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Written by Xuro
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Saturday, 13 February 2010 13:00 |
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( permalink: funplosion.com/toolbox )
I'm relatively new to the XNA framework and Xbox game programming, but as I've learned more it's become apparent that there are a handful of tools which I rely heavily on to get the job done. My current "toolbox" is provided here in the hopes it might help speed up the learning curve for others and spread awareness of some of the high quality free tools that are out there to help you get involved in indie game development.
Before we dive into the tools however, if you're new we need to make sure you're aware of the most important link, the one to the XNA Creator's Club where you can also find answers to many of the inevitable questions such as... What do I need? Where do I start? The Quick Start guide, tutorials, and forums there are all excellent resources and the place to go if you ever find yourself stumped as to what to do next.
The Core Tools
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Microsoft Visual C# Express
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The C# IDE (integrated development environment) is where the actual programming happens. C# is a really nice language that combines many of the strengths of C++ with the user-friendliness and accessibility of Delphi, which means you can build indie games faster.
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 Download
 Tutorials
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XNA Game Studio
The XNA Game Studio is the piece of the puzzle that extends your C# install from a solid environment for desktop apps to a specialized launching pad for games. You can build your games as projects targeted for Windows or Xbox, and it's fairly easy to make your game run on both which many developers do to make testing that much easier.
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Tutorials
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Graphics (2D)
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Paint.NET
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| The Windows-default MS Paint can do quite a bit, but Paint.NET adds a bunch of additional functionality to take your "programmer art" to the next level. Layers to help you build up your art assets in structural pieces and make it easier to experiment and undo. Also lots of filters which allow you to create artsy effects by manipulating numbers in properties dialogs rather than doing it freehand... it's like somebody read my mind... |
Download
Tutorials
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Inkscape
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My new favorite program! I'm very new to Inkscape, but it comes highly recommended and I've just begun using it just finished using it to convert my crude bitmap attempt at a Funplosion logo into Vector art to clean up the lines and make it easier to resize. I'm really liking the tool, and it has some very fun filters - check out these alternate logos. Vector art lets you manipulate art assets as lines and nodes and such rather than drawing freehand. This comes in handy for those of us who can't draw. |
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Tutorials
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Music and Sound Effects
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Audacity
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I don't do a whole lot with audio, but what I need Audacity does. It can handle the basics of splitting and merging audio as well as converting into .wav or .mp3 for your games. It also has a library of Effects you can apply to your sounds just like you would apply Filters to your art; the effects allow you to do things like tweak pitch and tempo.
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Tutorials
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 02 March 2010 12:22 |
