Why is there such a lack of documentation?

I too prefer text/image tutorials over video, but a lot of people prefer a more visual/audible approach to learning.

I'm not sure why everyone thinks the Lua section isn't documented enough. The scripting page gives a basic overview of how Lua script is used with VS & there's loads of pages full of scripts with syntax & examples. I even started working on a beginners guide to Lua script a few months ago which gives a basic introduction to Lua script with explanations & examples & screenshots.

http://wiki.visionaire-tracker.net/wiki/Basic_lua:_Index

SimonS is currently working on a new pdf version of the manual. As for the wiki, I might do some text/image guides at some point but as I said: I lack art/animation resources as I'm not an artist & I'm not willing to spend hours/days (whatever) trying to create assets myself.

Also final point. I do not receive any of the money that you pay for the licenses. Everything I do is gratis, so I have no incentive to spend every waking hour, minute or second of my spare time sat in front of my computer creating documentation for the engine. I would probably end up looking like a crazed hermit if I did that.

I would also like to point out that writing explanations for each part of the engine/action/feature is very, very time consuming. The overview of the action part list for example took ages as there is around 100 action parts, probably needs updating again actually as there are some new action parts since the last time I updated it.

http://wiki.visionaire-tracker.net/wiki/Actionparts

Thank you AFRLme, I am aware that you are doing an excellent job and I'm not questionning that point. I think the problem for most people is more a problem of presentation and ease of access to the manual/informations. As I said, you need to add a big red button saying "start here". Well it's an image, it doesn't have to be red

So er pink then? I could make some beginner text/image based guides if someone is willing to provide me with asset resources.

Also quick note: I've started adding a donation button to the top of wiki pages containing my scripts & tutorials. I've also added a donation button to my block in the team wiki page. I'm not saying that everyone has to pay for my scripts, tutorials, documentation or support. They are just there for anyone wanting to show some support as I don't get paid by Visionaire for anything I do/provide.

Yeah a pink button would be so beautiful on your site

Regarding the assets, I think you should post an official request on the Visionaire News feed, if the rest of the team agrees. I personally don't have the time to help, but I'm sure others would be glad to participate (and won't read this thread). I saw several beautiful games with 3rd person characters, and maybe their authors would agree to share?

A beginner tutorial is, in my opinion, quite urgent on the site, since V4 has been released for a while. Also, these assets don't have to be artistic. I mean, they can be done quickly in Paint, it doesn't matter. Just look at the pages of Adventure Maker that I had posted before: the few illustrations are not really artistic! It didn't prevent me to create ASA at the time. All that matter is the step by step tutorial.

Good luck!

I figured that I would be able to use assets from the games submitted to the demo game competition - cheeky of me, I know. Deadline for that is at the end of this month, providing the deadline doesn't get extended.

I think, the LUA documentation is great. If I want to learn LUA I would get all informations I need. Mostly all problems can be solved in LUA. Sometimes there are some gaps about the interaction between Vis and LUA (object types and how to use them, special Vis constructions, what Vis is able to use and so on...).

But if I don't use LUA I have a lot of information lacks using the "normal" Vis editor. It's try and error the whole time, and I need a lot of patience to check out what really happens behind the stage.

Many developers need a cooking book to solve standard problems, like "how to move an object" or "how to make this or how to make that". A manual can't achieve this, but I will be lucky about such as a "reference guide" to look for all hidden possibilities Vis is able to offer me. So I can find out my own way.

Machtnix

To be honest there's things I don't know about Visionaire Studio, such as all the key shortcuts - actually I don't know if the devs even remember them all either as I don't remember finding anything on the old wiki documenting shortcuts. I also know very little about the particle system, nor the 3D character model support - although the particle system is documented in the wiki, but it is getting replaced/overhauled at the minute, so I don't know valid it will be after the update.

I think the new video tutorials by James & Andi are a good start on how to do things in Visionaire Studio. The tutorials by Andi are a bit lengthy though as they are more like a development v-log as opposed to a strict-themed tutorial, but they are interesting none the less & quite informative.

The problem with trying to explain how to do certain things with Visionaire Studio, whether it's with action parts alone, lua script or a combination of both, is that there are multiple approaches & methods for everything. I think people that follow in-depth guides will not really bother learning/trying to figure out things on their own or develop their own methods, solutions & bad habits for getting things done.

Here's a quick example: buttons in a game menu could toggle active/inactive state by swapping images, toggling animations, changing the opacity, applying a shader warp effect, sliding in/out some kind of background thing or even changing the scale or rotation of the image/animation via lua. There's lot's of methods that could be utilized to achieve each of the things I just mentioned above.

