Sams Teach Yourself Game Programming with Visual Basic in 21 Days

Award-winning author and game programmer, Clayton Walnum has a degree in Computer Science and has written or coauthored more than 40 books (translated into many languages) covering everything from computer gaming to 3D graphics programming. He's also written hundreds of magazine articles and software reviews, as well as countless programs. His books include Creating Turbo C++ Games, Creating Windows 95 Applications with Visual Basic, The Windows 95 Game SDK Strategy Guide, and The Complete Idiot's Guide to Visual Basic 6.

Introduction.


What Should You Already Know about Programming? What Hardware and Software Do You Need? Conventions Used in This Book. Let the Games Begin!

WEEK 1. AT A GLANCE.

Day 1. The Art of Game Programming.


Complex, But Not Too Complex. The Hidden Benefits of Programming Games. Why Use Visual Basic? Types of Games Best Suited to Visual Basic.



Games Using Straight Visual Basic. Visual Basic Games that Call the Windows API.



The Elements of Game Programming.



Game Design. Graphic Design. Sound Generation. Controls and Interfaces. Image Handling. Animation. Algorithms. Artificial Intelligence. Game Testing.



Summary. Q&A. Workshop.



Quiz. Exercises.

Day 2. Drawing Graphics with Visual Basic.


Using Colors in Visual Basic.



The Color Constants. The System Colors. The RGB Function. The QBColor Function. Hexadecimal Numbers



Drawing Shapes.



The Line Method. The Circle Method.



Line and Fill Properties.



The DrawWidth Property. The DrawMode Property. The DrawStyle Property. The FillColor and FillStyle Properties.



The Graphics Controls.



The Line and Shape Controls. The Image and PictureBox Controls.



The Face Catch Game.



Playing Face Catch. Building Face Catch. Understanding Face Catch.



Summary. Q&A. Workshop.



Quiz. Exercises.

Day 3. Creating Game Screens with Fonts and VB Graphics.


Setting Text Colors.



The ForeColor Property. The FontTransparent Property.



Working with Fonts.



The Font Property. Properties of Fonts.



The Nightshade Text Adventure Game.



Playing Nightshade. The Story. Getting Into the Game. Nightshade Hints. Nightshade's Help Menu. Building Nightshade. Understanding Nightshade.



Summary. Q&A. Workshop.



Quiz. Exercises.

Day 4. Developing Program Code.


The Story of Life. The Rules of Life. Life Implementation. The Speed Problem. Linked Lists. An Object-Oriented List. Exploring the List Class. A Cell List. The Life Program.



Playing Life. Building Life. Understanding Life.



Summary. Q&A. Workshop.



Quiz. Exercises.

Day 5. Displaying and Manipulating Images.


The Image Control in Detail.



Important Image Control Properties, Methods, and Events. Loading Pictures into an Image Control. Sizing Pictures with an Image Control.



The PictureBox Control in Detail.



Important PictureBox Control Properties. Loading Pictures into a PictureBox Control. Sizing Pictures with a PictureBox Control. The PaintPicture Method.



The Letter Tiles Puzzle Game.



Playing Letter Tiles. Building Letter Tiles. Understanding Letter Tiles.



Creating a Game Cheat. Summary. Q&A. Workshop.



Quiz. Exercise.

Day 6. Graphics Programming with the Windows API.


Calling the Windows API.



Provide the Windows API Function Declaration. Provide the Windows API Type Declarations. Call the Windows API Function.



Drawing with the Windows API.



Drawing Lines with the Windows API. Drawing Shapes with the Windows API.



Manipulating a Control's Picture with the Windows API.



Obtaining Bitmap Information. Manipulating the Bitmap. Understanding Pixel Formats.



Summary. Q&A. Workshop.



Quiz. Exercises.

Day 7. Programming Real-Time Games.


Playing Battle Bricks. Building Battle Bricks.



