Beginning C++ Game Programming: Learn C++ from scratch by building fun games. 3 Ed

Cover....1

Copyright....3

Contributors....4

Preface....22

Chapter 1: Welcome to Beginning C++ Game Programming Third Edition!....32

The games we will build....33

Timber!!!....33

Pong....34

Zombie Arena....35

Platform game....35

Why you should learn game programming using C++ in 2024....36

SFML....38

Microsoft Visual Studio....39

What about Mac and Linux?....41

Installing Visual Studio 2022....41

Setting up SFML....43

Creating a new project in Visual Studio 2022....45

Configuring the project properties....49

Planning Timber!!!....51

The project assets....54

Making your own sound FX....55

Adding the assets to the project ....55

Exploring the assets....55

Understanding screen and internal coordinates....56

Getting started with coding the game....59

Making code clearer with comments....59

The main function....59

Presentation and syntax....60

Returning values from a function....61

Running the game....62

Opening a window using SFML....62

Including SFML features....63

OOP, classes, and objects....63

Using namespace sf....65

SFML VideoMode and RenderWindow....65

Running the game....66

The game loop....67

while loops....68

C-style code comments....69

Input, update, draw, repeat....69

Detecting a key press....70

Clearing and drawing the scene....70

Running the game....71

Drawing the game’s background....71

Preparing the sprite using a texture....71

Double buffering the background sprite....73

Running the game....74

Handling errors....75

Configuration errors....75

Compile errors....75

Link errors....76

Bugs....76

Summary....76

Frequently asked questions....76

Chapter 2: Variables, Operators, and Decisions: Animating Sprites....78

Learning all about C++ variables....79

Types of variables....79

User-defined types....81

Declaring and initializing variables....81

Declaring variables....81

Initializing variables....82

Declaring and initializing in one step....82

Constants....83

Uniform initialization....83

Declaring and initializing user-defined types....84

Seeing how to manipulate the variables....85

C++ arithmetic and assignment operators....85

Getting things done with expressions....86

Assignment....86

Increment and decrement....88

Adding clouds, a buzzing bee, and a tree....90

Preparing the tree....90

Preparing the bee....92

Preparing the clouds....93

Drawing the tree, the bee, and the clouds....95

Random numbers....96

Generating random numbers in C++....97

Making decisions with if and else....98

Logical operators....98

C++ if and else....100

If they come over the bridge, shoot them!....100

Else do this instead....100

Reader challenge....102

Timing....103

The frame rate problem....103

The SFML frame rate solution....104

Moving the clouds and the bee....107

Giving life to the bee....107

Blowing the clouds....111

Summary....117

Frequently Asked Questions....117

Chapter 3: C++ Strings, SFML Time: Player Input and HUD....120

Pausing and restarting the game....120

C++ strings....124

Declaring strings....124

Assigning a value to strings....124

String Concatenation....125

Getting the string length....125

Manipulating strings another way with StringStream....126

SFML Text and SFML Font....127

Adding a score and a message....128

Adding a time-bar....135

Summary....141

Frequently asked questions....142

Chapter 4: Loops, Arrays, Switch Conditions, Enumerations, and Functions: Implementing Game Mechanics....144

Loops....145

while loops....145

Breaking out of a loop....148

for loops....150

Arrays....152

Declaring an array....152

Initializing the elements of an array....153

Quickly initializing the elements of an array....153

What do these arrays really do for our games?....154

Making decisions with switch....155

Class enumerations....157

Getting started with functions....160

Who designed all this weird and frustrating syntax and why is it the way it is?....162

Function return types....164

Function names....168

Function parameters....169

The function body....170

Function prototypes....170

Organizing functions....171

Function scope....171

A final word on functions – for now....172

Growing the branches....173

Preparing the branches....174

Updating the branch sprites in each frame....175

Drawing the branches....177

Moving the branches....178

Summary....181

Frequently asked questions....181

Chapter 5: Collisions, Sound, and End Conditions: Making the Game Playable....184

