I voted on both "I use all its features to create my games" and "I download it cos I collect software that I never intend to use" as I downloaded it to give it a go. I'll try to get it to work with Z88DK and SpriteLib. Earlier I have used Notpad, batch files and SevenuP so getting an IDE would be very nice. Also the map editor looks nice, but I haven't looked into how data is stored yet.
Some comments:
Black background for text is hard on they eyes.
Paths to tools (Z88DK, Pasmo, emulators et.c.) is stored in each project. They should be global.
Click on warnings (just as errors)
Clear console on build
I voted on both "I use all its features to create my games" and "I download it cos I collect software that I never intend to use" as I downloaded it to give it a go. I'll try to get it to work with Z88DK and SpriteLib. Earlier I have used Notpad, batch files and SevenuP so getting an IDE would be very nice. Also the map editor looks nice, but I haven't looked into how data is stored yet.
Some comments:
Black background for text is hard on they eyes.
Paths to tools (Z88DK, Pasmo, emulators et.c.) is stored in each project. They should be global.
The are both local and global.
If you use the save button next to the combo box, they go into a global xml file.
If you modified an existing setting, they get saved in your project file when you hit the project save button.
I still haven't managed to move my development to TommyGun (compile faile and no click on error to go there). I'll try with a simple "Hello world" now and se if I can get it to work.
Kiwi, TommyGun *looks* fantastic, I did try to use it severeal times actually. Especially when I was waiting for my wife to give birth in germany. It has many positive points, but I will list my negative points here. Please take this post as my humble opinion and constructive criticism.
*There is no backbone that brings every editor together. Tommygun looks like seperated editors under same gui.
*Tommygun has many abilities, but you have to get through too many formalities to do something on it.
*Controls needs more polishing. There are active icons when there is no use for them, and some controls looks inactive or greyed while you have to type something on them.
My suggestions ("if I were you" things):
Make your ideas clear about TG's role. Is it a code editor? is it an image/resource editor?
If it's a code editor (as name suggests: retro development tool), why not make the code editor default? It starts with image editor. Like every IDE, you need to code something on it sooner or later. Remove code icon on main toolbar. Change it with a "Bring Code to front" etc. Make other tools as (sound/image/map editors) helpers only.
Examples: Amiga AMOS, Visual Basic, BASin.
but creating art is trying something different and not listening to anyone. Maybe I'm bored today. Thanks for reading :)
I still haven't managed to move my development to TommyGun (compile faile and no click on error to go there). I'll try with a simple "Hello world" now and se if I can get it to work.
I have still more work to do on the Z88SDK side.
But it something I plan to be a major part of the next release.
I want to have a chat with AA first to get some ideas from him about his spritelib data formats and other things.
Kiwi, TommyGun *looks* fantastic, I did try to use it severeal times actually. Especially when I was waiting for my wife to give birth in germany. It has many positive points, but I will list my negative points here. Please take this post as my humble opinion and constructive criticism.
Congrats on the birth of your child. Hope all went well.
I like positives too ;) but can only make it better when I find out whats wrong with it, so this is good also.
*There is no backbone that brings every editor together. Tommygun looks like seperated editors under same gui.
Strange you think this. I suppose it come down to me being a programmer and therefore making a programmers tool. The code editor is where all of the editors come together for me as its where everything gets turned into code/resources.
*Tommygun has many abilities, but you have to get through too many formalities to do something on it.
Again more to do with the coding side of things I would say.
Since you didn't expand on what "formalities" are I will assume you mean the resource editor. Since this is probably the most imposing thing about TommyGun at present.
And you are probably right there are somethings that take a little bit of time to setup. But hopeful once you have done so you never have to do it again.
I know the setting of emulator, assembler, compiler and linker can take a little while to do and also requires a little knowledge about the tools you are using. But this is typical of any programming environment and TommyGun is working its way up from being a general programming tool towards being a game designer. How long will that take? That depends on how long I can keep my interest in it going it. I plan on getting an Xbox 360 with XNA next year so I may lose interest altogether once I get that.
But in the meantime TG is primarily designed to simplify the process of developing game related resources and turning them into code resources in a quick and easy manner.
*Controls needs more polishing. There are active icons when there is no use for them, and some controls looks inactive or greyed while you have to type something on them.
