mp3"
Device Lost
device lost exception : Error in the application.
-2005530520 (D3DERR_DEVICELOST)
at Microsoft.DirectX.Direct3D.Device.PresentInternal(tagRECT*
sourceRectangle, tagRECT* destRectangle, IntPtr overrideWindow)
at Microsoft.DirectX.Direct3D.Device.PresentInternal(tagRECT*
sourceRectangle, tagRECT* destRectangle, Control overrideWindow)
at Microsoft.DirectX.Direct3D.Device.Present()
at Boxycraft.DX_Grafix.PresentScene()
at Boxycraft.GameEngine.RenderMenu()
Caught event : FormClosing. Cancelled and set exiting=true
ExitGame Called
Device Lost
[/code]

[Bobby5808]

Hi

I think I fixed the blank screen problem you guys were getting, and
also the multi-display setup one. Go to my site and download it again.
Its also a few megs smaller.

And tell me what you think :)

[Daniel Story]

Very cool, and fun. Not fully polished but understandable :P
I'm a bit tired now, but I'll get into more detail of my thoughts
later. One thing I noticed is that non-rectangle objects would
sometimes suffer from the texture wrapping. It because Direct3D uses
mapping floats for coordinating a texture onto a polygon so some times
it isn't pixel perfect. What this causing is a few pixels from one end
row/column of pixel from an axis to show up at the beginning. What you
want to do is create a alpha/blank spacer between the texture's border
and actual image. I usually do 3 pixels at each border (top, right,
bottom, left).

Then to get the texture UV would be something like this (that is if
one sprite is per texture):

Dim spacingWidth As Single
Dim spacingHeight As Single

spacingWidth = 3 / texture.Width
spacingHeight = 3 / texture.Height

sprite.Texture.TopLeftUV = New PointF(spacingWidth, spacingHeight)
sprite.Texture.BottomRightUV= New PointF(1.0f - spacingWidth, 1.0f -
spacingHeight)

[Daniel Story]

Also, was the a reason for you to use MDX 1.1 instead of SlimDX?

[Bobby5808]

Hi Daniel

Thanks for that texture mapping info you'l see Ive fixed the problem.

No, no specific reason, I just had the whole rendering framework from
a previous project and decided to use that. Ive actually recently been
looking at other librarys for rendering, such as SlimDX, or SDL, and I
might change it sometime in the future.


Also, you may have noticed how sometimes in the game the player might
fly off into the air? Do you have any ideas on how to prevent this? It
usually happens when the player is standing still on an object and
then moves, or when he moves onto a new body.

Ive tried grid spacings and more/less vertices and using smaller
forces, but it always seems to happen. I dont know if theres a way I
can catch that force when its applied and then set the velocity to 0
to cancel it out, but I need to know where the force will come from.

Any ideas?
Thanks

[Daniel Story]

I actually don't recall having that happen to me, I'll see about
trying to produce it though (with the latest release).

Now, these are just comments; and shouldn't be viewed as
discouraging :P
I like to share things that came to my mind, being the end user where
the creator might have not thought about :-) (I'm sure you also have
some of this already planned)

Esc key support at main menu :)

Window mode support! that be nice, even better for debugging and
testing.

Audio options (to turn down/off SFX and/or music)

Might want to put some full transparency on the clouds, so you can see
through them. (like you can't fully read "Tutorial" on the level
selection menu)

When I unlocked the "Spill the Beans" level, I didn't know it. It was
off screen (I didn't know I could scroll up). You might want to have
an arrow appear in the direction of the new level on screen when it's
off screen :)

Level editor! (I saw those resource images! ;-))

I don't recall having any noticeable glitches of the physics the first
time around; overall the experience was good 'n fun :)

[Bobby5808]

Thanks Daniel, Il try and get all that done some time.

Ive actually got a windowed mode, but I didnt put it in because the
mouse leaving the screen can get quite irritating. Also I made it
Ideally for 1024x768 resolution, so using a maximised window wont work
either.

I could probably make it adjust the size and ratio of everything so It
still looks good in any window.

Im working on a level editor at the moment too, Im trying to take my
ugly seperate windowed level editor and integrate it as part of the
game, where you can easily call up the toolbox on the side, add a few
things, make some changes, and then put the toolbox away and test the
level out!

Just like Little Big Planet :)

Anyway thanks for the feedback
cya

[JonoPorter]

I'm impressed with this you've done a wonderful job. The only Issue I
noticed last time was when I alt-tabbed out of the program it crashed.

[Bobby5808]

Thanks Jono, Its great you enjoyed it, and also I think Iv fixed that
alt-tab problem in the latest version Ive uploaded.

Cheers.