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Dark GDK / Please releaqse a paid version of DarkGDK, which is updated regularly...

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Dodga
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Posted: 6th Aug 2011 06:33
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So I love DarkGDK, i've been using it for several yeaqrs.

The one problem I find is there are things that really need to get updated that havent, and it's a bummer.

I've bought several add on products that go along with DarkGDK, do we who have paid money, not deserve an update where the animation commands work? It's super frustrating to not be able to go over 60fps without turning off vsync, dark basic games that run at like 500fps on my comp only run at 60 using dark gdk, it's just not fair that we aren't at least given the ability to pay for an update, we shouldnt be limited just because we would like to code in c++.

I will gladly pay like 40 dollars if it means getting an updated version, what does everyone else think?
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Mistrel
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Posted: 6th Aug 2011 08:01 Edited at: 8th Aug 2011 05:46
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I hate to sound like a broken record but PureGDK solves a lot of the problems I've been reading about on this board, like this one.

I've read about people wanting to throw money at the problem, leaving DarkGDK for DarkBasic Professional or Blitz3D, or abandoning their projects altogether. But the answer is a lot closer than people thing.

PureGDK is a licensed port of DarkBasic Professional and is supported by The Game Creators; it's even sold in their store. There really is a lot going for it.

Feature highlights:

All of DBP compressed down into a single DLL
Engine customization; basic 3D in less than 800 KB!
Future support is anticipated for additional programming languages.
Language agnostic interface; all exports are C function calls
Internal multithreading support. Go thread crazy!
Enhanced commands including true support for structured parameters
Potential support for rendering in a web browser
Rewritten, extremely fast 3D math library
Improved documentation for all DarkBasic Professional commands
Superior runtime error support that is thread-aware
Easy to use command line tools for automated compiling
Plugin-based parser. Adding support for your own language is a breeze!

Projects currently supported by PureGDK out of the box:

Visual Studio 2010
Visual Studio 2008
Visual Studio 2005
Visual Studio .NET 2003
Visual Studio .NET
Visual Studio 6
GNU make/GCC g++
Nmake/VC++
PureBasic 4

PureGDK really does have a lot of offer and it's only going to get better. I just announced the first prototype running in Java:



http://forum.thegamecreators.com/?m=forum_view&t=187751&b=38&p=0

And there's no reason it can't continue to be ported to other languages like Python, Perl, Delphi, etc.

If you're frustrated with DarkGDK then I would encourage you to at least try PureGDK.

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Dodga
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Posted: 6th Aug 2011 08:13
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I want to buy but it's just too expensive plus I'd have to buy dark basic professional, so we're talking at least 100 dollars to get up and running with pure GDK. Just cant do it, if the price dropped to $30 I would buy it right now, if it were $40 I would consider but it'd be iffy, things are super tight right now,
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Mistrel
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Posted: 6th Aug 2011 08:16 Edited at: 6th Aug 2011 08:16
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PureGDK is free right now while it's in beta. Try it, and if you don't feel that it's worth that much then you don't have to buy it.

If you make something really cool with it to showcase its potential, I may just give you a free copy outright.

Otherwise, I will be giving away free copies and other prizes as well through various contests once the beta is complete.

Quote: "I want to buy but it's just too expensive plus I'd have to buy dark basic professional, so we're talking at least 100 dollars to get up and running with pure GDK."


PureGDK is compatible with the free version of DarkBasic Professional.

So we're talking at least "$0" right now.

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Dodga
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Posted: 6th Aug 2011 08:18
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Nice well I am downloading the demo, but wont I only be able to compile in debug?
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Dodga
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Posted: 6th Aug 2011 08:19
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Thanks for the quick responses btw, looking forward to giving this thing a go.
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Mistrel
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Posted: 6th Aug 2011 08:43 Edited at: 6th Aug 2011 08:44
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Quote: "Nice well I am downloading the demo, but wont I only be able to compile in debug?"


I don't see why you wouldn't be able to compile to release?

Quote: "Thanks for the quick responses btw, looking forward to giving this thing a go."


