64Digits

Hey there

Posted by Glen on June 1, 2011, 1:16 p.m.

So today I went on the GMC forums to see what i've been missing out on. I laughed when the first thread I come across is this: http://gmc.yoyogames.com/index.php?showtopic=490196 Read the first 7 comments. The original post is fine. Nothing against the poster. The behavior that GMC members display just amuses me.

Is anyone working on a project or interesting script? I keep looking for something interesting in the GM world to pop up and fail to see past clones and modifications of previous scripts/programs/games. Or an idea. I've been wanting to take part in a project that'll prove to be useful. Let me know.

I've been wanting to learn C++ forever now and I think It's time for me to step up to the challenge instead of just sitting around wanting the knowledge. For those of you who learned how to program in the language, what strategy proved most useful? Googling C++ tutorials? Watching videos? Or would you advise taking classes? Just curious.

Comments

Quietus 13 years, 5 months ago

Quote:

I use FMOD for almost all of my projects. What kind of functions are you needing? Just playing sound effects as the fractals are generated?

probably just FMODInstanceSetPitch and FMODInstanceGetPitch, so each object will be a different note based on their x/y coordinates.

sirxemic 13 years, 5 months ago

Quote:

Is C a necessity to learn C++ or should I just focus on C++?

No, not at all. If you focus on C++ completely the C stuff will come to you. It's just that you have to think differently when you program in C and not in C++, because C is not object-oriented.

svf 13 years, 5 months ago

C++ has made my mind think in semi-colons;

Castypher 13 years, 5 months ago

FMOD is the best extension I've ever come across.

sirxemic 13 years, 5 months ago

But remember, you gotta pay a freaking lot if you are gonna use it commercially.

KooKoo 13 years, 5 months ago

Hi there.

LOL. If I remember correctly, this is the first time I'm sending a comment in this site… although I joined in 2006. xD

As for C++, I suggest the book: sams teach yourself c++ in one hour a day. Be sure to get the latest edition. I think the latest one is the 6th one, but I'm not sure.

But it's better to learn C# first, because it's easier and after you learn it, you will have an easier time learning C++. On the other hand C# (.NET programming) is pretty cool and you can make nice windows softwares easily (using visual studio).

For C#, I again suggest sams teach yourself series. Be careful to buy the latest edition (or download it? :P)

After reading the book, it's a good idea to google for tutorials on specific subjects (based on the projects you want to work on and the specific problems you encounter).

Joining some C# forums (or C++ ones, depending on your decision) is a nice idea too.

Keep it in mind, if you want to make some DLL for GM, you won't be able to use C#… But C++ is okay for that goal.

The first book we (my brother and I) read about C++ was "sams teach yourself c++ in 21 days". But it took about 90 days until we really learned the book content. So don't be in a hurry. ;)

"Sams teach yourself c++ in one hour a day" is the newer version of the same book. We didn't really read any other book about C++ itself. Just some random online tutorials. The real way to learn a programming language is using it. When you encounter a specific problem and search for it or ask about it, you learn many new things which you can't learn by simply reading books or tutorials.

One more thing, we learned C# AFTER we learned C++, and I'm pretty sure if we knew C# BEFORE learning C++, that 90 days would be really less than 90…

As for C, I suggest you to completely forget about it. I don't know C at all, and I've never felt any need in knowing anything about it. If you want to make games (specially 3D ones), the best one is C++… I don't know any famous game engine which is based on C. Even the ones which support C, have a support for C++ too. In fact I do believe that C is a dead language. (No offence C fans! But a language which isn't object oriented is really dead, isn't it? xD)

That's my opinion.

Good Luck! :D

Quietus 13 years, 5 months ago

Quote:

But remember, you gotta pay a freaking lot if you are gonna use it commercially

dunno if you could really do enough with GM's power for something to be commercial.. if i had a successful program i'd seek out someone to redo it in a lower-level language :P

Glen 13 years, 5 months ago

Quote:

if i had a successful program i'd seek out someone to redo it in a lower-level language

This is the reason I want to learn C++. Before I attempt to do anything commercial or resource heavy enough to make GM lag, I'd like to learn how to do it in a more powerful programming environment and possibly port over a lot of my GM projects to C++ so I can continue them.

Quietus 13 years, 5 months ago

i wish i had that option, but i'm lucky i'm still able to work GM. if i could figure out another language i could probably make a monster synthesizer =/ but if i can get GM to play different notes at least then i could hear what it sounds like.

Glen 13 years, 5 months ago

@Kookoo - Thanks for the advise. I'll be sure to check those books out. =)

Let's say I wanted to focus on converting my 2d GM games into C++ and my GM program/tools into C++ programs. Is C# or C++ better than one or the other for this purpose? I heard C# is more game oriented. I remember playing around with XNA Studio once and it used C#.