Java Reference
In-Depth Information
C H A P T E R 11
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Pulling It All Together:
Clown Cannon
Throughout this topic I have presented techniques and examples in isolation so that you can examine
details of the implementation. They represent the experience that I have gained from trial and error
when working with JavaFX. But an application is more than just the sum of its features and effects, which
is why, in this chapter, we will explore an entire application from start to finish. We will look at the
design process, the workflow, and the implementation of an example application.
Design Phase
I wanted to find a way to bring the examples in this topic together, and I thought an example application
would do the job. While some of the techniques in this topic could be used in many different types of
applications, a game is the only application where it makes sense to use all of them. It seemed each
chapter could add something to a game that contributed to specific design goals: Physics, for example,
quickly creates compelling game play. Animated lighting gives a unique and interesting look to a game.
What about animated gradients? There must be some use for them in a game.
Game Design
So I followed my own advice from Chapter 1 and opened up Adobe Illustrator and started designing a
game from scratch. My goal was to use as many examples from the topic as I could without it seeming
contrived, but upon reflection I gave up worrying about that. Let me present to you Clown Cannon, a
game where the goal is to fire a clown out of a cannon and into a bucket of water. Figures 11-1 and 11-2
show the initial design concept.
In Figure 11-1 a very simple start screen is described with a thematic background, a title, and two
buttons. The four notes are self-explanatory. But I want to point out that the use of transitions is nearly
identical to the case presented in Chapter 3—using transitions to move from one screen to another.