There is a walkthrough in the documentation on how to setup a project in PureGDK as well as a video turorial:

http://forum.thegamecreators.com/?m=forum_view&t=187729&b=22

If you have any trouble please don't hesitate to ask.

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Dodga
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Posted: 6th Aug 2011 08:55
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"The PureBasic demo is compatible with PureGDK but can only compile with the debugger. Projects compiled with the debugger are considerably slower than a normal executable."
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Mistrel
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Posted: 6th Aug 2011 09:17 Edited at: 6th Aug 2011 09:22
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That is a very old limitation from the PureGDK 1.0 days and has long since been resolved.

Also, make sure you download PureGDK 2.0 beta from the forum. The PureGDK website only has links to the 1.0 series information and demos.

http://forum.thegamecreators.com/?m=forum_view&t=177817&b=38

Granted, your executable will "still" be slower when compiling with the debugger, the overhead will be no different from any other C++ project. The significant degradation was an issue imposed by how PureGDK 1.0 was designed. And as I said, this is no longer an issue.

Visual Studio can run your program without the debugger if you want it to. This will result in better performance until you actually want to debug something.

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bjadams
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Posted: 6th Aug 2011 11:56
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I wouldn't put any high hopes in the future of darkgdk.

TGC are putting all their future resources in AppGameKit right now.

What a pit that darkgdk was left in the forgotten drawer, it's such a good concept.
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vitinho444
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Posted: 6th Aug 2011 12:28
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Quote: "I hate to sound like a broken record but PureGDK solves a lot of the problems I've been reading about on this board, like this one.

I've read about people wanting to throw money at the problem, leaving DarkGDK for DarkBasic Professional or Blitz3D, or abandoning their projects altogether. But the answer is a lot closer than people thing.

PureGDK is a licensed port of DarkBasic Professional and is supported by The Game Creators; it's even sold in their store. There really is a lot going for it.

Feature highlights:

All of DBP compressed down into a single DLL
Engine customization; basic 3D in less than 800 KB!
Future support is anticipated for additional programming languages.
Language agnostic interface; all exports are C function calls
Internal multithreading support. Go thread crazy!
Enhanced commands including true support for structured parameters
Potential support for rendering in a web browser
Rewritten, extremely fast 3D math libraryconstants and structures
Improved documentation for all DarkBasic Professional commands
Superior runtime error support that is thread-aware
Easy to use command line tools for automated compiling
Plugin-based parser. Adding support for your own language is a breeze!

Projects currently supported by PureGDK out of the box:

Visual Studio 2010
Visual Studio 2008
Visual Studio 2005
Visual Studio .NET 2003
Visual Studio .NET
Visual Studio 6
GNU make/GCC g++
Nmake/VC++
PureBasic 4

PureGDK really does have a lot of offer and it's only going to get better. I just announced the first prototype running in Java:



http://forum.thegamecreators.com/?m=forum_view&t=187751&b=38&p=0

And there's no reason it can't continue to be ported to other languages like Python, Perl, Delphi, etc.

If you're frustrated with DarkGDK then I would encourage you to at least try PureGDK."


It's Java..?

C++ Medium 3.5/5
VB6 Advanced: 4/5
VB.NET Advanced: 4/5
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TechLord
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Posted: 6th Aug 2011 13:41
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DGDK is a wolf is sheep's clothing, once you get a taste of C++/OOP you will find yourself abandoning its innocent procedural implementation. I'm guilty of this. I elected to migrate S3GP to OGRE due to the anticipated length of development time which could possibly exceed the life of DGDK/DX9. I'm confident the decision has future-proofed S3GP to evolve with the tech.

VC+ Express (really nice), DGDK, and DarkGDK Source Code are Freely available. Like most Freeware its use at your own risk. Look for a disclaimer: This software is provided 'as-is', without any express or implied warranty. In no event will the authors be held liable for any damages arising from the use of this software.

Several DGDK Plugins for sale are Wrappers for C++ Libraries that are Free in their native C++ code. In fact, DGDK is wrapper. Additionally, there are a substantial number of Free C++ libraries on net to serve purpose. Some of these Libraries offer full Dev Team and Community support.

