PixelBlitz – First 2009 Update, lots of new toys and shmup test 1
This evening I managed to find time to push a lot of updates through for PixelBlitz. This fixes some serious bugs that I introduced last year when trying to optimise the speed of the renderer. It also brings in new methods in the BlitzMath class (my favourite being the excellent wrapValue() function!), the new Box2D Physics classes (lots more on this to come) and the starting classes for BlitzGrid, BlitzDraw and BlitzWorld.
More importantly I’ve started putting the examples source code into Google Code, which I’ve tested and it all compiles against this latest build. So far all of my demos from last year are converted and working, including this new little Shoot-em-up Test. Use the cursor keys to move and control to fire. Firing doesn’t actually do anything, you can’t die, the aliens can’t die either, but I think it shows the potential speed a PixelBlitz game can have, and I’m not even starting to push it yet.
Get the latest release from Google Code including the rough and ready source for the demo game above, you’ll see the start of the new Collision Group system in there, which I’ll be evolving this year.
Tags: PixelBlitz, shoot-em-up
January 16th, 2009 at 8:15 pm
Hi Richard,
Just to let you know your Google Code link just reloads this page. You meant to link to http://code.google.com/p/pixelblitz/ right?
Matthew
January 17th, 2009 at 4:04 am
Very nice! I’ve been looking forward to this update!
Just a quick note that the ctrl key is actually the command key on Macs, or at least on my Mac. So, the combination of arrow keys and command key switches to a new view via Spaces — http://www.apple.com/macosx/features/spaces.html
January 17th, 2009 at 9:27 am
I’m very glad to see you’re continuing work at PixelBlitz!
This demo work fine for me, but processor load is 100% (PIV 2.4GHz, firefox 3.0.5).
January 17th, 2009 at 10:20 am
Ah not really, I assumed people would read this from my blog (photonstorm.com) in which case it would have taken them to the PB site with the big download icon at the top. But you’re right, if they come in via PB directly it doesn’t work, so use your link
(or the download icon above!)
January 17th, 2009 at 10:21 am
Good point! The source code is in svn so any Mac owners can edit it and change the fire key
But I’ll remember this for the next release.
January 17th, 2009 at 10:23 am
Interesting – the fps rate is capped quite low so it shouldn’t blast that high. Maybe a Firefox quirk (although I use FF exclusively and didn’t witness it). But also possibly if it can’t keep up with the frame rate it’ll max out the CPU. I will investigate for the next release.
January 17th, 2009 at 10:26 am
Ok my replies would make a lot more sense if I had turned on threaded comments!
January 20th, 2009 at 4:14 am
Great example of a shoot’em’up! I love those ‘newschool’ arcade shooters a lot (see older blog post by me: http://blog.hexagonstar.com/coin-op-shooter-hysteria/). The demo runs here in Firefox at around 10-14% CPU usage which is quite nice.
February 18th, 2009 at 10:46 am
Hi there,
kudos for the great work!
I’m trying to figure out how to use the camera object, and i am having some issues to make it work as i would like/expect.
Could you share a quick example of how to target one main sprite and tie to the cam’s target as to update background layers?
appreciated,
goliatone
April 23rd, 2009 at 7:41 am
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