----+---TL----+-T--2----T----3--T-+----4T---+---T5----+-T--6----T----R--T-+--r CREATE CUSTOM SOFTWARE WITHOUT PROGRAMMING Computers are useless without software. It has been estimated that every computer owner will eventual purchase 20 to 30 different software programs. Thus, there is the potential for millions of software packages to be sold each month. Many times a computer owner has trouble finding a program that will do exactly what they want done. Therefore, there is also a huge market for customized software that has bbeen specifically created for a particular job. There is also a large market for low cost specialized game software. In the past you had to be an expert programmer to produce these type of computer programs. Creating top selling software was a task that only a few people could master. But today, there is a method that allows non-programmers to create valuable software. Here's how. Today there are many software creation programs that can help you produce customized PC-software. These programs usually work by alllowing you to define the parameters and tasks that you want. The creation program then uses this information to produce a finished piece of software. In many cases you don't need to write a single line of computer code! Software creation toolkits can be divided up into two main catagories. (1) Those that require no programming, (2) Those that require some programming (usually in a special, easy to learn, script language). These two kinds of programs give you a lot of flexibility you can create a wide range of different kinds of software.This section will review several of these software creation toolkits. ************************************ GAMEBUILDER ************************************ GameBuilder is a software creation toolkit that can actually help you to produce fully animated, color, graphic games without programming. The games (or the programs) that you create with GameBuilder can be sold or given away for fun or profit. Creating with GameBuilder requires that you design a grid of screens that make up your game. You can have up to a 20 x 20 grid (400 screens). These screens are the background scenes that fit in with the theme of your program. The screens are created with the TurboPaint program that is included with GameBuilder. TurboPaint creates picture files in the industry standard .pcx file format. GameBuilder also comes with some predrawn screens that are ready for your use. Here is a summary of GameBuilders main features: (1) Supports CGA, EGA, VGA, or Tandy 16 color graphics modes -- including the MCGA 256 color mode. (2) Comes with a full featured PAINTING (TurboPaint) program to create background screens and realistic animations. (3) Comes with a Sound editor to produce music and sound for your software (played through the PC speaker). (4) Includes a runtime module that is used for distributing your program. (5) Adjust the games speed. Jump from one screen to another. Add RANDOM events. Score Points, Lose Points, Get/Use Items, and run external programs. (6) Save game in progress. (7) User define verb/noun list (up to 24 different for each screen). (8) Position, timer or screen activated responses, events, animations, or actions. (9) Object and character editor. This is used to make moveable objects, characters, or animations that are played overtop of the background screens. (10) Character movement is controlled by the arrow keys. (11) Menu driven easy to use interface with pull down menus (works with mouse or keyboard). (12) In summary GameBuilder gives you a full range of tools that allow you to easily produce simple or elaborate animated games. But you are not restricted to just games -- you can also make: presentations, tutorials, or educational software. Here is a description of a typical game creation session with GameBuilder. 1. Decide which Video mode (CGA, EGA, MCGA, OR VGA ) that you want to use. 2. Decide how many screens you want your game to have. Then chose a grid size-example 6x6 = 36 screens. 3. Make a rough sketch of each screen for each grid position. 4. Start GameBuilder by typing GB. Then choose the Create Picture menu option. This loads the TurboPaint program. GB will also work with .PCX files that are created with other painting programs such as DeluxePaint or PC Paintbrush plus 4.0. You can also purchase disks full of professionally prepared artwork from GameBuilder. 5. Use the TurboPaint program to create background screens and animated characters. This step can take from a few hours to a few days depending upon how complex you desire your game to be. Save your screens to a seperate disk or directory. 6. Leave TurboPaint and return to the GameBuilder main menu. Select the Edit Grid option and then enter your grid size. 7. Select the Edit Screen option. This option allows you to enter the names of the screen that goes into each grid location. You can also enter the name of the animated character files that is superimposed at that grid location. (You can change animated characters whenever you wish). You can also enter the name of a music file that will be played when that screen is entered. You can also define excluded areas for each grid location. These excluded areas prevent the character from moving into that part of the screen. 8. Select the EDIT SCRIPT option. This allows you to define words and actions for each grid location. For example: "Look around" might evoke a response of "You see a golden crystal embedded in the rock". You decide what words and phrase will be understood for each screen. Actions and responses can be made to be position, screen, time, or user activated. For example: You could give the command "Look Around" and have that to activate a ringing telephone. Then the character must be in the proper postion to Answer Phone and have a digitized voice recording played through the PC's speaker. Once the script and screen edit options have been chosen you are almost ready to begin testing. But first you may want to add the following screens: opening, closing, win game, or lose game. You'll also need to create a list of animations and outside programs that your game may use. Now it is time to SAVE the game and then test it using the PLAY option. Most likely you'll discover some features that need changed. Gamebuilding is actually an interactive task -- you test the game, make changes and test it again. This can be done very quickly. To distribute your game you simply copy the runtime module to the disk that contains the game files. The GameBuilder runtime module will automatically display the opening screen and play it's music (if any). This is usually used as an intorduction to your program. Pressing any key will then take you to the first background screen in the grid. At this point you can begin moving your animated character around the screen by using the arrow keys. You can interact with various objects, positions, or scripts that has been chosen for that grid location. Your character can move from one grid location to another by using the arrow keys. Thus GB allows you to create complex adventure or other kinds of programs. Here are a few examples of actual GB made programs. 1.. All About Ohio -- move a small man around a map of Ohio. When the character reaches various locations on the map, you are switched to a screen that contains questions about that location. You type in the answers and score or lose points then return to the map of Ohio. 2. Mike Rock Detective -- Detective Mike Rock must drive his car around the countryside, enter buildinggs, and find a missing child. 3. Science Fair Program -- Display a chart of the elements from which you make a selection. You are then switched to a screen full of information about the element. 4. Adventures of Mel Odius -- Help Mel find his missing guitar! Great graphics and rock music. What GB cannot do (yet) -- support sound cards, use mouse or joystick in GB made games, make full scale arcade games. This article is intended to give you a first hand look at GameBuilder and its many features. If you are interested in producing first class, color, animated programs, GB could be the answer. This article was prepared by Ed Simpson, the owner of GameBuilder, and Home Business News. You may order GameBuilder from him at GameBuilder, Box 312-M, Jackson OH 45640 or by phone (614)988-2331 or by BBS at (614)988- 2307. GameBuilder's price is just $40. ************************************************************* DATABOSS-- DATABASE CREATION SYSTEM ************************************************************* DataBoss is a complete database creation system that allows you to easily full scale database applications. With DataBoss it is easy to create custom menus, data entry screens, reports, and linked files. DataBoss will output a complete program written in C, or Pascal. You can then use a compiler to produce a complete stand alone .exe file. FEATURES Passwords, memo fields, import data from other databases, customized windows, on-line manuals, data validation, mouse support, EGA graphics support, database fix program, pull down menus, multi-user applications, full indexing, flexible reports, different print styles, no licensee fees, scrolling fields, and much more. DataBoss is a truely great product that can have you producing customized database applications within a week. This could serve as a basis for an entire software creation service. DataBoss is very flexible so that you can create virtually any type of database software. Yes, it will take you some time to learn how to use all of DB's many features. But DB comes with an excellent tutorial and sample files. If you want to produce customized datbases then DB can do it for you-- without programming. Requires: XT, AT, or compatible computer, 640K memory, Hard disk, and a C or Pascal compiler. From Kendall Software, 7460 Redwood Blvd. Suite A, Novato CA 94945 (415)899-8525