Super 3D Game Platform...For Indies By Indies
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WLGfx
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Posted: 6th Aug 2011 15:21
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There was OGRE or PureGDK I wanted to move onto after this current project just to try one out. PureGDK puts me off for the slow down reason, but if that was removed due to Visual Studio stripping the debug information then I'll try that first. OGRE looks to be extremely difficult, granted I've not looked for tuts lately but at the time nothing seemed to explain very well to a newb how to use it.

If the speed wasn't an issues with PureGDK, ie VS can strip the debug, then I'll try it out for definite. I should have my project finished by tomorrow so early next week I wan't to stick with C++ and change to a new project.

I fear to learning curve with OGRE. The OOP side of things I love but still there's lots to learn.

Warning! May contain Nuts!
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Mireben
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Posted: 6th Aug 2011 15:52
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@Dodga:
It has sometimes entered my head too that maybe I'd pay for better documentation and support and faster bug fixing. However, I still believe that it's better that Dark GDK is freely accessible, together with the source code, even if freedom means that we can have a bit less support expectations.

About the problems you mentioned: I don't really understand how you expect to go above the monitor's refresh rate without turning off VSync? In any case, you can switch off VSync in Dark GDK, the command is available. The other option is to "decouple" the game processing speed from the screen refresh speed, if you issue the dbSync command linked to a timer. The point is that you can reach high FPS values if you want.

The broken animation commands are annoying but can be substituted with timed functions as well - which may be even better than relying on the built-in animation timer. So these are not show-breakers for me. I'm still nowhere near of using Dark GDK to its full potential and haven't hit any walls with it yet.

I would be very happy if Dark GDK got more attention and care. I would also gladly see plans from TGC for its future, especially about the possibility to use newer DirectX versions, and about how they plan to develop plugins in parallel with the core project.

@TechLord:
Quote: "Several DGDK Plugins for sale are Wrappers for C++ Libraries that are Free in their native C++ code."


That surprised me, could you give examples?
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Mireben
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Posted: 6th Aug 2011 16:43 Edited at: 6th Aug 2011 16:45
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@Mistrel: PureGDK is a great product and I've considered using it but haven't quite made up my mind about it. It would be good if similar features were available for Dark GDK as well (e.g. improved documentation).
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Indicium
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Posted: 6th Aug 2011 17:51
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Your posts have gotten me interested in PureGDK, Mistrel, but at £81 I'm afraid it's just too expensive. It seems like a really good product though.

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Mistrel
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Posted: 6th Aug 2011 22:35 Edited at: 6th Aug 2011 23:18
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Quote: "PureGDK puts me off for the slow down reason"


Who said anything about it being slow?

There is a tiny bit of overhead but it's a small cost to pay for portability, new commands, added features, and thread-aware error handling.

Some functions (other than making a cube spin) will be significantly faster. For example, the entire 3D math library has been rewritten to use native structures for Vector and Matrix IDs:



Also, because the interface will be the same across the language barrier, you can actually mix languages. A C++ project which runs a python scripting engine that loads a DLL written in Delphi.. etc.

Quote: "Your posts have gotten me interested in PureGDK, Mistrel, but at £81 I'm afraid it's just too expensive."


DarkBasic Professional Free + PureGDK beta is £0.

Quote: "If the speed wasn't an issues with PureGDK, ie VS can strip the debug, then I'll try it out for definite. I should have my project finished by tomorrow so early next week I wan't to stick with C++ and change to a new project."


You can compile without debugging information, absolutely. I did this when I was recording the demo on how to setup a project in Visual Studio:

http://forum.thegamecreators.com/?m=forum_view&t=187729&b=22

Quote: "It's Java..?"


It's also for C++. Any potentially any other language which can interact with a 'C' interface.

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Hawkblood
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Posted: 7th Aug 2011 01:39
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I don't like anything that has "beta" in it. That means it's not done yet and may have significant updates before it's fully funtional.

