Releasing TGB Super Starter Kit (SSK)
by Edward F. Maurina III · 09/11/2009 (2:13 am) · 21 comments
I have been pretty busy lately trying to release a starter kit for TGB. For a long time I planned to make this a for-sale type product, but I found myself in an endless cycle, polishing, adding features, changing features, ...
Because such a long process is of no value to me, or to you, and because I really want to get focused on game development and to get away from tools, kits, etc for a while, I am going to release the kit for free.
I'm calling this the 'TGB Super Starer Kit' or SSK for short. This may sound a little grandiose, but I am certain that if you give this a try you will find it is very useful and pretty super.
(Of course, if you don't like it, it is free. So, at lease you can't complain about the price.)
Video #1 - Generate Behaviors and Make An Asteroids-like Player in less than 60 seconds...
So, what is in it? To be honest, at this point I don't even remember all of the features it has, but let me list the ones I do remember, especially the ones I feel are true top-notch features:
1. Behavior Generator - This is one of the biggest items in the kit. It is a add-on tool for TGB that allows you to generate behaviors on the fly from what I call 'Behavior Atoms'. I'm not going to go into a lot of detail here because I talk about it on my shiny new Wiki. But I will say, with the atoms that are currently included in the kit, it is possible to generate over 7000 unique behaviors, on the fly (in the editor), and then use them immediately without restarting the editor.
2. Atom Creator - Actually this is not yet available for download, but having mentioned the Behavior Generator, I wanted to let you know that I am also releasing a tool that you can use to process behaviors you have written and package them as 'full behavior atoms' for later re-use via the generator.
3. Datablock Generator - This is actually two small add-on tools that allow you to select a scene object you configured just the way you want it. Then, with a few keystrokes you can generate a datablock into either the managed datablock list or into the copy-buffer.
4. Datablock Manager - This add-on tool allows you to manipulate the list of managed datablocks from within the TGB editor. You can only delete, rename, and duplicate them but I think you'll still find this useful.
5. Builder Script - This add-on tool allows you to select a scene object and then to generate a script into the copy-buffer. This script will reproduce the object exactly and is defined to take a %position and %scenegraph argument. Also, the generator can recreate simple objects as well as complex ones (i.e. object with objects mounted onto them, and so forth) with perfect fidelity.
6. Behavior Usage Analyzer - This add-on tool analyzes the current level you have loaded to determine what behaviors are used by the objects in the level and how often they are used. The results of this analysis are stored in the copy-buffer using a comma-separated format suitable for loading via Excel or some other spreadsheet app.
7. Extra Built-in GUIs, Meters, and Counters - SSK (if used with the SSK project template) contains a pre-defined multi-splash screen, main menu, and play GUI. The play GUI comes ready with four different framing styles that can be selected via simples script switches. Additionally, I've written tool scripts for producing horizontal and vertical meters as well as horizontal counters, all of which support methods like setValue, increment(), decrement(), etc.
8. Quick Config & Easy Damage/Energy Systems - Actually, these are part of the newly updated TSTK (rev 105), but they are best used with SSK. Plainly stated, by using this system you can cut down prototype dev times from days to hours or less.
9. More... - There is more, but until I get the documentation all done, there isn't much point in talking about it.
You can get SSK on my site, from my new Wiki.
Be aware, I have a lot of documentation yet to write, and until that is done, you're going to be on your own. However, if you want to download it now, install it as documented on the Wiki and poke at it for a bit, by all means go for it!
For now, please be aware that it is available, and see the behavior generator in action in the two videos in this blog. Watch these at full resolution
Video #2 - Generate Behaviors to set an object's image map onMouseEnter(), and reset it onMouseLeave() in ~1:20...
~~~
Note: This is for TGB, but when T2D comes out I plan to port this (if needed).
Because such a long process is of no value to me, or to you, and because I really want to get focused on game development and to get away from tools, kits, etc for a while, I am going to release the kit for free.
I'm calling this the 'TGB Super Starer Kit' or SSK for short. This may sound a little grandiose, but I am certain that if you give this a try you will find it is very useful and pretty super.
(Of course, if you don't like it, it is free. So, at lease you can't complain about the price.)
Video #1 - Generate Behaviors and Make An Asteroids-like Player in less than 60 seconds...
So, what is in it? To be honest, at this point I don't even remember all of the features it has, but let me list the ones I do remember, especially the ones I feel are true top-notch features:
1. Behavior Generator - This is one of the biggest items in the kit. It is a add-on tool for TGB that allows you to generate behaviors on the fly from what I call 'Behavior Atoms'. I'm not going to go into a lot of detail here because I talk about it on my shiny new Wiki. But I will say, with the atoms that are currently included in the kit, it is possible to generate over 7000 unique behaviors, on the fly (in the editor), and then use them immediately without restarting the editor.
2. Atom Creator - Actually this is not yet available for download, but having mentioned the Behavior Generator, I wanted to let you know that I am also releasing a tool that you can use to process behaviors you have written and package them as 'full behavior atoms' for later re-use via the generator.
3. Datablock Generator - This is actually two small add-on tools that allow you to select a scene object you configured just the way you want it. Then, with a few keystrokes you can generate a datablock into either the managed datablock list or into the copy-buffer.
4. Datablock Manager - This add-on tool allows you to manipulate the list of managed datablocks from within the TGB editor. You can only delete, rename, and duplicate them but I think you'll still find this useful.
5. Builder Script - This add-on tool allows you to select a scene object and then to generate a script into the copy-buffer. This script will reproduce the object exactly and is defined to take a %position and %scenegraph argument. Also, the generator can recreate simple objects as well as complex ones (i.e. object with objects mounted onto them, and so forth) with perfect fidelity.
6. Behavior Usage Analyzer - This add-on tool analyzes the current level you have loaded to determine what behaviors are used by the objects in the level and how often they are used. The results of this analysis are stored in the copy-buffer using a comma-separated format suitable for loading via Excel or some other spreadsheet app.
7. Extra Built-in GUIs, Meters, and Counters - SSK (if used with the SSK project template) contains a pre-defined multi-splash screen, main menu, and play GUI. The play GUI comes ready with four different framing styles that can be selected via simples script switches. Additionally, I've written tool scripts for producing horizontal and vertical meters as well as horizontal counters, all of which support methods like setValue, increment(), decrement(), etc.
8. Quick Config & Easy Damage/Energy Systems - Actually, these are part of the newly updated TSTK (rev 105), but they are best used with SSK. Plainly stated, by using this system you can cut down prototype dev times from days to hours or less.
9. More... - There is more, but until I get the documentation all done, there isn't much point in talking about it.
You can get SSK on my site, from my new Wiki.
Be aware, I have a lot of documentation yet to write, and until that is done, you're going to be on your own. However, if you want to download it now, install it as documented on the Wiki and poke at it for a bit, by all means go for it!
For now, please be aware that it is available, and see the behavior generator in action in the two videos in this blog. Watch these at full resolution
Video #2 - Generate Behaviors to set an object's image map onMouseEnter(), and reset it onMouseLeave() in ~1:20...
~~~
Note: This is for TGB, but when T2D comes out I plan to port this (if needed).
About the author
Chaim Krause
Chaim Gang
I'll keep an eye on this thread to see if things are updated.
P.S. I came across this while researching The game programmer's guide to Torque. I ordered a used copy today and fully expect the book to arrive without the original CD, so I went looking for the book's website. Found the SSK and TSTK and came looking in these forums when I couldn't get things working.