A Irrlicht Begginers Manual

[dejai]

I was wondering if anyone would be willing in participating in making a small manual on the irrlicht engine for newcomers. It would include many of the tutorials already featured on the site, modified and explained in more detail. It would also include tutorials posted by users and explain in depth about the engine and what it can do.

I am starting writing it as I am a bit of a newbie myself and think it will be a good way to learn about the engine as teaching is the best possible method in which to learn yourself.

If you want to help you can donate some links to posts or donate some tutorials that will be included in the manual.

Thanks for your time, if you hate the Idea I really don't care its a learning experience for me and we can finally post RTFM with a link

[TheGameMaker]

I would love some copy of the normal manual in the wiki, so that everyone could write explanations for singles functions with examples etc.. (I recently had some problems with the quaternion class, since it was undocumented whether angles are in DEG or RAD...)
So it would be cool if I since I figured out, it works with RAD could left a notice on this and it will apear in the next version of the documentation..

[rogerborg]

I would love some copy of the normal manual in the wiki, so that everyone could write explanations for singles functions with examples etc.. (I recently had some problems with the quaternion class, since it was undocumented whether angles are in DEG or RAD...)

Why not improve the documentation in the code itself (and therefore the doxygen docs) and submit that as a patch?

[MasterGod]

@dejai: Good Idea! maybe I'll do a bit of that myself..

[dejai]

Well probably the best thing we could do now is decide what is going to be going into the manual. I believe many of the tutorials posted on the site should go in , well anyway this is my ideas for the index so far.

Irrlicht Beginners Manual:

PreFace:
1. The Creators ( Credits to the book creators and NIko and his TEAM!)

Chapter 1. Introduction:
1. What is Irrlicht ( Explain its ability's and its a graphics engine)
2. What is a API? And Is Irrlicht For me? ( Talk Briefly about C++ Knowledge)
2.1 Irrlichts Advantages over other Graphic APIs
3. What Do I need to use irrlicht
3.1 Other Options of Compilers Etc
4. Setting up your first project
4.1 Making it portable (for zip Purposes/ file sharing)
5. Creating your First Project (tutorial 1)
5.1 Tutorial 1 Explained In Depth
5.2 Tutorial Conclusion
6. Chapter Conclusion

Chapter 2: Learning The Basics
1.

( I will let you help deside)

Post what you think is a good index when we finish it we will divide up the workload
When its done, we will all look over it, check spelling, readability and read gravity.

Format it a bit

Then .PDF it and send it to niko

And I will even host it,

[Cardinal4]

It's a great idea to come up with such a manual, but I think this would be better if it were to be posted up on the Irrlicht wiki not as a .pdf, but as a series of wiki articles. Downloading a .pdf turns people off [it would for me], even though a .pdf would allow for fancy formatting and stuff.

Plus, on the wiki everyone can help contribute to it in case it gets outdated or requires more info.

[dejai]

Hmm, I see your point though have you ever thought of having both, having first a PDF and then put it on wiki. Many people cannot stay on the interent all the time and various other reasons. I think it would be great if the community got involved in it and we can always link the file from the wiki

And dont Worry I will make a .Doc, .PDF, (Open Office) and .HTML

So it should be 100% compatible with all operating systems and convenient.




I am getting started well now.

[dejai]

So Far:



Index:
Preface:
1. The Creators ( Credits to the book creators and Niko and his TEAM!)

Chapter 1. Introduction:
1. What is Irrlicht ( Explain its ability's and its a graphics engine)
2. What is a API? And Is Irrlicht For me? ( Talk Briefly about C++ Knowledge)
2.1 Irrlichts Advantages over other Graphic APIs
3. What Do I need to use Irrlicht?
3.1 Other Options of Compilers Etc
4. Setting up your first project
4.1 Making it portable (for zip Purposes/ file sharing)
5. Creating your First Project (tutorial 1)
5.1 Tutorial 1 Explained In Depth
5.2 Tutorial Conclusion
6. Chapter Conclusion

Chapter 2: Learning The Basics
1. Learning About Meshes
2.Learning About Nodes
3. Setting Node Properties
4. Camera Basics
5. Initializing Video Driver, Scene Manager and Gui Environment
6. The Game Loop
7. What Media Can Irrlicht Import?
8. Cursor / Other Basics
9. Creating your Second Program (Tutorial 2)
9.1 In Depth Explanation
10 Chapter Conclusion

Chapter 3: Irrlicht in the 2D
1.Introduction
2.Initializing Images
3.Image / Sprite Properties and Functions
4.Text/ Other 2D Possibilities
5.2D Special Effects
6.Fonts
7.Making a 2D program
7.1 Depth Explanation
8. Chapter Conclusion

Chapter 4: Collisions
1.Introduction
2.Triangle Selector Explained
3.Initializing The Triangle Selector
4.Nodes and The Triangle Selector
5.Meta Selector Possibilities
6.Different Forms of Triangle Selectors
7.Making A Program With Collisions
8.Program Explained In Depth
9.Chapter Conclusion

