We have decided that Pyro for Monkey 2 will be called Pyro 2
This makes more sense now and it beats typing Pyro for Monkey 2 everytime. Pyro 2 will be our next generation game framework and a reincarnation of Pyro for Monkey X. Pyro 2 ( like Pyro ) will be fast, powerful, modular, lightweight, easy to understand and flexible!
For the release of v1.01 we will aim for the following features :
The Framework module ( free )
- Screen manager and screens
- INI file like data handler for help with serialisation ( very fast )
- Delta timer
- Object pooling
- Highscore manager
- FreeType font support
- Bitmap font support
- Loader screen
- Pixel perfect collision ( expensive )
- Virtual resolutions
- Content manager
- Texture packer support
- Simple pathfinding
- XML loader
- BASE64 encoding/decoding
- Common code library
The scenegraph module
- Camera system with layers, sprites, shapes
- Object merging ( groups )
- Tile engine with support for tiled
- Object culling ( very fast )
- Virtual controls : virtual joystick and joypad
- Screen rotation, zoom and scrolling with mouse helpers
- Parallax scrolling
- Scene builder / loader
- Helpers for splitscreens
- Dynamic lights and shadow casting
The gui module ( alternative for mojox )
- Fully skinnable
- Image, Label, Button, Checkbox, Input box, Sliders, Progress bars, Scrollbox, Panel, Menu, Tabber.
- Object merging ( groups )
- Screen rotation, zoom and scrolling with mouse helpers
- Dynamic lights and shadow casting
And of course Pyro 2 will come with a rich set of source code files, templates, documentation and examples!
Now the framework module will be free and available through the Monkey 2 module manager and our website! The scenegraph and gui module will be commercially available ( paid ).
I am currently working hard to get the framework module ready for release first. The scenegraph and gui modules will follow close behind it.
There is also a scene editor in the works. The scene editor will be optional ( sold separately ) but people who buy a Pyro licence ( for Monkey X ) now or bought it already will get it for free once it’s finished! This offer stands until Pyro 2 v1.01 is released!
I hope to release the framework module at the end of this month. For the scenegraph and gui module I am still unsure of some design decisions but probaly a release in november will be possible!!!
Once the above is out of the way I will start with support for the third party stuff like Box2D, TimeLineFX, Spine, etc.
A Pyro 2 preview is already available for Pyro licence holders.