With that said, if I wasn't neck-deep in a project now, I would try it out just to see if I like it. By the way, are there any conflicts between DGDK and PGDK like commands that overlap? Could I potentially use them in tandem or would they be exclusive?

As far as the speed, if there is no (or little) lifference between PGDK and DGDK, then why change? I find DGDK almost as fast as using DX directly without the headache.....

The fastest code is the code never written.
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WLGfx
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I'm still confused about the speed drop issue. Is that fixed once the debug info is removed? If so then yes I will move over and try out my next project with it in C++...

I like GDK because what you get is that. I'm used to it now, DBPro annoys me, C++ is so much easier and GDK is a wrapper that 'works'.

@Mistrel - I have said in the passed that I would try it but the speed issue does put me off. I can handle that, if that is not the case in 'release' mode.

Warning! May contain Nuts!
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TechLord
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Posted: 7th Aug 2011 02:47 Edited at: 7th Aug 2011 02:48
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Quote: "Quote: "Several DGDK Plugins for sale are Wrappers for C++ Libraries that are Free in their native C++ code.""
Ok, I recant. I only know about Physx which DarkPhysics wraps up. Physx is Free. I'm not sure what other libs are wrapped up for other plugins. However, there are free C++ Libs available for video, lights, shaders, animation, networking.

Super 3D Game Platform...For Indies By Indies
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Mistrel
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Posted: 7th Aug 2011 03:48 Edited at: 7th Aug 2011 03:57
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Quote: "I'm still confused about the speed drop issue. Is that fixed once the debug info is removed? If so then yes I will move over and try out my next project with it in C++..."


For the sake clarifying this argument, there is no drop in performance when using PureGDK. There "was" a performance hit when using PureGDK 1.0, but this does not exist in the 2.0 release.

Quote: "I don't like anything that has "beta" in it. That means it's not done yet and may have significant updates before it's fully functional."


The only thing I'm working on right now is documentation. I'm not anticipating any more significant updates.

Quote: "By the way, are there any conflicts between DGDK and PGDK like commands that overlap? Could I potentially use them in tandem or would they be exclusive?"


PureGDK and DarkGDK are mutually exclusive. You can't mix them.

Many of the commands have been renamed for clarity and others have had their parameters reordered to support default parameters and function polymorphism.

Here is an example of a function which will have its parameters reordered for automatic ID allocation:



The "soundID" parameter is optional and therefore appears at the end of the function. If no ID is specified, one will be returned as the result.

For functions which take advantage of default parameters, the header might look like this:



And for others which use function polymorphism, for example:



Another example where a command might be different is "dbSetDisplayMode".

In DarkGDK you can use these commands to change the resolution:



In PureGDK the same command with optional parameters is:



In this function each parameter after width and height can be optionally specified.

PureGDK has built-in support for multithreading by providing function-level critical sections for your convenience behind the scenes as well as thread-aware error handling. Each function can have several possible error codes which can be detected are caught at runtime for you to examine and respond to.

For example, dbMakeMatrix() can throw any of the following errors for you to catch with dbGetLastError():



dbGetLastError() will return the last error to occur in the current thread. It can safely and accurately be used across multiple threads.

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Dodga
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Posted: 7th Aug 2011 06:23
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Hey, I'm using it, is there no dbobjectexist command?
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Dodga
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Posted: 7th Aug 2011 06:30 Edited at: 7th Aug 2011 06:39
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I get these errors when trying to compile:

It works when I do a new project but when I try to compile my existing it gives me this error. Dont know what to think yet.

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Mistrel
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Posted: 7th Aug 2011 06:42 Edited at: 7th Aug 2011 06:47
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Please put all of your errors in a code tag. All of that garbage you're seeing is DarkGDK libraries conflicting with PureGDK exports.

PureGDK and DarkGDK are mutually exclusive. You can NOT mix them!

Quote: "basic3D.lib(CObjectsC.obj) : error LNK2005: \\\"void __cdecl dbPlayObject(int,int,int)\\\" (?dbPlayObject@@YAXHHH@Z) already defined in pgdk-3d.obj"


'basic3D.lib' is a DarkGDK static library. There is no file in PureGDK with this name. 'pgdk-3d.obj' is a compiled PureGDK object file from the DLL export map. Both have the same export name and the linker is telling you that they conflict.

