Next version of Cerberus-X?

[Wingnut]

Is there any work being done or ideas planned to be done on Cerberus-X this year?
When is the next version of Cerberus-X coming out?

 

[MikeHart]

Good questions Wingnut and I am glad you posted it. I know about a few things that could be done but then some are currently not in my hands. Either someone else sits on it, or others have decided to not include their work to the CX Github repo but instead into their own repo. Which is all fine, after all it is just a hobby, or? But it doesn't help the big picture.

Dawlane has worked on TED to make it more compatible to recent versions of QT which I am super thankful for. But he wanted to update the build scripts and to my knowledge that part is still a WIP. So I have not included his work into the CX repo.

Someone else mentioned additions to the Ads stuff in CX but released it on their own repository, 'cause he would like to get some financial recuperation for his work.

Philipp got permittion from our company a while ago to include the Metalangle stuff for IOS which we worked on there. Also some bug fixes. He mentioned several times that he is working on new docs and a VSCode plugin with a corresponding language server. But if that ever will come, or when, I don't know.

I know that the ads and IAPs modules need an overhaul. In general the mobile part of CX. It feels like Google is changing their platform on a weekly basis. Then our IDE or a VSCode integration needs to be worked on. Right now TED looks crappy on Macos with retina displays. Better tutorials for even more advanced stuff needs to worked on. Imho more game dev related modules need to be included. Some basic tools would be great to support that. The website needs a new landing page, And so on, and so on. I would also need to buy a new mac to see if CX builds on the latest platform.

In general a lot of work and also some financial investment for how many users? Right now just a handful people post regulary here. And even with them it looks like there is not much usage of CX in general. Or these people don't want to share what they are working on. Please don't get me wrong, there is no obligation for nothing. For me, for you, for noone. It is just a hobby. I am NOT looking for money and this isn't a rant, just what I have observed over the last year, while sitting on the side lines so to speak.

If someone else say "CX dev looks to be dead", I totally agree. I couldn't blame anyone if they would move on.

Anyway, what is YOUR and OTHERS wishlist for this year for CX? I hope you want say "I want UE5 kinda graphics".

 

[dawlane]

But he wanted to update the build scripts and to my knowledge that part is still a WIP. So I have not included his work into the CX repo.

As it stands, the build scripts and Ted are ready and should build with no problems on Window, Linux; I'll more than likely build those binaries and MacOS will build at least up to Qt 6.2.4 on Monterrey with what I've be "Testing with".
With Qt 6.2.4 installed, the MacOS version should build a universal AMD64/ARM, but I cannot test that without a new Mac.

The only thing I'm messing around with now is porting over the Qt project file to the CMake build system. That can be added at a later date, some time after Qt 6.5 has been officially released.

Right now TED looks crappy on Macos with retina displays.

Adding the keys below to the info.plist may fix that issue. Any icons used may have to have a retina scaling counter part.
See here.
<key>NSPrincipalClass</key>
<string>NSApplication</string>
<key>NSHighResolutionCapable</key>
<string>True</string>

If that work's. Then let me know.

I would also need to buy a new mac to see if CX builds on the latest platform.

I was very tempted to buy one last week, after playing around with an M1 whilst down at the local white goods appliance retail chain.
I may wait till Apple release an M2 iMac.

EDIT: Two release candidates for Windows and Linux. There is no MacOS release, unless someone wants to build one.
NOTES: These should match what is currently in the main develop branch with my changes added.
The version numbers have not been altered apart from the one in Ted.
The MacOS info.plist bit above is not in these.
The Linux version is built with Linux Mint 20.3.
cerberusx-winnt-rc1
cerberusx-linux-rc1

Github repository. Under the branch experimental_buildscripts_ted.

 

[MikeHart]

Thanks dawlane. So I can add your stuff to our repo? Or how do we want to proceed?
And sorry that I read your statements wrong.

 

[dawlane]

So I can add your stuff to our repo? Or how do we want to proceed?

