Frustrated With New Book
by Roto · in General Discussion · 05/09/2006 (2:19 pm) · 16 replies
I'm glad that a new book has been put out but I am frustrated at the errors/glossing over important steps in the book.
I have found a few paths in the books that do not exist on the CD. I have to run a serach most of the times a file is referenced. I am on chapter 3 right now and the book completely skipped over how to launcha mission.
Currently I am on a 90% step, which means you cannot skip this step. Here are the instructions out of the book verbatim...
COPY REQUIRED FILES
From the accompanying disk, please copy the "\MazeRunner\Lesson_001\heightFields" directory into "\MazeRunner\Prototype\data".
GENERATE NEW TERRAIN
To generate the cauldron for our game terrain, do the following (See figure 3.46)
1.) Quit the Lesson Kit and start up the Maze Runner prototype.
2.) Start the Maze Runner mission.
3.) Start the Teraformer.
4.) Use the Bitmap operation th generate a terrain using the file "\MazeRunner\prototype\data\heightFields\mazerunner.png".
Right off the bat, Step #2. It does not tell you how to start the Maze Runner Mission. Whick file do I double click to start this mission, or do I load something and then search for this mission, which by the way is close to impossible to find since many of the same name exist.
Can anyone help me?
I have found a few paths in the books that do not exist on the CD. I have to run a serach most of the times a file is referenced. I am on chapter 3 right now and the book completely skipped over how to launcha mission.
Currently I am on a 90% step, which means you cannot skip this step. Here are the instructions out of the book verbatim...
COPY REQUIRED FILES
From the accompanying disk, please copy the "\MazeRunner\Lesson_001\heightFields" directory into "\MazeRunner\Prototype\data".
GENERATE NEW TERRAIN
To generate the cauldron for our game terrain, do the following (See figure 3.46)
1.) Quit the Lesson Kit and start up the Maze Runner prototype.
2.) Start the Maze Runner mission.
3.) Start the Teraformer.
4.) Use the Bitmap operation th generate a terrain using the file "\MazeRunner\prototype\data\heightFields\mazerunner.png".
Right off the bat, Step #2. It does not tell you how to start the Maze Runner Mission. Whick file do I double click to start this mission, or do I load something and then search for this mission, which by the way is close to impossible to find since many of the same name exist.
Can anyone help me?
About the author
#2
05/09/2006 (2:30 pm)
Thanks for the quick reply, but unfortunately the is no MazeRunner icon. 
#3
\example" folder. Run this and then follow my instructions from step 2.
Let me know...
05/09/2006 (3:04 pm)
My apologies, you should click on TorqueDemo.exe or similar exe found in the "Let me know...
#4
05/09/2006 (3:19 pm)
Roto: Don't forget, you can't just click on the exe file - TorqueDemo.exe requires at least the -game parameter. Best to create a shortcut.
#5
$defaultGame = "MazeRunner";
... or it equals the same as the folder name where the Maze Runner prototype is installed.
05/09/2006 (3:22 pm)
Also make sure the main.cs file found in the same folder as your TorqueDemo.exe has the $defaultGame variable set.... $defaultGame = "MazeRunner";
... or it equals the same as the folder name where the Maze Runner prototype is installed.
#6
05/09/2006 (3:24 pm)
Actually my beef is that the book doen ot tell me what exe to launch. I doubt it is the TorqueDemo.exe. The book refers to files on the CD not the SDK directory which is where TorqueDemo.exe resides. I have been reading tonight for just over an hour and have only got through 1 page and it is all due to the fact that the author does not tell me which file to use or where it is located. He simply glazes over important parts with phrases like this... "Start the Maze Runner mission". Very frustrating. Searching is close to useless because it retuns about 15 different files with the same name all in different directories.
#7
Hi Roto.
"Right off the bat, Step #2. It does not tell you how to start the Maze Runner Mission. Whick file do I double click to start this mission, or do I load something and then search for this mission,"
I guess you have a MazeRunner folder on your Hard Disk
To start the mission, go to your MazeRunner folder (on your hard disk) and doubleclick on the file called demo.exe.
