AmiBlitz

[Erol]

http://amiblitz3.sourceforge.net/


This is the AmiBlitz3 project ("amiblitz3")


Amiblitz is the furtherdevelop of BlitzBasic 2 from Amiga.Acid Soft was so friendly to release the BB2 source as opensource. BlitzBasic is port to PC and furtherdevelop here too.
We choose the Name Amiblitz for Amiga Version to make clear its different now

[TheMagicM]

very cool!  Looking forward to updates.  Will it run on MorphOS properly also?

[fishy_fiz]

Nice. Im a fan of amiblitz, so its nice to see another update.
Perhaps its worth mentioning that it has been updated though? After initially reading the thread I wasnt aware that the thread was due to 3.6 being released and thought it was just someone mentioning it due to them stumbling accross amiblitz.

Good stuff though and thanks.

p.s. maybe its news worthy rather than just mentioning it in a thread?

[TheMagicM]

I thought it meant they were going to port it.  Lol

[AmigaClassicRule]

Nice. Im a fan of amiblitz, so its nice to see another update.
Perhaps its worth mentioning that it has been updated though? After initially reading the thread I wasnt aware that the thread was due to 3.6 being released and thought it was just someone mentioning it due to them stumbling accross amiblitz.

Good stuff though and thanks.

p.s. maybe its news worthy rather than just mentioning it in a thread?

Oooooh...is that what this news is all about it?? Someone needs to drink coffee to wake up! Well that is good to hear I suppose. Doubt AmiBlitz 3.6 will run on an Amiga 500 even if I did upgade it and give it HD and 030 accelerator...or would it run on an A500 with 030 accelerator and HD and 64 Mb of RAM?

I am making my very first Dot game for the Amiga called Dot Maniac and I am having more fun and it is working way better on an Blitz Basic than AMOS hundred fifty times

[ChaosLord]

AmiBlitz FTW! :thumbsup:

Bernd FTW! :hammer:

[fishy_fiz]

Coffee is the most vile substance on the planet. If I wanted something that tasted and smelled like burnt, mouldy toast then Id just save the uneaten bits of bread at the end of a loaf and burn them.
Itd probably wake me up too.

Having said that it was a bit of an oversight on my part. Id responded to the forum thread; hadnt seen that it was also a news item.

As for Amiblitz, it probably only needs 4 or 8 meg to run, and isnt too cpu intensive, but it does require an fpu (compiled code doesnt though).
If youre using a lower spec system you may as well just use blitz 2.1 with BSS.

[asymetrix]

Amiblitz is a good program, but we need a developer who can recode the engine to use portable code. Virtual assembler /C/E for code engine so it can be portable.

Once the engine is portable add openGL/networking code modules so it can compile on anything.

Maybe a virtual chipset could run fast enough on RTG so demo coders can continue their fun.

Possibilities are endless, maybe even an AROS bounty to create the number 1 games creation suite ever built.

[AmigaClassicRule]

Amiblitz is a good program, but we need a developer who can recode the engine to use portable code. Virtual assembler /C/E for code engine so it can be portable.

Once the engine is portable add openGL/networking code modules so it can compile on anything.

Maybe a virtual chipset could run fast enough on RTG so demo coders can continue their fun.

Possibilities are endless, maybe even an AROS bounty to create the number 1 games creation suite ever built.

Here is what I think should be done as a major improvement of AmiBlitz:

1) Turn it into 100% high level OOP language like say for example ASP.NET, VB.NET, C#.NET, C++, Java, etc

2) Have the ability to design your own GUI interface the same system as Visual Studio.NET where you can add a button, rename the button, double click the button event and put code inside of it...everything you see in VS in terms GUI, GUI editor, OOP, etc...be done on AmiBlitz but using Blitz Basic code 100%. It may mean for example programs no longer fit on a disk...and they all have to run on a HD which I am OK with that...or the smallest program with an open Windows and nothing in it is 70 KB and I am OK with that also!

3) Have the ability to import other languages into the Suite using the interface of the new AmiBlitz

4) Be able to code for the website like ASP.NET but instead it is Blitz.net or something like that!! This way coding for the website using Amiga system will be a breeze

5) Upgrade the libraries for AmiBlitz to make handling all the eye candy visual effects on the chipset much easier and a breeze (or say build our own custom library with easier functions to do the fancy work).