Did you follow the walkthrough in the PureGDK documentation on how to setup a project?

Quote: ".. when I do a new project .."


You cannot create a DarkGDK project, which I'm guessing is what happened. Just create a clean, empty C++ project like I show in the video. You won't get any linker problems if you do this.

I also made a YouTube video of the process:

http://forum.thegamecreators.com/?m=forum_view&t=187729&b=22



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Dodga
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Posted: 7th Aug 2011 06:47
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I did and I removed the include part for daqrkgdk.h so it shouldnt be loading anything darkgdk
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Dodga
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Posted: 7th Aug 2011 06:49
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I think I might know whats wrong, I'll let you know in a sec
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Mistrel
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Posted: 7th Aug 2011 06:50 Edited at: 7th Aug 2011 06:51
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In the project where you get these errors, right click on the project and go to 'Properties'.

Then on the left side navigate to:

Configuration Properties > Linker > Command Line

And paste all of that here so I can see what is being passed to the linker.

I just want to reiterate, 'basic3D.lib' is a DarkGDK library and this is a configuration conflict. This error has nothing to do with PureGDK.

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Dodga
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Posted: 7th Aug 2011 06:51
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is puregdk compatible with the darkgdk version of sc_collision? Also what about ezrotate?
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Dodga
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Posted: 7th Aug 2011 06:59 Edited at: 7th Aug 2011 07:02
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Okay so I got it fixed, no errors, now just no window coming up, I'm sure I'll get it fixed.
Now I have a window coming up I just have to reference how I'm loading objects and things, it's a little bit different.
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Mistrel
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Posted: 7th Aug 2011 07:02 Edited at: 7th Aug 2011 07:07
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Quote: "is puregdk compatible with the darkgdk version of sc_collision? Also what about ezrotate?"


Both plugins you mentioned have been ported to PureGDK.

PureGDK is compatible with DarkBasic Professional plugins, not DarkGDK plugins. This gives you access to MORE commands, like IanM's fantastic MatrixUtil libraries.

If you were following my video or the documentation, at the top of your code add:



Or a variation of that, depending on how you setup your include paths.

Commands for EZRotate can be found in 'pgdk-ezrotate.h' and collision commands in 'pgdk-dbpcollisions.h' in the plugins folder you copied over with all of the other core engine files.

For EZRotate to work, you will have to make sure it is licensed before you install PureGDK so that the certificates will be copied over. Alternatively, you can copy any DBP certificates manually to the 'Program Files/PureGDK/engine/certificates' folder.

If you want something immediate, PureGDK is also has a header for EZRotate Basic (pgdk-ezrotatebasic.h).

Once you have the certificates copied over, recompile the engine with plugins by going to:

Start > PureGDK > Compile Engine DLL With Plugins

A window will open and a new 'gdkengine.dll' will be there with all available plugins built into it.

This may seem like a lot of work but it's all very straightforward. I'll make another video on this as well.

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Dodga
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Posted: 7th Aug 2011 07:15
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Okay I've got it working, it's just a matter of converting the commands over. Thanks a bunch man, I have a feeling i'm gonna like this.
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Mistrel
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Posted: 7th Aug 2011 07:22
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If you're getting a compiler error about include paths when you try to include "puregdk-plugins.h", don't worry. I'm putting together a small fix for that right now and will have something out for you shortly.

If you encounter any issues as you explore, please tell me so I can fix them. For any problems you might encounter, I hope that I can instill a sense of confidence by how quickly I can fix things.

I also promised a video on how to setup a project with plugins. I'll put together something nice for that as well.

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Dodga
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Posted: 7th Aug 2011 07:29
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It's very simple, I've almost got it working.
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Dodga
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Posted: 7th Aug 2011 07:32
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So far i'm getting more than double the frame rate, this is awesome!
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Mistrel
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Posted: 7th Aug 2011 07:45 Edited at: 7th Aug 2011 07:48
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Quote: "So far I'm getting more than double the frame rate, this is awesome!"


