Download and Setup Guide - ml-t2d/wiki-work GitHub Wiki

Introduction

Tau2D is aimed for anyone who wishes to take on the challenge of developing a game.

Binary Release

The most simple and easy way to get started with Tau2D is to download the latest binary release. This means that the download package already contains "Tau2D.exe" for use in Windows and "Tau2D.app" for use in OSX - no compiling step is needed. The binary release does contain the engine source as well, if at some point you do wish to make changes to the source code and need to recompile.

Source Access

There are a couple ways to get a copy of the engine's source code:

Working with a local copy

For a simple copy on your hard drive - where you also have no intention of sharing code or submitting pull requests - follow these steps:

  1. Visit the main code repository page on Github for Tau2D.
  2. Click the "Download ZIP" button in the lower section of the right sidebar.

Working with a fork and clone

The best way to work with the source is to fork a copy of the official repository and then clone a local copy of your fork to your hard drive. This not only gives you a server-side backup of your code changes, but also allows you to easily share bug fixes and new features with the rest of the Tau2D community.

  1. Visit the main code repository page and click on the fork button in the upper right corner.
  2. Change repositories from Tau2D/Tau2D to YourUserName/Tau2D.
  3. Using the free software "Github for Windows" or "Github for Mac", click on the "Clone in Desktop" button.
  4. Another free software possibility is using "SourceTree". After installing that software, consult the user guide for information on how to use your Github account and clone your repository.

Compiling the Source

Tau2D currently supports the following compilers:

  • Windows: Visual Studio (Express) 2010 and 2012 editions
  • OSX: Xcode

Visual Studio

  1. Within Visual Studio, open the solution file found in the Visual Studio 2010 or 2012 folder under engine/compilers.
  2. Depending on whether you want a debug build or release build, change the build in the drop down menu.
  3. From the something menu, select Build Solution.

Xcode

  1. After starting Xcode, open the Tau2D.xcodeproj file located under engine/compilers/xcode.
  2. Depending on whether you want a debug build or release build, check and/or change the scheme settings under Product->Scheme->Edit Scheme.
  3. From the Product menu, select Build.

Depending on your computer specs, compiling the source can take a few minutes. Afterwards you should have either an exe or app in your main Tau2D folder.