GameX Installation and CSUG Lab Account Setup
The instructions below can be used to setup your CSUG account in the Computer Science Undergraduate Lab (CSUG) located on the 3rd floor of Upson Hall.
Gettings a CSUG Account
Once you are in the course, and we have your name, we will arrange to have a CSUG account made for you. Contact Rama Hoetzlein or Prof. Schwartz if you do not yet have an account. The CSUG account will give you access to the Comp. Sci. Undergraduate Lab to complete projects in class, work in teams and finish your assignments.
Activating your CSUG Account
(instructions provided elsewhere - contact Prof. Schwartz)
Installing GameX on your CSUG Account
The CS490 Projects use Visual C++ as the programming language and GameX (Open Source Graphics Engine) as the graphics technology to develop your games. To use GameX, you must install it yourself from the course web site following these instructions:
1) Log-on to a CSUG lab computer
2) Open Windows Explorer and create a new root folder on drive Z: called Z:\gamex. The Z drive is your personal storage space in the CSUG lab, and will be maintained even after you log off. Thus you can use this drive to create games and complete assignments for this projects/course.
3) After a Z:\Gamex folder has been created, goto the course web site and download the following ZIP files to your new Z:\Gamex folder:GameX Engine & Library - gamex.zip
ShipDemoX - shipdemox.zip
CamDemoX - camdemox.zip4) Once you have downloaded these, goto Windows Explorer again and right click on each ZIP file to extract them. Select extract to Z:\gamex\gamex, extract to Z:\gamex\shipdemox and extract to Z:\gamex\camdemox respectively. Winzip will unzip the files and should automatically create these sub-folders when it uncompresses.
5) When you are finished unzipping GameX and its demos, your folder structure should look like this:Z:\
gamex
gamex.zip
shipdemox.zip
camdemox.zip
gamex (unzipped folder)
shipdemox (unzipped folder)
camdemox (unzipped folder)
other folders..6) Now open the shipdemox folder and run the ShipDemoX-release.exe executable to test GameX and the Ship Demo on your computer. You should see a simple 2D game with a red and blue ship. If you see any errors, try another computer first. Your account will be maintained, so you only need to log-off and try running the demo again from another computer. If you still have problems, report them to Rama Hoetzlein or Prof. Schwartz.
7) Congratulations! GameX is setup on your account. Now, you need to be able to compile new games...
Compiling the Ship Demo with Visual Studio .NET
We will be using Visual Studio .NET (similar to Visual C++) for game development. To complete projects and homworks, you must be able to compile your games using GameX. These instructions will guide you through your first compile:
1) Assuming you have downloaded, installed, and successfully run the ShipDemoX using GameX on your CSUG account..
2) Goto Start -> Programs .. and open Visual Studio .NET
3) Select File -> Open Project from Visual Studio .NET and locate the ShipDemoX.dsw (project workspace) file in the \shipdemox folder on drive Z:.. This is the project workspace used to compile the ShipDemoX game. When you make your own games, you will use another workspace almost identical to this one.
4) Before you can compile the Ship Demo game, you must instruct Visual Studio .NET on where to locate the GameX library and header files...
5) Goto Tools -> Options in Visual Studio .NET.6) In the left panel list, find the Projects folder, and select the VC++ Directories sub-folder.
7) In the right panel, change the "Show directories" box so that you can modify the "Libraries" directories.
8) Add the folder Z:\gamex\gamex to the list of Library directories (using the add folder icon)
9) Now change the "Show directories" box to modify the "Include" directories.
10) Add the folder Z:\gamex\gamex to the list of Include directories (using the add folder icon)
11) Select Apply or Ok to save these changes.
12) You should now be able to compile and link the Ship Demo game without any errors or warnings. When the compile is complete, goto Debug -> Start to run the compiled game.
13) If for some reason you receive errors during or after compile, first make sure that >both< the Include and Library directories are set up proper. For all other problems, write down the message you receive exactly, and report the problem to Rama or Prof. Schwartz.
Assignments and Game Making
Having completed the above tasks to set up your account (which you will only have to do once), you are ready to do assignments and create games using GameX.
To create a new GameX project using Visual Studio .NET, follow these instructions:
1) Open Visual Studio .NET
2) Goto File -> New Project and create a new project workspace.
3) Use the project wizard to create a new Win32 Application located on your Z: drive..
Be sure that you are making a Win32 Application.4) Once the project is created, go to Project -> Settings and select the Link tab.
5) In the list of "Object/Library modules" add gamex.lib and ddraw.lib.. These library files link in GameX and DirectX which are necessary to make your game projects compile.
6) Click ok.. Select File -> Save All to save these project settings.
7) You can now add whatever cpp and hpp files you would like to your game. It is a good idea (although not necessary) to use the shipdemox-main.cpp or camdemox.cpp files as a template for your game or project.