  For example instead of coding your own code to make the fade in and fade out there is already a function in that library that does it for you.....or if you want watery effect, rain drop effect, rainbow effect, etc...all the visual effect you see in Amiga Demos, games, every single visual effect that can be possibly done in the CHIPSET be separates into functions with parameters on them on the library. Of course there will be a manual that lists all these new functions with their descriptions on them

6) Have a function for AmiBlitz that handle memory trick for us without us going through the hassle. For example, this function already is optimized to the maximum efficiency where it puts everything into fast RAM, from graphics, sound, music, calculation etc...Then when it comes to using the graphics, sound and music it does memory swap between CHIP RAM and FAST RAM for us without us having to code all of this...and we do not have to worry about it at all....the whole worry  of CHIP RAM issue is being taken care for us in these functions

7) Make it easier for the program to be able to handle disk I/O while in Blitz mode or in graphics mode....

Be able to access the internet or do networking while in Blitz mode

9) All the sprite tricks and majority of coding tricks for maximum coding efficiency is build into libraries for us.

10) Able to do class inheritance and library inheritance and able to code our own library and compile it!

[SamuraiCrow]

Here is what I think should be done as a major improvement of AmiBlitz:

1) Turn it into 100% high level OOP language like say for example ASP.NET, VB.NET, C#.NET, C++, Java, etc

AmigaE or PortablE would be a better language for what you describe here.  To do it in AmiBlitz would be almost impossible because it wasn't designed for OOP from the start.  A better idea would be to backport BlitzMax to the Amiga.

2) Have the ability to design your own GUI interface the same system as Visual Studio.NET where you can add a button, rename the button, double click the button event and put code inside of it...everything you see in VS in terms GUI, GUI editor, OOP, etc...be done on AmiBlitz but using Blitz Basic code 100%. It may mean for example programs no longer fit on a disk...and they all have to run on a HD which I am OK with that...or the smallest program with an open Windows and nothing in it is 70 KB and I am OK with that also!

WinForms is a nice GUI builder but not the only one in the world.

3) Have the ability to import other languages into the Suite using the interface of the new AmiBlitz

Non-trivial.  You might as well write your own compiler if this is your goal.

4) Be able to code for the website like ASP.NET but instead it is Blitz.net or something like that!! This way coding for the website using Amiga system will be a breeze

Dart is a better language for that.

5) Upgrade the libraries for AmiBlitz to make handling all the eye candy visual effects on the chipset much easier and a breeze (or say build our own custom library with easier functions to do the fancy work).

  For example instead of coding your own code to make the fade in and fade out there is already a function in that library that does it for you.....or if you want watery effect, rain drop effect, rainbow effect, etc...all the visual effect you see in Amiga Demos, games, every single visual effect that can be possibly done in the CHIPSET be separates into functions with parameters on them on the library. Of course there will be a manual that lists all these new functions with their descriptions on them

Non-trivial.  Needs to be written in a way that works on anything.  I need help to even start on this one.

6) Have a function for AmiBlitz that handle memory trick for us without us going through the hassle. For example, this function already is optimized to the maximum efficiency where it puts everything into fast RAM, from graphics, sound, music, calculation etc...Then when it comes to using the graphics, sound and music it does memory swap between CHIP RAM and FAST RAM for us without us having to code all of this...and we do not have to worry about it at all....the whole worry  of CHIP RAM issue is being taken care for us in these functions

So you introduce a huge workaround for a bug in the classic chipsets only to have it not needed when newer softcores for FPGAs come out that support dozens of MiB of Chip RAM.

7) Make it easier for the program to be able to handle disk I/O while in Blitz mode or in graphics mode....

If you need to do that, don't use Blitz mode.

Be able to access the internet or do networking while in Blitz mode

IF you need to do that, don't use Blitz mode.

9) All the sprite tricks and majority of coding tricks for maximum coding efficiency is build into libraries for us.

I want to do this but it is beyond the capabilities of AmiBlitz to do this.

10) Able to do class inheritance and library inheritance and able to code our own library and compile it!

The AROS team is trying to make a version of that OS that will be able to represent OOP in libraries to support its HIDD driver format as an upgrade to existing versions.  Don't look for this to work in AmigaOS 3 though.  It's too primitive.

