₦airaland Forum

Realizing the lack of a C++ thread for those willing to learn C++ or those caught up in one or two programming hell in C++, I decided to create this thread as a Helper Thread. It is to assist newbies in the learning process of C++ , providing them with suggestions and advices and most importantly answering their questions, and also helping out those already into C++ who might have forgotten one thing or the other. I won't be doing this alone, I need the help of everyone of you that have a bit of knowledge in it.

WHAT THIS THREAD IS NOT ABOUT
This thread is not a Step by Step tutorial thread on C++. For you to benefit from this thread you must have started the learning process of the language with some materials, be it hardcopy textbooks, ebooks or online sites. A good online tutorial for C++ is http://www.cplusplus.com/doc/tutorial/

This thread is not an assignment solving machine in which you put in your assignment at one end and its solution comes out at the other end. If you must bring an issue concerning your assignment, let it be that you have done your own part of it but have one or two lingering problems. We can help you in your assignment so that you will be able to get it solved but we will not do it for you.

This thread is not about how to use library X or how to install library Y or how to configure GUI toolkit Z. Not that someone won't be able to attend to you, but that not everybody might be using the library you use so answers to library specific questions might delay (if they come at all). It's better to avoid such questions all together instead of giving yourself high hopes, you can still ask them if you're feeling lucky. A bit of an exception to the above is if the issue is bordering on language usage of the components provided by the Libraries, most especially issues of Objects and Classes(NOTE: Questions about the various compilers are welcomed).

This thread is not a showroom for how SUPER AWESOME you are in C++. Please do not intimidate others with your "magnificent knowledge and experience" in C++. If you have nothing meaningful to contribute then not typing at all is meaningful enough .

This Thread is a C++ Thread, not for C++ look-alike or C++ Younger Brother. They may have the same syntax and all but this place belongs to C++. The Only exception is C Programming Language.

beatzbyraiyub: 4get about c++ for now, cuz u are not going to be needing it. Moreover it is use to design n create d hardware that will control watever software language that will manipulate a purpose. It depends on area u want to specialise. Is it mobile app/software app/game app on all platforms/web developmnt etc,,, java or c# are the two major genesis of programming, so u just av to chose one. Online ebooks frm it-ebooks.info will do. Moreover c++ breaks into two factions wit each developing at their own pace. There are java programmers and there are c# programmers. So chose one.

Pardon me if I'm wrong, but it seems you don't know much about c++. Its best not to misinform people.

And to the O.P my advice is simple do not learn c++ and java together, confusion might set in somewhere on the line and you'll start mixing up things. Learn one first and then move over to the next, I learnt c++ first before moving over to learn java. You can do yours the other way but I'm glad I followed this pattern cause it made learning java so easy for me and I am a proud user of both languages.

Its so unfortunate that there are no much Tutorials here on NairaLand pertaining C++ but lots and lots on Java, so here is one I made right awayhttps://www.nairaland.com/1820615/c-helpline

I sincerely want to apologize for the issues in our google group as it has turned out not exactly the forum tool I wanted. But since for this project to move on we definitely need a suitable online forum, I did some scouting and found out one at www.proboards.com. For the initial needs of this project I believe this will be suitable though it will be improved further as time goes on [url]darkdove.proboards.com[/url].

Once again I sincerely apologize for the inconveniences the google group caused

jacob05:

std::cout << " Hello, world" << std::endl;

would like to participate in this open-source project. Hope I'm not late ?

No you are not late you are just in time for the kick off. Welcome

losprince: the google group is confusing me, and dont know how to register or post

I sincerely apologize for that... The google group is more like a temporary meeting place but it seems not to be serving efficiently for the projects need. There is a forum site, proboard, I'm currently evaluating. By tomorrow I will post the link... Pls bear with me

losprince: do you guys have a story? I would love to do the story

For the Intended game there is no story yet, but for the Proof-Of-Concept there is a story so you are highly welcomed to develope the story for the Main Game.
As notified earlier you can join our Google Group

GoodBoi1: I would like to join this project but the thing is I've never done graphics programming though I can do GUI.

no need to worry, the graphics has already been taken care of by the Game Engine we are using. So long as you understand Object Oriented Programming you are good to go.

pjae: Hey sup, If the game still needs a soundtrack, I'm up and I'm also good game artwork and ui..