Preparing the player (and other sprites)....184

Drawing the player and other sprites....186

Handling the player’s input....187

Handling setting up a new game....189

Detecting the player chopping....190

Detecting a key being released....194

Animating the chopped logs and the axe....196

Handling death....198

Simple sound effects....201

How SFML sound works....201

When to play the sounds....202

Adding the sound code....202

Improving the game and code....206

Summary....208

Frequently asked questions....208

Chapter 6: Object-Oriented Programming – Starting the Pong Game....210

Object-oriented programming....211

Encapsulation....212

Polymorphism....212

Inheritance....212

Why use OOP?....213

What exactly is a class?....214

The theory of a Pong bat....214

Declaring the class, variables, and functions....214

The class function definitions....218

Using an instance of a class....220

Creating the Pong project....221

Coding the Bat class....223

Coding Bat.h....223

Constructor functions....224

Continuing with the Bat.h explanation....225

Coding Bat.cpp....226

Using the Bat class and coding the main function....229

Summary....234

Frequently asked questions....234

Chapter 7: AABB Collision Detection and Physics – Finishing the Pong Game....236

Coding the Ball class....237

Using the Ball class....240

Collision detection and scoring....242

Running the game....245

Learning about the C++ spaceship operator....246

Summary....247

Frequently asked questions....248

Chapter 8: SFML Views – Starting the Zombie Shooter Game....250

Planning and starting the Zombie Arena game....251

Creating a new project....252

The project assets....254

Exploring the assets....255

Adding the assets to the project....256

OOP and the Zombie Arena project....256

Building the player – the first class....257

Coding the Player class header file....258

Coding the Player class function definitions....264

Controlling the game camera with SFML View....274

Starting the Zombie Arena game engine....276

Managing the code files....280

Starting to code the main game loop....282

Summary....292

Frequently asked questions....292

Chapter 9: C++ References, Sprite Sheets, and Vertex Arrays....294

Understanding C++ references....295

Summarizing references....298

SFML vertex arrays and sprite sheets....298

What is a sprite sheet?....299

What is a vertex array?....301

Building a background from tiles....301

Building a vertex array....302

Using the vertex array to draw....303

Creating a randomly generated scrolling background....304

Using the background....311

Summary....314

Frequently asked questions....314

Chapter 10: Pointers, the Standard Template Library, and Texture Management....316

Learning about pointers....316

Pointer syntax....317

Declaring a pointer....318

Initializing a pointer....319

Reinitializing pointers....320

Dereferencing a pointer....321

Pointers are versatile and powerful....323

Dynamically allocated memory....323

Passing a pointer to a function....325

Declaring and using a pointer to an object....326

Pointers and arrays....326

Summary of pointers....327

Learning about the Standard Template Library....328

What is a vector?....329

Declaring a vector....329

Adding data to a vector....329

Accessing data in a vector....330

Removing data from a vector....330

Checking the size of a vector....330

Looping/iterating through the elements of a vector....330

What is a map?....331

Declaring a map....331

Adding data to a map....332

Finding data in a map....332

Removing data from a map....332

Checking the size of a map....332

Checking for keys in a map....333

Looping/iterating through the key-value pairs of a map....333

The auto keyword....334

STL summary....334

Summary....334

Frequently asked questions....335

Chapter 11: Coding the TextureHolder Class and Building a Horde of Zombies....336