Creating the Battle Bricks User Interface. Adding the Form Handlers. Adding the Initialization Routines. Adding the General Game Subroutines. Adding the FindBrick Function. Completing the Game. Understanding Battle Bricks. Performing Actions Triggered by the Ball. Hitting a Brick. Destroying Bricks. Getting Keyboard Input and Moving the Paddle. Tearing Down the Walls.



Summary. Q&A. Workshop.



Quiz. Exercises.

Week 1. In Review.
WEEK 2. AT A GLANCE.

Day 8. Programming Card Games.


Deck-Handling Functions. The clsCard Class. The clsDeck Class. Demonstrating the clsCard and clsDeck Classes.



Building the Program. Running the Demo Program. Using the clsDeck Class.



Blackjack, Anyone?



Creating Blackjack's User Interface. Adding the Object Handlers. Completing the Game. Playing Blackjack. Programming Blackjack.



Summary. Q&A. Workshop.



Quiz. Exercises.

Day 9. Poker Squares.


Playing Poker Squares. Building Poker Squares.



Creating Poker Square's User Interface. Adding the Object Handlers. Completing the Game. Understanding Poker Squares.



High-Score Files. Summary. Q&A. Workshop.



Quiz. Exercise.

Day 10. Programming Computer Opponents.


A Short Introduction to Artificial Intelligence. Introducing Crystals. Playing Crystals. Building Crystals.



Creating Crystals' User Interface. Adding the Object Handlers. Completing the Game. Understanding Crystals.



Summary. Q&A. Workshop.



Quiz.

Day 11. Adding Sound to a Game.


Recording Sound.



Editing Sounds. Generating Sound Effects.



Playing Sound Effects with Visual Basic.



The Multimedia Control. Windows API Waveform Functions.



Using DirectSound.



Adding DirectX to Your Project. Declaring DirectSound Variables. Creating a DirectSound Object. Setting the Priority Level. Creating DirectSoundBuffer Objects. Playing the Sound. The DirectSound Routines.



Adding Sound Effects to Battle Bricks. Summary. Q&A. Workshop.



Quiz. Exercises.

Day 12. Playing the Game: The Dragonlord RPG Project.


What's an RPG? Playing Dragonlord.



Shopping for Supplies. Moving Through the Dungeon. Discovering Objects in the Dungeon. Randomizing a Dungeon. Loading a Dungeon.



Building Dragonlord.



Creating Dragonlord's Main Form.



Adding Dialog Boxes to the User Interface. Summary. Q&A. Workshop.



Quiz. Exercise.

Day 13. Programming a Simple RPG.


Adding the Object Handlers.



Adding General Game Source Code. Adding a Module for Data Types and Subroutines. Adding Dialog Box Source Code. Last-Minute Details. Understanding Dragonlord. Dungeon Maps. Initializing the Game. Handling Character Stats. Moving the Player. Battling Skeletons. Creating Sound Effects.



Summary Q&A. Workshop.



Quiz. Exercises.

Day 14. Creating a Level Editor.


Using the Dragonlord DungeonEditor. Building the Dragonlord DungeonEditor.



Creating DungeonEditor's Main Form



Creating the Menus. Adding the About Dialog Box.



Adding the Object Handlers. Adding General Source Code. Understanding DungeonEditor. The Toolbox. Placing a Room or Item into the Dungeon. Saving and Loading Dungeon Data.



Summary. Q&A. Workshop.



Quiz. Exercises.

Week 2. In Review.
WEEK 3. AT A GLANCE.

Day 15. Game Play and the User Interface: The Moonlord Project.


The Story. The Rules.



The Bridge. Cruise. Status. Warp. Long-Range Scanners. Short-Range Scanners.



Building Moonlord's User Interface Adding the About Dialog Box. Summary. Q&A. Workshop.



Quiz.

Day 16. Tracking Game Information: The Moonlord Project.


Adding Enumerations, Constants, and Variables to Moonlord.



Adding the Declarations. Adding the Initialization Code.



Understanding Moonlord's Initialization.



Moonlord's Variables and Constants. Initializing the Program Variables. Initializing the Game Variables. Initializing the Game Board. Initializing the Short-Range Scanner Contents.



Summary. Workshop.



