I am going through Monster’s and others BA pages and links and reconstructing a different type of reference page for BGE design/development documentation and help. Monster’s information is excellent. My page is focused on being lean with only the information someone needs who is already experienced in game design and 3D graphics. So it is very concise and detailed as a format geared more towards pros and high end users. Think of it as a list of critical information on Blender specifically more than an explanation for those who need the extra background information.
Does anybody have any favorite links from Monster’s BGE stuff or any other links for BGE documentation and getting started info? So far I have Monster’s BA pages, Blendozo, the B.O wiki, Moguri’s blog, the Gamekit page, CG Cookie, Blendswap…what links or web sites am I missing?
BTW, as this information takes shape, I will post a second thread and keep the first post on that edited with the information for all to use as a one page reference.
Thanks Monster. I am still going through your material. I will make sure I check that out. I would have just added to your threads if it wasn’t for the difference in focus and format. It is mainly for those working in production that need direct access to very specific information very quickly to meet work deadlines. They just don’t have time to read though material they already know or piece material together from multiple locations. This is the idea at least. : )
A good place to get scripting info (like variables and methods) is in the Python API Reference web page that you can access from the Help menu in the program itself… Not sure if that’s what you’re looking for, but I just thought I’d mention it.
I’m interested to hear more about the production work you’re building this documentation for. Sounds like a L.A. Blender meetup session topic to me. ;o)
Thanks everybody for the tips. Keep them coming please! I will make a tips page thread soon.
FutureHack, oh ya, we can do a presentation on it. In a nut shell for now, the production work first line is media production for my live corporate event work. With lean docs I can pass on the BGE tool to other live content producers to use who are totally unfamiliar with Blender but know the live production pipeline. These are people who need very quick answers to key questions on the fly. This would also include existing pros in broadcast graphics and concert scenics.
Ok, something that came up recently in chat was the differences between Python in the normal 3D workspace as apposed to Python in the GE space. There are some distinct differences between the two that can be confusing. This is an excellent topic for lean documentation. If anybody has any links on that please post them. Or if you have some keen insight, please make a concise post here to clarify the differences. Thanks for everybody’s input.
The difference is pretty simple… they have no relationship. You can access the blender api (bpy) when starting the bge from inside blender because it is running in the same context. But it is (obviously) not present when starting the blenderplayer. It is strongly advice not to use bpy in any game. Even if you do it runs on data outside the bge.
Finally these are two different applications and should be treated separately.
Here are links for perusal to illustrate the lean concept. More info to come soon on how I am applying it to Blender documentation for the production environment.
Lean Integration:
“…Lean is a management system that focuses on delivering value to the end customer by continuously improving value delivery processes. Lean provides a robust framework that facilitates improving efficiency and effectiveness by focusing on critical customer requirements.”
Lean Manufacturing:
“Essentially, lean is centered on preserving value with less work.”