That's fantastic! Very good news!

I'm also updating the plugin headers to support the latest version of Sparky's collision plugin. I'll have this out for you to play with shortly.

Are you on Skype? You're welcome to ask me any questions while you get acquainted with the new commands. I can even setup screen sharing if I feel the need to demo something.

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Dodga
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Posted: 7th Aug 2011 08:03
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Is there a dbobjectexist command or something similar?
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Dodga
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Posted: 7th Aug 2011 08:06
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nvm found it
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Mistrel
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Posted: 7th Aug 2011 08:15 Edited at: 7th Aug 2011 08:21
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Yes, there is. Beta 7 introduce some sweeping changes now that there was some actual documentation to go along with the changes.

For a complete list of changes related to beta 7, see the changelog:

http://forum.thegamecreators.com/?m=forum_view&t=177817&b=38

The DBP/GDK command set has a lot of inconsistencies, such as:

..exist vs ..exists, ..make vs ..create, ..change vs ..replace, ..free vs ..delete.

All of the commands have been aligned to be consistent.

For example, what does this command mean?

Quote: "dbChangeMeshFromMemblock"


It has since been renamed:

Quote: "dbReplaceMeshWithMemblock"


Doesn't that make a world of difference?

To answer your question, all of the "exist" commands have been renamed to be more aligned to a boolean result by prefixing "Is" instead. For example, "dbObjectExists" is now "dbIsObject". An ID either "is" and object or it isn't. Whether it exists or not isn't the right question to be asked.

Right now they still return an "int", however this will later be changed to "bool" so that languages like Java can use "if (dbIsObject(objectID))" instead of "if (dbIsObject(objectID) == 0)", because in Java boolean expressions are incompatible with integer primitives.

There are also several new "is type of ID" commands:

* dbIsAdvancedTerrain
* dbIsCloth
* dbIsCollider
* dbIsEffector
* dbIsEmitter

Cloth, what? Collider? Emitter? What are all of these new this new commands, you ask? PureGDK has a 3D cloth and particle physics built-in. See the documentation for more information under the 'Physics' section.

There is also a cloth demo in the examples directory:

Start > PureGDK > Examples > Cloth



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Mistrel
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Posted: 7th Aug 2011 10:24 Edited at: 7th Aug 2011 10:28
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For everyone's reference, PureGDK currently supports the following third-party plugins:

Commercial:
2D Plugin Kit
DarkAI
DarkPhysics
DarkLights
Enhanced Animation
Extends
EZRotate
Styx
TextureMax
Unity

User:
D3DFunc
DBPCollisions (Sparky's collision)
Dmitry K's DKAVM and DKShop (doesn't work with 7.7, I think)
DarkSide Starburst
EZRotate Basic
Multisync
Netwon Physics
ZParticles

I will add these new plugins which are missing to one of the next beta releases:

Dark Data
Dark Imposters
Dark Ink
Dark Net
Dark Video
Blitzwerks Terrain
Box2D
Green Ear

If I missed any of your favorite DBP user plugins, please let me know and I'll wrap it up for PureGDK. Once I've gotten the documentation written, you will be able to wrap plugins too! It's very easy to do; the special template file can be written in any text editor-- even Notepad!

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Rampage
16
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Posted: 7th Aug 2011 13:33
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With my short time working with the latest build of PureGDK, I was able to port my DGDK game over, have massive performance increases, numerous bugs fixes, and start experiencing with a massive range of DBPro plugins.

PureGDK, in other words, is nothing short of the best product on TGC at the moment.

Props to Mistrel.
His dedication and helpful support is delivering a product with ten times the capability of Dark GDK.

Regards,

Max
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Mireben
16
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Posted: 7th Aug 2011 14:29
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I tried an earlier beta of PureGDK a few months ago and liked it, but at that time I wasn't fully convinced. However, reading the updated feature lists now... I think I've changed my mind. I'll try a new installation of the latest beta.
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WLGfx
17
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Location: NW United Kingdom
Posted: 7th Aug 2011 15:18
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I'm hoping to finish off what I'm currently working on today and give it a full blast. I know I've wary over the months but I have been keeping up with all the updates and everything does seem to be getting more and more positive. The biggest thing that is attracting me to PureGDK is the fact you can start your project with WinMain() and still use things like Sparkys...