On the Menu that pops up, click on the button called START MISSION.... (left side of the menu)
This will open a mission list type of selection box
only the MazeRunner mission will be available on the mission list, select MazeRunner then click on Launch Mission button to the right of this mission menu
look here for other little issues... look at the last 10 posts or so I have posted a few link corrections on there
http://www.garagegames.com/mg/forums/result.thread.php?qt=41362
you could post on that thread for now. I think Ed is trying to get a forum thread dedicated to the book.
I hope this helps for now
05/09/2006 (4:19 pm)
@RotoHi Roto.
"Right off the bat, Step #2. It does not tell you how to start the Maze Runner Mission. Whick file do I double click to start this mission, or do I load something and then search for this mission,"
I guess you have a MazeRunner folder on your Hard Disk
To start the mission, go to your MazeRunner folder (on your hard disk) and doubleclick on the file called demo.exe.
On the Menu that pops up, click on the button called START MISSION.... (left side of the menu)
This will open a mission list type of selection box
only the MazeRunner mission will be available on the mission list, select MazeRunner then click on Launch Mission button to the right of this mission menu
look here for other little issues... look at the last 10 posts or so I have posted a few link corrections on there
http://www.garagegames.com/mg/forums/result.thread.php?qt=41362
you could post on that thread for now. I think Ed is trying to get a forum thread dedicated to the book.
I hope this helps for now
#8
05/09/2006 (6:13 pm)
Just to add my $0.02 worth. I have the two books 3DGPAi1 and A3DGPAi1. Both have typo errors, code inconsistencies and code that does not work. I think the books are great, but a final revision before selling them would have been nice - especially considering most people who buy these books look to the author to provide concise, error-free information.
#9
05/09/2006 (6:50 pm)
I don't think I've ever seen a programming book without errors before, It's a general thing. You can't just run it thorugh a spell checker or something, it woud require solid weeks of testing to make sure every line of code in the book was error free.
#10
There are many erors in this book, I will check out the link above and add future errors that I find.
05/10/2006 (2:39 am)
Thanks for all the help. Doing a search for Demo.exe and not MazeRunner or Maze Runner did the trick. This tool is not intutive to me. For example, in a previous Game engine I studied (Game Studio A6) you would luanch a World Editor and edit directly to a saved world file. In torgue you actually launch a game and then hit F11 to edit the world. These are just some things that are not intutuive to me atm.There are many erors in this book, I will check out the link above and add future errors that I find.
#11
05/10/2006 (6:20 am)
You can go a long way to make sure code in the book works. The first step is to copy the working code from the compiler directly into your Word doc. I did this when I wrote tuts for programming a few years ago. That way it is always error free. 
#12
05/10/2006 (7:47 am)
What book are you guys referring to? The new by the Edward?
#14
05/10/2006 (9:27 am)
Would be a good idea to make a forum for the book. I plan on buying later this year myself.
#15
I'd suggest going to the cd-rom that came with the book, and go to the Appendicies folder. There, you will find a pdf file named Appendix C - Combined Maze Runner Lessons.pdf. These lessons are better put together.
05/15/2006 (8:50 pm)
Roto,I'd suggest going to the cd-rom that came with the book, and go to the Appendicies folder. There, you will find a pdf file named Appendix C - Combined Maze Runner Lessons.pdf. These lessons are better put together.
#16
www.garagegames.com/mg/forums/result.thread.php?qt=44079#336882
Also, I have resolved my original problems.
05/16/2006 (5:29 am)
Thanks. Just an update there is a better thread for the book here...www.garagegames.com/mg/forums/result.thread.php?qt=44079#336882
Also, I have resolved my original problems.
Associate Andy Hawkins
DrewFX
1. Double click on the Maze Runner icon from Windows
2. On the left hand side are a few options, Start Mission, Join Server, Options, Quit etc. - so click on Start Mission.
3. Next you should get a dialog that says Select mission, with a space for your name at the top, a middle text area with at least one mission to select, so click on that to hilight it, the down the bottom, the options to go back, host multiplayer or Launch Mission. Click on Launch Mission.
Let me know if you get stuck.