You’ve heard about CMake, and want to know how it works? Great! Here’s how it works at three different levels.The BasicsAt a surface level, CMake is a tool to build C/C++ software on multiple platforms using the same build script. So, you can take the same code, and build script, and build software that can […]
Change is afoot, and I need your help. Here’s the backstory…The BackstoryAt the bottom of the KSD website is the tagline: “We enjoy creating awesome stuff using software & electronics, and helping others to do the same.” I wrote that years ago, and it’s been more aspirational than reality.Sure, I’ve created some programming related books […]
I’ve long considered AI to be overhyped, and kind of annoying. All that AI generated content, from over the top articles, through to images that don’t look quite right (e.g., a sheep with 10 legs instead of 4). However, I’ve stumbled on an AI tool that has me genuinely impressed. Here’s why…AI Video Thumbnail analysisHere’s […]
Last time we had Scarfy cheerfully running around collecting coins. Clink clink clink! But, a problem was looming. Every coin/object was loading its own copy of the textures & sounds that it used. That’s a massive waste, especially when you’ve got a few hundred identical looking coins.It’s increasing loading times, massively inflating memory usage, and […]
I was recently asked what toolchains are, and how they relate to CMake. If you look up “toolchain” online, you’ll find definitions that make complete sense to those who already know what they are, but sound vague and complicated to everyone else. So, here’s a quick explanation…What is a Toolchain?This is best understood by example, […]
So, you want to program in C++ on Linux? Here’s how to set up your “dev. environment” quickly. It’s mostly easy, with one potential pitfall…GCC, CMake & VS CodeHere’s what we’re going to install: GCC – the C/C++ compiler that’s included with Linux CMake – the de-facto build system for C++ (you’ll find it almost […]
In the previous RayLib 2D Challenge episode, animated shiny gold coins were spinning nicely. They were loaded from disk using a texture atlas, so adding animated gems or other objects would be ridiculously easy. But, poor Scarfy couldn’t collect the coins, because the coin collection code hadn’t been written yet. All he could do was […]
ERROR They say, “don’t judge a book by it’s cover,” but everyone does it anyway. There’s a good reason for that: appearances communicate a lot about who we are. Shoddy clothing communicates something very different to wearing an expensive silk suit. Even the way you walk can tell others (and yourself) about your confidence level. […]
ERROR After a long delay, I’m pleased to announce that Part III of The CMake Tutorial book is done. Life events got in the way of writing, but that didn’t stop me. It just slowed me down. Those who have bought the book can download an updated copy using the download link from your order […]
Ever wonder what the difference is between CMake and GNU Make? Answers online tend to focus on how CMake is a meta-build system, has a mouse clicky GUI interface available, and GNU make is older. While that’s all true, it tells you nothing about what it’s like to use either of them. So, let me […]
