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Build a zenilib Game

Previous Step: Download zenilib

Extract zenilib

• Instructions vary by development environment.

• Visual Studio

  I recommend simply extracting everything to the destop.

  1. Ensure that there is not already a zenilib/ directory on the desktop.
  2. Extract zenilib and the supporting files to the desktop.
     • They should both merge into a single zenilib/ directory. If in doubt, merge them manually. Under no circumstances should this step result in a zenilib/ directory within a zenilib/ directory.
  3. Verify that you have the following files in your zenilib/ directory.
     • bin/
     • clean/
     • Code Blocks/
     • config/
     • docs/
     • fonts/
     • icons/
     • include/
     • include_win/
     • lib_win/
     • src/
     • Visual Studio 2010/
     • Xcode/
     • Doxyfile
     • Launcher.exe
     • Launcher_x64.exe
     • SConstruct
  4. Hint: Launcher.exe should be runnable if you've done everything right.
  5. 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. If using AFS, a working directory within /temp/ may be preferable.

  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. Ordinarily, the Frameworks will be downloaded and extracted automatically. If necessary, download the Frameworks, extract them, and move the Frameworks/ directory into the zenilib/Xcode/ directory.
  4. Verify that you have the following files in your zenilib/ directory.
     • clean/
     • Code Blocks/
     • config/
     • docs/
     • fonts/
     • icons/
     • include/
     • src/
     • Visual Studio 2010/
     • Xcode/
     • Doxyfile
     • SConstruct
  5. You may now move and/or rename the zenilib/ directory, though I will continue to refer to it as zenilib/.
  6. If you chose to use a temp directory, don't forget to save your work elsewhere when you're done.

• GCC

  1. Ensure that there is not already a zenilib/ directory present.
  2. 7z x zenilib_0.4.2.0.7z or unzip zenilib_0.4.2.0.zip
  3. You may now move and/or rename the zenilib/ directory, though I will continue to refer to it as zenilib/.

Build a zenilib Game

• Instructions vary by development environment.

• Visual Studio

  1. Open zenilib/Visual Studio 2010/Zenilib_2010.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. Change the build configuration from Debug to Debug SCU Full.
  3. 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. If you choose the Debug SCU Full build target for Win32, the output should resemble this in Visual Studio 2010:

     1>------ Build started: Project: zeni, Configuration: Debug SCU Win32 ------
     1>  zeni.cxx
     1>     Creating library ..\lib_win\zeni_d.lib and object ..\lib_win\zeni_d.exp
     1>  zeni.vcxproj -> C:\Users\bazald\Desktop\zenilib\Visual Studio 2010\..\bin\zeni_d.dll
     2>------ Build started: Project: zeni_core, Configuration: Debug SCU Win32 ------
     3>------ Build started: Project: zeni_audio, Configuration: Debug SCU Win32 ------
     3>  zeni_audio.cxx
     2>  zeni_core.cxx
     2>     Creating library ..\lib_win\zeni_core_d.lib and object ..\lib_win\zeni_core_d.exp
     2>  zeni_core.vcxproj -> C:\Users\bazald\Desktop\zenilib\Visual Studio 2010\..\bin\zeni_core_d.dll
     4>------ Build started: Project: zeni_graphics, Configuration: Debug SCU Win32 ------
     5>------ Build started: Project: zeni_net, Configuration: Debug SCU Win32 ------
     4>  zeni_graphics.cxx
     5>  zeni_net.cxx
     3>     Creating library ..\lib_win\zeni_audio_d.lib and object ..\lib_win\zeni_audio_d.exp
     3>  zeni_audio.vcxproj -> C:\Users\bazald\Desktop\zenilib\Visual Studio 2010\..\bin\zeni_audio_d.dll
     5>     Creating library ..\lib_win\zeni_net_d.lib and object ..\lib_win\zeni_net_d.exp
     5>  zeni_net.vcxproj -> C:\Users\bazald\Desktop\zenilib\Visual Studio 2010\..\bin\zeni_net_d.dll
     4>     Creating library ..\lib_win\zeni_graphics_d.lib and object ..\lib_win\zeni_graphics_d.exp
     4>  zeni_graphics.vcxproj -> C:\Users\bazald\Desktop\zenilib\Visual Studio 2010\..\bin\zeni_graphics_d.dll
     6>------ Build started: Project: zeni_rest, Configuration: Debug SCU Win32 ------
     6>  zeni_rest.cxx
     6>     Creating library ..\lib_win\zeni_rest_d.lib and object ..\lib_win\zeni_rest_d.exp
     6>  zeni_rest.vcxproj -> C:\Users\bazald\Desktop\zenilib\Visual Studio 2010\..\bin\zeni_rest_d.dll
     7>------ Build started: Project: Application, Configuration: Debug SCU Win32 ------
     7>  application.cxx
     7>  Application.vcxproj -> C:\Users\bazald\Desktop\zenilib\Visual Studio 2010\..\bin\Application_d.exe
     8>------ Skipped Build: Project: Launcher, Configuration: Debug Win32 ------
     8>Project not selected to build for this solution configuration 
     ========== Build: 7 succeeded, 0 failed, 0 up-to-date, 1 skipped ==========
     

     Building the Launcher will be skipped, by default, when building Debug targets. As you should never distribute a Debug build, you probably will never need to build Launcher for one.
  4. Any errors probably indicate installation issues, such as difficulty locating the DirectX headers. You have several options for resolving the issue.
     • Copy the needed includes from $(DXSDK_Dir)Include to zenilib/include_win/.
     • Ensure that the environment variable DXSDK_Dir is pointing to a valid DirectX SDK.
     • You may switch back to the Debug build configuration to use the DLLs I have provided to you if you are unable to resolve the issue(s).
  5. Go to Debug -> Start Without Debugging, type Ctrl+F5, or double-click on zenilib/Launcher.exe to run the application.
     • Debug -> Start Debugging or F5 would debug instead.
  6. Type Alt+F4, close the window, or click on the in game Quit button to exit the application.

• XCode

  1. Open zenilib/Xcode/Application.xcodeproj.
  2. Type Apple+B to build the project.
  3. Type Apple+R to run the application.
     • Apple+Y would debug instead.
  4. Type Apple+Q, close the window, or click on the in game Quit button to exit the application.

• GCC

  1. You can use Code::Blocks, but these instructions are for the command-line:

     cd zenilib/
     scons          # to build
     ./application* # to run
     

  2. scons --help will give you build options
  3. 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.
• Due to the use of precompiled headers, it is essential that you #include <zenilib.h> as the first line of your source files. Failure to do so will result in compilation errors for most build targets.
• SCU build targets may speed your compilations, but for them to work correctly, you need to exclude your source files from the SCU build targets and to add #includes to your source files in zenilib/src/application.cxx.
  • For half the benefit, the ZeniSCU build targets will employ the SCU pattern for zenilib only, while compiling the rest of your source files independently. I recommend the ZeniSCU build targets for day to day development.
• 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</API> to read <API>DX9</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% in Windows, otherwise in $HOME. Its location is listed at the top of zenilib/stderr.txt

Next Step: Distribute It