From the Forum — Issue #21

23 May 2014

From the Forum — Issue #21

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. Bitmap font module

Custom fonts can really give apps dimension. Finding open-source fonts is relatively easy, and using them in Corona is a snap.

Toward this end, Corona developer paulscottrobson has you covered. He has created a library that works well with fonts and can add a lot of fancy functions to your text objects. This doesn’t necessarily replace the built-in custom font mechanic, but it does let you use some really cool fonts without having to convert them to the .ttf or .otf format.

Check out the original post to learn more about what can be achieved with this interesting library:

http://forums.coronalabs.com/topic/47691-looking-for-feedbacksuggestions-on-my-free-bitmap-font-library-bit-like-textcandy

2. Websocket tutorials

Suffice to say, using WebSockets is like adding a jetpack to your scooter. Having real-time network communication in your game makes it easy to include player-vs-player interactions with a much lower overhead.

The following forum posts show you how to squeeze this powerful feature into your apps, so check them out and let the original posters know if you have any questions.

http://forums.coronalabs.com/topic/47872-ann-dmc-websockets-websocket-module-for-corona-sdk/

http://forums.coronalabs.com/topic/43003-struggling-to-reverse-engineer-javascript-websocket-in-corona-sdk-not-great-at-networking/

3. Update to IAP promo code solutions

Today we revisit a previous “From the Forum” thread. Developer Jason Schroeder (@schroederapps) has generated code to allow all Corona developers working on “freemium” apps to let reviewers get access to all IAP (in-app purchases) necessary for a full review, without reinventing the wheel or jumping through hoops to provide a separate build for review. With this, we’re able to bridge the gap between debug, commercial, and review builds with minimal fuss.

Please check out last week’s From the Forum in case you missed it, and don’t forget to thank Jason!

http://forums.coronalabs.com/topic/37264-rejected-by-apple-cause-of-promo-code-custom-solution/

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!