Completely agree with the original poster. I keep returning to this website every few months to see if there's any coherent documentation that's actually relevant to the latest release.

I think two of the big selling points that make this software unique in the AG engine market is; 3d characters, OS/Android support. No other software to my knowledge that is aimed at the AG market has both of these. You really do need to take a little time out to create a tutorial that shows how to get 3d character moving around a simple room interacting with a few simple objects.

Curious, if everyone is doing this mostly unpaid, as a side hobby (as you described)... where is the money going to from those that have purchased licenses? I appreciate everyone should benefit financially from the hard work they do, but from a business point of view, you need to invest in the business first to lay the foundations for a brighter future.

Anyhow, I'd love to invest in a license, but for now, until there's more documentation on the above, especially adding 3d characters, you've lost my interest.

Maybe try to raise some cash to hire someone to create documents, tutorials etc, until then I'll continue to play with Unity.

David

Maybe you saw the adventure game competition we're holding? Aim of this competition is actually, to solve the issues regarding tutorials and documentation.

There will be several demogames and Tutorials from the beginning of february. Also there are already several tutorials on youtube. Like these:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUVE8BmsC7I&index=1&list=PLf...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8JPUGDLPxc&list=PLfsiC3OLVf...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnjdbsTmNsM&index=3&list=PLf...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QR279dgwDhw&index=4&list=PLf...

We see for more tutorials and a manual after finishing our game competition.

Indeed, as Thomas mentioned above: The demo game competition is being held to provide a new demo game (template) which will let people see how a game could be made with Visionaire Studio 4.x. With the demo games I will have access to assets/resources which I could use to create tutorials from. I am not an artist, I possess very limited artistic skills & zero 3D skills. I tend to focus more on scripting, development, thinking (brainstorming ideas & solutions to problems), etc.

In regards to the money: there isn't a continuous stream of buyers each day, week or month, so the few sales here & there most of which will be the indie individual license) after paypal fees/tax or whatever doesn't really amount to much. Visionaire Studio isn't a massive commercial engine like unity, or udk. It doesn't have a massive team of people working on it day & night - or 9 to 5. There are currently 3 devs who devote most of their spare time to the development & improvement of the engine, myself (providing support on the forum & documentation on the wiki, when I can) & then there's Thomas & Calli who are working on the website/cms & other web related things.

Finally, in regards to the 3D support: the 3D system is still in the early stages, it was only added to the engine recently & is still pretty raw. Also none of the devs are particularly 3D savvy, but lots of people kept asking for 3D character support, thus it got coded & integrated into the engine by one of the devs more 3D savvy friends. & then everyone complained because it was buggy. but as I said it's early stages for that & I'm sure it will improve over time & each new release. Can't expect everything to work perfectly off the bat, each run.

Also I am not sure who will be providing documentation or tutorials for the 3D stuff as I have no clue at all about how it works, nor do I even know where to begin when it comes to creating 3D models.

Akçay Karaazmak spent some time trying to figure out the best approach for creating 3D models & which formats etc worked best in VS. His findings & notes are available in the FAQ section of the wiki @ here.

Hey guys, I really think the team is doing a great job and I'm not here to complain. I'm just observing and trying to help by bringing my opinion (and then you do what you want). So:

In my opinion, people complain because you have gone one more step forward to a busniess approach with the new licences. It is a fact, and you can't deny it, that when you propose licences at the high price of (approx) $500 and $1500, you are selling a product of quality. The pro version has the price of an Adobe product like Photoshop or After Effects, or the price of Unity Pro, that is to say the most popular products that have been developped by big teams over several years, with lots of cash and experience, and user feedbacks. Look at the difference of possibilities between Unity and Visionaire.

I really (really!) understand that you want to invest to develop your software furthermore, and that it needs money, and that you need money either, and that the sales of the indie version are not enough - but on the other hand, it's not surprising that people complain for a lack of documentation on a profesional tool (it is! or don't sell the pro version). You are pro or you are not, then you just assume it - as I said it's not a criticism.

We all know that a lot of games developped by Daedalic were created with Visionaire. Isn't there a way to find a partnership with them?
Have you asked them if they could invest a part of their benefits (made with your engine), in order to help it get even better? I'm sure they can understand, and that they could be interested. Unless they have already gone to Unity which is at the same price than your soft? You should definetely think carefully about this.

And what about a crowdfunding? You could probably gather money on Kickstarter if you explain that you want to improve your software. Developers like me would probably back you, and could help spread the word about your campain. Also there are so many Adventure fans in the world, that they would probably want to help, particularly if some of their favourite games were created with Visionaire...

Just ideas. What to you think?