How To Create A Breakout Game with Box2D and Cocos2D 2.X Tutorial: Part 2

[rwenderlich]

This is the official thread to discuss the following blog post: How To Create A Breakout Game with Box2D and Cocos2D 2.X Tutorial: Part 2

[hype96]

Great tutorial website!

@rwenderlich what is the typical procedure for yourself and your tutorial team for learning how to implement specific features (ex: how to create a server for a multiplayer game) for your tutorials? The reason I ask is because I am new to coding and often find myself having a difficult time trying to use your tutorials as a base and build upon them to implement the specific features I need. Tips in the right direction would be very helpful. I plan on being fruitful and adding to your tutorials and I believe that's why you have your website setup.

Thanks for your reply

[bcbroom]

I see this as two different questions, and I'll answer them in terms of what I have done as someone newish to iOS. I can't answer for any of the other team members.

1) How did I learn the specific features to write the tutorial?

I look around for other information. Are there other tutorials on related things? Is there a website for the library I want to use? Does it have examples and documentation? I tend to start with making something almost trivial work, and then add things to it as I try to figure things out. Sometimes there are other tutorials or starting points that can help me get started. When something doesn't work, I google the error or the problem and try to work out the issues that way (sites like stackoverflow.com can be very helpful). At some point I feel like I have enough worked out to be a viable lesson.

2) How do you extend your knowledge once you have a tutorial mastered?

This is hardener in some ways. Here are some things that I try to do. Can I (mostly) reproduce the tutorial items on my own? Do I know what the parts do? Can I add something slightly different (different image, color, shape, direction, etc)? Can I put two on the screen at the same time?

At this point I'd suggest trying to find the online documentation for the topic you've been working on. If its something with Cocos2D, can you find the class reference in the documentation, or the Apple documentation for iOS classes. What other methods does the class have, and can I get those to work? etc. I have found the Apple documentation as a whole to be pretty readable, so don't be afraid to look these up.

I think the hardest part is when you try to integrate the knowledge you have from several tutorials together into one idea. The only suggestion I have is to give it a try, and look for answers to issues that come up.

I'm not sure I've answered you very well, but hope it helps some.

[charlie]

awesome job brian on the updates, can't wait to go through them!

[hype96]

Thanks a lot for your reply Brian. And I do agree, trying to integrate what you learned from multiple tutorials is the hardest part

[Orochi_X]

Thanks for the updated tutorials. They will prove to be very helpful.

[HeavenHell]

I finish tutorial : breakout game with box2d
But, when Ball collide blocks, velocity of blocks reduce. So Why??

[Frahaan]

Hello

I am trying to port this to Mac and when I do, I always get errors with the contact listener, is there something different I need to do for Mac, basically I want to use Cocos2d and Box2d to detect collision (specific collisions) so I can do something when 2 certain bodies/sprites collide.

Thanks Frahaan Hussain