App programming in GM

Well who's tried writing an app in Game Maker? It's not really that easy.

I've found things like VisualBasic are much easier for apps mainly due to the innate ability to handle various events. GM does this as well--but for example we have to tell it how to handle a button, or an input box, whereas VisualBasic already has this handled for you. The irony is that GM was also programmed to do many things for you, yet certainly not in this area (perhaps why it wasn't just titled "program maker"). Strings are also an issue, since VB includes built-in functionality for "labels" whereas in GM the programmer must make a specific call to draw_text in the draw event of some object.

So what are some apps you've written, and what were your experiences?

I don't personally have much to say, because the only apps I've really written are a timer, and a few apps for math which draw parabolas, circles, and ellipses depending on the equations you give it. Maybe I'll find them on my ext harddrive and post them for you guys to have a look at.

One time when I was wondering how to make a good profile picture I thought it would be cool to have a lightsaber, so I made an app to add realistic lightsaber blades to photos. Later on I made it able to add lighting as well.

Well. My parents needed help with their company. English impaired. XD

So I made an app that would open up every website they needed all at once and it had simply translations. The best part is that it only had three buttons. XD

It seems all that I can think of doing with GM is make apps. I've made about four and am planing on making a few more. If your interested, look at my Signature or my Web link to my Yoyogames account. It's really a hasel to overcome Gm's limited interactive abilities but I also kinda find it satisfying.

One of my biggest problems I've had to overcome would be the input box. I think like all of my apps rely on a input box so. At first I just used the get_string command but that felt like it was taking away from the whole whole-program feeling. So I thought and experimented and finally programmed my own basic text box. The only draw back is that it does not have arrow key or mouse support (basically character insertion from anywhere).


I think GM also give the advantage of working on an amazing looking GUI, putting main focus on the graphics without having to know complicated coding. It definatly has the best/worst of both worlds but I know one thing for sure is that I probably would have never been able to create an app with any other kind of program.

The ONLY thing I do in Game Maker is applications (with the exception of Virtualife).

I create most of my computer viruses and stuff with GM.

um viruses

That's Luke. Relax, he knows not to make any viruses and give them out to members. He only uses them to learn from them and to attack his enemies.

He knows I'll have his head if he attacks anyone here...

Ok, for a minute there I started to regret downloading VirtuaLife.

XD VirtuaLife is a project I have hope for, I wouldn't screw things up, especially with a virus.

You've unleashed multiple viruses on your own system and had a complete crash. >.>

I'm glad you learned your lesson.