ex-GS users switching to CORONA

General (non-technical) Off-Topic
#241

Hi Eric,
Since you know we’re coming from GS you might want to let us know how we can make certain things that we made over there, over here. :slight_smile:

Things that comes to mind is what I listed, perhaps make a link to samples next to each of my items.
A couple more that come to mind are:

* custom font for scores or anything else.
* camera follow ‘actor’.
* interpolate (ease in/out)

I’ve been reading/studying the sample codes and they’re pretty good.
As far as ‘programming lua’, it’ll be a little bit of time before I can fully pick up.

I was just wondering how can I ‘include’ other ‘.lua’ files, like settings and/or ‘functions’ outside the main.lua file.

I see them on the samples, but can’t see a reference to them.

sorry if I sound really noob, but I really am to this new venture.

Thanks,
RD [import]uid: 7856 topic_id: 2645 reply_id: 8857[/import]

#242

Hi jstrahan,
Do you mean that the games I currently have out I won’t be able to update them because they were build with GS?
I thought that as long as I renew my Apple sub and keep using the same ID for my games, I can keep on updating, am I wrong?

Please advise.

Thanks,
Raul [import]uid: 7856 topic_id: 2645 reply_id: 8858[/import]

#243

if you keep using gs after your sub and decide to update with gs you will have to release it as a new game cause then it would be under gs dev account with apple and not yours plus you would have to remove the one under your account first or have a new name for the new version either way your customers would have to repay for the update
if you switch to corona you will be able to update but you have to completely remake your game so why waste time with gs if you going to update with corona just go ahead and put in the time to learn corona its not that hard after you start to catch on the only programming ive every done was in vb about 10 years ago and i considered myself a self taught very low novice so not a lot of experience but after about a week i started to catch on and 3 days later ive got a game thats over 1/2 way done and dont think i could have done it in gs without a ton of rules that in the end the engine couldnt handle in the long run [import]uid: 7911 topic_id: 2645 reply_id: 8859[/import]

#244

@rdcube,
* custom font for scores or anything else.

http://developer.anscamobile.com/forum/2010/09/30/embedding-custom-fonts

* camera follow ‘actor’.

Can you give an example or a little more detailed description?

* interpolate (ease in/out)

http://developer.anscamobile.com/reference/index/transitionto
http://developer.anscamobile.com/code/more-easing
[import]uid: 54 topic_id: 2645 reply_id: 8990[/import]

#245

@rdcube

* Repeating background (like clouds)

The JungleScene sample and the HorseAnimation sample are examples of repeating elements.

* timers?

http://developer.anscamobile.com/code/simple-clock

* spawning in random location

Several samples do this, including Bridge.

* spawning random ‘actors’

Not sure how this is different than the above…

* how to get ‘actor’ off screen and auto destroy

There’s an example in MultiPuck

* on collide destroy or trigger other event

That’s collision events and listeners and perhaps sensors, covered in SimplePool.

* drag and drop

DragMe or DragMeMultitouch

* move left/right up/down (w/o d-pad, but just plain ‘buttons’)

I haven’t looked at the dpad code, but wouldn’t this be a good basis?

* particles

Dunno if we have any sample code, but it wouldn’t be that hard to write some code to do this in conjunction with the sprite module.

* follow finger (tap and have ‘actor’ move to where you touched)

That’s a variation of the MultitouchFingers sample, I think

* test on device or only in simulator?

You definitely should test on device.

* save/load

This depends what kind of data you want to save or load. You could save in a format like JSON or just a bunch of strings, or you could even do binary encoding.

* post to twitter, facebook & openfeint

Have you looked at the Twitter and Facebook samples?
[import]uid: 54 topic_id: 2645 reply_id: 8994[/import]

#246

Thank you Eric for your response.
I started looking more deeply into the samples and doing my research on the forums.

This is additional info for my questions:

* camera follow ‘actor’.
Can you give an example or a little more detailed description?

– what I mean on this one, is like a platformer game; where you move pass the 480x320 screen size and ‘camera’ follows the ‘actor’.

* spawning random ‘actors’
Not sure how this is different than the above (spawning in random location)…
– in this case, what I would like to know is, that if I hit a particular ‘actor’, I could have a ‘random function’ that will run from 1-10 and based on the number, it will spawn that ‘actor number’.
– this could apply to a fighting game, if you looked at the game ‘catapult madness’, every time the ‘actor’ hits the floor, a random image of him being hit is spawn/displayed.

* move left/right up/down (w/o d-pad, but just plain ‘buttons’)
I haven’t looked at the dpad code, but wouldn’t this be a good basis?
– I would like to create my own controls and assign different things to them.
– example would be, arrows to move left/up, up/down, but I could have another button to ‘jump’ and/or ‘fire’.
* save/load
This depends what kind of data you want to save or load. You could save in a format like JSON or just a bunch of strings, or you could even do binary encoding.
– this would be for games that allows you to save game progression.
– example could be unlocking levels and/or restarting a game right were you left off. [import]uid: 7856 topic_id: 2645 reply_id: 9003[/import]

#247

Hi jstrahan,
you answered my question.
If I keep my apple sub and do updates thru corona I CAN :wink:
However, like you stated, I have to remake them…it’s cool, I think it’ll be worth it though.

And you’re right again, once GS deploys GS direct, I won’t be able to update and all belongs to them :frowning:

Thanks again; hope we can start learning from each other.
I’m trying to wrap my head about the terminology from what an ‘actor’ is here vs there, etc ;p

RD [import]uid: 7856 topic_id: 2645 reply_id: 9004[/import]

#248

Hello there!

Any code that made an “actor” (image or shape) constrain to a user touch and then move with touch?

Thanks!

