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Can TGB do graphic masking? Can TGB do graphic mirror?

by Frank_ac · in Torque Game Builder · 09/20/2007 (8:19 am) · 3 replies

I am thinking of a lighting effect, which will be a round light on the game scene. Everything is in the black ground except which is in the light. I don't find releated API in TGB doc to do that, does anyone knows that?

I am also thinking of a mirror effect, to simulat the inverted reflection in water. But I've failed to find the way to do it in TGB.

Does TGB lack the ability to do that kind of things? If so, I have to switch Engine.

I love the high productivty of the TGB, but there're too many things made me hate TGB.

Firtst is the terrible document. The document is hard to read (not because of the content, just because the organization, why can we just use some simpler HTML or PDF? It's slow and hard to browse), and harder to search, and the worst is there're so many missed things. Many functions lack detailed explaination.

Second is so many bugs that TGB have.
Two examples:
1. Image won't update once added unless you delete the image in the project folder and add it again, what a silly way!
2. Linked image can't be used to make animation, so why should we use them?
I think many of you can point out more and more problems of TGB. And we don't know when will they been fixed.

Third is the limited functionality. Lacking the pixel manipulation routine made TGB just like a toy, it can only be used to develop some simple games. Lacking secondly rendering target made TGB incapable of making custom effects.

I am disappointed with the current states of TGB. Alghough it has a pretty easy to use editor and a decent scene implementation, but it still lack some important features and active support to make it a great product and fully release its big potential.

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#1
09/20/2007 (12:46 pm)
I agree with several points. I still use TGB 1.1.3. There are quite a few new bugs to 1.5 (and 1.5.1) that came out of adding behaviours (which although great, I don't need them), the new physics (which I want but I haven't found a need for) and some other fixes. The documentation for 1.1.3 was a PDF and much faster and easier to use. I'm sure that 1.6 will fix plenty of outstanding bugs just like 1.1.3 fixed nearly all of the outstanding bugs of previous versions.

From what you're looking for, it seems that TGB is not a good fit. Maybe TGE would give you the power you need.
#2
09/21/2007 (10:06 pm)
Nioks, I want to make just 2D games currently, so TGE is more than enough. I am considering HGE now, it's simple, but flexible.
#3
09/21/2007 (10:09 pm)
Maybe TGB is not for the purpose to make all kinds of 2D games, it just a short cut for so particular games. I believe it is good enough to make many kind of games, especially if it has a more readible doc and less bugs.