From the Forum — Issue #52

26 December 2014

From the Forum — Issue #52

Welcome to the latest installment of From the Forum. In this series, guest blogger Alex Jackson highlights outstanding threads from the Corona Forum. The goal is to bring attention to the most captivating, interesting, and thought-provoking discussions taking place in our very own backyard.

Please visit the forum to join these conversations or start your own!

1. Missing that certain tick tick tick?

We’ve got a ton of presents to get through on this holiday edition of “From the Forum”, so let’s get right to it!

Recently, a developer was looking for tips on how to create a simple clock timer in the form of pie-slices becoming more and more opaque. There isn’t a Corona-provided method of accomplishing this, but that doesn’t mean it’s incredibly complicated. Nevertheless, it’s a few steps before you get to something concrete. The easy answer is to use spritesheets, of course. However, two intrepid Corona developers offered up their own solutions on how to achieve the desired affect.

Check out the original thread to see how they got to the end of the rainbow for this solution. Each have their positives and negatives, but they both get the job done. Have your own suggestion? Throw it down in the forum!

http://forums.coronalabs.com/topic/53020-how-can-i-make-a-pie-timer-i-need-to-be-able-to-draw-a-circular-arc-with-dynamically-changing-angles

2. The ol’ “what you see is what you get!”

Getting to the heart of the matter when debugging on your developer device is always the best way to make sure your code is ship-shape. However, getting to the point that you’re getting useful data in realtime from your device isn’t the easiest process for some developers.

And that’s where Corona developer horacebury comes in. He has provided the Corona community with an on-device debug console. In his words:

“It basically captures all print statements and adds them to a rolling buffer which can then be displayed in a scrollable view by shaking the device (or any mechanism you prefer.)”

Head on down to the original thread to grab the Corona Code link and learn about the other features it offers. And don’t forget to say thanks!

http://forums.coronalabs.com/topic/53442-on-device-console/

3. Make up your mind with Meld

Creating our apps with dynamic artwork can make the difference between 200,000 downloads and international acclaim, and one hundred downloads and then a slow fade into obscurity. Finding ways to product that eye-catching design is hard, especially when you’re trying to set yourself apart from the pack.

Corona developer Play This! Studios feels your pain. That’s why they are telling folks about Meld, the app they created and released earlier this year. In their own words:

Meld is “A simple yet creative image blending & masking app”. Features include Multi-layer blending, Built-in Assets, Mask Brushing, Preset Mask Shapes, Double Exposure, Overlays & Textures, Add / Erase Objects, Photo Collages, Save & Share, plus more . . .

Run over to the original thread to get more information on the app and how you can use it with your projects today. Have your own suggestion or idea? Tell us about it in the forum!

http://forums.coronalabs.com/topic/53525-some-of-the-amazing-artworks-created-with-meld-madewithmeld

About Alex

Alex Jackson is an indie developer and the founder of Panc Software, specializing in retro-style gaming. He has created several mobile applications, enjoys long walks on the beach, pixel art, and reading the Corona forums. Contact him by email or follow him on Twitter: @pancsoftware. Check out his new game Crosstown Smash on iOS, Android, and Amazon devices!