GLBasic, 2008/2009 plans

[Moru]

Is there any way we will get a multi-pass compiler that can go thru all files and prepare the types from all files so they can be used in the main project file? For example I want to include the keyboard handling code wich is a separate file that contains all types of keys already defined so I can use them in the game easily. This gives an error that the type is not defined. So I have to move it out of the separate file and stick it up on top of the main file wich is just what I want to avoid by having several files. Then I can just do it all in the main code anyway and be done with it. Next time I start a project I have to go thru that code and cut/paste the routines and declarations that I always use...

[AndyH]

Hi Moru - yes I have come up against this also.  Would be nice to have a good solution to it in a future GLB build.

[Hemlos]

Can you add multiple frames to X_Obj? This would allow me to solve a FPS issue with CPRINT in 3d version.
I want to make realtime animations without having to constantly build new objects, only once in a while when a string is updated....its really slow building hundreds of vertices each frame. Or increase the speed which X_OBJADDVERTEX works ..its slow.

[Kitty Hello]

Not, yet. It's planned though.

[Kuron]

Feature Request

I like the "write once, compile for all platforms" aspect of GLBasic.  But we really need a native "get platform" command.

Example, I am writing an image editor.  On Windows I can let the user print the image from the editor.  But on Linux/OS X I can't do this because the way I print the image relies on a Windows hack.  I need to be able to detect the platform the program is being run on so I know whether to enable or disable the print option.

I could just compile different versions for each OS, but that does defeat the multi-platform purpose of GLBasic IMHO.  No matter how much we try, certain things we can do on one platform and can't do on another.  Having a "get platform" command could make life a tad easier when trying to support multiple platforms.

Just a request, not a demand.

[Kitty Hello]

Did you try PLATFORMINFO$() ?

[Kuron]

Gotcha, thank you.  I really do need to update GLBasic more often 

[Hemlos]

how about .jpeg and gif89 support   

[Kitty Hello]

I think png is the way to go.

[Hatonastick]

PNG gets my vote for purely selfish reasons - it's the format I use the most by far.

[Hemlos]

BMp is absolutely the best.

However, you cant use glbasic to view jpg and gif...these are internet web graphics

png was used to replace gif on the internet.
but gif89 is the animated web grasphic and jpg is the low compression web graphic.

I would like to make executable tools that utilize the internet graphics using netwebget
so how about it?

[Kuron]

Hemlos:  For Windows, you could use the API to load those formats.  GIF and JPG are useless for gaming due to the compression artifacts.  PNG would be nice, but ONLY if the alpha channel is supported.

[Kitty Hello]

It is. If you want alpha channel (not just transparency), you must set ALPHAMODE -1 before using it. It's all there.

[PeeJay]

Personally, I would like to see jpg support - while you cannot use it for sprites, it is perfect for full screen backdrops. GIF does not suffer from artefacts, but, from my (limited) understanding, the discussion about animated gif support was raised with another language, but it could not be incorporated due to licensing restrictions

[Kuron]

Personally, I would like to see jpg support - while you cannot use it for sprites, it is perfect for full screen backdrops

Keep in mind, a 24bit BMP will generally compress smaller than a JPG compressed.  For distribution and even using Shoebox, the only thing JPG usually offers over BMP is artifacts. 

The size issue is pretty much why I still use BMP instead of PNG.  Well, size and speed as BMPs generally load faster.

GIF does not suffer from artefacts

GIF is a lossy format and is far worse for artifacts than JPG due to the limited bit-depth of the GIF format.

animated gif support was raised with another language, but it could not be incorporated due to licensing restrictions

MNG is the animated form of PNG.  The main issue why MNG is not supported by most gaming languages is everybody uses image strips for animations.  The only time I see animated sprite/image formats being used is in the point and click game makers.