Recently I came across an app on the iPad called GamePress. It is a game engine that can make 2d games right on your ipad for free. Here is a demo:
GamePress:
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And this is when the Eureka came! Game Press uses a node based system for programming. And I truly think that this is the best way to program games. One of the advantages is that your rendering can be tied in directly to the code of the program itself (because it would be node based too like Blender Cycles nodes). All of your graphics would be set up through the use of nodes.
I think nodes look the way that programs work. As I mentioned in another thread, that if we were to perceive a variable as a real life object it would be a container that stores values. A node looks like a variable already. Nodes also look like functions. Data goes through a wire to the function, and the function does something and either transmits that data through another wire to another function or it does not transmit that data.
I also think that node based programming could work for any language. I could see myself programming in c++ with a node based system.
So, what I am really wondering if there is anyone here who knows of any other uses whether present or past that use a node based system for programming. Anyone see the weaknesses or strengths of such a system?
I'd like to look into any such software that use a sort of node based system for programming (I presume there are some used for robotics programming).
Thanks.
Note: I will be updating this post with my discoveries also for people who are interested. I already am downloading one.
NODE BOX:
http://nodebox.net/
Node Box Opinion: After downloading node box and going through the brief tutorial on the website, I have to say this is a very interesting program. And I just got a major idea from using it. I have been looking for ways to procedurally generate graphics and animations and such. I think that a node based system will make this 1,000 times easier. Node box also lets you export these graphics to pdf which can be opened in Illustrator or Adobe Photoshop. It also exports mp4! Hmm, wonder if you can do animations.
It seems node box now lets you generate your own nodes! Haha. This is too awesome man. You can generate it using Python?! And it gets even crazier. You can build shader nodes! If this isn't the future of game programming, I don't know what is.
http://nodebox.net/node/documentation/advanced/programming-nodes.html
Node Box Demo:
http://vimeo.com/54523585#at=85
NODEKIT:
NodeKit Opinion: I have yet to get started on this program. Just discovered it. I am also interested in another software they developed for the ipad but it is 39.99 called Tagtool. I believe it was made with nodekit, but I am not sure. I am downloading it from Sourceforge now. It is open source software.
NodeKit Demo:
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DYNAMO (Autodesk):
Okay, so if Autodesk has their hands in it, you know it is worth noting. I am now downloading Dynamo which is an open sourced Visual programming software for design. This has to be interesting.
BLOCK V3 (Node based system for Autodesk Maya)
Demo:
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Additional Stuff:
Programming with Nodes in Blender 3D:
http://vimeo.com/13495148
Thread on issues of Visual Programming:
http://cs.stackexchange.com/questions/539/visual-programming-languages
Someone posted this link in a forum:
http://www.nevigo.com/en/articydraft/overview/