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Build a zenilib Game

Extract zenilib

• Instructions vary by development environment.

• Visual Studio

  I recommend simply extracting everything to the destop. 7-Zip should do the job.

  1. Ensure that there is not already a zenilib/ directory on the desktop.
  2. Extract zenilib to the desktop.
  3. Verify that you have (at least) the following files in your zenilib/ directory.
     • assets/
     • dev/
     • docs/
     • jni/
     • .gitignore
     • Doxyfile
     • multi-build_sh.bat
     • multi-clean_sh.bat
     • multi-premake_sh.bat
     • premake4.lua
  4. You may now move and/or rename the zenilib/ directory, though I will continue to refer to it as zenilib/.

• XCode

  I recommend simply extracting everything to the destop. The Unarchiver should do the job.

  1. Ensure that there is not already a zenilib/ directory present. Extracting over it will likely result in your losing any existing work.
  2. Extract zenilib.
  3. Verify that you have (at least) the following files in your zenilib/ directory.
     • assets/
     • dev/
     • docs/
     • jni/
     • .gitignore
     • Doxyfile
     • multi-build_sh.bat
     • multi-clean_sh.bat
     • multi-premake_sh.bat
     • premake4.lua
  4. You may now move and/or rename the zenilib/ directory, though I will continue to refer to it as zenilib/.

• GCC

  1. Ensure that there is not already a zenilib/ directory present.
  2. 7z x zenilib_0.5.3.0.7z or 7za x zenilib_0.5.3.0.7z
  3. You may now move and/or rename the zenilib/ directory, though I will continue to refer to it as zenilib/.
  4. Verify that you have (at least) the following files in your zenilib/ directory.
     • assets/
     • dev/
     • docs/
     • jni/
     • .gitignore
     • Doxyfile
     • multi-build_sh.bat
     • multi-clean_sh.bat
     • multi-premake_sh.bat
     • premake4.lua

Build a zenilib Game

• Some details vary by development environment.

• Visual Studio

  Command-Line

  multi-build_sh.bat

  1. multi-build_sh.bat debug32 does a 32-bit debug build.
  2. multi-build_sh.bat release32 (or just multi-build_sh.bat) does a 32-bit release build.
  3. multi-build_sh.bat --build=all builds all of zenilib, and not just your game. This is necessary if you downloaded only zenilib_0.5.3.0_only-src.7z.
  4. multi-build_sh.bat --dir=%Temp%\build does a 32-bit release build in %Temp%\build instead of in zenilib/build/, useful when storing one's files on a network drive such as AFS or NAS.
  5. multi-build_sh.bat --help lists and describes these options.

  multi-clean_sh.bat

  1. multi-clean_sh.bat cleans your project, but leaves the debug and release games buildable.
  2. multi-clean_sh.bat --build=all cleans your project, leaving your release builds intact, but making it impossible to rebuild them without doing a multi-build_sh.bat --build=all or restoring files from zenilib_0.5.3.0.7z.
  3. multi-clean_sh.bat --help lists and describes these options.

  multi-premake_sh.bat

  1. multi-premake_sh.bat prepares Visual Studio project files for your game (without building).
  2. multi-premake_sh.bat --build=all prepares Visual Studio project files for all of zenilib (without building). This is necessary if you downloaded only zenilib_0.5.3.0_only-src.7z.
  3. multi-premake_sh.bat --dir=%Temp%\build prepares Visual Studio project files for your game (without building) in %Temp%\build instead of in zenilib/build/, useful when storing one's files on a network drive such as AFS or NAS.
  4. multi-premake_sh.bat --help lists and describes these options.

  Visual Studio 2010/2012 IDE

  1. Open zenilib/build/vs2012/zenilib.sln or zenilib/build/vs2010/zenilib.sln.
     • If asked to choose settings on running Visual Studio for the first time, I recommend General Development Settings, but you may prefer Visual C++ Settings. If you later change your mind, go to Tools -> Import and Export Settings or type Alt+T, I and Reset All Settings.
  2. Depending on whether you're building just your game or all of zenilib, you'll have either one project or twenty projects in the solution. Either way, go to Build -> Build Solution, right-click on the solution in the Solution Explorer and click on Build Solution, or type Ctrl+Shift+B to build the solution.
  3. Go to Debug -> Start Without Debugging, type Ctrl+F5, or double-click on zenilib/Play game x32.exe to run the application.
     • Debug -> Start Debugging or F5 would debug instead, if building in Debug mode.
  4. Type Alt+F4, close the window, or click on the in-game Quit button to exit the application.

• Xcode

  Command-Line

  ./multi-build_sh.bat

  1. ./multi-build_sh.bat debug does a native debug build.
  2. ./multi-build_sh.bat release (or just ./multi-build_sh.bat) does a universal Intel release build.
  3. ./multi-build_sh.bat --build=all builds all of zenilib, and not just your game. This is necessary if you downloaded only zenilib_0.5.3.0_only-src.7z.
  4. ./multi-build_sh.bat --dir=/tmp/build does a universal Intel release build in /tmp/build instead of in zenilib/build/, useful when storing one's files on a network drive such as AFS or NAS.
  5. ./multi-build_sh.bat --help lists and describes these options.

