Lesson 2 - Loading The Environment

In this lesson we discuss loading the game environment (the arena). Thanks to Game Space Light, I was able to convert those pesky .3ds models to .X models. I'm not sure if the failure to load the .3ds files is just an inherent bug in DB Pro but this work around resolves this issue.

Note: All of the media files are located in the Lesson 1 codebase. Download the files before proceeding with this tutorial.

                                    ` This code was downloaded from The Game Creators
                                    ` It is reproduced here with full permission
                                    ` http://www.thegamecreators.com
                                    
                                    `---------------------------
`Limit Rush
`Lesson 02
`---------------------------
`http://www.binarymoon.co.uk
`Ben aka Mop
`---------------------------

`--------
`INCLUDES
`--------
`include the MatEdit LoadMatrix files
#include "LoadMatrix.dba"

`------
`ARRAYS
`------
`declare the MatEdit variables
Dim BigMatrix(600,600,1)
Dim StartLoc_X(1): Dim StartLoc_Z(1):Dim Info(2)
Dim TArrayX(1): Dim TArrayZ(1): Dim FKey(10,1)
Dim ColData(100): Dim ZoneData(100): Dim Tiles(500,500)
Dim OverTexture$(100): Dim OverName$(20): Dim ReplaceTex(100)
Dim MOffsetX(25): Dim MOffsetY(25)
Dim MWire(20): Dim MGhost(20): Dim Lock(20)
Dim MatX#(20): Dim MatY#(20): Dim MatZ#(20)
Dim MatWidth#(20): Dim MatHeight#(20)
Dim TilesX(20): Dim TilesZ(20)
Dim MatHi#(20): Dim MatLo#(20)


`----------------------------------
`Initialize Arena Scaling Variables
`----------------------------------
ArenaXYZ_SF = 15000
LightXZ_SF# = .46
LightY_SF# = .55



`set up the program
sync on
sync rate 40
hide mouse
autocam off

`load the matrix
LoadMatrix("map",1)

`temporary load level info
load object "media/arena.x",100
load object "media/arena_light.x",101

`scale the arena
scale object 100, ArenaXYZ_SF, ArenaXYZ_SF, ArenaXYZ_SF
scale object 101, ArenaXYZ_SF*LightXZ_SF#, ArenaXYZ_SF*LightY_SF#, ArenaXYZ_SF*LightXZ_SF#

`position arena
position object 100,247,188,247
position object 101,247,188,247


`add mip-mapping
set matrix texture 1,2,1
set object texture 100,0,1
set object texture 101,2,1

`set fake light properties
set object  101,1,1,0,1,0,0,1
ghost object on 101

`set fog properties
fog on
fog distance 2000
fog color RGB(128,0,0)

`set amobient light amount
set ambient light 10

`colour main light
color light 0,RGB(0,0,160)

`make a light
make light 1
set point light 1,250,200,250
color light 1,RGB(255,255,100)

`---------
`MAIN LOOP
`---------
main:
do
   `the following is temporary. There will be more but it will made later
   `get keyboard input for movement
   if upkey()=1 then move camera 4
   if downkey()=1 then move camera -4
   if leftkey()=1 then yrotate camera wrapvalue(camera angle y()-4)
   if rightkey()=1 then yrotate camera wrapvalue(camera angle y()+4)

   `sort out the camera height
   x#=camera position x()
   z#=camera position z()
   y#=get ground height(1,x#,z#)+10

   ` debug code - show the position of the camera
   position camera x#,y#,z#
   text 5,5, "X Position = " + str$(x#)
   text 5,25, "Y Position = " + str$(y#)
   text 5,45, "Z Position = " + str$(z#)

   `update the screen
   sync
loop