iTGB 1.3 Planning
by Michael Perry · in iTorque 2D · 06/01/2009 (10:50 am) · 218 replies
The iTorque Updates Blog contains the iTGB Roadmap, which announces plans for v1.3. Here is a recap:
iTGB 1.3: The highest priority is upgrading the engine to work with the 3.0 OS and SDK for iPhones. This includes compatibility and integrating the new features.
* Compile iTGB against 3.0 SDK, with GCC 4.2
* Full motion video playback, with examples exposed to script
* Displaying pictures from device library
* Playing music from device library
* Camera access from device
In addition to 3.0 compatibility and new features, the following improvements to the base engine will be made.
* Integration of Melv May’s memory reduction code
* Significant load time reduction
* PVR for cell-based sprite sheets
* New iPhone features exposed to TorqueScript via C++ handlers
* Gesture callbacks for swipe, pinch, and zoom
* More documentation on creating optimized games, using iPhone specific features, and general reference to frameworks (engine code)
* Community member contributions
o Vibration by Dave Calabrese
o Loading and saving game data to device by Dave Calabrese
o Multi-Touch and gestures by Dave Calabrese and Justin Mosiman
* General optimizations that will increase fps
Please use this thread to post feedback about the upcoming features, or 3.0 specific functionality you might be interested in. Try not to clutter this with current bugs or 1.2 issues, which are addressed elsewhere.
iTGB 1.3: The highest priority is upgrading the engine to work with the 3.0 OS and SDK for iPhones. This includes compatibility and integrating the new features.
* Compile iTGB against 3.0 SDK, with GCC 4.2
* Full motion video playback, with examples exposed to script
* Displaying pictures from device library
* Playing music from device library
* Camera access from device
In addition to 3.0 compatibility and new features, the following improvements to the base engine will be made.
* Integration of Melv May’s memory reduction code
* Significant load time reduction
* PVR for cell-based sprite sheets
* New iPhone features exposed to TorqueScript via C++ handlers
* Gesture callbacks for swipe, pinch, and zoom
* More documentation on creating optimized games, using iPhone specific features, and general reference to frameworks (engine code)
* Community member contributions
o Vibration by Dave Calabrese
o Loading and saving game data to device by Dave Calabrese
o Multi-Touch and gestures by Dave Calabrese and Justin Mosiman
* General optimizations that will increase fps
Please use this thread to post feedback about the upcoming features, or 3.0 specific functionality you might be interested in. Try not to clutter this with current bugs or 1.2 issues, which are addressed elsewhere.
About the author
Programmer.
#123
I got some Feedback and a Question.
First the Feedback: we can compile and run successfully with SDK 3.0.
But the Visual Studio Projects appear to not have the PUAP_SCRIPT_CHANGE flag set, which results in an error when trying to build the itgb_script_optimize Target for the iphone.
Also it appears to me that the build project option of the editor is not working properly.
I get varying results when creating a project this way and the advantages seem to be minimal.
Especially since I could not get TGB to build any PVRs for me even if I checked "compress textures" and set the ImageMaps to "compress to PVR".
So now we are using a modified Version of the base Project which is working well.
Now to the Question: PVR for cell-based sprite sheets? Did this feature make it into the release? It seems as if it does not work. The PVR which we generated for out imageMaps in "CELL" mode, produce a "Number of mipMaps out of bounds" error caused by an assert. We don't use mipmaps, but do we have to?
Could you please tell us how to properly set up our ImageMaps and create the proper PVRs so we can use them for cell-based sprite sheets? We have a great problem with our memory usage and really need this feature.
09/14/2009 (11:14 am)
Hi Guys.I got some Feedback and a Question.
First the Feedback: we can compile and run successfully with SDK 3.0.
But the Visual Studio Projects appear to not have the PUAP_SCRIPT_CHANGE flag set, which results in an error when trying to build the itgb_script_optimize Target for the iphone.