Soundtrack? That would be so good, you are highly welcomed. If you are chanced you can join the project group on google groups .
Glad to have a Sound Team member onboard and thanks alot for your interest in project DARKDOVE

Good Evening Good Fellas..
Hope It was a Great weekend for all

ANNOUNCEMENT
1) This is to inform all interested coders and programmers that Urho3D is now the Engine of Choice for Project DARKDOVE. This decision was made based on the advantages that will be gained by leveraging the wonderful features integrated into Urho3D. We sincerely regret any inconviniency this might result in for those that have invested a lot of time and energy experimenting on Ogre3D just for this project, and we assure everyone that this decision will be held unto till the first product of this Project is completed.

2) Do not forget to indicate your interest in DARKDOVE by letting us know right here on NairaLand or by heading over to the google group at http://groups.google.com/group/darkdove and joining.

That's All for now, I wish you all a wonderful week

You can learn both together, they have non intrusive syntax so there will be no confusion combining them.

Just A brief Update
Project DARKDOVE now has a group on Google http://groups.google.com/group/darkdove. All our development discussions will be held there for now, while here on NairaLand will be for updating the General Public of the progress being made

Those interested in this project can simply head over there and join

Please don't mind the six packs it was for a reason... here is the wireframe of both the base mesh and the retopo'd mesh

Where are we all hiding?

Well... let me break the ice a bit . Before the NairaLand problem, I was working on a human body (slightly anatomically correct ) it was more of an exercise that helped me see were I'm still lacking in human body modeling. To be honest I realized how bad I was in making the human foot especially the toe . But I'm glad I realized that so that I can make necessary corrections (to my head ). Below is figure in different directions, each image contains the base mesh which is at the left, the Sculpted mesh in the middle and the retopo'd mesh ( or the mesh whose topology has been reworked). I tried to get the retopo'd mesh to have as few number of polygons as possible arriving at 3510 vertices and 6972 tris ( I was actually targeting 5000 tris). I had to divide the model into body, arm and leg to enable me sculpt comfortably

Chuksxy: Hey man. I'm volunteering to help out on the game. I could model, texture, rig and animate. My 2d skills aren't that great, but I could also do some concept art.

Greetings... I am so delighted to welcome you on board and I really thank you for considering to help out in this project.
The skills you just listed are basically what is needed right now especially the concept art aspect of it.
Now our Art Group has come to life , I will not fail to put the necessary things in order so that by this week we'll kick-off with the concept art. Once Again, you are highly welcomed

@beatzbyraiyub... Wow, I must confess that your write-up was amazing , men!!! I love english

Ok... Its unfortunate that project DARKDOVE is moving slowly, but that doesn't mean all has gone bad. The intended aim of this project is not to make a Next-Gen game but to show that it is possible to make an open source 3d game from Nigeria (or Africa as the case maybe). So it might be really Next-Gen or it might be just very simple, or it might be a simple game that will later morph to a Next-Gen AAA game (most likely how its going to happen). And participation is purely voluntary, team members only contribute in their spare time or in any sacrificed time.

Between Ogre and Urho3D, actually its going to be Urho3D. But no skill is lost for those that might have learnt Ogre cause Urho3D is structured like Ogre with even neater API.

With more people opting in to this project more information will be passed on

This is a screenshot of Urho3d editor featuring a test model I did (she's likely to feature in the POC ). The tile texture used for the plane she's standing on was gotten from this guy, Yughues, at [url]shareCG.com[/url], he is very good and has generously give out the texture free for personal and commercial use. He is also on DevianArt with user name Nobiax [url]nobiax.deviantart.com[/url]

Here is the Logo for the project I posted earlier. It is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike, the description of the license reads thus

This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon your work even for commercial purposes, as long as they credit you and license their new creations under the identical terms. This license is often compared to “copyleft” free and open source software licenses. All new works based on yours will carry the same license, so any derivatives will also allow commercial use.

Good Day All Creative Minds ... Time for another round of re-updating for those that didn't get the info earlier.

All Works of Art which includes 3D assets( with or without their textures), Audio assets, concept arts, logos and every other design related to the project is to be licensed with a permissive license that will in no way inhibit creativity, most prefarably Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike (CC BY-SA) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/

It's highly encouraged for the 3d assets to be Original Works. And for the textures, if one must use an already made texture from somewhere else, the texture should either be free with no string attached or have a license compactible with CC BY-SA

misteri: @ OP I just found this thread and so missed all your posts from the data loss. I'm interested, and would need you to feel me with any necessary info I missed.

