Unit 4 Model: 25% done

I wanted to post unit 4 but work was slowly coming along.

Unit 4 Sketch: Bavarian Style

Just had to cruise google images to draw a quick sketch of a German Castle:

First Game Screen Shot with Unit 1

This is the first screenshot output version I wanted to put forth on the blog, nothing fancy but this the graphic layout I want.

WOO HOO! Unit 3 Done!

All right unit 3 is done! Thanks Kevin for picking out an awesome stone texture for this model! Also included a 360 view!

Color me Pink, don't think so! Unit 3: 90% done

Ok the modeling is pretty much done, but I have to texture this beast!

Unit 3: 75% done

Here is unit 3: about 75% done.

Unit 3: 25% done

So far so good!

Unit 2 spin view

I wanted to show unit from all sides:

Project OSP: Unit 2 - 90% complete

Whoo Hoo! Got about 90% of this unit complete! Gotta love Blender 3D!

New Unit Progress: 60%

One of the new 3D models from the sketches is coming along great, hope it turns out alright. I will keep you updated on the model progress.

Trebuchet's Away!

Well a catapult would be quite lonely if it didn't have its big brother around as the trebuchet!

Catapulting into the Image frontier

Actually I am creating some of the weapons for the unit builder right now, and I just created a cool model of a catapult. I just love the beauty of medieval siege weapons!

Here is a screenshot:

OpenSteamPunk: Graphics Work

Right now I am working on the 3D work for the earlier sketches that I posted and I am adding new icons for the unit builder I am creating. Little by little this is turning out pretty good.

Couple of sketches of new designs.

I wanted to show a couple of sketches I had planned to create into 3D models:

Blender Update: First Unit outta the render box!

Not to sure what this is right now, just a mishmash of a steam castle, but I had it in my head and I needed to get it out on 3D paper before I lost it!

Wonderful Lists and Dictionaries

I used to program in C, C++ and Java and I remember that you always had to go an extra effort to create hash arrays! Boy were those the days and a major pain in the arse.

Now what I really love about Python is the lists and even more the dictionary data types! Man these data types are what those other languages should have by default and not monkey fuss around just getting the array to expand properly and not being concerned about constraints of a array or linked list.

compare for example:

in C to just use an array it required the data type and then a constant to initialize to structure

Ex 1:

int my_array[10]

for(int i = 0; i < 10; i++)

{

my_array[i] = i

}

in Python you just use

my_array=range(0,10)

Now to add more than 10 items to this array that required either a pointer switch or a for loop to copy the current items to the new array. Pain in the butt! Though in C++ you can create linked lists to allow this to work better

int my_new_array[11]

for(int i =0; i < 10; i++)

{

my_new_array[i] = my_array[i]

}

In python it is simply:

my_array.append(new_number)

That's just a start of the beauty of Python over C, I just enjoy the elegance of python.

Alpha Run OpenSteamPunk: Builder Test

So far everything is running great with the unit builder, though I am still using Blender to finish up some missing icons to the click build system I am implementing, as it stands I think it is simple yet impressive system! I will post screen shots after I get the web app more polished.

OpenSteamPunk: Builder progress

The unit builder is coming along nicely, I am implementing the different weapons for the vehicles using simple forms and image input types in HTML and using simple CSS2 rendering for showing the current build update while a unit is being contructed piece by piece. I am really enjoying the way this puzzle is coming together. Well that's enough for now, hope to get the builder aspect done in a week or two.

WOO HOO! Python Rulz Problem Solved

I figured out the issue with the string to list modify and list to string:

>>>mystring = "HELLO"

>>>mylist = list(mystring)

>>>print mylist

['H', 'E', 'L', 'L', 'O']

>>>mystring2 = "".join(mylist) <---- This was the ace in the hole!

>>>print mystring2

HELLO

Thank you .join!!!

Developer Note: Unit Builder

Right now I am currently developing a unit creator for the OpenSteamPunk, using a CSS, html, apache and python. Having a load of fun but having some troubles with lists right now as I cannot easily convert a string to a list modify it and save back into a string. I will find a way hopefully I know python.org has great docs so its only a matter of time to find the answer.

Project Codename: OpenSteamPunk

Well here is a synopsis of a game idea I am currently working on:

It takes place in a Medieval fantasy world.

Steam engines and steam technology are common place.

Steam tech is combined with medieval tech to create a strange mix of weapons and machines.

Draws upon strongly from Hero's steam engine Aeolipile , DaVinci's inventions and Archimedes.

Open Talon Game design blog

I want to start out by saying that I am not a professional blogger, but I want to share in my trials and tribulations of games I want to design and the process and software I am using to do it. As the blog title says this will be an open source site using only open source tools, from Linux for my OS, blender,gimp, inkscape for graphics, python for the programming language, and audacity for music. Well I hope this will be a great ride, at least it will be fun doing it on the way!