Vivid.2D.NET For C# Etc on sale now.

Vivid.2D.NET for all net compatible languages(Including C# and Visual Basic .NET) is out now.

You can download the latest compiled docs here:

http://www.dreamspaced.com/Vivid.2D.NET.chm

Key Features:

Stunning power and extremely easy to use at the same time.

Built in automated FX such as Per Pixel image based motion blur,
Particle Blur and more.

Build in Particle FX System for real time FX like Fire, water and snow.

Seven Draw Modes per image.
Masked, Additive, Modulated, Motion Blur, Particle Blur & More.

Commercial Version includes full Visual C# Source code products
and separate full CS source files.
Allowing you to rebuild Vivid2D on a number of platforms including Mono.

Pre Build .DLLS wrote against the Net2.0 Framework for the most cutting edge
compatibility.

Will run in any .Net2.0 Compatible Language, Including The Free Microsoft
Visual C#2005 Beta. Game Development has never been so affordable!

Built in event or procedural based input system to allow real time easy to use
keyboard and mouse input. Joystick support coming in update 1.

Free Updates for life.

Several example games with full source included.

XML AND HTML Documentation, including a quick start tutorial.

Built in Collision system including Ray cast to image.

Built in Timers and Frame Limiters to simplify and streamline game
development.

Easiest to use Game Engine on the market today.
Example of opening a window, loading an image and displaying it.

Vivid Engine = New Vivid(640,480,16,true);
Image Ship = New Image("Ship.Png");
Ship.Draw(20,40,180);
Engine.FlipScreen();

Full range of helper functions from random number generators to lined image
drawers, to make writing games about ideas, not technical hurdles.

And more!

Chance of support? Chance of you giving up again? Chance of updating?

You do have a track record you know.

It'll be supported. Updates are planned. I plan to eventually do a Vivid.3D.NET companion. Much like mark is doing infact, but I'm using C# instead because....C# is better.

Any release of Mark's uber 3d module is likely to influence that decision however. Or you know, a decent update to bmax that adds new features.

I would buy that almost immediately if not for the 360 game creator fiasco. As is, I'm going to hold off and wait a bit.

I think you need to think about publishing under a pseudonym, Anthony. ;)

What about the 360 in paticular is making you wait? The 360 was a nice dream, but this is a reality. It's on the swreg servers already. But your call, I'm just not sure how one thing relates to another.

Don't make me tom arnold you.

Y'know, Antony, using Yahoo's 'site builder' isn't exactly a good way to make a professional website.

Oh man, and right before the weekend too. It must be my birthday.

I see the smoke in the distance and can almost make out the flames. The train is almost here...

You often talk bull@#!* warren, and this is no exception. No bait for you. Next.

Care to point me in the direction of a better FREE site builder? One that has templates because A) I'm not a web designer, and B) I'm not a web designer.

Your previous site was nice :)

Shame you haven't got a clue how to treat customers or present a product.

Cos you wouldn't be unemployed, but be fairly rich if you had any sense. You have the ability but you don't know or act on your limitations and that is your loss alone.

Yeah, it was a work of...it was a template. And the effective site builder trail ran out. Then the @#!* wouldn't uninstall.
Morale of the story? Coding is fun. With a capital @#!* you.

I know exactly how to relate to my potential customers jackass. (That was a joke, moron.) (That too.)

I think a product should sell it's self. If it doesn't however, I lose patience fairly quickly and move onto the next product.
I'm not sure what else I can do to make money. I've applied for jobs. Got bubcus. I've wrote several products in several fields. Made nada. It's a merry go round without the merry.

Hmm, Ants post reminds me of something. What ever happened to Halo's half-finished 2D GL engine?

It was finished and released. (Key word: 'was')

Are you implying this was not finished? Keyword:'Don't @#!* with me'

:)

Yeah "Was". Not on his site or anything. Dang, that was looking really good. Whats up with people and the 2 week lifespan for their products?

Ant, if yours wasn't .NET I would buy it in a heartbeat, as long as there were some screenshots to look at, a site with detailed info and a demo to try.

I'll do that all tomorrow. I thought the site builder @#!* was working but apprently not. and finding out after you just spent 2 hours putting it all together and uploading on a computer man did not make to do anything but count to 10..well, like I said, tomorrow. I realise they're important aspects of any product. I'll also be releasing a time limited trail version of the lib too.

Btw i'm pretty certain net .dlls can be used in C++. As the doc generator I used includes C++ defs for all the classes. Whether that's just a bug I'm not sure..but can anyone confirm or deny that?

