Beta Documentation Feedback

#101 Hi

I realise this bit of feedback is not strictly documentation related, but I really would like to see an "empty torque project" template for the full release.

My day job is as the Senior Programmer in charge of engine and tools for a Developer owned by Activision, and as a reult I have a (possibly unhealthy) paranoia about unnecessary functionality knocking about at execution time, and an obsessive need to understand all of the code in my codebase (at least at the interface / functionality level).

I first purchased Torque when TGEA1.7 when came out, and I've managed to do very little with it so far primarily because:

1) I have pretty limited spare time (part of the reason for my purchasing Torque rather than writing my own stuff)

2) There's no way to generate an empty project, and it's not obvious what code is / isn't needed.

I would love to see a template that would produce the Torque equivalent of "hello world":
* it could maybe have just a single GUI item as a front end
* when it's selected it progresses into the game with a single very simple SimObject (e.g. just prints "hello world" on the screen when updated)
* pressing esc (or whatever) shuts it all down and goes back to the gui
* only the exact amount of .cs script needed to support this functionality

Call me picky, but I'd also love to see all the non-engine code moved out of the engine folder so it's actually just the engine - loads of stuff in the C:TorqueEnginesourceT3D folder looks like application specific code, certainly the fps and vehicles folders.

The joy of the "empty project" is that advanced users (i.e. people with significant programming experience) would instantly have a place to start in order to get a nuts & bolts level feel for how the underlying systems of Torque work, and if you went the whole hog and even removed all the editors etc. this would also provide the basis for an "advanced users" set of tutorials showing how it all plugs together and how to add the bits you want back into it.

Otherwise, good work all around! I love the new ToolBox thingy.

Alex

#102 @Alex - There is a blank template that is stripped of all assets and scripts with the exception of the bare-bones code that will allow a project to launch a black screen. Create a new project and select "Blank" for the template.

As for the other suggestion, I do not believe there are any plans to strip out any FPS code. Most of it is very useful for non-FPS projects.

However, someone from the community with Torque experience could remove the code and create a template out of it to share with other developers.

#103 @Mich - HI Mich, I don't get a blank template, just the "Full" one - are you sure the blank template made it into the beta install?

I also don't doubt that the code is useful, I was making more of a comment on the fact that it's FPS specific and potentially would be more properly homed in the FPS example.

Either way, they're small gripes - I can obviously strip out the code myself, and overall - from the time I've spent - I think Torque is awesome.

thanks,

Alex

#104 I also get a full template option and I don't see a blank option.

#105 I guess the blank one did not get pushed with the Beta. I have it here in my repo, and it is as barebones as you can get.

#106 When are the next set of docs going up? =]

#107 When they go up. Most likely this week.

#108 awesome =]
Edit: just a quick thing i want to add without making a new post, could we have a reference to all the console commands within in t3d? atm im looking for one that displays your FPS and changes your mouse sensitivity which im sure most likely exists in the engine, i just cant find the commands!

#109

Quote:displays your FPS

metrics(fps);

#110 Thank you gerry, how would you go about putting that in your prefs file, so that it shows it automaticly when you start up the engine?

#111 You can put it in your init.cs but whenever you enter the editor it'll disable it.

Try putting it in as a keybinding.

$showFPS = false;
function toggleFPS(%val)
{
   if (%val) {
      if ($showFPS == false) {
          metrics("fps");
		  $showFPS = true;
	  } else {
          metrics("");
		  $showFPS = false;
      }
   }
}

moveMap.bind(keyboard, "f", toggleFPS);

That way I can toggle the metrics(fps) by pressing F key. Don't forget to add to the config.cs too.

#112 Thank you very much Steve, you should add it as a simple resource im sure it will be handy to others =]

#113 Actually I found it a few days ago in an old forum post whilst search for something else, just can't remember where exactly.
edit - original post

#114 Take a look at metrics.cs in "core/scripts/client" and you'll find a nice collection of useful scene statistics (metrics) gathering methods.

#115 guys guys guy...You know I'm all about helping out with community questions (obviously by this thread), but try to take the script help to another thread please.

#116 Actually, it might be an idea to eventually have a section in the docs about "measuring performance", with some idiot-proof explanation of what all of the different metrics commands do, and any other revelant info/commands available. (there might be something in TDN about this, but as I remember most of it baffled me)

Thread cunningly steered back on topic.

#117 A Document with the list of commands as Steve says will be infinately helpfull. commands for showing wireframe, boundingboxes etc =]

Edit: How much more on topic do ya get? xD

#118 Hey, we were on topic, only offering suggestions and feedback about something that people were asking for that's missing or yet to come? in the documentation -- hint... hint.

#119 Sorry guys, I had been awake all of 5 minutes and was reading without glasses. I was completely out of the context, so my apologies.

#120 Dont worry about it dude =] Keep up the good work! it would be usefull if we had a list of every console command and what they do, similair to what VALVe have for their engine:
developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Console_Command_List