  ./multi-clean_sh.bat

  1. ./multi-clean_sh.bat cleans your project, but leaves the debug and release games buildable.
  2. ./multi-clean_sh.bat --build=all cleans your project, leaving your release builds intact, but making it impossible to rebuild them without doing a ./multi-build_sh.bat --build=all or restoring files from zenilib_0.5.3.0.7z.
  3. ./multi-clean_sh.bat --help lists and describes these options.

  ./multi-premake_sh.bat

  1. ./multi-premake_sh.bat prepares Xcode project files for your game (without building).
  2. ./multi-premake_sh.bat --build=all prepares Xcode project files for all of zenilib (without building). This is necessary if you downloaded only zenilib_0.5.3.0_only-src.7z.
  3. ./multi-premake_sh.bat --dir=/tmp/build prepares Xcode project files for your game (without building) in /tmp/build instead of in zenilib/build/, useful when storing one's files on a network drive such as AFS or NAS.
  4. ./multi-premake_sh.bat --help lists and describes these options.

  Xcode IDE

  1. Open build/xcode4/zenilib.xcworkspace. Depending on whether you're building just your game or all of zenilib, you'll have either one project or twenty projects in the workspace.
  2. In the upper-left, to right right of the Run and Stop buttons, ensure that the project game is selected. It is usually not selected by default.
  3. Type Apple+B to build the workspace.
  4. Type Apple+R to run the application. Or, after building, run zenilib/game_d.app or zenilib/game.app
     • Apple+Y would debug instead, if building in Debug mode (which by default, you do).
  5. Type Apple+Q, close the window, or click on the in game Quit button to exit the application.

• GCC

  Command-Line

  ./multi-build_sh.bat

  1. ./multi-build_sh.bat debug does a native debug build.
  2. ./multi-build_sh.bat release (or just ./multi-build_sh.bat) does a native release build.
  3. ./multi-build_sh.bat --build=all builds all of zenilib, and not just your game. This is necessary if you downloaded only zenilib_0.5.3.0_only-src.7z.
  4. ./multi-build_sh.bat --dir=/tmp/build does a native release build in /tmp/build instead of in zenilib/build/, useful when storing one's files on a network drive such as AFS or NAS.
  5. ./multi-build_sh.bat --macosx=10.7 to build for Mac OS 10.7 regardless of the native OS version.
  6. ./multi-build_sh.bat --help lists and describes these options.

  ./multi-clean_sh.bat

  1. ./multi-clean_sh.bat cleans your project, but leaves the debug and release games buildable.
  2. ./multi-clean_sh.bat --build=all cleans your project, leaving your release builds intact, but making it impossible to rebuild them without doing a ./multi-build_sh.bat --build=all or restoring files from zenilib_0.5.3.0.7z.
  3. ./multi-clean_sh.bat --help lists and describes these options.

  ./multi-premake_sh.bat

  1. ./multi-premake_sh.bat prepares Makefiles for your game (without building).
  2. ./multi-premake_sh.bat --build=all prepares Makefiles for all of zenilib (without building). This is necessary if you downloaded only zenilib_0.5.3.0_only-src.7z.
  3. ./multi-premake_sh.bat --dir=/tmp/build prepares Makefiles for your game (without building) in /tmp/build instead of in zenilib/build/, useful when storing one's files on a network drive such as AFS or NAS.
  4. ./multi-premake_sh.bat --macosx=10.7 to target Mac OS 10.7 regardless of the native OS version.
  5. ./multi-premake_sh.bat --help lists and describes these options.

  Run It

  1. After building, run ./game_d32, ./game_x32, ./game_d64, or ./game_x64 depending on whether you're compiling debug or release (the default), and on whether you're compiling on a 32-bit or a 64-bit system.
  2. Type Ctrl+Q, close the window, or click on the in game Quit button to exit the application.

Important Notes

• Debug build targets trade off performance for ease in debugging. Release mode optimizations strip symbols essential for effective debugging. When actively looking for bugs, you should first spend your time in Debug mode. However, it is important to test in Release mode frequently as well because Debug mode can hide certain bugs from you. Test your work incrementally to make it easier to spot bugs as they appear.
• If the window does not open and zenilib/stderr.txt logs something to the effect of Zeni Video Failed to Initialize Correctly, you can try changing the API being used:
  1. Open zenilib/config/zenilib.xml.
  2. Change the line reading <API>OpenGL Shader</API> to read <API>OpenGL Fixed</API> or <API>Direct3D 9</API>.
  Switching rendering engines can be useful for revealing graphical issues as well.
• A copy of zenilib.xml (which is given precedence) is stored in a user-specific directory, %AppData%/zenilib in Windows, otherwise in $HOME/.zenilib. Its location is listed at the top of zenilib/assets/stderr.txt