Hello,

I am new around here and am curious about the AGK. I have piddled a bit in programming with Visual Basic so I am not a complete newbie when it comes to programming, however, there is much I do not know as well. I am wanting to make fairly simple magic trick apps rather than full games (although eventually I would like to play with some game concepts and see where they go). Here are my questions:

Do you think magic trick apps are something that can be accomplished with the AppGameKit?

Does AppGameKit have its own scripting language or are there any books I can pick up to learn the scripting language it will use that you recommend (I know it supports C++, but what is the BASIC everyone talks about?)

The basic part is basicly a language similar to dark basic, so download DBP free and you can practice the language a little

I'm curious what exactly a "Magic Trick App" would be?

Magic trick apps could be anything from coins to cards and beyond. I perform magic in real life and could really enhance a few tricks with cellphones. I'm hoping to be able to do this with AGK.

Sounds intriguing. I'm a hobbyist magic-trick dabbler, mainly for my children and friends. I've always been sceptical about tech in magic, but maybe you can find something that makes it more believable than the stuff around right now. The only one I've really noticed is the "Look at 5 cards, pick one, now it's gone". I'm sure you know the one I mean. It needs to be much better than this.


This is the one, it's just pants...



and one more thing while we're at it, does anyone else here see a non-existent card, the red Queen of Clubs? I think it's a quirk of the video frame rate, unless it's just me that sees it!

Yes, my applications will be used more for my vanishing effects and card reveals. For instance, I can take a spectators coin, money, cards (any small object) and make it vanish with complete ease right in front of their eyes (with a short sleeve short on!). I of course can bring is back as well. So to spice this effect up what if I take their small object and place it inside my phone where they can see it on the screen. Then turn the phone over in the palm of my hand and the real coin is there...but no longer on my screen. Hand it back to them for examination. An already great effect becomes greater...The End. I plan to make more complicated app tricks as well, but I am not trying to make tricks that are just cheap thrills. I am looking to expand upon already great magic tricks with the new age of cellphones. That is my main goal at the moment with AGK.

Sounds cool pharcyded, perhaps if you were doing this it would look even better if you shook the phone over your hand, and made it look as if you have literally rattled it out of the phone... You could probably add in coin clanking sound effects using the motion sensing tech if the phone has it to add to the illusion.

This post reminded me of this video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvXqXcVF5S8

edit - I'm failing at links today...

I'm a hobbyist magic-trick dabbler, mainly for my children and friends.

Me too.

I can take a spectators coin, money, cards (any small object) and make it vanish with complete ease right in front of their eyes (with a short sleeve short on!). I of course can bring is back as well. So to spice this effect up what if I take their small object and place it inside my phone where they can see it on the screen. Then turn the phone over in the palm of my hand and the real coin is there...but no longer on my screen. Hand it back to them for examination. An already great effect becomes greater.

Now that sounds neat! Would be awesome if you could mark it in some way and the marked object appears on the phone.

All you need is a phone with a camera and a clever algorithm to cut out the object from the background

Magic is a great hobby indeed. If you ever want some great tricks with very clever gimmicks then let me know. Lots of really cool magic you can do out there now...and pretty easy to master too. Let me warn you though...it is very addictive and you will easily spend a good bit of money once you get more into it lol.

Anyway, yes i would like to add a sound as well. I was thinking I could slide the coin all around the screen then turn it over for the full exit. I am getting some great game ideas now too. My head is just full of creativity. I cant wait to pour it into AppGameKit

Place it in a chromatic green cloth, and snap a picture as Diggsey suggested. Your program can eliminate all the green, and you have your image of the object to work with. Although it's not going to be easy to incorporate taking a picture of the object into your act. Especially since most phones seem to take forever to snap it once you press the button.

With a little misdirection I could buy some time to get a picture, but palming a bright chroma green cloth would be a pretty rough to do unnoticed. However, I could maybe work in a hankerchief appearance to start the act and place borrowed rings, coins, etc in it. Will have to work on that

It doesn't have to be green. If the algorithm is clever enough you could detect a pattern or something instead.

Magician here too

Was very surprised to see this thread!

Yeah, my only problem is I know a lot more about magic than I do about the AppGameKit programming language lol. It will take some time for me to adjust and actually do advanced things with it. I can't wait to mess around with tutorials and get help here though. Its getting close to arriving!