I want to try developing for Dreamcast ..

[Tyne]

Just little crap things like CD music playing, a text menu,
an image loading all as seperate programs. Problem is, I don't
know where to begin ... such as finding source code examples,
whether to use KOS or libdream, and what programming language
I should use. Can anyone help me out?

[reaper2k2]

I wrote a real simple c menu text one and asked the nice people here whats needed for it to work on the dc its in a topic helped me a bit

Problems i have i cant understand kos yet geting there

and seting up the dc tool chain should be more easyer i have been looking at dev C++ compiler by the look of it you should be able to use

it and tell it were the libs are ,it uses the free compiler the same one as in cygwin ...

you have to know c and learn kos I cant be really more helpfull since i cant get any think to compile for dc . once i did and did a dance round the house lol

http://www.dcemulation.org/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=18980

[BlueCrab]

First of all, Go with KOS, it has plenty of source-code examples to get you going, and it's actually updated (libdream is not anymore).

To start developing for DC with KOS, do the following:

First learn C or C++ (C's easier).

I'd recomend getting a version of the GNU toolchain for Windows (Either cygwin or MinGW/MSYS. If you want to use c++ many people have trouble making the cross-compilers, so if you plan on compiling your cross-compilers from source, I'd go with MinGW/MSYS.

Then you would have to either make a cross-compiler (there are many scripts that will do a pretty good job of this, including mine), or find a place to download one (these are very large files (~100MB) so they take some time). These premade sets require cygwin.

Then I'd recomend getting a program designed for source editing. Dev-C++ and Crimson Editor are two good choices. (Be warned however, Dev-C++ is not designed for a cross-compiler setup. Wheras with Crimson Editor, it doesn't have the compiler builtin, so you can use whatever you'd like.)

If I've confused you in any way, I'd be happy to explain anything better, just ask, and either I or one of the other members of these forums will be glad to help out.

[Mr. Jones]

"First learn C or C++ (C's easier)."

That is not a comment to be taken lightly, mein Freund.

I have been CONSTANTLY frustrated by the fact that you can't just jump in and start coding. I was OVERJOYED when I got my PC to act like a simple addition/subtraction calculator! What's worse, that's with over 2 months experience with C. In addition, I haven't even tried the evil that is cross-compiling.

Please, don't take this as a discouragement towards trying to program for the Dreamcast. The Dreamcast IS the reason why I am teaching myself how to code, and while I have ruined a monitor by ripping it from the computer in a righteous fury and tossing it like salad fixin's, I'm still actively trying to learn C. I'm just realizing how much experience is needed to make even a rudimentary 3D game, and I'm now impressed by simple versions of pong and tetris.

I wish you luck, man.

Now let me get back to making THE game that will single-handedly revitalize the dreamcast system.

-mr. jones

[BlackAura]

I think you've done some modding for Quake, yes? I'm sure you released something, and it definitely had some QC in it. Anyway, C is similar to QuakeC (hence the name QuakeC). Some of the basic syntax is slightly different, but most of it it nearly identical. Assuming you already know some programming, learning enough C to do something useful shouldn't take two months.

As for learning to code, I personally would try some stuff from http://gametutorials.com/. They have some useful begginner-level C/C++ stuff that might be useful, along with some reasonably advanced stuff too.

Adding to what BlueCrab said, study the examples that come with KOS. They do a lot of the stuff that you mentioned, and a whole lot more.

[reaper2k2]

Yes the kos examples are good to learn off ive set up the, whole thing cross compiler , all the tools and now have kos 1.18 built .... it was a 5 day task for me .. its very fustrating the faqs and tuts are for people that know it , if you follow most of them you end up at a dead end here and there ...... i had to figer it out in, the places the faq does not tell you and moves to the next step .. to say any of the faqs are complete is wrong, there a help but will not get a working system will they did not for me......


yes im very happy i got it all working well ,cygwin ,kos and my dctoolchain builds elfs that work on the dreamcast..... thats a start any way .. sdl port by bero is confusing me the readme , he says pboom will compile for dc with his port of sdl for dc with OUT code changes ....

so only the imputs need changing if thats not just the best news in the dc scene i dont know what is theres hundreds of apps games and emulators that have sdl ports ........... im very exited about this

my c skills dont match most people here i openly addmit if i make a simple game like tetris i use a programing refrence guild and faq sheets to remember commands .....

any ways dont read heeps of books just get straight into it and use dev c++ and try doing it for the pc and then have a go at porting your simple game to dc .....

thats what im trying to do any way its got me this far ....

[Captain Skyhawk]

Got my eyes in my pockets, wrong topic please delete