You would probably be best giving me some concrete examples for this one.
If it's a code editor (as name suggests: retro development tool), why not make the code editor default? It starts with image editor. Like every IDE, you need to code something on it sooner or later. Remove code icon on main toolbar. Change it with a "Bring Code to front" etc. Make other tools as (sound/image/map editors) helpers only.
Its NOT a code editor, there are much better code editors out there.
There reason the image editor is first is that, I want the editors to represent the steps you take to making your game.
eg. Images->Maps->Sounds->Music->Actions/Flight patterns->Code->Create Game.
Thats the theory, the practise at the moment is more,
Images->Maps->Code -> Create Game
as the other editors aren't complete.
My "vision" for the future would be that TommyGun would include different game maker style plugins such as Platform game maker, shoot'em up kit etc. and the other plugins link to the game maker plugin.
The game maker plugin would be the main plugin, and would provide you with a todo list of things to complete to make your game a reality.
eg.
1. Make n number of images for your game characters
2. Make your background images
3. Create your game music
4. Define/Choose your sound effects
5. Define your platforms or flight patterns etc
Once you have done all of that you could simply press the build button and it builds the game for your platform. (eg. Speccy, C64, CPC etc)
Examples: Amiga AMOS, Visual Basic, BASin.
but creating art is trying something different and not listening to anyone.
Different is what I want!
People can choose other environments if they wish, as they do. Such as.
1. Crimson editor, SevenuP, Spin etc
2. UltraEdit, PaintShop, etc
Whatever takes your fancy.
Just Dled v 0.9.11 and am very pleased with how far TommyGun has come along since whatever version I had.
Love it.
Right now I have only one (inane) request:
Under Images (tiles/screens/etc) could you please somehow implement a PASTE function. That is, I'd love to be able to use PSP or PS or some other grafx prog, make a selection, hit COPY and then move over to TG hit PASTE and voila! There it is.
Could perhaps be implemented in such a way that one would have to choose the size/height/width/etc in TG then once one hits PASTE, TG ignores the actual size of the PASTEd screengrab and crops it according to whatever one has selected within TG. (Am I making sense here?)
Yes? No?
I don't have a problem with TG screwing up/changing colours/size/etc in the transition when doing a COPY/PASTE but I'd love to have that feature (aside from the import feature).
Just Dled v 0.9.11 and am very pleased with how far TommyGun has come along since whatever version I had.
Love it.
Right now I have only one (inane) request:
Under Images (tiles/screens/etc) could you please somehow implement a PASTE function. That is, I'd love to be able to use PSP or PS or some other grafx prog, make a selection, hit COPY and then move over to TG hit PASTE and voila! There it is.
Could perhaps be implemented in such a way that one would have to choose the size/height/width/etc in TG then once one hits PASTE, TG ignores the actual size of the PASTEd screengrab and crops it according to whatever one has selected within TG. (Am I making sense here?)
Yes? No?
I don't have a problem with TG screwing up/changing colours/size/etc in the transition when doing a COPY/PASTE but I'd love to have that feature (aside from the import feature).
Skarpo :-)
You can use copy and paste.
Copy a BITMAP image from your favorite paint program and then paste (Ctrl+V) into the image editor.
TG will use the currrent palette to convert the image (well approximately anyway ;) )
Does the Spectrum SE have a different screen arrangement than the other speccys?
If not then you can simply use any of the spectrum palettes to create an SE machine.
To make a new machine called Spectrum SE simply,
1. Make a folder under TommyGun\Plugins called _Spectrum SE
(the underscore is important)
2. Copy the spectrum/sam palettes you require into the spectrum se folder.
Note: When you create images you will get the spectrum palette names of course. Just choose the mode that best suits your needs.
Start TommyGun and in the machine combobox on the start page you will have a Spectrum SE machine.
As for the 272K restriction, this is a compiler/assembler restriction and does not affect TommyGun.
TommyGun just puts code into a source file and its up to the assembler to compile it with memory constraints obeyed.
On the "Emultator" page I use "Spectaculator". In the parameters I use "%infile%.tap, but instead of converting it it says "Cannot find %infile%.tap".
Rob, I checked the code and the help page on this issue and help page is correct.
%infile% is only used by the compiler and is not an emulator command line parameter.
%infile% is used to pass the current file to be processed (ie. compiled/assembled) by the compile tool.