Also it appears to me that the build project option of the editor is not working properly.
I get varying results when creating a project this way and the advantages seem to be minimal.
Especially since I could not get TGB to build any PVRs for me even if I checked "compress textures" and set the ImageMaps to "compress to PVR".
So now we are using a modified Version of the base Project which is working well.
Now to the Question: PVR for cell-based sprite sheets? Did this feature make it into the release? It seems as if it does not work. The PVR which we generated for out imageMaps in "CELL" mode, produce a "Number of mipMaps out of bounds" error caused by an assert. We don't use mipmaps, but do we have to?
Could you please tell us how to properly set up our ImageMaps and create the proper PVRs so we can use them for cell-based sprite sheets? We have a great problem with our memory usage and really need this feature.
#124
This works. Do you have "optimised = 1" set in your image datablocks? I haven't done anything different in terms of generating the PVR -- power-of-2 square with 4BPP compression.
09/14/2009 (1:12 pm)
Quote:
Now to the Question: PVR for cell-based sprite sheets? Did this feature make it into the release? It seems as if it does not work.
This works. Do you have "optimised = 1" set in your image datablocks? I haven't done anything different in terms of generating the PVR -- power-of-2 square with 4BPP compression.
#125
What's the deal, Michael?
Not only am I wondering why you're saying it's your last, 'tomorrow' was a couple of days ago. You ok? What's going on behind the iron curtain?
09/14/2009 (1:58 pm)
Quote:9-11-09: An official blog from me (my last) concerning 1.3 and the future of the iPhone engines will be released tomorrow.
What's the deal, Michael?
Not only am I wondering why you're saying it's your last, 'tomorrow' was a couple of days ago. You ok? What's going on behind the iron curtain?
#126
09/14/2009 (2:08 pm)
When the blog is posted, you'll see. It's not as big and scary as it sounds! 
#127
09/14/2009 (5:00 pm)
He's just tied up in Austin GDC. No cause for alarm, we haven't locked him in a cage or anything. :) 
#128
I get the same result whether I compile in to Device 3.0 or 3.1, and whether I use the iTGB target or the script optimize one.
The only thing I have changed so far is the to set the linking from static to dynamic as Ronny suggested (without this change it was not compiling properly at all).
Has anyone else seen this or know how to solve it? Thanks.
09/14/2009 (6:02 pm)
I've run into a problem I don't know how to solve. When I attempt to build the game to the phone (right now just using the behavior shooter that comes built in to try and get everything working and set up right) the game hangs at the splash screen with the status bar on the left never going away. Xcode says that it is running, and it never crashes back to the springboard.I get the same result whether I compile in to Device 3.0 or 3.1, and whether I use the iTGB target or the script optimize one.
The only thing I have changed so far is the to set the linking from static to dynamic as Ronny suggested (without this change it was not compiling properly at all).
Has anyone else seen this or know how to solve it? Thanks.
#129
@Zeinad: I dunno what's happening there. Even in the worst case, at least the status bar disappeared. Does the iPhone Test project build?
I think it's time to make a wishlist for features. I've seen requests for video playback, and am hacking away at something for that now.
09/14/2009 (8:45 pm)
@Ken: You suggested it before we did...which implies you really DO have him in a cage somewhere!@Zeinad: I dunno what's happening there. Even in the worst case, at least the status bar disappeared. Does the iPhone Test project build?
I think it's time to make a wishlist for features. I've seen requests for video playback, and am hacking away at something for that now.
#130
thx that was the problem. Although I could have sworn that I tried that before...
Well, I can confirm that PVRs for cell-based sprite sheets do actually work. And they do save A LOT of memory.
Good job.
09/15/2009 (2:53 pm)
@Chris:thx that was the problem. Although I could have sworn that I tried that before...
Well, I can confirm that PVRs for cell-based sprite sheets do actually work. And they do save A LOT of memory.
Good job.
