It goes against the grain of modern education to teach children to program. What fun is there in making plans, acquiring discipline in organizing thoughts, devoting attention to detail and learning to be self-critical? -- Alan Perlis

Programmers Anonymous

Programmers Anonymous is an informal support group for beginning programmers, using game programming as a source for interesting algorithms and applications. No experience necessary. Participant need driven, and the first person with a question gets priority attention. Anyone at any age is welcome, unless we run out of space. Regular attendance not required, no cost.

(Foxtrot by Bill Amend)

Currently a few of us are learning how to get things done with BlitzBasic and Blitz3D, a procedural language, and Java and C++, both object oriented programming (OOP) languages.

Text and software for the Blitz language: "Game Programming for Teens", second edition, Manseesh Sethi. The book includes everything needed, particularly a program interpreter and function library (called "BlitzBasic") with examples. The hybrid Basic/C style language ("Blitz") and built-in functions are designed to make game-like programs short and easy, while retaining fully general programming capabilities. MS Windows operating system environment.

Meetings are usually on Fridays at 6:00 pm, Straub Hall, Brain Development Lab
All are welcome. About 1-1/2 hours, punctuality not required. Contact Mark Dow at dow@uoregon.edu for more information. See below for directions to our meeting room.

Alice

Alice is a free and open source^[1] object-oriented educational programming language with an associated development environment (IDE). It is developed over Java. Alice uses a drag and drop environment to create computer animations using 3D models.

 

BlitzMax, cross platform Blitz IDE

Polygonal mesh (3-D surface object) creation and editing

Blender (free, creation and editing, export to .3ds format for Blitz3D)

Blender is the free open source 3D content creation suite: model, shade, animate, render, composite, interactive 3D

Google SketchUp

Google SketchUp is free software that you can use to create, modify and share 3D models, easier to learn than some other 3D modeling programs.

Java resources

Java source code from our meetings

C++ resources

C++ source code from out meetings

Blitz Basic resources

Blitz source code from our meetings

PA people games and sites:

Frances Konyn's Screen Art V2 and other programs

Griffin and Jacob projects

Interesting games, game source code, and game programming resources

Articles and blogs related to programming

Information and communication technology (ICT) references

 

Directions:

From 18th take University Ave. onto the U of O campus, right on E. 15th to15th and Onyx intersection. The Brain Develoment Lab is on the south side of Straub Hall ground-floor door. See map below. Knock on the single door on the south side of Straub, on 15th Ave. Metered parking is free after 6:00.