I'm pleased to learn of your interest in project DARKDOVE, and its unfortunate that NL misplace some information already posted. But, never the less, those info will be of no use if Urho3D is used as its game engine of choice cos those info were basically updates on my Ogre3D and bullet physics experiments (Urho3D has a decent physics integration). Also I'm reviewing the choice of a hosting site for the project and for a better medium in which we can interact and exchange ideas (NL will then basically be for updates on the project).

Once again, I'm pleased to learn of your interest and I will definitely keep you guys up to date

Still part of the summary update...

A proof-of-concept (POC) is on the way to show that the project is possible. The POC is going to be a highly scaled down game (possibly a single level game).

I came across a game engine, Urho3d (pronounced euro3d), [url]urho3d.github.io/[/url] , and to be honest, the folks in charge are doing a pretty decent job. Ogre3d is still the engine of choice here, but currently, I'm heavily testing out Urho3d, and to be honest I'm impressed with the outcome.
If all goes well then I might develope the POC entirely with Urho3d

If I had know NL didn't have recent backup of its site I could have had the backup of all my posts... Just lost all the posts I made this year

Well... Thats not a problem, though lots of information were lost. So to quickly bring everyone up to date with a summary of whats happening: project DARKDOVE is still on and progressing, though members and contributors are highly needed ( its more or less a one man army for now ). A logo has been designed and will be re-uploaded for those who didn't see the initial one that NL lost.

I believe the best is to make a simple prototype as a prove-of-concept

@sammyoddy, try writing a simple image editor with anyone of them or even a chat client and server application using sockets. Another one you can try is a simple library management system

@pythonian99... C++ normaly does not come with an official gui library so instead third party vendors supply c++ gui toolkits to be used for projects. These toolkits, like wxWidgets are simply wrappers over the operating systems user interface api, hence making it very easy to create controls and even handle event. wxWidgets is one of these toolkits as mentioned above including qt. And believe me so long as you know the basics of OOP using them is so so easy. You can check this post I made for better explanation www.nairaland.com/1562329/hope-c-newbies-gui-toolkits

As for desktop application... The popular IDE code::blocks was built with wxWidgets, including audacity which is an audio editor. Besides these two, there are tones of other. For Qt we have VLC, autodesk maya ( for 3d modeling) and a tone of others as well.

So what can you do with these gui toolkits? Alot. You can build desktop apps for network traffic monitoring, you can build your own customised socket based app, video editor, visual database interface, web browser ( or any other type of web client), you can build commercial grade management systems and alot more

my advice for noobs is that every complex thing is made up of small simple part. Jst settle down and learn and you'll get it

I do mine with c++ using either Qt or wxWidgets toolkits and alot of my projects are just personal ( for the hack of it). You can also use java, python and most of the dot-net languages

It seems you recently discovered Tom Bearden's articles

@guente... If you haven't learnt the basics of sockets I suggest you should do that first [url]vb.net-informations.com/communications/vb.net_socket_programming.htm[/url]

@bigdot, from the hardware specification of your system I would advise you to try visual basic 2008 ( that's if you haven't done so already)

@bigdot... There is actually no 86bit system, what you saw was x86 which is for 32bit processors, " In the 1980's and early 1990's when the 8088 and 80286 were still in common use, the term x86 usually represented any 8086 compatible CPU. Today, however, x86 usually implies a binary compatibility also with the 32-bit instruction set of the 80386" - wikipedia. If you have a 32bit system you can go for the one labeled x86

@bigdot... Actually having a desktop system doesn't determine wheather to use c++ or python. If you are just learning programming for the first time you can go for anyone of them. If you learn c++ first learning python will be much easier but I can't say same for the other way round. Python introduces programminng in a very simple way, so if you don't really won't to bother yourself about details in learning programming then go for it. But in developing applications for desktop system I'ld advise you to go for c++ ( or even java and c#)

@kambo... You should have said it earlier that you don't use c++ and not to start quoting c++ structures you are yet to comprehend. You talk as if you were given a purnishment to design a c++ compiler, jeezzz!!!. Since you don't use it that means you can never get to understand all those concepts you keep listing as if they are part of Quantum Theory. If you can't use c++ why not move on instead of talking bad about it. If c++ is that complex then why are so many popular systems in the WORLD using it: most of adobe products, mozilla firefox, google chrome, most Microsoft system software including their so called programming languages, VLC, even the back end of Google search engine, and of course a majority of the games you play on PC and consoles. Even web and database servers are brought to existence through the power of c++. The list goes on and you are free to correct me if I'm wrong. So please do not discourage others due to your bitter experience "understanding" c++.

@dueal... You are right, factory management of objects make life so easy.