Sorry by the ask but as a GS user the names are quite different [import]uid: 10133 topic_id: 2645 reply_id: 9326[/import]

#249

Hello everybody: Sorry if this has been ask before. Is there a place to find all the video tutorials and webminars and examples. I have seen a links here and there but I was wondering if there is a place to find them all.
Thanks [import]uid: 9979 topic_id: 2645 reply_id: 9335[/import]

#250

@LT
Have you checked
http://developer.anscamobile.com/code/
And
http://www.anscamobile.com/resources/samples/
And
http://www.anscamobile.com/resources/videos/ [import]uid: 7911 topic_id: 2645 reply_id: 9337[/import]

#251

HELLO!!! Carlos??..I’ve asked this question a couple of time with no response. Not sure it can be done in Corona? Trying to play full frame animations. Simple. Say 150 frames of anything. Just playing and looping on the screen. Cant make sprite sheets, I dont think, because the size of the sheet itself is limited. Multimedia dosent seem to be the answer? Any help? Please!

Thanks,
Stan- [import]uid: 10062 topic_id: 2645 reply_id: 9341[/import]

#252

@Stanimation, this is kindof the wrong thread for that question. But in any case… one full frame of image is 320x480x4 bytes, or 614400. 150 frames is 92,160,000 bytes, and if the images are individually loaded then this would use more because they would be rounded up to the next power of 2 (or 512 x 512). This would be much worse with iPad full res images. The iPhone 3G is limited to 24MB of texture memory. There is no specific limit on iPad due to a different chipset but there is a practical limit.

Corona sprite sheets currently don’t support animations across multiple textures. You could simulate this with some code. You could fit about 6 320x480 frames per sheet – the current limit is 1024x1024 in Corona, which will be raised to 2K in the future (which is allowed on iPad and iPhone 4), which would let you pack 24 per sheet.

Texture compression would help the memory profile, and that’s another future feature.

You are definitely pushing the boundaries, and at 30FPS, 150 frames is only 5 seconds of animation, so is it really worth it. What are you trying to do?
[import]uid: 54 topic_id: 2645 reply_id: 9345[/import]

#253

@EverywhereMobile, moving an object with touch is demonstrated in the DragMe and DragMeMultitouch samples, which are available on the Corona SDK DMG. [import]uid: 54 topic_id: 2645 reply_id: 9346[/import]

#254

Thanks for the reply Eric! What I’m trying to do is re-create a simple gs game I did called Whale Tunes. I have 150 frames at 480x320 running at 15 fps. In a continuous loop. On top of that I have concentric circles that animate wherever it’s touched on screen. Plus sound and some simple things. It’s my version of koi pond app with whales. Think Corona can do this?
Thanks again!

Ps where should I have posted this? [import]uid: 10062 topic_id: 2645 reply_id: 9528[/import]

#255

Thinking outside the box instead of playing an animation full screen what if you were to create your whales from a bunch of parts and joined them together with joints and then it moved around random and if you were to touch it it would change direction or an invisible actor that moved around random and when it hits the whale it would cause the whale to move [import]uid: 7911 topic_id: 2645 reply_id: 9531[/import]

#256

thats a good idea but…not sure how…but a good thought. Can Corona deform? I think that would be required to get a fluid look. Perhaps I will move onto another idea that plays into Coronas strengths. [import]uid: 10062 topic_id: 2645 reply_id: 9532[/import]

#257

Hey all x-GameSalad users, just so you know they cancelled GameSalad Direct and made it way better and stuff! Not sure about you but i’m going back! http://gamesalad.com/blog/ [import]uid: 9983 topic_id: 2645 reply_id: 9623[/import]

#258

NOPE staying here for a few reasons

  1. communication
  2. speed
  3. openfient
  4. fb
  5. more satisfying when you get something working right
  6. still no to the point details on gs
  7. i love my new home
  8. i find it easy and ive only done a little novice coding about 10 yrs ago
  9. do me wrong once shame on you, do me wrong twice shame on me
  10. COMMUNICATION

right now ive got 4 apps im working on in corona and none of them would be able to be done in gs [import]uid: 7911 topic_id: 2645 reply_id: 9624[/import]

#259

We are in no doubt about remaining with Corona for our development. It is such a joy to work with and it is so reassuring to see constant communication and development.

It’s inevitable that A LOT of people will have already ran back, but I have no doubt that the best developers will prevail :slight_smile:

// red. [import]uid: 7143 topic_id: 2645 reply_id: 9626[/import]

#260

I’ve been playing with corona for the past couple of days and can see more potential than GS.
However, what about IF they do in fact ended up putting game center or some sort of online leaderboard or social network integration in this next release?

I read somewhere that corona’s price right now is pre-release, so, next year it might go way up as well…specially if they end up adding a GUI :S

Have any of you read about Stencyl? it’s just like gamesalad, but better…unfortunately is mainly for flash, but they are looking into porting all to support native iOS and maybe android.

They are like a combination of gamesalad and corona…kinda the best of both worlds.
check them out: http://www.stencyl.com/

This puts me in a bind since I really want to get my ‘zelda’ type game by next year, and due to the nature of multiple images and precision placing, I feel corona will delay the process a lot longer.

If stencyl comes through with a competitive pricing, I think I rather jump ship there…they will be supporting LUA as well.

Not quite sure what to do and I only have about an hour to decide to buy my sub, disregard and see what GS comes with, or wait 'til next year and see what stencyl does.

Perhaps I’ll just wait and try to polish my graphics and just pay the $99 to renew my apple sub so at least my current games can continue to be on the apps store.

I had email Carlos about this dillema and see what they recommend, but haven’t heard back…oh well :frowning: [import]uid: 7856 topic_id: 2645 reply_id: 9629[/import]