buzz.

[egypturnash]

I wrote some stuff to abstract the controller; now buzzbuzz will guide you through figuring out which joysticks are which. And I'm playing with some behavior for when you make the wasps scatter.

So if you have a gamepad and a Mac, or you have a gamepad and Windows and the will to grab the demo of Blitzmax and compile it, enjoy some wasps and let me know if flying them around is a basically entertaining experience. I'm still debating with the thought of switching to a different language, as Blitz just keeps tripping me up...

Comments

[eriscontrol.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, it crashes when I try to verify the aiming joystick (regardless of which I use for which purpose). I'm not sure exactly when the crash is, though, because the crash report window appears behind the game and I have to force-quit it. If Blitz has a debugger that I could run, I'd be happy to debug the program for you, though.

[eriscontrol.livejournal.com]

Argh! There's nothing in the docs as far as I can tell that covers debugging, except a few short paragraphs about Assert and RuntimeError. How the shit am I supposed to step through the program? This is basically like debugging with print statements, except the program dies when something is not as it should be. That doesn't help when you're trying to figure out where, and why a lockup or crash is occurring.

Actually, the debug builds seem to halt the moment they receive any controller input, or possibly just at random. I'm not even sure. I am not getting past the movement joystick this way, though. I'm afraid I will have to renege on that offer to debug my problem for you. :(

[shatterstripes.livejournal.com]

I'm probably dividing by zero somewhere. Ah well.

Try pasting this into a plain text file called "config":

[Joystick]
0
0
1
1
0.15
[Joystick]
1
2
3
1
0.15

(the format is stick# (0=aim, 1=fire), x-axis, y-axis, scale factor (1/128/256), deadzone (0-1) if you want to tweak it.)

[eriscontrol.livejournal.com]

Peggy to the rescue again! The swarm still tends to bounce around the screen, but I can at least influence where they go. Unless I've missed something and that's intentional? Looks like it will be jolly good fun when (or if?) it reaches playable status.

I'm working some more on that generic space shooter (more along the lines of Galaga, but more crap and less bugshooting) that I was doing in Perl, but I'm using C++, which means easier distribution at the cost of a little more work on my part. We'll see how it turns out.

Crash trace

[sebkha.livejournal.com]

The app gives me a black screen with a mouse pointer. If I press random buttons on the controller, eventually it crashes:

Date/Time: 2006-11-02 09:34:19.753 +1000
OS Version: 10.4.8 (Build 8L127)

Command: buzzbuzz
Path: /Users/raboczi/Desktop/buzzbuzz/buzzbuzz.app/Contents/MacOS/buzzbuzz
Parent: WindowServer [67]

Exception: EXC_BAD_ACCESS (0x0001)
Codes: KERN_PROTECTION_FAILURE (0x0002) at 0x0000003c

Thread 0 Crashed:
0 buzzbuzz 0x00004b0c 381 + 116
1 buzzbuzz 0x000033fc 296 + 0
2 buzzbuzz 0x00002fa4 4 + 48
3 buzzbuzz 0x00002d20 -[BlitzMaxAppDelegate applicationDidFinishLaunching:] + 288
4 com.apple.Foundation 0x92943ad8 _nsnote_callback + 180
5 com.apple.CoreFoundation 0x90803010 __CFXNotificationPost + 368
6 com.apple.CoreFoundation 0x907fb0ec _CFXNotificationPostNotification + 684
7 com.apple.Foundation 0x9292dee0 -[NSNotificationCenter postNotificationName:object:userInfo:] + 92
8 com.apple.AppKit 0x936f0f98 -[NSApplication _postDidFinishNotification] + 112
9 com.apple.AppKit 0x936f0e84 -[NSApplication _sendFinishLaunchingNotification] + 92
10 com.apple.AppKit 0x936f09cc -[NSApplication(NSAppleEventHandling) _handleAEOpen:] + 264
11 com.apple.AppKit 0x936f0574 -[NSApplication(NSAppleEventHandling) _handleCoreEvent:withReplyEvent:] + 92
12 com.apple.Foundation 0x92944ae4 -[NSAppleEventManager dispatchRawAppleEvent:withRawReply:handlerRefCon:] + 380
13 com.apple.Foundation 0x92944944 _NSAppleEventManagerGenericHandler + 92
14 com.apple.AE 0x914f9960 aeDispatchAppleEvent(AEDesc const*, AEDesc*, unsigned long, unsigned char*) + 208
15 com.apple.AE 0x914f97fc dispatchEventAndSendReply(AEDesc const*, AEDesc*) + 44
16 com.apple.AE 0x914f9654 aeProcessAppleEvent + 284
17 com.apple.HIToolbox 0x9f404eb0 AEProcessAppleEvent + 60
18 com.apple.AppKit 0x936eecbc _DPSNextEvent + 856
19 com.apple.AppKit 0x936ee7a8 -[NSApplication nextEventMatchingMask:untilDate:inMode:dequeue:] + 116
20 com.apple.AppKit 0x936eacec -[NSApplication run] + 472
21 buzzbuzz 0x00002f0c main + 456
22 buzzbuzz 0x000021b8 _start + 348 (crt.c:272)
23 buzzbuzz 0x00002058 start + 60

Thread 1:
0 libSystem.B.dylib 0x9000ab48 mach_msg_trap + 8
1 libSystem.B.dylib 0x9000aa9c mach_msg + 60
2 com.apple.CoreFoundation 0x907dbb78 __CFRunLoopRun + 832
3 com.apple.CoreFoundation 0x907db47c CFRunLoopRunSpecific + 268
4 com.apple.audio.CoreAudio 0x9145263c HALRunLoop::OwnThread(void*) + 264
5 com.apple.audio.CoreAudio 0x914523dc CAPThread::Entry(CAPThread*) + 96
6 libSystem.B.dylib 0x9002b508 _pthread_body + 96

