A neat basic Game Engine using BaseFlux as base for SDL3/ImGui/ResourceManager and ElfScript. It's also an enhanced example how to embed ElfScript.
This is a nice place to learn ElfScript (aka TorqueScipt ).
cmake -S . -B build
cmake --build build -j4
./BaseElf
Where -j4 means compile with 4 cores.
Building on MS-Windows is similar to: OhmFlux Build on Windows but you don't need OpenGL. (Note i did not test it so far - rarely boot my pc where MS-Windows lives - using it makes me sad. ;) )
As default assets/main.elf is loaded as initial script. Script main.elf is a module loader for the modules in assets/modules. I usually copy assets/modules/blank.elf to a new file to get started. The modules are added on $MODULES in main.elf.
The build in console can be open with the GraveAccent (usually under ESC key). You can use TAB (shift TAB for backward) to autocomplete a command.
Script Bindings are listed in assets/script_stub.elf.
--chdir /path/to/my/custom/assets/
--script myScript.elf
Note: --script uses the set path by --chdir or default assets/ so if you call basic.elf for example you only do --script basic.elf.
function onRender() {
DrawText(80, 200 , "Congrats! You created your first window!", 2.0, GREEN);
}
See also:
- assets/minimal.elf
- assets/basic.elf
You can use every Text Editor you want. If you want syntax highlighting:
- Easy: In you Editor set the type to c#, javascript or c++
- VSCode/VSCodium: Plugin
In assets/script_stub.elf you find the current class, functions and constants definitions. Some editors (like vim) allow autocomplete when the file is loaded in background.
Start BaseElf. Open Console with GraveAccent key (usually left from 1 key under ESC). Paste:
function onRender() { DrawCircle(500,300,20,YELLOW);}
now you see you have overwritten the render loop. And a Yellow Circle is drawn at 500,300 with radius 20px. We modifiy it a bit a make the radius variable with a global variable called $rad:
function onRender() { DrawCircle(500,300,$rad,YELLOW);}
Because $rad is emtpy (== 0) the circle is invisible so we enter:
$rad = 100;
I want to add a growing circle so we enter in console:
function grow() { $rad = $rad + 10; if ($rad > 500) $rad = 10; }
You have added a new function which add 10 to the global $rad variable until it's > 500 then $rad will be 10 again. Since $rad is set in DrawCircle you now can grow it:
grow();
Manually is fine but automatically is better ;) So we overwrite the function onUpdate(%dt) which is called by engine:
function onUpdate(%dt) { grow(); }
So you should see a pumping yellow circle :) To modify every thing in the console is one of the reason i love Elf(Torque)Script.
I want to add a nicer grow shrink so i overwrite grow again
function grow() { $rad = $rad + $value; if ($rad > 50 || $rad < 1 ) $value *= -1; }
now $value is control the effect and max rad is 50. Value is empty at the moment so nothing happen. You need to set it. Also $rad can be too big so we adjust it also:
$value = 0.1; $rad = 10;
finally i want to change the color of the circle so we need to overwrite render again:
function onRender() { DrawCircle(500,300,$rad,"255 0 128");}
Color is set by a RGB integer (0..255) value "255 255 0" => full red, no green half blue - should be pink now. Btw. cursor up in console get the last command back.
Happy Scripting.