Annex I: Tutorials

CRM64Pro tutorials Learn the GDK from the first window to complete Scene examples.

Overview

The CRM64Pro tutorials are the main teaching path for the GDK. They begin with a minimal application window, then progressively add resources, rendering callbacks, CDC archives, debug tools and the engine managers used by real projects.

Keep the matching source file open while reading each page. The tutorial page explains the code flow, while the complete source remains authoritative.

Requirements

• Install the CRM64Pro GDK and a supported compiler with C++17 support.
• Download the tutorial package and extract the complete ZIP into a writable working folder. It includes the source code, projects and required assets.
• Keep the extracted source/, projects/ and bin/Base/ folders together with their original structure.
• On Windows, open projects/windows/C64 Tutorials.sln in Visual Studio. On Linux or macOS, use the Makefile under projects/linux/ or projects/macOS/.
• EditorC64 is optional, but useful when inspecting tutorial resources.

How to follow the series

• Start with Tutorial 01 and follow the core tutorials in order. Each introduces concepts used by the next examples.
• Read each page alongside its matching C++ source to follow the setup, main loop and cleanup.
• Explore the listed controls, then change one value or behavior at a time and observe the result.
• Use the output log to understand initialization, resource loading and any errors.
• Return to later tutorials as references when adding a specific engine system to your own project.

Learning path

Core: Tutorials 01-05

Start here to learn the application loop, system services, configuration, cursor resources and font rendering.

Tutorial 01: Basic

Open a 960x540 window, load two PNG images, move a ship with the keyboard and save a screenshot.

• Use Main, Log, Timer and Screen.
• Load external images with ImageMgr.
• Read SDL keyboard and mouse events through Main::update().
• Update and render at a fixed rate.

Read Tutorial 01: Basic application setup

Source: Tutorial_01_Basic.cpp

Tutorial 02: System

Extend the first example with a render callback, named CDC resources, a debug window and the built-in console.

• Use a Screen render callback.
• Save and load named image resources through a CDC file.
• Create a DebugWindow with watched variables.
• Use the built-in Console.

Read Tutorial 02: System services

Source: Tutorial_02_System.cpp

Tutorial 03: Configuration

Use the built-in configuration screen, then save and reload the selected settings from the shared CDC archive.

• Open the ConfigMgr setup screen.
• Store config.xml in Tutorial.cdc.
• Save and load the active configuration.
• Restore Screen state after loading.

Read Tutorial 03: Configuration

Source: Tutorial_03_Config.cpp

Tutorial 04: Cursor

Add a custom cursor resource to the CDC archive and use it in the running application.

• Create a cursor from an image.
• Save cursor resources to Tutorial.cdc.
• Load image and cursor resources from the CDC.
• Select and show a custom cursor.

Read Tutorial 04: Custom cursor

Source: Tutorial_04_Cursor.cpp

Tutorial 05: Font

Add bitmap fonts and compare the embedded font variants available through the engine.

• Add a bitmap font resource to the CDC.
• Use FontMgr::getBuiltin().
• Render positioned, scaled and colored text.
• Compare embedded Arial and Courier New variants.

Read Tutorial 05: Fonts

Source: Tutorial_05_Font.cpp

Graphics and resources: Tutorials 06-09

Move from basic image rendering to drawing primitives, tilesets, sprites and audio resources.

Tutorial 06: GFX

Draw primitives, apply image filters and mix immediate GFX drawing with image rendering.

• Use Main::gfx().
• Draw lines, rectangles, circles, ellipses and polygons.
• Apply image filters to duplicate images.
• Draw additive glow helpers.

Read Tutorial 06: GFX drawing

Source: Tutorial_06_GFX.cpp

Tutorial 07: Tileset

Create a tileset resource, render a small map and move the ship from tile to tile.

• Create a tile resource from an image.
• Split a tileset image into 48x48 tiles.
• Render map tile IDs.
• Restrict movement through walkable tiles.