%game% is for either the compiler/assembler and the emulator and is simply the project name.
Rob, I checked the code and the help page on this issue and help page is correct.
%infile% is only used by the compiler and is not an emulator command line parameter.
%infile% is used to pass the current file to be processed (ie. compiled/assembled) by the compile tool.
%game% is for either the compiler/assembler and the emulator and is simply the project name.
The projects menu (at the start-up of the program) is appealing because it serves as a first contact with the projects one is working on.
I have created two projects where I have generic tiles I work with and use as a foundation for other projects. This means I have two projects which I, in essence, copy over to other further projects.
That way works for me and (unchanged) will continue to work that way.
But how about simplifying that process by creating a copy/duplicate/template button?
Comments
Some comments:
Black background for text is hard on they eyes.
Paths to tools (Z88DK, Pasmo, emulators et.c.) is stored in each project. They should be global.
Click on warnings (just as errors)
Clear console on build
The are both local and global.
If you use the save button next to the combo box, they go into a global xml file.
If you modified an existing setting, they get saved in your project file when you hit the project save button.
I'm guessing these are to be new options?
Thanks for the comments.
I know. That was one of the fist thing I did, but better default colours would be nice.
That's a bit confusing.
Yes, please.
I still haven't managed to move my development to TommyGun (compile faile and no click on error to go there). I'll try with a simple "Hello world" now and se if I can get it to work.
Kiwi, TommyGun *looks* fantastic, I did try to use it severeal times actually. Especially when I was waiting for my wife to give birth in germany. It has many positive points, but I will list my negative points here. Please take this post as my humble opinion and constructive criticism.
*There is no backbone that brings every editor together. Tommygun looks like seperated editors under same gui.
*Tommygun has many abilities, but you have to get through too many formalities to do something on it.
*Controls needs more polishing. There are active icons when there is no use for them, and some controls looks inactive or greyed while you have to type something on them.
My suggestions ("if I were you" things):
Make your ideas clear about TG's role. Is it a code editor? is it an image/resource editor?
If it's a code editor (as name suggests: retro development tool), why not make the code editor default? It starts with image editor. Like every IDE, you need to code something on it sooner or later. Remove code icon on main toolbar. Change it with a "Bring Code to front" etc. Make other tools as (sound/image/map editors) helpers only.
Examples: Amiga AMOS, Visual Basic, BASin.
but creating art is trying something different and not listening to anyone. Maybe I'm bored today. Thanks for reading :)
That why the colours are customisable, so YOU can set them up for yourself.
They are only local until to make them a global setting by saving them.
I'll put it on my todo list.
I have still more work to do on the Z88SDK side.
But it something I plan to be a major part of the next release.
I want to have a chat with AA first to get some ideas from him about his spritelib data formats and other things.
Type in a name of a non-existing file, and click Add button.
That will create a new file of that name.
I like positives too ;) but can only make it better when I find out whats wrong with it, so this is good also.
Strange you think this. I suppose it come down to me being a programmer and therefore making a programmers tool. The code editor is where all of the editors come together for me as its where everything gets turned into code/resources.
Again more to do with the coding side of things I would say.
Since you didn't expand on what "formalities" are I will assume you mean the resource editor. Since this is probably the most imposing thing about TommyGun at present.
And you are probably right there are somethings that take a little bit of time to setup. But hopeful once you have done so you never have to do it again.
I know the setting of emulator, assembler, compiler and linker can take a little while to do and also requires a little knowledge about the tools you are using. But this is typical of any programming environment and TommyGun is working its way up from being a general programming tool towards being a game designer. How long will that take? That depends on how long I can keep my interest in it going it. I plan on getting an Xbox 360 with XNA next year so I may lose interest altogether once I get that.
But in the meantime TG is primarily designed to simplify the process of developing game related resources and turning them into code resources in a quick and easy manner.
You would probably be best giving me some concrete examples for this one.
Its a development IDE.
Its NOT a code editor, there are much better code editors out there.
There reason the image editor is first is that, I want the editors to represent the steps you take to making your game.
eg. Images->Maps->Sounds->Music->Actions/Flight patterns->Code->Create Game.
Thats the theory, the practise at the moment is more,
Images->Maps->Code -> Create Game
as the other editors aren't complete.