Implementing the TextureHolder class....336

Coding the TextureHolder header file....337

Coding the TextureHolder function definitions....338

What have we achieved with TextureHolder?....341

Building a horde of zombies....341

Coding the Zombie.h file....341

Coding the Zombie.cpp file....344

Using the Zombie class to create a horde....349

Bringing the horde to life (or back to life)....353

Using the TextureHolder class for all textures....358

Changing the way the background gets its textures....358

Changing the way the Player class gets its texture....359

Summary....360

Frequently asked questions....360

Chapter 12: Collision Detection, Pickups, and Bullets....362

Coding the Bullet class....363

Coding the Bullet header file....363

Coding the Bullet source file....366

Coding the shoot function....366

Calculating the gradient in the shoot function....369

Making the gradient positive in the shoot function....369

Calculating the ratio between X and Y in the shoot function....369

Finishing the shoot function explanation....370

More bullet functions....371

The Bullet class’s update function....371

Making the bullets fly....372

Including the Bullet class....373

Control variables and the bullet array....373

Reloading the gun....374

Shooting a bullet....376

Updating the bullets in each frame....378

Drawing the bullets in each frame....378

Giving the player a crosshair....379

Coding a class for pickups....383

Coding the Pickup header file....383

Coding the Pickup class function definitions....386

Using the Pickup class....391

Detecting collisions....395

Has a zombie been shot?....396

Has the player been touched by a zombie?....399

Has the player touched a pickup?....400

Summary....401

Frequently asked questions....401

Chapter 13: Layering Views and Implementing the HUD....402

Adding all the Text and HUD objects....402

Updating the HUD....406

Drawing the HUD, home, and level-up screens....409

Summary....412

Chapter 14: Sound Effects, File I/O, and Finishing the Game....414

Saving and loading the high score....414

Preparing sound effects....417

Allowing the player to level up and spawning a new wave....418

Restarting the game....421

Playing the rest of the sounds....422

Adding sound effects while the player is reloading....422

Making a shooting sound....423

Playing a sound when the player is hit....423

Playing a sound when getting a pickup....424

Making a splat sound when a zombie is shot....425

Summary....426

Frequently asked questions....426

Chapter 15: Run!....428

About the game....429

Creating the project....432

Coding the main function....434

Handling input....439

Coding the Factory class....444

Advanced OOP: inheritance and polymorphism....446

Inheritance....446

Extending a class....447

Polymorphism....449

Abstract classes: virtual and pure virtual functions....450

Design patterns....452

Entity Component System pattern....453

Why lots of diverse object types are hard to manage....453

Using a generic GameObject for better code structure....453

Prefer composition over inheritance....455

Factory pattern....457

C++ smart pointers....459

Shared pointers....459

Unique pointers....461

Casting smart pointers....462

Coding the GameObject class....463

Coding the Component class....466

Coding the Graphics class....467

Coding the Update class....469

Running the code....470

What next?....470

Summary....471

Chapter 16: Sound, Game Logic, Inter-Object Communication, and the Player....472

Coding the SoundEngine class....473

Code the Game logic....476

Coding the LevelUpdate class....477

Coding the player: Part 1....490

Coding the PlayerUpdate class....491

Coding the PlayerGraphics class....495

Coding the factory to use all our new classes....501

Remembering the texture coordinates....501

Running the game....505

Summary....506

Chapter 17: Graphics, Cameras, Action....508

Cameras, draw calls, and SFML View....508

Coding the camera classes....510

Coding the CameraUpdate class....510

Coding the CameraGraphics class part 1....515

The SFML View class....519

Coding the CameraGraphics class part 2....521

Adding camera instances to the game....526

Running the game....529

Summary....530

Chapter 18: Coding the Platforms, Player Animations, and Controls....532

Coding the platforms....532

Coding the PlatformUpdate class....533

Coding the update function for the PlatformUpdate class....535

Coding the PlatformGraphics class....539

Building some platforms in the factory....542

Running the game....543

Adding functionality to the player....544

Coding the player controls....545

Running the game....551

Coding the Animator class....552

Coding the player animations....555

Running the game....564

Summary....565

Chapter 19: Building the Menu and Making It Rain....566

Building an interactive menu....567

Coding the MenuUpdate class....567

Coding the MenuGraphics class....574

Building a menu in the factory....579

Running the game....581

Making it rain....582

Coding the RainGraphics class....582

Making it rain in the factory....587

Running the game....589

Summary....589

Chapter 20: Fireballs and Spatialization....590

What is spatialization?....590

Emitters, attenuation, and listeners....591

Handling spatialization using SFML....591

Upgrading the SoundEngine class....594

Fireballs....596

Coding the FireballUpdate class....596

Coding the FireballGraphics class....605

Coding FireballGraphics.h....606

Coding FireballGraphics.cpp....607

Building some fireballs in the factory....611

Running the code....613

Summary....613

Chapter 21: Parallax Backgrounds and Shaders....614

Learning about OpenGL, shaders, and GLSL....614

The programmable pipeline and shaders....615

Coding a hypothetical fragment shader....616

Coding a hypothetical vertex shader....617

Finishing the CameraGraphics class....618

Breaking up the new draw code....622

Coding a shader for the game....626

Running the completed game....626

Summary....627

Further reading....628

Why subscribe?....630

Other Books You May Enjoy....632

Packt....630

Index....638

Get to grips with programming and game development techniques using C++ libraries and Visual Studio 2022 with this updated edition of the bestselling series

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Key Features

• Create fun games in C++, with this up-to-date guide covering the latest features of C++20 and VS2022
• Build clones of popular games such as a Timberman clone, a Pong game, a Zombie Survival Shooter, and a platform endless runner game
• Discover tips to expand your finished games by thinking critically, technically, and creatively

Book Description

Always dreamed of creating your own games? With the third edition of Beginning C++ Game Programming, you can turn that dream into reality! This beginner-friendly guide is updated and improved to include the latest features of VS 2022, SFML, and modern C++20 programming techniques. You'll get a fun introduction to game programming by building four fully playable games of increasing complexity. You'll build clones of popular games such as Timberman, Pong, a Zombie survival shooter, and an endless runner.

The book starts by covering the basics of programming. You'll study key C++ topics, such as object-oriented programming (OOP) and C++ pointers and get acquainted with the Standard Template Library (STL). The book helps you learn about collision detection techniques and game physics by building a Pong game. As you build games, you'll also learn exciting game programming concepts such as vertex arrays, directional sound (spatialization), OpenGL programmable shaders, spawning objects, and much more. You’ll dive deep into game mechanics and implement input handling, levelling up a character, and simple enemy AI. Finally, you'll explore game design patterns to enhance your C++ game programming skills.

By the end of the book, you'll have gained the knowledge you need to build your own games with exciting features from scratch.

What you will learn

• Set up your game project in VS 2022 and explore C++ libraries such as SFML
• Build games in C++ from the ground up, including graphics, physics, and input handling
• Implement core game concepts such as game animation, game physics, collision detection, scorekeeping, and game sound
• Implement automatically spawning objects and AI to create rich and engaging experiences
• Learn advanced game development concepts, such as OpenGL shaders, texture atlases, and parallax backgrounds
• Scale and reuse your game code with modern game programming design patterns

Who this book is for

This book is perfect for you if you have no C++ programming knowledge, you need a beginner-level refresher course, or you want to learn how to build games or just use games as an engaging way to learn C++. Whether you aspire to publish a game (perhaps on Steam) or just want to impress friends with your creations, you'll find this book useful