Quiz. Exercises.

Day 17. Programming the Main Screen: The Moonlord Project.


Adding Graphics for the Main Screen. Updating Object Handlers. Understanding the Source Code.



The Button Handlers. The Button Helper Subroutines. Getting Mouse Clicks. The Command Subroutines. General Subroutines.



Summary.

Day 18. Programming the Short-Range Scanner Screen: The Moonlord Project.


Adding Code to the Button Handlers. Command Subroutines. General Subroutines. Game Functions. Odds and Ends. Understanding the Source Code.



The DoShortCruise Subroutine. The DoRam Subroutine. The TrackPhoton Subroutine. The CheckShortCruise Function.



Summary. Workshop.



Quiz. Exercises.

Day 19. Programming the Status Screen: The Moonlord Project.


Updating the Button Code. Adding Subroutines. Adding a Function. Odds and Ends. Summary. Workshop.



Quiz. Exercises.

Day 20. Adding Animation: The Moonlord Project.


Animation on the Main Screen. Animation in the Short-Range Scanner Screen. Adding New Functions. Summary. Workshop.



Quiz. Exercises.

Day 21. Adding Sound: The Moonlord Project.


Adding DirectSound Code. Playing Sound Effects. Summary. Workshop.



Quiz. Exercises.

Week 3. In Review.
Appendix A. Quiz Answers.


Answers for Day 1.



Quiz. Exercises.



Answers for Day 2.



Quiz. Exercises.



Answers for Day 3.



Quiz Exercises.



Answers for Day 4.



Quiz. Exercises.



Answers for Day 5.



Quiz. Exercise.



Answers for Day 6.



Quiz. Exercises.



Answers for Day 7.



Quiz. Exercises.



Answers for Day 8.



Quiz. Exercises.



Answers for Day 9.



Quiz. Exercises.



Answers for Day 10.



Quiz.



Answers for Day 11.



Quiz. Exercises.



Answers for Day 12.



Quiz.



Answers for Day 13.



Quiz. Exercises.



Answers for Day 14.



Quiz.



Answers for Day 15.



Quiz.



Answers for Day 16.



Quiz.



Answers for Day 18.



Quiz.



Answers for Day 19.



Quiz.



Answers for Day 20.



Quiz.



Answers for Day 21.



Quiz.

Appendix B. Designing Computer Game Graphics.


3D Made Simple. How to Make a 2D Square into a 3D Box. Offset Stamping for 3D Results. Special Tips and Tricks.



Choosing Identifiable Objects. Designing Icons. Drawing Metal. Drawing Glass. Drawing Luminous Objects. Drawing Drop Shadows. Smoothing Graphics.



Summary.

Appendix C. Windows API Functions for Game Programmers.


AngleArc(). Arc(). BitBlt(). Chord(). CreateBrushIndirect(). CreateDIBSection(). CreateHatchBrush(). CreatePatternBrush(). CreatePen(). CreateSolidBrush(). DeleteObject(). Ellipse(). FloodFill(). GetBitmapBits(). GetDC(). GetDIBColorTable(). GetDIBits(). GetObject(). GetPixel(). LineTo(). MaskBlt(). MessageBeep(). PatBlt(). Pie(). PolyBezier(). PolyDraw(). Polygon(). Polyline(). PolyPolygon(). PolyPolyline(). Rectangle(). RoundRect(). SelectObject(). SetBitmapBits(). SetDIBColorTable(). SetPixel(). SetROP2(). StretchBlt(). StretchDIBits().

Appendix D. Getting Started with DirectX.


Why Game Programmers Need Fast Graphics. Enter DirectX. The Components of DirectX. Installing the DirectX 7 SDK. Programming with DirectDraw. Creating the DirectX Application. Initializing DirectDraw.



Creating a DirectDraw Object. Requesting the Cooperative Level. Creating DirectDrawSurface Objects. Clipping and Transparency. Performing the Animation.



Summary.

Appendix E. Game Programming Resources.


Game Programming Books. VB Game Programming Sites. Advanced Game Programming Sites.

Index.