It won't be long before I have something to showcase if all I've been reading is true.

Mistrel, you have some patience and dedication.

Warning! May contain Nuts!
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Mistrel
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Posted: 7th Aug 2011 15:38 Edited at: 7th Aug 2011 15:50
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I've been making some adjustments to the plugin support for C++ for the next beta so I would suggest you guys avoid it for the time being.

Everything is done but I'm putting together some example projects for DarkAI, DarkPhysics, DarkClouds, and DarkLights; so it will be a little bit before I get it uploaded.

I also want feedback on anything that might have been confusing for you or anything that you think should be added to the documentation to help others.

Everyone, thank you SO much for helping test this. Your priorities are priorities. Find me bugs and they will be fixed.

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WLGfx
17
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Posted: 7th Aug 2011 17:00 Edited at: 7th Aug 2011 17:00
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I have currently installed - DBPro (free), VS 2008 C++ Express, and Dark GDK.

I've downloaded the two files:
PureGDK_SDK-2.0b-7.zip
PureGDK_Upgrade-2.0-9.zip

I've had a quick nosey around the forums to see what exactly I do with these two files. Any help?

I'm currently stuck in C++ and wouldn't mind porting the project over.

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Mistrel
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Posted: 7th Aug 2011 17:48 Edited at: 7th Aug 2011 17:49
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Quote: "I've had a quick nosey around the forums to see what exactly I do with these two files. Any help?"


Open up PureGDK_Upgrade-2.0-9.zip and run the installer. It should walk you through all of the steps required to get PureGDK up and running.

You do not need the PureGDK SDK files. This is only used for modifying or adding support for additional languages.

Once you have PureGDK installed, you can follow the tutorial in the documentation to get started:

Start -> PureGDK -> Documentation -> PureGDK.chm

Then, once you have the documentation open, navigate to:

How to -> Creating a Project -> In Visual Studio 2008 (or 2010)

I also put together a video tutorial of how to do this on YouTube:

http://forum.thegamecreators.com/?m=forum_view&t=187729&b=22

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WLGfx
17
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Posted: 7th Aug 2011 17:57
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I'll jump over to the PureGDK forums. Thanks Mistrel.

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Dodga
14
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Posted: 8th Aug 2011 02:21
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yeah this is definitely nice, I'm almost done porting my game over and it's looking awesome.
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Dodga
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Posted: 8th Aug 2011 02:32
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Hey can you wrap up the enhanced audio plugin? And how do you actually use plugins?
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Indicium
16
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Posted: 8th Aug 2011 03:18
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Mistrel, I hope I didn't offend you in any way with my last post. I just think that £81 is a little high when a commercial license for DarkGDK is only around £30. Don't get me wrong, I'm fully aware of the advantages PureGDK has and I will be messing around with the beta. But unless I've misunderstood, I think selling more copies at a lower price is better than selling fewer copies at a higher price. Unless you have to pay royalties to TGC of course.

Sorry for any offence I may have caused, I think it's a great product and I'll definitely try and make something worth winning a free copy for myself.

Thanks, Indi.

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WLGfx
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Posted: 8th Aug 2011 03:38 Edited at: 8th Aug 2011 03:39
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Hi Indi... I made the jump over today and after porting my project over I was surprised at the speed increase between GDK and PureGDK. I was wary for a long time while everything was in development. Even about licensing and other things.

Mistrel had said that if I come up with something that would showcase PureGDK then that may not be a problem (licensing). And the one thing I've been stressing over, making a model from scratch, was only possible in DBPro using IanM's Matrix1 utils. Mistrel sorted these out today and added those to the new update which I now have.

I also like the freedom it gives you. Start a new 'Blank' project from Visual Studio. Getting used to being in the open environment now with full access to the WinApi...

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