DIY Gamer Kit Arduino Library: ProGamer Edition!

Now that Tech Will Save Us can no longer save us and the DIY Gamer is becoming rarer to buy, I feel that it is the appropriate time to rewrite the hobby handheld's code library. This is a small project to try and give the Gamer more features and attempt to make it function more similarly to a modern game engine.

Installation

1. Download the project as a .zip file.

2. Install the latest version of Arduino. You can get this software here.

3. Open the Arduino software on your computer and navigate to Sketch → Include Library → Add .ZIP library..., then select the .zip file of the project.

Usage

In your project with the ProGamer library included, create a global instance of the ProGamer class.

#include <ProGamer.h>

ProGamer gamer;

At the top of the setup() function, call ProGamer::begin()

void setup() {
  gamer.begin();
  ...
}

At the end of the loop() function, call ProGamer::update()

void loop() {
  ...
  gamer.update();
}

ProGamer::update() causes the main loop to halt between frames, so unlike in the original library, you shouldn't use the delay() function in your main loop.

Features

• Frame updates are automatically handled by the update() function, you can change the framerate/game speed using ProGamer::setFramelength(long).
• 4-colour display!
• Display scores that are more than 2 digits long
• Better printString function (speed is controlled by the framelength)
• Dynamic memory usage reductions from the original library, meaning more space for images, animation and music! Which brings me to...
• Music and sound effects, with predefined buzzer values so you can play a range of notes just shy of 2 octaves. Single-channel only, SFX have priority over music but should be kept shorter, music will continue playing once SFX stops.

Original README

DIY Gamer Kit Arduino Library

This software is for the DIY Gamer Kit.

The library is essential for using your DIY Gamer Kit to:

• Draw graphics on the screen
• Make animations
• Code apps and games
• Play sounds on the buzzer
• Scroll text across the screen

Installation

1. Install the latest version of Arduino. You can get this software here.

2. Open the Arduino software on your computer and navigate to Sketch → Include Library → Manage Libraries...

3. Type Gamer into the search bar. Two libraries should appear: Gamer and GamerIR.

4. Click on each library to highlight it and click the Install button. Do this for both libraries!

Testing Your Installation

The easiest way to test that the library has been successfully installed, is to follow these steps:

1. Go to File → Examples → Gamer and choose one of the example programs (e.g., SnakeGame)

2. Click on the Verify button to compile the example, and if it compiles correctly (it should say "Done compiling"), you're good to go!

Contributions and Bug Fixes

For contributing to the library or games, first fork the master branch, modify, and open a pull request. We will evaluate end test your contributions and merge into this repo.

For anything else, write to us at [email protected].