Beginner: Frustrated after one week

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On 12/10/2003 at 09:20, xxxxxxxx wrote:

User Information:
Cinema 4D Version:   8.2 
Platform:   Windows  ;   
Language(s) :     C++  ;

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Hi everybody...
I tried it the hard way...I thought don't ask before you read a lot...but after one week working with the SDK I am quite frustrated.
First I read the SDK examples and tried to get some insight how I really work with the SDK - but my progress is sooo small.
The problem is - where to start ?
Normally it always works this way -> I want to realize something - but how do I find it in the SDK ? It seems to comlex - what I  doing wrong (I can program in C++).
I learned programming with COFFEE - and had some quite good tutorials and books, so it was quite easy after the basics were clear - it was explained step by step. The SDK don't help very much, at least not me.
Is there a tutorial where e.g. is explained things in the following way:
1. We want to write a plugin in C++ (C4d API 8.2) that does the following.
2. First we have to know...this we are doing because...etc...
Can anybody help with really GOOD tutorials and well documented source examples ?
Thanks,
jago

THE POST BELOW IS MORE THAN 5 YEARS OLD. RELATED SUPPORT INFORMATION MIGHT BE OUTDATED OR DEPRECATED

On 12/10/2003 at 11:38, xxxxxxxx wrote:

Don't mean to sound harsh, but the SDK examples are fairly basic and really the best place to start.
Do you know CINEMA well? The SDK and examples matches how CINEMA works, once you understand that everything else pretty much fits in.
The SDK reference docs are a good reference, but no tutorials for C++ exist as far as I am aware.
Look over the SDK examples again, ignore the class view and look at the file list, remove any unwanted files and then remove their registration from main.cpp.
If you want specific help it may also be useful to know what kind of SDK programming you are wanting to do, is it a tag, object, shader, file format, exchange system, tool....
Also do a search on this forum, many people have ask many questions and I'm sure I saw an introduction thread (with maybe basic tutorials) somewhere on here, a search will find it, or someone knowing the subject might be able to post the link.

THE POST BELOW IS MORE THAN 5 YEARS OLD. RELATED SUPPORT INFORMATION MIGHT BE OUTDATED OR DEPRECATED

On 15/10/2003 at 22:16, xxxxxxxx wrote:

I've seen far worse documentation and even cruder SDK's.  By far the C4D SDK is a very good setup.  The only problem I ever ran into it was with using STL inside it.
There is an included sample for every type of plugin you might ever want to create.  Here is what I did:

Find the entry point.  Its not Main, thats just where the registration happends.  The magic usually happends inside a major class, such as SceneSaver, etc.  Begin tracing the steps of the program... notice key routines.  Then begin cross referencing the SDK dox.  You will quickly find your biggest obstacle [which isnt even one] is upcasting.  Its all pointers, its a beautiful collection of inheritance.
Then gut the example as mentioned before.  Start playing around with it and getting it to do things you want it to do.

No tutorial is going to really tell you better than what you can figure out for yourself.  Unless you just want somone to show you exactly how to do what it is your trying to do... but then are you really learning it?  I think your best bet if your planning on supporting this plugin, and improving it, is to peice apart the examples given (which are written well) and get yourself some coffee and a notepad.  It will all come to you.
Hey, if I can do it, anyone can.    *smile*
----
Dustin "Black Wolf" Juliano

THE POST BELOW IS MORE THAN 5 YEARS OLD. RELATED SUPPORT INFORMATION MIGHT BE OUTDATED OR DEPRECATED

On 26/10/2003 at 01:27, xxxxxxxx wrote:

Hi jago

May this can help you a little bit:
http://www.astrofish.com/tutorials/c4dtagplugin/

have a nice sunday :)

cu