Thread 2:
0 libSystem.B.dylib 0x90054ae8 semaphore_timedwait_signal_trap + 8
1 libSystem.B.dylib 0x90071168 pthread_cond_timedwait_relative_np + 556
2 com.apple.audio.CoreAudio 0x91463794 CAGuard::WaitFor(unsigned long long) + 204
3 com.apple.audio.CoreAudio 0x914636a4 CAGuard::WaitUntil(unsigned long long) + 304
4 com.apple.audio.CoreAudio 0x914618e8 HP_IOThread::WorkLoop() + 852
5 com.apple.audio.CoreAudio 0x91461580 HP_IOThread::ThreadEntry(HP_IOThread*) + 16
6 com.apple.audio.CoreAudio 0x914523dc CAPThread::Entry(CAPThread*) + 96
7 libSystem.B.dylib 0x9002b508 _pthread_body + 96

Model: PowerBook6,8, BootROM 4.9.0f0, 1 processors, PowerPC G4 (1.2), 1.5 GHz, 1.25 GB
Graphics: GeForce FX Go5200, GeForce FX Go5200, AGP, 64 MB
Memory Module: DIMM0/BUILT-IN, 256 MB, built-in, built-in
Memory Module: DIMM1/J31, 1 GB, DDR SDRAM, PC2700U-25330
AirPort: AirPort Extreme, 405.1 (3.90.34.0.p18)
Modem: Jump, , V.92, Version 1.0,
Bluetooth: Version 1.7.8f2, 2 service, 1 devices, 1 incoming serial ports
Network Service: AirPort, AirPort, en1
Parallel ATA Device: MATSHITADVD-R UJ-835E,
Parallel ATA Device: ST9100823A, 93.16 GB
USB Device: Bluetooth HCI, , Up to 12 Mb/sec, 500 mA
USB Device: Apple Internal Trackpad, Apple Computer, Up to 12 Mb/sec, 500 mA
USB Device: FireStorm Dual Analog 2, THRUSTMASTER, Up to 1.5 Mb/sec, 500 mA

Re: Crash trace

[shatterstripes.livejournal.com]

Obviously my controller-detection routine still needs a lot of work! Pulling out my XBox360 controller and sticking in a Logitech got a similar crash.

See the other reply I made for a hopeful workaround.

Re: Crash trace

[sebkha.livejournal.com]

Yup, adding the config file gets it to start. I can't quite figure out what settings I'd need to make the sticks work reliably, alas.

Re: Crash trace

[shatterstripes.livejournal.com]

I shoved in the other joystick I had lying around and got crashes while trying to configure, and fixed them. (And threw a new version up with that, and some more amusing visual changes.) "Reliably" may be a matter of definition; if you leave the stick alone, they'll just sort of randomly wander around the screen - you're influencing them, but they're still a swarm of angry wasps. And a swarm of angry wasps is not the most controllable thing in the universe. Even if they're all shiny plastic and in corsets.

Re: Crash trace

[(Anonymous)]

The latest version (without a config file) shows me a list of axes 5-15. Axis 6 ranges from -1.0 when the right analogue stick is up, to +0.992 when it's down. Axis 9 remains at 1.875 (15/8) unless the D-pad is used, in which case it registers 0 for up, 0.128 (1/8) for up-and-right, 0.25 (2/8) for right, and so on increasing clockwise until 0.875 (7/8) for up-and-left. None of the other axes seem to register any of this stick's controls. Pressing enough buttons does eventually elicit a crash, although I can't reproduce this.

Re: Crash trace

[shatterstripes.livejournal.com]

I forgot I'd left the diagnostics turned back on for that version. *grin* Good thing, though.

Not 0-15? Weeeirrrd. 0/1 is probably the left stick; the right stick seems to vary a lot between controllers - on my Logitech Dual Action it's 2/3, on my XBox360 controller it's 5/4. The Logitech does similar d-pad nonsense on axis 9, while the XB360's d-pad shows up as buttons. (I don't show the buttons in this, but I had another joystick tester that did.)

Are you seeing the instructional text at the top of the joystick config screen? It should be saying 'Circle the movement joystick a few times, then release it and hit button 0', then a similar message for the aiming stick, then tell you to test the display and use button 2 to accept, button 3 to try again.

Could be some video display issues between my laptop screen and your machine, in other words. I should probably just publish windowed builds until I get that abstracted as well.

[wolflahti.livejournal.com]

I always prefer using the keyboard keypad to a joystick or gamepad.

[shatterstripes.livejournal.com]

Even for playing Robotron-type games? (Smash TV, Geometry Wars, Llamatron and probably any game called "Somethingtron") The one time I tried to play Robotron using the keyboard, my brain locked up and I started making weird gibbering noises until I stopped!

I'll put in keyboard control of some kind eventually (probably some variety of keyboard+mouse), but the game's definitely being designed around two joysticks.

Worked for me

[orb2069.livejournal.com]

with the config file. Sprite flicker made the swarm hard to see up until I had about 100 bees on the screen. (I'm using a G3/700, so I don't think my processor's overdoing it.) Seems neat, ala Robotron 2084. It's nifty eye candy, at any rate.

Re: Worked for me

[shatterstripes.livejournal.com]

Got the inspiration right. *grin*

Hm, I thought I was beamsynching. Guess not. Of course, I'm also trying to make your machine match my laptop's display, so who knows what's happening...