#131
@Enrico: What did you have to do to get PVRs for cell-based sprite sheets to work? I tried but I think I am doing it wrong.
09/15/2009 (6:33 pm)
I got it working now, I dont know what the problem was exactly but when I made my own test game rather than trying to use the behavior shooter it works.@Enrico: What did you have to do to get PVRs for cell-based sprite sheets to work? I tried but I think I am doing it wrong.
#132
09/15/2009 (9:25 pm)
does anyone have a complete list of what exactly made it in to 1.3? A summary would be great!
#133
Michael's famous last words... on 9/11. Bad omen?
Could someone please point me to Dave's solution about the onMouseDragged function not working anymore?
Or does anyone else have solution for this issue?
Thanks.
09/16/2009 (2:34 pm)
"An official blog from me (my last) concerning 1.3 and the future of the iPhone engines will be released TOMORROW!"...Michael's famous last words... on 9/11. Bad omen?
Could someone please point me to Dave's solution about the onMouseDragged function not working anymore?
Or does anyone else have solution for this issue?
Thanks.
#134
Seriously, I have one wife, two jobs, three kids, and barely four hours of sleep daily. So, my average day goes from relatively busy to downright mayhem at times, too, but I can manage to spit out a few words in short bursts or something!
09/16/2009 (3:15 pm)
"Hey Mister! Can I have your watch when you are dead?"Seriously, I have one wife, two jobs, three kids, and barely four hours of sleep daily. So, my average day goes from relatively busy to downright mayhem at times, too, but I can manage to spit out a few words in short bursts or something!
#135
09/16/2009 (6:26 pm)
Mich doesn't have enough wives to learn how to handle this pressure yet.
#136
I saw what looked like a load time improvement but when I did before/after measurements there was no effect from my tests.
09/16/2009 (6:39 pm)
I did a full recursive diff on the source code before merging with my 1.2 code base and outlined above the changes I saw in the release. I removed the input handling from mine because it broke drag and drop which I use in my game.I saw what looked like a load time improvement but when I did before/after measurements there was no effect from my tests.
#137
www.garagegames.com/community/forums/viewthread/93467
09/18/2009 (6:25 am)
@Onyx: I have a solution for 'onMouseUp' not being called... you could probably modify this to also work for onMouseDragged. Here's the post with it (check the end)www.garagegames.com/community/forums/viewthread/93467
#138
assuming you have some properly created pvrs, you just have to set:
compressPVR = "1";
optimised = "1";
and I think also (although I am not sure here):
filterPad = "0";
on the ImageMapDatablocks.
You can do it via the editor but unfortunately, the checkbox saying "compress to pvr" will be hidden when I choose "Cell"-Imagemode. So you will probably also have to manually change it in the managed/datablocks.cs or check the "compress to PVR" box before switching to "Cell"-mode.
This seems to work as well ;)
@garagegames:
this might need fixing, if it's not intended that this checkbox is hidden
09/18/2009 (7:42 am)
@zeinad:assuming you have some properly created pvrs, you just have to set:
compressPVR = "1";
optimised = "1";
and I think also (although I am not sure here):
filterPad = "0";
on the ImageMapDatablocks.
You can do it via the editor but unfortunately, the checkbox saying "compress to pvr" will be hidden when I choose "Cell"-Imagemode. So you will probably also have to manually change it in the managed/datablocks.cs or check the "compress to PVR" box before switching to "Cell"-mode.
This seems to work as well ;)
@garagegames:
this might need fixing, if it's not intended that this checkbox is hidden
#139
09/18/2009 (10:11 am)
Anyone else starting to feel a little bit abandoned and left to fend for ourselves with allegedly new, undocumented code sitting in a repository?
#140
09/18/2009 (10:35 am)
AGDC is in full effect right now. The code was released in beta form to hammer at while getting ready for the show; which is happening currently. 
Associate Dave Myers
Lumpy Games, LLC.