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forum - #coders |
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 | | Topic: | Re-learning demo coding | | | Hello,
I was into demo coding as a teen, in the mid- and late 90s. Although, admittedly, I was never really good at it, I enjoyed it quite a lot. Now, 15 years have passed, and I'd like to re-learn some of this stuff.
However, my "problem" is that technology evolved in the meantime. To add insult to injury, I'm running Linux, have no intention of going back to Windows again.
In any case, I'm kind of "lost". I have no clue where to start. Here's a bunch of questions I have, but I'm probably missing some stuff.
In terms of technology:
* Is it worth re-learning x86 ASM? The basics are probably like riding a bicycle, but I never used stuff like the FPU, and also there's a lot of stuff that didn't exist back then (for example SSE).
* Is it worth learning x86-64 ASM? Never used that, no idea how it differs from x86.
* I suppose I should learn to use OpenGL. I have a few basics already, but nothing beyond basic lighting, and most certainly no idea about how to make a GL scene efficient. Any pointers?
* What other skills are worth acquiring?
And, for something more general: I think I could use reading some documents made by demo coders, not for their contents only , but more as a way to try and get back into the right mindset. While my collection of print-outs from the 90s could probably be of assistance, it's really quite outdated. Are there some specific documents I should read? Or should I just keep Googling and reading stuff at random?
Edit: Yeah, also, as far as maths are concerned - reviewing 3D maths basics is definitely necessary, but what else should I learn?
Anyway, thanks for your help.[Post edited by TheT on Sunday 15 April 2012 - 21:52] | | |
| 1. ASM is only useful if you're doing really specific performance-oriented code (i.e. large scale software rendering, raytracing, etc.), and even in those cases current compilers are likely to outperform you. So no, I'd give that one a skip, unless you want to do really small intros.
2. It's hard to answer the GL question because I'm unsure what you're looking for here; if you're looking for shading techniques, there are too many to list here right now, so I suppose you should watch a few demos and figure out what you'd like :)
3. Knowledge about current content-generation is very much needed - 3D tools, bitmap tools, etc, so you can actually have stuff in your intros/demos.
My suggestion is: Pop over to IRC (IRCnet, #breakpoint or #revision) and we can probably help you out easier that way :) | | |
| I'm doing some re-learning as well, but old stuff - not new - but some things to keep in mind that have helped me get much further than normal.
There's a load of new stuff that just will get overwhelming quickly. Decide what [small] thing you want to make, and then:
Don't compare what you're doing to the 'big guns' but instead do something simple first. Preacher has reccomended starting with a 4k, and that's a very good suggestion. It's small enough to keep your idea from getting out of hand, but large enough to be challenging.
Stick to your standard 'how to get stuff done' routine:
1. Break down the stuff you want to do into parts.
2. Don't mix learning something new and coding something big. New stuff = small testbed code / examples.
3. Ignore everything involving platform/OS preference and just make it work.
4. When something starts not being fun, take a break.
And find people who you like to collaborate with, it makes it easier. Don't be afraid to let others see what you're working on (a huge issue of mine.)
And, yeah, talk to people, it helps. Get to irc. | | |
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