This document summarizes several core GameMaker objects: fonts, timelines, paths, and shaders. It explains that fonts must be built into games and can be set and drawn via actions. Timelines progress a game through moments and can be started, stopped, and manipulated with scripts. Paths trace routes for objects to follow and can be assigned and changed during runtime. Shaders are programs that manipulate graphics on the GPU and require vertex and fragment shaders, operating similarly to OpenGL.

1. GameMaker Core Objects
Continued
GameMaker Series
jhealy@Microsoft.com
@devfish

2. OBJECT COVERED
PREVIOUSLY
• Sprites
• Sounds
• Backgrounds
• Objects
• Rooms

3. FONTS

4. FONTS
• You must ‘build in’ the fonts you wish to use in your
game
• Drop out characters you aren’t going to use
• Actions available to set fonts for us
• Actions available to draw text
• Draw Text
• Draw Scaled Text – scaling and rotation

5. FONTS DEMO
Add Score to Catch the Clown

6. TIMELINES

7. TIMELINES
• Based on ‘moments’ where moments are a game
step
• Create timeline
• In moment setup actions
• Start, stop, manipulate timelines via script
• Can dynamically add timeline to game using script

8. TIMELINES DEMO
Invasion of the kritters

9. PATHS

10. PATHS
• Trace out the route
• Assign path to object using script or Actions
• Can change path with script during run

11. PATHS DEMO
Looping kritters

12. SHADERS

13. SHADERS
• Small programs to very quickly manipulate graphics
• Run on graphics card itself
• Requires Vertex Shader and Fragment Shader (pixel
shader) to be created
• Based off OpenGL
• Extremely advanced – consult Demo for details and
shader blog series listed at
http://dfwiki.devfish.net/technology.GameMaker.a
shx

14. SHADERS
DEMO

15. Joe Healy / jhealy@Microsoft.com / @devfish
Thank You
http://www.yoyogames.com
http://dfwiki.devfish.net – search GameMaker