First Steps

I actually started coding today. It is the most basic of stuff, but it is code - and it does something!

The package itself has some great help files, and the community forum is really good, it didn't take long to get the hang of some basic commands. Some of them I remembered (miraculously) from my coding attempts of the distant past, but the ones I've used so far are very self-explanatory, such is the way with BASIC, it's the main reason I chose to use it.

Anyway, so far I've managed to accomplish the following:

• Set up a display port, and limit the framerate to 60fps using the vertical sync.
• Hide the mouse pointer
• Set up some variables (Integer and Floating Point)
• Create and position a 3D Block (which I am calling "Tank" for the moment)
• Create and position another 3D Block, set it to be semi-transparent, and make it rotate at the rate of 0.25 Degrees for every cycle of the main program loop (This is a temporary marker which I can use as a reference point to judge distance and speed of "Tank")

and here is the cool part... (well I think so)...

• Use the cursor keys to move "Tank" forwards and backwards, and turn left and right - at rates defined by the variables I defined earlier
• "Tank" is also affected by a friction variable, meaning he doesn't stop instantly if you stop pressing the "up" key, he gently slows to a stop. I intend to use the friction variable to accommodate different driving conditions/surfaces. Maybe.

That's pretty much it for now, here is a screencap of where I am right now...