[AmigaClassicRule]

AmigaE or PortablE would be a better language for what you describe here.  To do it in AmiBlitz would be almost impossible because it wasn't designed for OOP from the start.  A better idea would be to backport BlitzMax to the Amiga.

I will diffinatly look into AmigaE. Hmmm I like the idea of porting BlitzMax...but maybe this should be ported for FPGA Replay instead of the classical Amiga hardware.

WinForms is a nice GUI builder but not the only one in the world.

Non-trivial.  You might as well write your own compiler if this is your goal.

Dart is a better language for that.

Ohh.....ok. I was just giving my idea is all.

Non-trivial.  Needs to be written in a way that works on anything.  I need help to even start on this one.

Hmmm...I guess if I learned enough in Blitz Basic 2 and I have good experience with it...I might tackle it.

So you introduce a huge workaround for a bug in the classic chipsets only to have it not needed when newer softcores for FPGAs come out that support dozens of MiB of Chip RAM.

Maybe you are right! I completely forgot about FPGA...seeing as there is no current news about it..or release date or even released I tend to look at it as a vaporware until then. Also....I completely forgot about it.

If you need to do that, don't use Blitz mode.

IF you need to do that, don't use Blitz mode.

Alright question here....you said if I need to access the hard drive, disk or any file I/O or internet do not enter into Blitz mode. What I do not understand is how do I get to put sprites, graphics if I am not into blitz mode. Better yet! When I see these commercial games where it says Loading and there is a picture of a disk..or a font image of Loading words or an animated sprite...how did they do that while accessing files? Can I do that with Blitz basic? Also I saw one online game for classic Amiga..it was blittering like crazy and still have online support...how can I do that with Blitz Basic then?

I want to do this but it is beyond the capabilities of AmiBlitz to do this.

The AROS team is trying to make a version of that OS that will be able to represent OOP in libraries to support its HIDD driver format as an upgrade to existing versions.  Don't look for this to work in AmigaOS 3 though.  It's too primitive.

I think what we are getting at...if we need some serious powerful and up to date programming language...we need to drop the AmigaOS 3.x series and venture into MorphOS or AmigaOS 4.1...which to me makes sense all together.

[fishy_fiz]

You already can create your own libraries with blitz, even blitzbasic 2.x.

Also why not just use gadtools for gui creation? Its super easy and simple under blitz. Alternatively you can use mui or classact/reaction. End results are less bloated too.

And yes, you can use sprites and bobs under amiga mode too.

Remember blitz was designed as a nice, easy to use, efficient language for the amiga and its os.
Half of what youre suggesting wouldnt fit in with that ideal and would be to its detriment.
Also, dont confuse a lack of knowledge with a lack of power. Blitz is indeed quite powerful.

[AmigaClassicRule]

You already can create your own libraries with blitz, even blitzbasic 2.x.

Also why not just use gadtools for gui creation? Its super easy and simple under blitz. Alternatively you can use mui or classact/reaction. End results are less bloated too.

And yes, you can use sprites and bobs under amiga mode too.

Remember blitz was designed as a nice, easy to use, efficient language for the amiga and its os.
Half of what youre suggesting wouldnt fit in with that ideal and would be to its detriment.
Also, dont confuse a lack of knowledge with a lack of power. Blitz is indeed quite powerful.

Do not get me wrong...I already and really love Blitz Basic 2 and find it to be a very powerful programming language and intend to make all my games using it. In fact in one day I manage to reach 80% of my game Dot Maniac compared to weeks with AMOS. Not that I dish AMOS in anyway, AMOS is also a powerful language...but there is certain things I can do in Blitz Basic which is way easier than AMOS billion times. Ones I receive my power supply from eBay and get Amiga 500 back on again...I will resume work immediately and should finish my first game on Blitz Basic within the week. I give it a week just so I give myself enough time to debug, test, and complete it with all features including title screen.

This first game Dot Maniac will have no AI on it. The second game will have an AI (not so complex). Then the third game will have a little bit more complex AI...keep going...hopefully on the 100th game I will be releasing I would have went very advance on AI...of course each game will be different genre the first two games will be board game (thinking game), the next will be platform and so on...

Good news guys...expect new games for the Amiga in 2013