Introduction A Scene is simply a collection of different types of objects which can be added as a group. Usually scene creation begins in a tool like the SpriteEditor or TileEditor. The default file type of a scene is .scnx. These are XML files which describe a scene. These scene files can be loaded by[…]

Introduction The OrderedSortType property controls how Sprites are ordered when they are drawn. Z Buffered Sprites do not use this property when drawing. The following available options exist: SortType Description None No sorting will be performed. Objects will be drawn in the order that they have been added to the SpriteManager. Z (Default) Objects will[…]

Introduction The CLR Profiler (CLR meaning Common Language Runtime) is a program created by Microsoft which gives detailed information about memory allocation and method calls. It is an invaluable tool for identifying areas of code which allocate too much memory. The CLR Profiler can give you information about where your project is allocating memory, which[…]

Introduction Many games require Sprites to overlap to create realistic scenes. FlatRedBall offers a number of ways to control sorting. This article will discuss and link to various methods of controlling how Sprites (and other objects) overlap. What are the methods? There are a number of methods of controlling overlapping Sprites. Keep in mind that[…]

Introduction If you have never used the AddManualSprite method, then you have most likely worked with “automatically updated” Sprites. In fact, most objects which are added to managers are automatically updated, so the concept of whether something is updated or not may not have even been a consideration. While automatic updating or “management” is very[…]

Introduction If you are familiar with FlatRedBall then you have likely worked with the various managers (such as the SpriteManager) to create FlatRedBall objects. The managers are designed to do most of the work behind the scenes and provide a simplified interface. In certain situations, however, it is important to understand what the manager is[…]

Introduction The PositionedObjectList is an object which can store lists of PositionedObjects. It is the base class of the SpriteList class and is commonly used to store lists of Entities and shapes such as Polygons. The PositionedObjectList inherits from the AttachableList and it establishes two-way relationships with objects that are added to it. Common Usage[…]

Note – StaticMethodInstruction is now marked as obsolete in favor of using DelegateInstruction and Call. Introduction StaticMethodInstructions can be used to call methods belonging to static classes. This class is useful for calling methods belonging to FlatRedBall manager classes like the SpriteManager. Creating a StaticMethodInstruction The following code creates an instruction that will add a[…]

Introduction Although the feature set for FlatRedBall is rapidly expanding, it is impossible for the engine to handle every graphical possibility. DrawableBatches are a solution to this problem as they allow custom rendering in the engine. A DrawableBatch is a class that implements the IDrawableBatch interface, which allows user-specified rendering through XNA/MonoGame. For a full[…]

Implementing FRB in a form This tutorial will explain how to implement FRB on a windows form (also known as WinForms). There are a few noticeable differences between the normal FRB template and using FRB in a form. The requirements for this example are: A form with 1 panel control A class inheriting from Microsoft.Xna.Framework.Game[…]