You can reference .NET assemblies using Managed C++ (not normal C++). So, in other words, you need to have the newer versions of Visual Studio. That means all you (foolish to even stay with it in the first place) Visual C++ 6 users are screwed.

I'll promise the same thing I did with 360 game creator...

You do the following:

- Screenshots. I wanna see some good screenshots. Half dozen or so. And I don't mean "Hello, World" printed on the screen a few times, at different angles.

- A demo program or two of some substance that uses your library. Something that shows off a good portion of the library.

If you do that... And you haven't given up on the whole thing by 11/5, I'll buy it. Regardless of whether I think it's worth it or not (and I won't say either way).

Antony:
Free website builder with templates: NVU (www.nvu.com)

Antony: I have no fram of reference here (I know nothing of your past history). Sounds very much like the classic case of "good programmer, crap salesman".

What you need is a very good friend who is a good salesman and another good friend who can knock up a reasonable website (from a template or whatever, so long as it's presentable). You need to partner up with these people and start to make some money.

No product sells itself, that's a complete myth. Products that sell themselves have actually been backed up with a good ad campaign. Whether it was through a viral marketing or good old word-of-mouth.

You need to give demonstrations and give away some free samples to respected community members - together with good demo code. They will then endorse your product, which will sell it, which will then create word of mouth advertsing.

Update and Trial version has been released.


http://www.dreamspaced.com/Vivid.2D.NET-Trial.exe

1.4mb download, includes trial .dlls(V1.1), two example sources, and bins of the example.
It is compiled against the Net2.0 Beta framework for forward compatiblity.
You can get the beta of net2.0 and vc2005 for free from the microsoft website.

Update1.1 adds several new collision methosd, rects overlap etc. Per pixel access to image buffers for editing, locking/unlocking mechnism and the ability to save/convert images in a wide variety of formats, including jpg,bmp/png,dds etc etc.

Your site is broken horribly.

I am sure you are a capable designer and can do php at the least (this site is php with minimal graphics).

I applaud your forward-thinking by doing a trial, but presentation is everything for the mass majority of people. All you need to do is get the site in order now, and woo buyers.

Then, when it is PERFECT (note: put through a spell checker as well!) you should then advertise and post news in sites like gamasutra and gamedev.net.

The romance is what people buy into, not the product. Most people will not ever do anything major with it. But they need to be part of your vision. That is selling. And you could charge $45.95 EASILY with the right site with no drop in sales.

Try reading some of those marketing books - they are not all BS.

Thanks for the advice, I guess. *grumble* Nah just joking. Anymore sites like gamedev/gamesultra you can recommend posting news items on?
The posting a semi-ad in a forum approach isn't going down too well with moderators. If the amount of once were post, now are deleted attempts is anything to go by. It wouldn't be so bad but this doesn't even star any kewis.

New site up. Good enough? (Question, not sarcasm.)

Nice, a few things though:

http://www.dreamspaced.com/VShop.htm has the BUY NOW link as



Thats not bad but "Vivid.2D.Net Store." is very confusing. It should simply be Click here to get full version or Buy Now. Etc...

http://www.dreamspaced.com/BuyNow.htm
Has click here to edit text etc...

A lot of the site remains broken and confusing and incomplete so I would say it isn't anywhere close as good enough.

As you only have to products I would have only 3 pages on your site:

The index, and the two product pages - no sub-pages are actually necessary and that makes it harder for people to get what they want - your product... Good luck though. I sense you've got good potential to sell your products and I wish you would enjoy the selling process more than the development. It's the best part seeing it sell and sell and it redeems all the hard work you put into it.

To build websites without knowledge, or very little.
Go to www.dotnetnuke.com
it uses ASP.NET

looking better... but it's still a mess.

The forums don't list vivid 2d... but does have vivid3dgl or something... and you have someone asking about 360 game creator in that forum that you haven't answered in two days...

Seth Godin: "Nobody switches for good enough."

I smiled, so good enough Warren.

Kanati, one eyed, any suggestions for how to improve it? It's mostly templated atm.

I did when it was Vivid. That sold five copies in the first two days and it was a real buzz seeing those numbers and dollars tick up. But everything since has been less focused..(Translate:Sold sweet f a) and I rapidly lose patience. I'm like a steam train and each sale is a lump of coal. If I don't get sales I just run out of steam.(worst analogy ever but you know)

And with every "steam run out" you lose more potential costumers as they know that there won't be no progress if there is no ongoing sale ...

not the best thing ... holds me already of to pay Josh again after the fact that he never really tried to fix problems with CS but throws a new version out every time. And when there are too many problems or need for support he just drops it again.

