November updates

[kornalius]

New month, new thread

A new version of PPL beta 0.8 pre-release is now available:

New features:
- SoundEx() function
- SetSpriteMirrorX(), SetSpriteMirrorY() functions.
- SpriteMirrorX(), SpriteMirrorY() functions.

Fixes:
- Fixed array's offset calculation.
- Game api window has a border on the PC now.
- Fixed g_lock() and g_unlock() to support surface parameter.
- Fixed For() last parameter (increment) to be optional.
- Fixed SetSpriteFrames(), SetSpriteAnimSpeed() not to reset current animation index.

[kornalius]

Another update today:

Fixes:
- No more SetSpriteOffsetX, SetSpriteOffSetY, SpriteOffsetX, SpriteOffsetY, replaced by SetSpriteOffset, SpriteOffset.
- No more SetSpriteMirrorX, SetSpriteMirrorY, SpriteMirrorX, SpriteMirrorY, replace by SetSpriteMirror, SpriteMirror.
- DrawSurface changed to DrawSurfaceEx with a target surface parameter added.
- No more Sprite() function. Use &spr$ = Sprite$ instead.
- Fixed PIDE, debug buttons.
- Fixed compiler loop addressing bug.

New features:
- SetSpriteParent, SpriteParent.
- Easier DrawSurface function.

[fast_rx]

What do you mean by 'easier drawsurface function'?

In general, how do we know the specifics of the updates? I looked at the online help and it seems to be the same.

[sponge]

SetSpriteMirror doesn't get highlighted in the PIDE here - works normally.

[kornalius]

fastrx: DrawSurface takes less parameters than DrawSurfaceEx. SHould be in the help. If not I will add it.

sponge: Will take a look!

[mervjoyce]

Kornalius,

Have loaded beta 0.8 2/11/2004.

Compiler now objects to "deletewindowobject". Maybe I missed the advice, but cannot find any reference to a change.

NOTE: I did not try the first update released in November!

Help!

[kornalius]

DeleteWindowObject has been changed to DeleteObject. The internal DeleteObject doesn't exists anymore. DeleteObject is now pointing to the real DeleteObject function from the Windows API.

[kornalius]

New version is now available.

Fixes:
- Free() function.
- Pointer addressing issue.
- SetSpriteMirrorX, SetSpriteMirrorY, SpriteMirrorX, SpriteMirrorY.
- SetSpriteOffsetX, SetSpriteOffSetY, SpriteOffSetX, SpriteOffsetY.

New features:
- NewParticle(), ClearParticles(), ProcessParticles(), RenderParticles().
- Particles.ppl demo.

To come (probably tomorrow):
- Sprite clipping.
- Sprite parent's clipping.
- zlib.ppl library for zip operations.

[mervjoyce]

Beta 0.8 03/11/2004 loaded and DeleteWindowObject => DeleteObject. Perfect!

Thanks

[kornalius]

New version available.

Fixes:
- Fixed pointer addressing issue with arrays.
- Fixed SpriteAt and SpriteAtRect functions.
- Fixed game api independent processing time.
- Fixed SetSpriteDirection().
- Some other minor fixes.

New features:
- Added looping and fading to particle engine.
- Sprite clipping.
- Parent sprite and parent sprite clipping.
- New motionblur.ppl demo, showing particle engine with fading.

[kornalius]

The latest version of PPL pre-release beta 0.8 is now available for download.

Fixes:
- g_init, added a new fullscreen parameter.
- Changed ^ operator to @.
- "BORDER" in sprite's collide to check for borders collisions.
- And many more...

New features:
- Auto offset and scrolling based on the map origins.
- New Scroll.ppl demo.
- Updated Particles.ppl demo.
- ^ operator (bitwise-exclusive or)
- Support for |= &= and ^= operators.
- Tons of sprite options. (SetSpriteOptions, SpriteOptions, AddSpriteOption, DelSpriteOption).
- OffsetSprite() function.
- Wrap() function.
- Sprite clipping is now supported.
- ParticlesCount() function.
- New MotionBlur.ppl demo.

[kornalius]

Here is a brief list of things I am working on:

- Nice and simple User Interface functions for the gameapi:
- Keyboard (like the SIP).
- Input fields.
- Listbox.
- Button.
- Checkbox.

Things I'd like to do:

- A* multi-threaded pathfinding for sprites.
- Isometric display system.
- Nice level editor (tile editor) in PPL using the gameapi, with a LoadLevel() function for games.

The Isometric engine should be relatively easy to implement since I already did a fully working isometric game editor in Delphi. The multi-threaded A* pathfinding was also implemented in this game editor. It should be relatively easy to port too.

It seemed a bit quiet the past few weeks! I hope it's just a phase!

I hope to release the official beta 0.8 soon. I want it to be pretty stable and impressive (the features are quite long to list now!). I will advertise it almost everywhere.

[sponge]

Is there a need to do isometric built into PPL? I think I could do it right now without little modifications, infact I've been toying with such an idea.

[kornalius]

By adding sprite.height, the engine will be able to calculate when a sprite should be in front or in the back of another sprite on the fly. You won't have to do anything.

[mmtbb]

When you say isometric, do you mean that I could create a Textbox called Text, and call its text function with Text.Text?

Is so, then YES I would like to have that with my mash taters and gravy! Yummy, yummy!