Open-Source , how to handle?
 

Read the news, and tell me your ideas...

currently i have in mind:
- i release the source code some day
- i have a thread on this forum what things need to be worked on , this list of 'todo's' will be updated due testing/information/requests by users.
- people download the source and can choose:
-- work on it alone, make an own version (create own website, distribute it, credit me for using it, aka like the POD bot off-spring)
-- help developing RealBot itself (which i encourage!), work on the 'todo list' as mentioned above.

Code changes:
- can either be published on the forum. I will create a seperated forum section for this. As an example a form thread title could be like:

FIX: Bot's shooting hostages

Then in the forum thread you will have it like:

On line y of file z, change the following code
into:

Etc.

I imagine a team should be assigned in order to keep the 'real source' updated to get releases done. People could either change their version by adapting the changes/fixes/adds by applying them from the forum. Or they wait and an (weekly?) update will be used.

Look people, i am serious about this. I want RealBot to be 'free' , i also want it to develop it further. I will not stop developing RealBot, but i will also not release the source when there is nothing organized so i don't just release it for the sake of it. I want to release the source with a solid purpose.

Re: Open-Source , how to handle?
 

sounds like a good idea, i wouldnt mind being on the official team, thus expanding my knowledge and giving the off-spring's something to aspire to

Re: Open-Source , how to handle?
 

This would be cool...although I don't know too much C++ :( I've only taken a basic course in Java, and I have a C++ book, so I'm willing to learn!

I just need something to push me in the right direction...botman's readme, maybe? *looks*

Re: Open-Source , how to handle?
 

sounds like an excellent idea, stefan. unfortunately, i don't think i know enough programming to be able to help much.

it would also be nice to get updates when u are working on other things :D

i stopped playing CS online years ago, the only reason i play now is to test out the bots you made. i find it really interesting what you have done so far. keep up the good work.

Re: Open-Source , how to handle?
 

thanks davek, good to hear. You know, i actually play still cs because i am working on RealBot. I got lucky when i found a good on-line server for myself later. If i never worked on RB, i probably did not even play CS anymore.

The coding experience you need to write stuff for the bot is actually not that much imo. The very basics are:

- understanding of 3d a bit (you can think a bit in 3d)
- you should understand how a program works (line by line), you have to think like a program.
- know the basics of C (C++ not nescesary!)
- get yourself a (free) compiler.

Actually i think the following code is understandable to most people aging from 15 years old.

except for the ;, it looks like a normal math formula. When A is 3, then the sum becomes:

A = 3 + 2
A = 5

And this was actual code, very simple code of course.

When i want to code sollution, like handling buttons. I think in small steps. What do you do as a human to open the door? Lets pretend you are stupid, dumb and you really think doors _only_ open by touching it. What will you do when it does NOT open by touching it? You will probably think WHY, and yo uwill find the SWITCH. Now, thats what RB does too:

- when door is not opening when touching
- find a switch
- go to it
- use/touch it
- go back to door and resume path

when you have come this far, you did 40% of the work. Now you need to know what variables and functions are available (read-> instruments/tools) to make this work.

Anyway, i always comment my code a lot, so i think eventually you will understand and even able to apply patches.

Re: Open-Source , how to handle?
 

stefan, for the kind of thing that U have in mind i think CVS would be a good thing. You could put the source on the CVS in read-only, so that any users that has a BU email adress can look at it, and then u can specify specific people that can write ... if something changes, the next time u do an update on your local computer it will tell you that stuff has changed. If you dont like the change ... fair enuf .. just go back to an earlier revision and delete the other one :)

CVS is really nifty !

Re: Open-Source , how to handle?
 

I will look into this CVS thing. But it also stops a lot of people to try on bots when they have to download multiple programs just to get a source. Anyway, i could set up a tutorial for that too. I think we need an own CVS server for that Nova? Is that possible?

Re: Open-Source , how to handle?
 

about the switch thing, does it only (as you discribe) work for doors or wil the bot also use camera's, elevators(button activated), ect. ?
I mean can you split them into different catogoties or will rb see it as one!?

I guess it can be split other wise i can imagine the bot get pretty confiused by ex. camera's.
or am i totally off cource now!?! :o

Re: Open-Source , how to handle?
 

T!m, i know you want to know, but this is not really the thread to handle it.

To answer your question:
- it only knows for doors. Only when obstructed. It does not know what an elevator/camera is.

A camera will not obstruct a bot, thus it will not find a button for it either.

Re: Open-Source , how to handle?
 

sounds to me PMB will have something more to do..