Well I'm sure Vivid.2D.NET is going to be different in that respect. V1.1 released, added file conversation, saving, new collisions etc. v1.2 adds a 360 degree scalable map engine similar in design to the 360 game creator's and a host of other cool things. out some time day.

V1.2 has just been finished which adds the mentioned tile based map engine + collision tests and a new albiet not exactly feature-rich yet maths module with linesection functions.

Have you added your engine to devmasters engine database? That would get a few potential customers, and if you keep it updated its gonna stay in the Top 10 Updates on the side nav bar.

Gosh is it Me or does Noel Cower haunt every person trying to make some money from a product -- or at least new things that wow a bunch of people.

I notice that you fixed some errors with the web site which I failed to post here because I'm dumb. It works well :)

I can't really use Vivid 2d.net, but I'm awaiting whatever comes next... (please be 3d not-net :D )

Noel has a noelpolean complex. and his nose. (drum crash.)


pickle, it is 3d, but sorry to say net. You oughta check out the vc2005 beta. the ide is so good it's like it does half the coding for you. code compilation is a revelation when it works that well. stunning language too. And threads! (Kicks mark in the nuts. where's my threads!?)

What happened to the 2D top down shooter thing with the shadows?

you should prototype a fun game. If you can get gameplay without fancy graphics your half way there and finding a reliable artist would be a lot easier.

the more of a reputation you build for quality products that are finished the easier it gets to find the right people to colaborate with.

One things for sure, your probably not going to get far trying to get rich quick. It rarely happens unless you have money to begin with. At least you have a lot of free time on your hands to invest in something.

Warren, it's been canceled, orders or order refunded. The demo game was coming along nicely, the in house one. MGS style codec, speech, lovely collision based particle system..just didn't click.

Evak, I'm doing vivid.3d.net so not got time to do a prototype game. I'm still up for doing a game with you guys, but I'm not even sure what's going on with that anymore?

Really?!

Ahahaha

Dude, I had something like this in about 5 days of working on my boo 2d engine (also .net) - and I plan to release it free. Not to mention physics, gui system, game system many more primitives (lines, circles and stuff for really retro remakes).

I didnt have a tile system yet, but otherwise its all there.

Sometime I'll get back working on it, probably after I've finished 4 other miscellaneous .net projects i'm working on.

Wait, you mean you were being sarcastic? WOW. JUST WOW.

you two should merry eachother, you come along so well. Warren why don't you get Ant into Epic and have him work there, then you can have nice conversations with each other every day of week :-)

Warren imagine having young gifted apprentice like Ant at work, you would have much fun!!!

A fine concept, but broken by the fact I've no ambition to make unreal 2005,2006,2007 and of course given current trents, unreal 2008 january edition, unreal 2008 febuary edition, and no doubt evenutally, unreal 2008 march the 1st edition, unreal 2008 march the 2nd edition.

Ant now you gonna p.i.s.s. off Warren with those comments and zero your chances of ever getting your foot into Epic. You should have joined the dark side but you choosed to go your own way. Gifted you be!!!

Is it only for .NET 2.0 or is 1.1 supported as well, I dont have 2.0 installed at work (only on my other machine at home) and I wanted to give it a quick spin?

Also, does this allow me to create a 2d screen within a control on a form and continue to use the standard gadgets of .NET or is it full screen only?

Thanks,
A

Maximo, anything that @#!*es off warren is a noble and just cause.

Andy, the trial is net2.0 only but the full version includes the cs source, vc projects, so you can safely compile it in mono or net1.1. I would release a 1.1 trial but i've only got msvc2005 beta.

Screen wise you can use windowed or full screen, but it's a unique window opened using (the included) sdl dll. so windows forms would be on a their own unqiue window.
But that said, only the open window portion uses sdl, so you could probably use csgl to create a gl err, widget is it? and as gl funcs work on the current context, then use vivid.

Sounds very interesting indeed, whats the licencing restrictions. When I went to the order screen it said "developers edition" which implies that there are royalties to be paid if cash is made with the product.

Can you give us a quick run down of what the deal is, for now I only had a free util in mind at some point but just in case.

if it does all it says on the tin and its pretty fast then for 20 USD its a steal.

Ant, I'm still up for it personally (our small-game thing) Because i have things i need to learn- Like, non-encrypted coding (Ever see some of my source?)


You've got a reputation now that is; "Start one, quit, start again, quit". Everyone here sees you like that, and expects you to quit.

THAT is affecting sales.

If you can get *one* small product completed, maybe you will be able to complete another one, two, or three after, and perhaps all the potential customers here will start to get some faith back in you. Then, perhaps, you will make sales.

How many times do you say "This time nex year, we could be millionaires"?

