Another week, another 2 chapters done!
The challenge now is applying what I learned. Programming is as much about doing as it is learning. So far, I’ve become an expert at copying text out of a book, but it is actually very helpful because you learn structure. This week was exciting because I started coding new animations. In previous chapters, I have had the chance to use pre-existing animations to remove, or move rows, but now I’m actually modifying objects to animate them. It reminds me why I wanted to start doing this in the first place; to make games
I have had a series of game ideas sitting in my head, and for the most part, ideas without execution are just dreams. Working with Core Animations, I can see how layers interact, and how I`d progress with games. The challenge is my daily work life (which takes up 10-12 hours a day) forces me to think about using technology to develop applications instead of games. Meaning, as I make my way through this book, I think more about applications that I could be building than games. I think that will change, however, as I start my second book, which is dedicated to games. Until then, I foresee myself focusing on working on applications. And boy do I have a few that I`d like to start right away, if I could find the time.
What I learned technically
This week’s lessons introduced the concepts of animation. I made a layer which was a box with an image associated with it that would moved to where I tapped, and then again moved to where I dragged it. As I dragged the box around the screen, I remembered why I decided to start programming, and that was to make games. It was a good feeling. Since my wife loves tower defence games, I think that will be my first endeavour, and that will be purely a labour of love, cause God knows the app store has enough of those.
Recommended Reading
There`s an interesting post by MG Siegler on Techcrunch about hitting the App Wall. It`s a bit disconcerting to think that the hey day of apps may be over, and I never even entered the game. I`m a little bit relieved to know that the largest stake i have in the game is actually a platform being developed which applications access, so this isn`t an all or nothing game for me. However, it would be nice to think there`s still room for creative apps to find a home. Also, I don`t think I`ve seen an app that does what I`m thinking, so I got that going for me. Plus, MG Siegler likes to stir the pot.