Well if you know anyone that can build and test the MacOS with recent Intel and M1 hardware to make sure that it all works, then I would say add it to the repo. The only known issue is with Qt version 6.4.2 and the tab key wanting to do tab-control order selects and not white-space tabulation in the editor. Qt version prior to 6.4.2 don't have that issue and I'm hoping that Qt 6.5 when released doesn't have the same issue.
Plus, I've update the info.plist and those release candidate in my previous post, so the sources should all match.

Edit:

And sorry that I read your statements wrong.

If you were thing of the MacOS Intel/M1 universal build for transcc that I mentioned, that will be on a different github branch at some point.

Basic plans were:
Get Ted to work with later version of Qt.
Write better build scripts.
Update the QMake project over to CMake
Look at the C++ Tool to output universal MacOS Intel/Arm applications.
Update the GLFW xcode project to output universal MacOS Intel/Arm applications.

 

[MikeHart]

On the bright side of things, even very small. I have extended the license for this forum software and its domain for another year. Xenforo is a great piece of SW and has helped keeping spammers out big time.

Adding to that, I have created a new cerberus-x accoutn on itch.io and will move the CX page there as well away from my private account. ichtio is much better in releasing stuff and tracking downloads, then using GH for this.

 

[SLotman]

Someone else mentioned additions to the Ads stuff in CX but released it on their own repository, 'cause he would like to get some financial recuperation for his work.

If that was about the "rewarded ad" module I'm building... well, I didn't make my own repository and the code I posted on this thread is exactly what I have so far - besides, its a separated module, it needs brl.admob, but doesn't touch it, at all.

I am still going to improve it - I'm going to use it on that 'samurai simulator' game I'm making and then I'll post it over on github.

It never crossed my mind to submit it to the main Cerberus code, since it doesn't alter or improve Cerberus in any way.
And about the "financial recuperation": I just asked if anyone liked it to "buy me a ko-fi" as a token of appreciation. Its not mandatory or anything

 

[MikeHart]

All good @SLotman , you do as you please. As ads need to be worked on for CX and the current state of Admob should be implemented in its full capacity, it would have been a welcomed addition. But like I said, you do as you please and I can understand it from your side as well.

 

[Wingnut]

I appriciate so much all the works that has been put into Cerberus-X so far. I see Cerberus-X to be in a great position actually, but most of us are buzy or tired and need to fix somthing.

Me personlly about to move to start a family and i'm completely broke and burned out and my only hope is to develop a killer app to come up with some pocketmoney, I need to produce something. I will probably use CX for all platforms except Android. I also dropped ios bc all my Apple devices are broken or have a bad battery and I am kind sick of Apple right now.

Anyways I intend to help in any way I can after things gets better on this end and I see there are lots ideas here but one thing that CX really needs right now would be tutorials ala youtube style. Admob and native stuff on Android / ios would of course be a gamechanger but mobile development is teadiously changing.

 

[MikeHart]

would be tutorials ala youtube style

Do you have something specific in mind?

 

[MikeHart]

@dawlane I have decided to get a new mac mini m2 in the next weeks. Only to build stuff for CX. Will go for the 512 GD SSD model, as the 256gb is not available at the moment, and amamzon sells it for 800 Euros atm.

 

[Wingnut]

I'm not sure I'm the right person to ask as I don't know what everyone wants today, but a nice introduction and then max 15 min videos that shows how to code something fun, have you ever seen Codetrain on youtube? He has a great method I think, every episode he does something and talks a littlbit about how he reasons about everrything while he solves them. This is great way to get general interest too.

Maybe one or two videos will be devoted to installing and using the IDE, how to customize it for beginners, and one more expert how to compile it from scratch. A channel could be a platform for getting people too.

 

[MikeHart]

have you ever seen Codetrain on youtube?

You mean this channel? https://www.youtube.com/@TheCodingTrain

 

[Wingnut]

You mean this channel? https://www.youtube.com/@TheCodingTrain

Exactly, what I like about him is the live aspect, he shows the ongoing process and there is no editing almost. He can be very upbeat and talk alot sometimes but the format is nice. You learn so much more when you hear how he thinks about a problem and about alternate solutions.

But short videos is important, the attention span is not what it used to be. I'd say 10-15 min tops and bigger projects can be made into mini-series, Google would love that kind of linked traffic.