My "vision" for the future would be that TommyGun would include different game maker style plugins such as Platform game maker, shoot'em up kit etc. and the other plugins link to the game maker plugin.
The game maker plugin would be the main plugin, and would provide you with a todo list of things to complete to make your game a reality.
eg.
1. Make n number of images for your game characters
2. Make your background images
3. Create your game music
4. Define/Choose your sound effects
5. Define your platforms or flight patterns etc
Once you have done all of that you could simply press the build button and it builds the game for your platform. (eg. Speccy, C64, CPC etc)
But really who would want a system like that? ;)
Different is what I want!
People can choose other environments if they wish, as they do. Such as.
1. Crimson editor, SevenuP, Spin etc
2. UltraEdit, PaintShop, etc
Whatever takes your fancy.
Thanks for your comments!
Very much appreciated.
Skarpo
:-)
Love it.
Right now I have only one (inane) request:
Under Images (tiles/screens/etc) could you please somehow implement a PASTE function. That is, I'd love to be able to use PSP or PS or some other grafx prog, make a selection, hit COPY and then move over to TG hit PASTE and voila! There it is.
Could perhaps be implemented in such a way that one would have to choose the size/height/width/etc in TG then once one hits PASTE, TG ignores the actual size of the PASTEd screengrab and crops it according to whatever one has selected within TG. (Am I making sense here?)
Yes? No?
I don't have a problem with TG screwing up/changing colours/size/etc in the transition when doing a COPY/PASTE but I'd love to have that feature (aside from the import feature).
Skarpo
:-)
It actually does what I asked for!!
Thanks for reading my mind!!!
Skarpo
:-)
You can use copy and paste.
Copy a BITMAP image from your favorite paint program and then paste (Ctrl+V) into the image editor.
TG will use the currrent palette to convert the image (well approximately anyway ;) )
Hope this helps.
Excellent, i'm glad it works :)
I should know, I wrote the book and I can tell you there are many, many pages missing ... wait ... we are talking about me here. Doh!
Skarpo
;-)
I am forced to ... it's my own.
Is it just me, or is the TommyGun home page supposed to be nothing than a giant question mark in Hattenschweiler font?
I would like the "zig zag" option, is this in yet. I too get the giant question mark when I go to the site
I'll try to fix the site soon.
I might even place the latest version up there as well. (MAYBE)
Newest version is uploaded.
Can't remember the changes I made, but you don't really care anyway ;)
If someone could upload it to WoS, that would be great.
Bye!
Thanks for all your hard work, most appreciated.
However, I do have one error.
On the "Emultator" page I use "Spectaculator". In the parameters I use "%infile%.tap, but instead of converting it it says "Cannot find %infile%.tap".
i would need to check the code for the exact string.
but i think i've taken %infile% out and forgotten to update the help page.
If not then you can simply use any of the spectrum palettes to create an SE machine.
To make a new machine called Spectrum SE simply,
1. Make a folder under TommyGun\Plugins called _Spectrum SE
(the underscore is important)
2. Copy the spectrum/sam palettes you require into the spectrum se folder.
Note: When you create images you will get the spectrum palette names of course. Just choose the mode that best suits your needs.
Start TommyGun and in the machine combobox on the start page you will have a Spectrum SE machine.
As for the 272K restriction, this is a compiler/assembler restriction and does not affect TommyGun.
TommyGun just puts code into a source file and its up to the assembler to compile it with memory constraints obeyed.
Hope this info is useful.
Rob, I checked the code and the help page on this issue and help page is correct.
%infile% is only used by the compiler and is not an emulator command line parameter.
%infile% is used to pass the current file to be processed (ie. compiled/assembled) by the compile tool.
%game% is for either the compiler/assembler and the emulator and is simply the project name.
Hope this clear things up a little :)
Gee a manual would be handy eh!? ;)
Cheers for this (And the email)
Keep up the good work
The projects menu (at the start-up of the program) is appealing because it serves as a first contact with the projects one is working on.
I have created two projects where I have generic tiles I work with and use as a foundation for other projects. This means I have two projects which I, in essence, copy over to other further projects.
That way works for me and (unchanged) will continue to work that way.
But how about simplifying that process by creating a copy/duplicate/template button?
Pretty please andthankyeverymuch!
Skarpo
:-)