Production Workflow for Game Development

There is a discussion forum on how to use Source/Version Control System for Game Assets:

http://www.gamedev.net/topic/513765-asset-management/

After going through the various discussion, I propose the following:

1. Version control to be used by programmers only: 
The programmers will check-in everything including the integrated game asset to work well with their version of code.

2. File server to be used by artist for their daily work:
The artists' artwork in progress should be loaded and saved from/into the mapped folder and not in their local PCs.
The file server need to be backup regularly to allow the artist to fall back on any over-written artwork.

3. Digital Asset Management to be used to upload final artwork cum source by artist only. 
This system will allow artists to browse through the company digital library and re-use digital assets.
A list of open source DAM systems
http://www.opensourcedigitalassetmanagement.org/reviews/available-open-source-dam/

Compare C# with Objective C and Java

A good article that makes the comparison on these three popular object oriented programming languages is available from Microsoft App Hub (formally known as Creators Club for XNA):

• Introduction to C# from Objective-C and Java

I have created a blog on learning C# for beginners: Software & Programming Fundamentals

- Programming Basic
- Getting Started - Console Program and Problem Solving
- Windows Forms
- Variables
- Conditional Logic
- Calculator App Dev process
- Loops - for, while, do
- Arrays
- Strings
- Review 1 with answers
- Review 2 with answers
- Revision Exercises on "Loops"
- Events
- Graphics
- Simple Lots Drawing Program (Extra)
- Simple Hangman Program (Extra)
- Flickering in .NET Graphics
- Additional Exercise #1
- Additional Exercise #2
- Full Revision from variables to arrays

[ Classes and OOP ]
- Introduction on Class
- Exercise: Human
- More detail on class
- Properties of class
- OOP
- Performance considerations
- Testing
- Data Driven Unit Testing

Developing Java ME Games using Netbeans IDE 6.9.x

I have created a new blog on how to develop Java ME games using Netbeans 6.9.x:

      http://mpgddmgd.blogspot.com/

Freelance Developers Trends

From oDesk’s Singapore Freelancer listing [ link ], the top developer is Alex N and he is affiliated with Jupiter/ BeHappy.  He is an experienced RoR, Java developer.

From oDesk’s oConomy page [ link ], the average size per project is 494.7 hours and the average rate is $9.95 / hour.

There are more statistics in the oConomy page such as distribution by job category, etc.

With the bad economy and uncertainty ahead, the number of freelancers will surely increase further.

Deployment of Flash Lite Applications

With the end in mind, what do we deploy after we complete testing our Flash Lite applications?

If it is a simple application with just one swf file, then copying the file to a Symbian S40/S60 handphone in its default location, the application may just work out of the box.  But if the application has more files and does not want to reside in the default location, then we need to deploy the files as NFL for S40 and SIS for S60 (plus signing).

Nokia Flash Packaging Tool

Nokia forum has a online tool just for this purpose:

http://www.forum.nokia.com/Technology_Topics/Web_Technologies/Flash_Lite/flashpackager.html

 

Start by clicking on the “SIS” or “NFL” tab.  After that, fill up the information in the sub tabs.

Create SIS Step by Step

The following guide from Nokia library provides a step by step tutorial on how to generate a SIS package using the tool.

http://library.forum.nokia.com/index.jsp?topic=/Flash_Lite_Developers_Library/GUID-E08FE0A9-B2BA-420E-AECC-84D887D415F9.html

Create NFL Step by Step

The following guide from Nokia library provides a step by step tutorial on how to generate a NFL package using the tool:

http://library.forum.nokia.com/index.jsp?topic=/Flash_Lite_Developers_Library/GUID-E08FE0A9-B2BA-420E-AECC-84D887D415F9.html

Yet Another High Level Programming Language – IBM’s EGL

“Simplify Web 2.0 with IBM Rational EGL Community Edition” that is the promise from this latest release of an Enterprise Tool to the open source community.

The language is declarative and it will auto generate into Java and Javascript for deployment.

As an example of how the codes look like:

handler MyRuiHandler type RUIhandler { initialUI = [ addressForm, map ]  };

addressField TextField { text = “my home address”, width = 250  };

goButton Button { text = “Go!”, onClick  ::= goButton_clicked };

addressForm Box { children = [ addressField, goButton ] };

map GoogleMap { width = “500px”, height = “300px”};

function goButton_clicked (e Event in )

addressses String[] = [ addressField.text];

map.showAddresses(addresses, addresses);

end

For more information, refer to the EGL Community Edition Hub:

http://www-949.ibm.com/software/rational/cafe/community/egl/ce

Developing Application for Mobile Devices

Symbian Developer Network published the following two useful papers:

1. Multi-Language Programming – Part I overview

http://developer.symbian.com/main/downloads/papers/Multi_Language_Programming_Part1_Overview.pdf

This paper covers the pro and con of C++, Java ME, Flash Lite,  Python, Web runtime (widgets) and .NET compact framework. 

It also lists the pro & con, supporting tools and packaging for development with 2 languages – Java & Flash, C++ & Flash, C++ & Widgets and Java & C++.

2. Multi-Language Programming – Part 2 extending Flash Lite with Java ME or Symbian C++

http://developer.symbian.com/main/downloads/papers/MLP_Paper+2_v1.0.pdf

This paper illustrated two examples of combining two programming languages for mobile application development:

1) FlashLite for UI and interface with Java ME (using Jarpa); and

2) FlashLite for UI and interface with C++ (using KuneriLite).  

Jarpa facilitates the launching of application and the communication between two runtimes to enable access to additional functionality. 

Kunerilite is a Rapid Application Development toolkit to allow flash Lite in accessing native Symbian APIs such as accelerometer, camera, bluetooth, GPS, file system and etc.

These two papers are worth reading to have an overview of the strengths and limitations of each of the programming languages and then based on the specification of our project, to make decision on which one or two languages to use.