Upload
ginata
View
39
Download
2
Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
CSCE 552 Fall 2012. Language and Programming. By Jijun Tang. Methodologies: Code and Fix. Unfortunately very common Little or no planning Always reacting to events Poor quality and unreliability of finished product “Crunch” time normal. Methodologies: Waterfall. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Citation preview
CSCE 552 Fall 2012
Language and Programming
By Jijun Tang
Methodologies: Code and Fix
Unfortunately very common Little or no planning Always reacting to events Poor quality and unreliability of finished
product “Crunch” time normal
Methodologies: Waterfall
Very well-defined steps in development Lots of planning ahead of time Great for creating a detailed milestone
schedule Doesn't react well to changes Game development is too unpredictable
for this approach
Methodologies: Iterative
Multiple development cycles during a single project Each delivering a new set of functionality Refinements are needed
The game could ship at any moment Allows for planning but also for changes
Methodologies: Agile Methods
Deal with the unexpected Very short iterations: 2-3 weeks Iterate based on feedback of what was
learned so far Very good visibility of state of game Difficult for publishers or even developers
to adopt because it's relatively new
Languages
C/C++ Java Script: Flash, Python, LISP, etc. C# XNA for PC and Xbox
Lua Example
MSTS Example
Choose a Scripting Languages
Consider whether you need one at all What features do you need? What kind of performance do you need? What debugging facilities does the
language have? On what platforms does it need to run? What resources and expertise are
available?
Programming Fundamentals
Data Structures: Array
Elements are adjacent in memory (great cache consistency) Requires continuous memory space
They never grow or get reallocated Use dynamic incremental array concept GCC has a remalloc function
In C++ there's no check for going out of bounds Use vector if possible Keep in mind of checking boundaries
Inserting and deleting elements in the middle is expensive
List
Very cheap to add/remove elements. Available in the STL (std::list) Every element is allocated separately,
not placed contiguously in memory Lots of little allocations Bad cache awareness, but can use arrays
to hold pre-allocated items Single/Double linked list
Lists
Dictionaries
Maps a set of keys to some data. std::map, std::hash, etc Very fast access to data Perfect for mapping IDs to pointers, or
resource handles to objects May waste space, need to design
comparison operators
Hash Table
Others
Stacks First in, last out std::stack adaptor in STL
Queues First in, first out std::deque Priority queue is useful in game to schedule
events
Stack/Queue/Priority Queue
Bit packing
Fold all necessary data into a smaller number of bits
Bool in C++ may use up to 4 bytes, thus is very expensive
Very useful for storing boolean flags: pack 32 in an integer
Possible to apply to numerical values if we can give up range or accuracy
Very low level trick Use shifts to handle the operation or use assembly Only use when absolutely necessary
Bits
Inheritance
Models “is-a” relationship Extends behavior of existing classes by
making minor changes Do not overuse, if possible, use component
systerm UML diagram representing inheritance
E ne m y B o s s Supe rD upe rB o s s
Polymorphism
The ability to refer to an object through a reference (or pointer) of the type of a parent class
Key concept of object oriented design C++ implements it using virtual functions
Multiple Inheritance
Allows a class to have more than one base class
Derived class adopts characteristics of all parent classes
Huge potential for problems (clashes, casting, dreaded diamond, etc)
Multiple inheritance of abstract interfaces is much less error prone (virtual inheritance)
Java has no multiple inheritance
Dreaded Diamond
It is an ambiguity that arises when two classes B and C inherit from A, and class D inherits from both B and C.
If a method in D calls a method defined in A (and does not override the method), and B and C have overridden that method differently, then from which class does it inherit: B, or C?
Component Systems
Component system organization
G am e E nti ty
N am e = s w o r d
R e nde rC o m p C o ll is io nC o m p D am age C o m p P ic kupC o m p W ie ldC o m p
Object Factory
Creates objects by name Pluggable factory allows for new object
types to be registered at runtime Extremely useful in game development
for passing messages, creating new objects, loading games, or instantiating new content after game ships
Factory Pattern
Simple Sample Factory - I
Simple Sample Factory - II
Singleton
Implements a single instance of a class with global point of creation and access
For example, GUI Don't overuse it!!!
Single to ns ta tic S in g le to n & G etI n s tan c e( ) ;/ / R eg u lar m em b er f u n c tio n s . . .
s ta tic S in g le to n u n iq u eI n s tan c e;
Singleton Example
Adapter
Convert the interface of a class into another interface clients expect.
Adapter lets classes work together that couldn't otherwise because of incompatible interfaces
Real interface
Adapter Pattern
Adapter Example - I
Adapter Example - II
Observer
Allows objects to be notified of specific events with minimal coupling to the source of the event
Two parts subject and observer
Observer Pattern
Composite
Allow a group of objects to be treated as a single object
Very useful for GUI elements, hierarchical objects, inventory systems, etc
Composite Pattern
Composite Pattern Example - I
Add many more inherited classes
The Five StepDebugging Process
1. Reproduce the problem consistently2. Collect clues3. Pinpoint the error4. Repair the problem5. Test the solution
Expert Debugging Tips
Question assumptions Minimize interactions and interference Minimize randomness Break complex calculations into steps Check boundary conditions, use assertions Disrupt parallel computations Exploit tools in the debugger (VC is good, purify) Check code that has recently changed Explain the bug to someone else Debug with a partner (A second pair of eyes) Take a break from the problem Get outside help (call people)
Game Architecture
Overall Architecture
The code for modern games is highly complex The Sims: 3 million lines of code Xbox HD DVD player: 4.7 million lines MS Train Simulator has 1GB installed, with only
10MB executable With code bases exceeding a million lines of
code, a well-defined architecture is essential
Overall Architecture
Main structure Game-specific code Game-engine code
Both types of code are often split into modules, which can be static libraries, DLLs, or just subdirectories
Overall Architecture
Architecture types Ad-hoc (everything accesses everything) Modular DAG (directed acyclic graph) Layered
Options for integrating tools into the architecture Separate code bases (if there's no need to share
functionality) Partial use of game-engine functionality Full integration
Ad-hoc
Modular
DAG
Layered
Overview: Initialization/Shutdown
The initialization step prepares everything that is necessary to start a part of the game
The shutdown step undoes everything the initialization step did, but in reverse order
Initialization/Shutdown
Resource Acquisition Is Initialization A useful rule to minimalize mismatch errors in the
initialization and shutdown steps Means that creating an object acquires and
initializes all the necessary resources, and destroying it destroys and shuts down all those resources
Optimizations Fast shutdown Warm reboot
Overview:Main Game Loop
Games are driven by a game loop that performs a series of tasks every frame
Some games have separate loops for the front and the game itself
Other games have a unified main loop Must finish a loop within 0.017 second
Tasks of Main Game Loop
Handling time Gathering player input Networking Simulation Collision detection and response Object updates Rendering Other miscellaneous tasks
Sample Game Loop
Main Game Loop
Structure Hard-coded loops Multiple game loops: for each major game state Consider steps as tasks to be iterated through
Coupling Can decouple the rendering step from simulation
and update steps Results in higher frame rate, smoother animation,
and greater responsiveness Implementation is tricky and can be error-prone
Execution Order of Main Loop
Most of the time it doesn't matter In some situations, execution order is
important Can help keep player interaction
seamless Can maximize parallelism Exact ordering depends on hardware