Mr Nice's Forum Posts

  • Hi folks!

    I am working on an interactive story book for kids. Please can someone tell me what is the best way to slide a new page into the background and ensure that the previous background image is destroyed so as to avoid memory bloat. I have a next page button and prev button. Clicking on either loads (slides) main background image in from left or right. I might consider other effects like fade in if it's easier.

    Any help appreciated thanks!

  • Thanks Ashley and apologies for the typo.

    <img src="smileys/smiley9.gif" border="0" align="middle" />

  • Hi folks.

    I want to publish an interactive educational book app for kids. It will be FREE and i've decided to bypass appstores and just go Freegan by making it available from my site for viewing from any desktop, laptop or ipad.

    Will i still need to consider large file sizes and sprite dimensions if i am not targeting mobiles? And will i still need to use cocoonjs or appmobi to improve framerate etc.

    Thanks in advance <img src="smileys/smiley36.gif" border="0" align="middle" />

  • Thank you everyone for your helpful answers. Seems like there are a few good options here. My main concern with C2 now is how well i can use large animated sprites as i am looking at interactive children's book apps rather than games and i know this is unexplored country and maybe not something C2 was ever designed for. There are memory issues with large background files on mobile - maybe 20 plus 1024px - but i am thinking of just targeting iPad and kindle fire which should be ok.

  • Thanks Newt. I have Texture Packer lite version. Haven't used it yet. Will take a look at Spriter.

  • Hi C2 Folks!

    Today marks the 85th birthday of the late great illustrator and children's writer Maurice Sendak. Google search engine have honoured him with a very nice animated wheel depicting many of his characters.

    Could this be achieved with C2? <img src="smileys/smiley17.gif" border="0" align="middle" /> <img src="smileys/smiley17.gif" border="0" align="middle" />

  • Hi AslLayDaing,

    i have a similar project on my todo list. But i have not received all the answers i had requested some time back. I appreciate this is mainly do to C2 being a 2D Game Engine and interactive books apps are undiscovered country for Scirra. As for large background images - maybe 1024px or higher for iPad Retina etc, and assuming you'll need at least 20 full colour pages as PNG's, plus spritesheet animations, text objects, interactions, particles, scene transitions - i think it will choke on many devices at the moment. My own research has revealed that the best interactive children's book apps for iOS and Android, are being developed with pure Objective C, sometimes with a framework like Cocos2d for iOS and Cocos2d-X for C++ devs who can deploy to both platforms. Neither is Flash DEAD as many believe. It's not! Many books are coded in Actionscript 3.0 and developed with the Starling Framework and Box2d or Nape with GPU accelerated blisteringly fast graphics - something HTML5 cannot yet compare with.

    But i am still going to try either C2 or Stencyl in the near future as i want to learn myself and be 100% indie. I love the HTML5 for all devices - it's so democratizing - is that a word? - but still has some way to go.

    I am presently learning AS 3.0 because i love Starling and Citrus. But i am struggling. If i get kickstarter funding for my book, i might just get a developer on boards. But up to now, nobody has been able to answer my questions because there isn't a book app out there on the app store made with C2 or Stencyl that they can use as a benchmark for comparison.

    Here's hoping a few C2 devs will see this and enlighten me.

  • Hi Kyatric. Yes, the itunes page says 105mb - view link. Most children's book apps are at least 20 pages, full colour and 1024px or higher. I think buyers expect big files for any book, whether it's a PDF, Kindle or book App. My main concern is that it plays smoothly and that it doesn't crash.

    Thanks for the link Potato. Seems like there are issues still with C2, cocoonjs and big background images. I will message Ludei as they might have some interesting advice.

    Thanks all!

  • Hi Quest,

    I have been asking similar questions in the forums, and like you, i also want to publish interactive children's book apps for ipad, iphone etc.

    There seems to be an issue with such apps because you're using many static background images for the pages with some sprite interaction and text - right?

    I am still not decided on the engine or SDK yet! I have seen some amazing book apps on the itunes store created with Corona SDK, Cocos2D, AIR with Starling etc. You certainly don't want your app crashing as it will lead to bad reviews and kill your credibility, no matter how great the story and illustrations are.

    Sorry i don't have an answer, but i'd like to hear how you got on and if you could offer me some mistakes to avoid.

    Good luck with your book!

    PS Here is a children's interactive book demo on youtube created with cocos2D and weighing in at 105mb. youtube.com/watch

  • Thanks all for your replies.

    As a web designer, i would never build with C2 but simply embed the code in an iframe. After seeing Adobe Edge, i see a possible use for C2 as a way to add some gamification for certain sites or to add a product quizz etc. Imagine a product or service promo / micro site with a branded shooter or platform game! You could add another ?1000+ to the price   <img src="smileys/smiley9.gif" border="0" align="middle" />

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  • Geometrix, thanks for telling me about cocoonjs max limitations for normal users. Do you have any idea what a premium account would cost? I am also considering Appmobi. Creating a book app is going to be at least 50mb as a conservative guess - with 20 - 32 pages 1024x768px. I know C2 like other game engines, wasn't intended for book apps. But if cocos2D can handle a 105mb book app successfully published to itunes store, i'm hoping C2 can handle it too, though it's HTML5 and JS powered, not Objective C native iOS language. Finding it hard to get answers as few people have used 2D game engines for book apps. Been looking at Stencyl and Corona SDK if C2 cannot permit this type of development.

    Thanks all!

  • Here's the video demo of the app.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aL--x8DFPQ0&list=FL8o9fMRsueGao8LsRl2znXA&index=5

  • Hi everyone,

    I am at a beginner level with C2 and not yet fully conversant with it's possibilities.

    I am nearly finished my ebook which is 20 pages long 1024 x 768 px full colour. I have yet to add interactivity and sound. Will i have issues with file size and performance - assuming i'll be using cocoon js or directcanvas - if it goes beyond a certain file size. To explain my question further, here's a link to a children's book app that weighs in at 105mb on the iTunes store: view below plus a youtube video. My book will be similar with similar interactivity for kids. I know it was created with Cocos2D and not C2.

    I have read forum posts about the dangers of using large backgrounds as sprites or single huge tiles. Some help appreciated thanks.

    itunes.apple.com/gb/app/fierce-grey-mouse-hd/id434228179

  • Hi folks,

    has anyone pushed the C2 engine out of it's gaming zone and used it - or considered using it - to create dynamic interactive user experiences for websites, microsites, landing pages, corporate gamification etc?

    With broadband improving all the time and many clients wanting to have something that is more than just another cookie-cutter website, i see C2 as having another role to play in this ever expanding HTML5 arena. Don't forget, Adobe Edge is pushing animation and interactivity with this new tool and C2 can obviously do much more.

    Feedback appreciates, thanks!

    <img src="smileys/smiley4.gif" border="0" align="middle" />

  • Does anyone know what Ludei's pricing will be? Its well into 2013 and they haven't released any details.