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Hi everyone ! (subject: about adding Pathfinding feature to futures AppGameKit updates... and more)

Hi, I would like to 'submit' one or two features that we all want to see featured in AppGameKit, in my opinion. I'm going to talk about one of the most important feature in a game making software, a feature that we should see everywhere. Professionals, game developpers always use this feature, so it is very important that we can use it too (with AGK)! it is a feature that is very hard to make from scratch for a beginner or even experienced programmers, BUT: TGC made it (so it is possible)! it is the main feature present in DarkAI for DarkBASIC pro:

*PATHFINDING* !

PathFinding is a method used mainly by the 'AI' (Artificial Intelligence) to avoid obstacles, avoid walls, other players and stuff, find the right and shortest path to a destination and above all: with Pathfinding, the AI can run along the road of a race track (for example: in a racing game). Once the feature's algorithm is done, it's very easy for developpers to implement it in any game: for example the pathfinding feature of DarkAI is very easy to use.
And that's why I really want it in AppGameKit ! many game ideas needs a pahtfinding technique: racing games, FPS (For when AppGameKit will feature 3D engine, in the future...) and many more !

but see: I (we) can't make it alone ! TGC made it (DarkAI) and can make it again ! TGC have probably already thought about Pathfinding but I just wanted to make things clear / sure : we all NEED it !
we need pathfinding for 2D games ! and I read this from TGC, there will be some day an update to add "3D engine" to AppGameKit so : we'll also need pathfinding for 3D games !

it's our (my) feature request:
-Please consider pathfinding features for AppGameKit !
the DarkAI feature is good but please make an improved one for AGK: we need for example to make racing games so it must provide simples tools (functions) to process a 2D or even 3D (polygonal) racing track and then create/use the shortest path to the arrival.

totally different subject now... :
Please note that collisions detection (2D, sprites and 3D, polygons) are very important: we need basic collisions functions BUT also advanced functions are needed to make original, impressive features !
so think about it for AppGameKit please !

Bye !

I belive there will be alot of pathfinding code for it as soon as its released
There is a large number of them for the dbp already that simply can be converted to the app kit.

http://www.policyalmanac.org/games/aStarTutorial.htm

There are so many factors in path finding that are specific to the game at hand, I'm not sure it's possible to cover all the bases. What might help, is a standard system like A*, maybe some commands to 'flood fill' a 2D array, do some of the hard work involved in A*.
Pathfinding relies on fast calculation, so writing our own then having it interpreded might be a bit of a performance bottleneck. I think it would help a great deal if there was some native support to take on some of the burdon.

I do it like this:

Vector | x,y,z,freePlace

Scan whole map for collisions at int(coordinates).

For each x there is a y and z, if in scan turns out that on this spot is collision set the vector place to false.

The scan works like a plane going thourgh all objects and check for collisions on the x y z axis.

After that you can have your player move according to the vector.

The collision scan can be made with Sparkys and it is super fast! So you can have it to update when something changes in the map ( big dynamic object for example ).

Thats how i do it, but i am sure there are alot of other neater tricks, i like this one very much tho.