 

[dawlane]

I have decided to get a new mac mini m2 in the next weeks. Only to build stuff for CX. Will go for the 512 GD SSD model, as the 256gb is not available at the moment, and amamzon sells it for 800 Euros atm.

Amazon at the moment is a risk, especially in the UK. High value items tend to go missing, or end up being something else completely. And extracting wisdom teeth is more easier and less painful than getting money back from amazon.
I'd keep checking Apple's Certified Refurbished if I were you. I checked out the UK version, there was one there at the beginning of the month, but the following day they'd all be sold.

 

[MikeHart]

You brought up a valid point. Have to rethink.

 

[SLotman]

All good @SLotman , you do as you please. As ads need to be worked on for CX and the current state of Admob should be implemented in its full capacity, it would have been a welcomed addition. But like I said, you do as you please and I can understand it from your side as well.

Mike, if you want, feel free to use that code and incorporate it on Cerberus-X - I don't mind. But the thing is, that is only working for Android.

I don't have any iOS or Mac device capable of running their SDK anymore, so I'll never be able to make it to work both on iOS and Android. If that's not reason enough for this to be on a third party module, I don't know what is

My reasoning for posting it later on Github is actually for people to have access to it - even if I somehow disappear from the face of the Earth - and maybe fork it to update, improve, add iOS or whatever.

 

[MikeHart]

Thanks.

 

[ddabrahim]

I love CodingTrain YouTube channel. I wish I had the energy of this guy. The way he deliver content is simply amazing.

I also recommend to avoid Amazon. It is insane what is happening in their warehouses. usually I use eBay, if you purchase from a long time seller with good reputation, you can't really go wrong. I also like DPD, if anyone use DPD to post I trust it because I like that I can track the DPD driver using their app and I get notified if the driver is just 15 minutes away.

But, to be honest, I would instead spend a couple hundred more on a new device. 800 Euros is too much to spend on refurbished, second hand, at least for my pocket. I rather spend 1000 on new.

What I really would love to see in CX is a built-in, officially maintained cross-platform GUI system, not necessarily for games. It could be even a separate target, for example Python/Kivy or C++/ImGUI or C#/MAUI or JS/React
Python is simple but ugly, I don't like the syntax.
C++ is melting my brain.
C# is ok but not my favourite.
JS is ok but I dislike the toolchain and workflow.

If I was able to choose, I would prefer CX.
I admit I am not an active CX user, I don't really do any programming at the moment but if I would do, CX would be my first choice. So just because I don't post WIP staff, and I have nothing WIP, doesn't mean I am ignoring CX. I really would love to see CX find its place.
Game development is extremely competitive. So maybe worth looking toward cross-platform app development with a decent GUI library instead. But I understand it is a lot of work, certainly not priority. Just an idea.

 

[Wingnut]

JS/React would be awesome..

I see how CX can easily enter the sweet spot of software develoment market right now. Let's think about it! JavaScript and Python are the new BASIC, without any doubt. Python is there becuase of the rich library and becuase it has tools that are easy enough to get started with. JS, like python is easy to start with but it lacks libraries compared to Python. This will probably change within a year or two becuase this is the primetime of JavaScript. You need libraries such as THREE.js to even come close to do anything remotly to what CX can do.

C++ is too complex and clumpsy today, it's only for legacy professional use I would say.

C# and especially with MAUI is very intersting but the learning curve is still abit steep.

Going back to JavaScript for a second, I really thought that 2D graphics would be doable in vanilla JavaScript without webgl as the Canvas API is HW accelerated (as is CSS and most things in the web ) but the Canvas API is not flexible and that 60 fps will drop if you do complex things and so you will quickly need to changegears and head towards Webgl, which is so offputting so libraries will be the next step.

The fact that Cerberus-X is able to compile to JavaScript using Webgl actually makes you see that it takes the role of a library. You can see it as a compiler/precompliler/library, whatever.

What more, it can of course easily be seen as the BASIC of today, while getting professional results.


I'm not sure if there exist a way to package javascript to Android and iOS and get the perks of native features such as ads and React but it would be sick.