Category Archives: Nape

Alef is out!

AIR, AS3, Citrus Engine, Flash, Games, Nape, Physics, Starling, , , ,

Hey there,

It has been a long time since I wrote my first game, Kinessia, with the Citrus Engine (and start contributing), one and a half year. Less than one year ago, I made an other one, Tribus, using a Citrus Engine’s port in Objective-C. That was my first project in Objective-C so the source code of the port shall not be very clean, that’s why I’ve never released it officially.

We all know the problem making a framework / library and never use in real context project. That’s why I started my carreer as a freelancer 4 months ago, to be able to make applications / games for companies and show what can be done with the Citrus Engine. And now I’m proud to add a new reference to the engine: Alef.

Continue reading Alef is out! →

Create a game like Tiny Wings

AS3, Citrus Engine, Flash, Games, Nape, Physics, Programming, Starling, , , , , ,

Tiny Wings is really a cute game and very fun to play thanks to physics content! It uses Box2D. If you’ve never played the game, give it a quick look :

Generate those type of hills with a physics engine is complicated for a novice. You’ll find cool tutorials on Emanuele Feronato’s website using Box2D and an other on Lorenzo Nuvoletta’s website using Nape.

Someone asks me if it was possible to create this type of game with the Citrus Engine, absolutely! So let’s go for a quick tutorial.

Continue reading Create a game like Tiny Wings →

Moved from Box2D Alchemy to Box2D AS3

AS3, Box2D, Citrus Engine, Flash, Games, Nape, Physics, , , , ,

In the Citrus Engine, people knows that I’m very attached to the Box2D Alchemy version. Thanks to Alchemy we should have better performance than the pure AS3 version. Also this Alchemy version had some cool features mostly on the way you could manage collision : you don’t use a gobal contact listener like in any Box2D version, you use something very closer to AS3 event management. Example :

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override protected function createFixture():void
{
	super.createFixture();
 
	_fixture.m_reportBeginContact = true;
	_fixture.addEventListener(ContactEvent.BEGIN_CONTACT, handleBeginContact);
}
 
protected function handleBeginContact(e:ContactEvent):void
{
	_contact = e.other.GetBody().GetUserData() as Box2DPhysicsObject;
	if (!e.other.IsSensor())
		explode();
}

I love this way. Anyway, many users ask me to change it… let’s go!

Continue reading Moved from Box2D Alchemy to Box2D AS3 →

Box2D Alchemy VS Nape, performance test on iPad3

AS3, Box2D, Citrus Engine, Flash, Games, Nape, Physics, Starling, , , , ,

Edit: The Box2D AS3 pure version is quicker than Box2D Alchemy! Take a look there

Hey folks! Today I’m glad to share an important performance test for AIR mobile developers which want to use a physics engine in their games and applications.
The Box2D Alchemy version is used rather than the “simple” Box2D because it has better performance. Test on Allan Bishop’s blog.
I’ve already made a quick performance test comparing Box2D Alchemy & Nape concluding that with Nape you could create 60% more objects than Box2D and have the same FPS!

That was a simple test without different objects behaviors. So now it’s time to test in the small project game : Live4Sales, made with the Citrus Engine using Starling & AIR 3.4. In a previous post there were already project/code explanations and good practice with Box2D. I will not make code comparison with Nape since all the source are available on the CE’s GitHub.

To compile for one or the other engine just change one line in the Main :

// select Box2D Alchemy or Nape demo
state = new NapeLive4Sales();
//state = new Box2DLive4Sales();

And it will works! Most classes are common, just physics one changed. With the CE version on the repository, Nape use the same coordinates system than Box2D. It has never be so easy to switch! I’ve the same physics behaviors for Box2D & Nape in the game apart I didn’t success to cancel easily forces after collision with Nape.

The game videos :

The test is categoric, yep, Nape is blazing fast!! The Citrus Engine made a really good move adding Nape support!

In conlusion, if you want to target Web only? It doesn’t matter, both are very performant on a computer. Since the API are very differents select the one you prefer! You will find more code example with Box2D than Nape, however Nape is easier to handle. Also you have to know that Box2D Alchemy involves Adobe “Tax” if you use Starling too whereas Nape doesn’t (with the Nape’s debug view I’ve chosen). Don’t forget, if you want Adobe keeps its good work on Flash you’ve to support them!
Perhaps your game will be a mobile game? Go Nape, directly!
We are closed to the Citrus Engine V3 BETA3 which will be the last one!

Finally I’ve quickly added Nape to the CitruxEngine (Haxe NME port). It was so easy to add it from the AS3 version. This port is in stand-by at the moment : I still haven’t found an easy way to display a SpriteSheet with NME – HTML5. I’m upset!

Create a game like Osmos

AS3, Citrus Engine, Flash, Games, Nape, Physics, Programming, , , , ,

2 days ago, I’ve offered a new beta for the Citrus Engine. I had really good feedbacks, thanks guys for having regard on the engine!
This new beta also introduced a new demo which was again a platfomer game. It’s time to show, thanks to a quick case study, that the Citrus Engine is not only made for platformer games! For this first example, we will create a game like Osmos. I really love this game, it’s zen, gameplay mechanics are easy and powerful, definitely a good indie game.

In 4 hours of work, this is what I made. You can drag & drop atoms.
Source are available on the CE’s GitHub, in the src/games package.

Continue reading Create a game like Osmos →

Citrus Engine V3 Beta2

AS3, Box2D, Citrus Engine, Data Structures, Entity/Component System, Flash, Games, iOS, Nape, Object Pooling, Physics, Programming, Starling, , , , , , , ,

Hey there! On this hot summer day, I’m happy to share a new major beta for the Citrus Engine! There are lots of new features, improvements, bug fixes and a new demo for mobile devices. It is also updated on the last version of each library.

Download it on Google Code or GitHub.

Continue reading Citrus Engine V3 Beta2 →

Citrus Engine on Nape and physics performance improvement

AS3, Box2D, Citrus Engine, Flash, Games, Haxe, Nape, NME, Physics, Programming, , , , , , , , , ,

Hi folks! Since my studies are over and my new portfolio online, I have time to focus on personal projects. Yep, it was time to contribute again to the Citrus Engine. I’ve worked 3 days at full time focusing on its big issue : mobile performances. I’m glad to say that now they are just an old memories!

6 months ago, I’ve made the CE compatible with Stage3D thanks to Starling and added some cool stuff. CitrusEngineV3 BETA 1 has been downloaded 3047 in 6 months, that’s not bad! However it didn’t see lots of Stage3D game, because it was missing the point : people wants to make mobile games.

You will find all the sources at the end.

Continue reading Citrus Engine on Nape and physics performance improvement →