This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.
Next revision | Previous revision | ||
scratch [2018/12/12 05:19] sausage created |
scratch [2021/02/02 01:24] (current) |
||
---|---|---|---|
Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
- | Every program that is built using Orx contains a profiler tool. The Profiler is compiled-in when using either debug or release modes. | + | One of the unique features available within Orx is the ability to switch languages in game using locale features. While many game engines allow a user to program using locale to some degree, Orx lets you switch languages back and forth in real-time. |
- | The tool helps you diagnose bottlenecks and monitor performance and internal resources. | + | An example of this could be a graphical adventure game that features characters, onscreen text, digital speech, and music. Locale switching would allow you to completely switch out all graphics, text, speech and music with a single function call without altering the game-play. |
- | To show the profiler in your game or application, add the following to your config: | + | All data is defined by you, and so your regions or nations could be aliens/humans, orcs/elves. You could even think of it as a kind of themeing. |
+ | |||
+ | Its a pretty amazing feature that comes out of the box. | ||
+ | |||
+ | This tutorial will be done in two steps: | ||
+ | |||
+ | 1. Create a simple game with characters with their own look, speech and music. | ||
+ | 2. Add in a second locale, and be able to switch between them. | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | Begin with a blank project created using init. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Name your project something like the-conversation (or whatever you wish). | ||
+ | |||
+ | Our game will be about two polite gentlemen having a conversation. They continually greet each other all day. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Eventually, we want to be able to switch their nationality, as the player may prefer to play the game in their own country and language. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Assets | ||
+ | |||
+ | Let's begin with the French assets, and build the French version first. | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | Object | ||
+ | |||
+ | Speech | ||
+ | |||
+ | Music | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | Delete the default config object and FX sections. We wont need those. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Create the default ''Person'' object in the config with: | ||
[] | [] | ||
- | Although it makes more practical sense to toggle it on and off with a key stroke: | + | Create a second person from the first, but one that stands on the other side and faces the other way: |
- | Config | ||
[] | [] | ||
- | Code | + | Next, create a ''Scene'' object that will be the root to hold all the other objects. Then place both Person objects in it's Childlist. |
[] | [] | ||
- | Run your application again, and press the [] key to bring up your Profiler. | + | Create the scene in the game in code. This will create all the child objects onscreen. You can just change the existing ''Object'' creation with ''Scene'', from: |
+ | [] | ||
- | Profiler Layout | + | to: |
- | 1) Thread Frame bar | + | [] |
- | This grey bar indicates which thread is currently selected. Most of Orx's subsystems run on the main thread. There are other systems like streaming audio which runs on another thread. Select your thread with the Page Up and Page Down keys. | ||
- | The first value displayed is the amount of time in ms that it took to render the entire frame. The second value shows the largest amount of time that a frame took to render in the last second. | ||
- | 2) The meter bar panel | + | Create all the text objects to go onscreen. You will need text objects for: |
- | These coloured meter bars indicate how much time each subsystem took to complete within the frame. The colours themselves correspond to the colours on the subsystem in the subsystem panels. | + | |
- | The bars are spread over four or more lines. The row of the bar corresponds to the level of the system. For example, the render task is on the top level, so sits in the top row. The orxSpawner_Update is three levels into the hierarchy and is therefore on the third row. | + | - The speech |
+ | - The player instructions | ||
+ | - The current language indicator | ||
- | 3) Subsystem panel | + | Create these as: |
- | This panel shows all the subsystems currently running in the frame. Each system contains three numbers. | + | |
- | The first is the amount of time in ms that this system has taken to run in the current frame. The second number indicates the longest time this system took to run in the last second. | + | [] |
+ | |||
+ | And now place them into the scene by adding them to the Childlist: | ||
+ | |||
+ | Next is the music. Define it with: | ||
+ | |||
+ | [] | ||
+ | |||
+ | And add it to the scene with: | ||
+ | |||
+ | [] | ||
+ | |||
+ | Next is the actual conversation. Define the speech with: | ||
+ | |||
+ | [] | ||
+ | |||
+ | Them using a timeline track switch on and off the alpha of the speech text object to make it appear/disappear, move its position and play the sounds. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Compile and run. Our two French gentlemen will start having a lovely conversation. | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | That is the basic game. | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | Now to make the game switchable to Australia mode. This is the easy part. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Begin by defining the two languages for the game: French and Australian. | ||
+ | |||
+ | [] | ||
+ | |||
+ | Next, define those languages as sections containing your keys for the various assets or text: | ||
+ | |||
+ | [] | ||
+ | |||
+ | Finally go to each config and replace the absolute asset paths and text with the named keys from language sections. These keys are called using the special $ symbol: | ||
+ | |||
+ | [] | ||
- | The last number shows how many times this subsystem was run in the last frame. | + | Compile and run. Now you can switch between the two languages with the Space Bar. Everything in the game switches over in an instant. Pretty impressive stuff. |
- | 4) Secondary Subsystem panel | ||
- | The subsystems in this panel do not have colouring. The grey lines indicate xxxxx. The white lines indicate xxxx. | ||
+ | Acknowledgements, permissions and thanks | ||
+ | Accordion performance of Je Te Veux by Norimichi Nagasaka. Youtube channel is at: https://www.youtube.com/user/VAccordion | ||
+ | Graphics by Trevor Brennan: http://trevorbrennan.com | ||
+ | Thanks to FullyBugged, Dom M ad Matt R for the voices. | ||