Chapter 5: Movement And Camera / Node Manipulation
1.Introduction
2.Adding A Child or Parent
3.Event Receiver
4.Explaining The Event Receiver
5.Its Possibilities and Effective Use
6.Camera And Node Implementation With Event Receiver
7.The Event Receiver And The While Loop
8.Making A Event Receiver Program
9.Program Explained In Depth
10. Chapter Conclusion

Chapter 6: User Interface
1. Introduction
2.Basic Gui Functions
3.Gui List Box
4.The Scroll Bar And File Opening
5.Transparency and Buttons
6.Skins and Images
7.Event Receiver For a GUI
8.Making a Gui
9.Gui Explained
10.Chapter Conclusion



Edit IT Add Chapters Post Here.

[Virion]

nice work.
my suggestion of a new topic:

Special effects:
1. Lighting and Shadow
- types of light: directional lighting, spot light, etc. (with images to differentiate each)
- how to set up each of them
- dynamic lighting
2. Shadow
3. Fog
4. Particle
- how to create particles with Irrlicht engine
- practical uses: magic effects, weather, etc.

it could be made into a book even.

[sader]

what about chapter FAQ

This chapter could contain questions and answers how todo something and what is very often asked on forum.
For example "How display player's Health in static text" or "How rid of console window"

[dejai]

Well if it was made into a book it would be free for as a ebook and the book would cover the printing cost and a small profit, which we could use to improve the book and donate to the engine.

[Virion]

btw, Chapter 3: Irrlicht in the 2D <--- no tutorial for 2D animation?

[dejai]

Ok, We Have & Chapters Now Including, the Special Effects

I want 10 in total

2 more about the engine and the 10th chapter sums it up making a 1st - 3rd person game with basic shooting abilities...

[dejai]

Index:
Preface:
1. The Creators ( Credits to the book creators and Niko and his TEAM!)

Chapter 1. Introduction:
1. What is Irrlicht ( Explain its ability's and its a graphics engine)
2. What is a API? And Is Irrlicht For me? ( Talk Briefly about C++ Knowledge)
2.1 Irrlichts Advantages over other Graphic APIs
3. What Do I need to use Irrlicht?
3.1 Other Options of Compilers Etc
4. Setting up your first project
4.1 Making it portable (for zip Purposes/ file sharing)
5. Creating your First Project (tutorial 1)
5.1 Tutorial 1 Explained In Depth
5.2 Tutorial Conclusion
6. Chapter Conclusion

Chapter 2: Learning The Basics
1. Learning About Meshes
2.Learning About Nodes
3. Setting Node Properties
4. Camera Basics
5. Initializing Video Driver, Scene Manager and Gui Environment
6. The Game Loop
7. What Media Can Irrlicht Import?
8. Skybox / Skydome
9. Cursor / Other Basics
10. Creating your Second Program (Tutorial 2)
10.1 In Depth Explanation
11 Chapter Conclusion

Chapter 3: Irrlicht in the 2D
1.Introduction
2.Initializing Images
3.Image / Sprite Properties and Functions
4.Text/ Other 2D Possibilities
5.2D Special Effects
6.Fonts
7.Making a 2D program
7.1 Depth Explanation
8. Chapter Conclusion

Chapter 4: Collisions
1.Introduction
2.Triangle Selector Explained
3.Initializing The Triangle Selector
4.Nodes and The Triangle Selector
5.Meta Selector Possibilities
6.Different Forms of Triangle Selectors
7.Making A Program With Collisions
8.Program Explained In Depth
9.Chapter Conclusion

Chapter 5: Movement And Camera / Node Manipulation
1.Introduction
2.Adding A Child or Parent
3.Event Receiver
4.Explaining The Event Receiver
5.Its Possibilities and Effective Use
6.Camera And Node Implementation With Event Receiver
7.The Event Receiver And The While Loop
8.Making A Event Receiver Program
9.Program Explained In Depth
10. Chapter Conclusion

Chapter 6: User Interface
1. Introduction
2.Basic Gui Functions
3.Gui List Box
4.The Scroll Bar And File Opening
5.Transparency and Buttons
6.Skins and Images
7.Event Receiver For a GUI
8.Making a Gui
9.Gui Explained
10.Chapter Conclusion

Chapter 7: Special Effects
1.Introduction
2.Lighting and Shadowing Basics
3.Shadow
4.Fog
5.Particle
6.Water Manipulation
7.Reflection
8.Making a Special Effects Program
9.Program Explained In Depth
10.Chapter Conclusion

[Virion]

Chapter 2: Learning The Basics <--- add 'Terrain Rendering' maybe

Material:
- Diffuse, Specular, Normal, Parallax mapping etc.
- Animated texture
- Render to texture
- others?

Shader:
- Low level shader with Irrlicht
- High level shaders (HLSL, GLSL, Cg)
- examples (BlindSide's shaders, TheGameMaker's shaders, etc)