Finish something, get more respect, be able to keep on a project until its completed, even when its tough. (Ask Evak about networking, and me pulling my hair out...)

You can't get anywhere by going in circles mate. :P

Andy, developer's edition just means it includes the full engine source code so you can use it on the other frameworks without problem(It's just a class .dll afterall.)
So no royalities etc if you use it in something commercial.

Cyngus, Well I finished this :) and vivid. Just a few projects in between that we won't mention.

About the game, when are you guys looking to start? talk is good but kick ass code is better :)

Well, you need to appear on yahoo of an evening so we can all think up a decent enough idea :)

I was thinking of a kind of Bomberman mixed with pengo clone- we found a few bomberman clones over the net and we could trash them all i think- but we need to get together and talk, then chose something we're happy with :P

heh yeah bomberman with a kick ass collision based particle engine for awesome explosions that rip through corridors sounds good :)
I'll be on yahoo around 8 tonight, evak should be on by then and we can three way conference our plans to do what del nearly never did. be millionaires by this time next year. (he said for the fifth year on a trot. Get it..trot? N..never mind.:) )

Oooh, yum! Yum! C'mon, hurry up and do it - I want to play! :)

If you can get anywhere close to the playablilty of multiplayer on the original SNES version, I'd be mighty impressed. Don't make it over-complicated like the later versions with riding on stupid Kangaroo things, etc. Jeez, if it ain't broke, don't fix it! I'll stop now as I feel a rant coming on... :)

hahaha.

Ive written many a bomberman clone. Theyre all on 5" disks!!!!


Plenty of playability, with a few extras, though i never ever like Upgrades like the kangaroo. A simple "Walk faster" will do fine. Kangaroos are cheating :p



Yes. I get it. *sigh* You need comedy school :P

Admitting there's a problem is the first step.

I'm pretty much in Torque land, and not sure I can be bothered with blitz much anymore. The more I mess with torque and get involved with the comunity the more doors open and interesting opportunities arise.

I am picking up torque too, just very slowly. a couple more days before i buy myself some educational material :)

Torque has shown alot recently, as Evak says, and its definitely where i want to go, and i'm excited to go there.

In my defence I wrote it then noticed the pun. The pun found me. :)



Well, we'll talk about it tonight but if you do go torque it pretty much rules a game out cos torque doens't work for me. not that I could afford it anyway.

In my defence I wrote it then noticed the pun. The pun found me. :)



Well, we'll talk about it tonight but if you do go torque it pretty much rules a game out cos torque doens't work for me. not that I could afford it anyway.

There are so many good ways to respond to an epic employee waxzing lyrical about amibtion that I don't even know where to begin.

How about asking you how much ambition it takes to churning out the same game an infinite amount of times?
Or I could point towards your solo project and smirk at it's ambition.
You maybe good enough to get a game done, but to quote someone you may know, people don't switch for good enough.

I'm all for using torque, but at the moment, Evak is the experienced one of us. haha :)

yeah but then that still leaves me in the back of a volkswagon(Kevin smith reference. Dig it or shut up :) )00
So i dunno, are you saying for this project or in general? Screw it I'll come on yahoo now and use my jedi mind tricks to err, persuade you otherwise :)

*shrug* Epic ships games and makes ridiculous amounts of money.

What have you done lately?

*doges*

Lol, except im at work and not on yahoo :P

I'll be no in an hour and a half.

For this project, should it go ahead, Blitz would more than likely be best.

You should give torque another go. Im going to put in the effort to learn it from scratch. Its gonna be worth it.

I bought a couple of pstwo games, neither of which were epic creations, but they certainly were epic games. Farienheit was one. Pass a copy to your boss. then indicate to the credits where it mentions game designers. then suggest he hire a few.

PS2? My condolences.

indigo prophesy is the best adventure game I played in quite some time. Realy well done. Could have just as easily been done in another engine though, and could have looked a lot nicer too. But the mix of story and simple simon gameplay seems to work really well.

Definately one of the games that a non gamer wife or girlfriend will enjoy watching with you.

Warren, cos you're ont he ps3 right? There's really only one viable response to such a thing, and that is to you call a smeghead @#!* and walk away.
And then scream @#!* @#!* @#!* @#!* @#!* a couple of times as I do.

Evak, you played it then? Just finished it this morning, can't wait for their ps3 sequel and omikron karma ps3.

ooh, you get sourcecode you say? I suppose you might not like me porting it to another .net language, restructuring and giving away eh?

Bot: I think that people should be permitted to post their projects here without being pestered by negative comments.

A more sensible way to go about what you are doing would be to start your own thread with a link to your free alternative to this, and let the customer decide.