Read Tutorial 07: Tileset maps

Source: Tutorial_07_Tileset.cpp

Tutorial 08: Sprite

Create sprites from a sprite sheet, define animation states and move animated sprites.

• Split a sprite sheet into animations and frames.
• Assign animation states to rows.
• Move a sprite with the keyboard.
• Toggle interpolated positioning.

Read Tutorial 08: Animated sprites

Source: Tutorial_08_Sprite.cpp

Tutorial 09: Audio

Load audio tracks, save them to CDC and mix looping music with sound effects.

• Initialize the audio device.
• Load AudioTrack resources from files.
• Save and load audio tracks through CDC.
• Play music, sound effects and voice-style sounds.

Read Tutorial 09: Audio tracks

Source: Tutorial_09_Audio.cpp

Effects: Tutorials 10-11

Add particles and a 2D lightmap pass to the rendering workflow.

Tutorial 10: Particles

Create an emitter that follows the mouse and spawn one-shot effects on click.

• Create emitters with ParticleMgr.
• Apply built-in particle presets.
• Update particles at the fixed logic rate.
• Render particles from the screen callback.

Read Tutorial 10: Particle effects

Source: Tutorial_10_Particles.cpp

Tutorial 11: Lightmap

Render a scene, accumulate lights and occluders, then apply the final lightmap.

• Use GFX::beginLighting() and GFX::endLighting().
• Add rectangle, circle and segment occluders.
• Draw point and spot lights.
• Keep HUD rendering outside the lighting pass.

Read Tutorial 11: 2D lightmaps

Source: Tutorial_11_Lightmap.cpp

UI, data, media and network: Tutorials 12-15

Use higher-level systems for widgets, XML data, video playback and TCP networking.

Tutorial 12: GUI

Create a small GUI with panels, labels, buttons, text input, checkbox, slider and progress widgets.

• Create modeless and modal panels.
• Add common GUI widgets.
• Assign normal and title fonts.
• Handle widget events from Main::update().

Read Tutorial 12: GUI

Source: Tutorial_12_GUI.cpp

Tutorial 13: XML

Load XML configuration data, read typed values and render them over the background.

• Load XML with XMLMgr::loadFromFile().
• Select nested nodes.
• Read string, integer and float attributes.
• Read node text.

Read Tutorial 13: XML

Source: Tutorial_13_XML.cpp

Tutorial 14: Video

Load a video file, assign a viewport and control playback with audio.

• Initialize audio for video streams.
• Load video with VideoMgr::loadFromFile().
• Read video metadata.
• Control playback and viewport rendering.

Read Tutorial 14: Video

Source: Tutorial_14_Video.cpp

Tutorial 15: Network

Build a small TCP command-line chat with one server and multiple clients.

• Initialize NetTCP.
• Create a threaded server.
• Connect clients and send user data.
• Receive queued network messages.

Read Tutorial 15: Network

Source: Tutorial_15_Network.cpp

Scene examples: Tutorial 16

The final group combines maps, objects, layers, cameras and gameplay logic into complete Scene examples.

Tutorial 16: Scene examples

Use TMX maps, object factories, pathfinding, camera logic, platform movement, shooter objects, strategy-map fog of war, lighting and particle effects.

• Adventure: point-and-click map interactions.
• Island Game v2: weighted A* pathfinding and follow/free camera modes, with v1 as the simpler reference.
• Platform: acceleration, gravity, jumping and tile collision.
• Shooter: projectiles, scrolling and object collisions.
• War Game: terrain costs, pathfinding and fog of war.
• Lighting: animated lights, occluder shadows and Scene particles.

Read Tutorial 16.1: Adventure

Read Tutorial 16.2: Island Game v2

Read Tutorial 16.3: Platform

Read Tutorial 16.4: Shooter

Read Tutorial 16.5: War Game

Read Tutorial 16.6: Scene Lighting

Sources: Tutorial_16_Scene_*.cpp