[Guide] How to make "Pong"

[Murdok]

This guide will show you how to make a simple pong game and I will add some features to make it a bit more advanced at the end.

This is in Visual Basic 6

So first we need to create the form so we will need

Form Size:

Width = 7545
Height = 5295

This is quite important because we need to check if the ball passes a certain point so if you have different Height and Width then you will need to change the code a bit later on

Actually I will add a form to download with no code just to make it easier

DOWNLOAD

MEGAUPLOAD - The leading online storage and file delivery service

3 shapes:

2 rectangles called
Paddle1
paddle2

1 circle call this
Ball

2 Labels
1 called LBLp1Score
1 called LBLp2Score

the rest of the form can be designed by you mine looks like:



But for now ignore the bottom but with the level and the time.

So after we design the form we start coding

First we will start with the global variables

Option Explicit
Dim Horizontal As Integer
Dim Vertical As Integer
Dim nStep As Long

These are used to make the ball move we will be using these very soon

Ok now we need to make a Timer, I just left mine being Called Timer1 but you can call it something more relevant,

Ok now in the "Form Load" put:

   Horizontal = 1
   Vertical = -1
   nStep = 40

These just add values to the variables,

Horizontal = 1 'This controls the speed of the ball moving left to right
Vertical = -1 'This controls the speed of the ball moving up and down
nStep = 40 'This controls how may spaces it moves each time

these values can be changed if you want but the way there set now makes it look a lot smoother.

Ok now back into the Timer1 we need to set:

interval to 5
Enabled to true

and now start to add the code for Timer1

Dim x As Integer

This is just for a message box later in the code i use X but you can use what ever

Next we do:

   ball.Left = ball.Left + (nStep * Horizontal)
   ball.Top = ball.Top + (nStep * Vertical)

This makes the ball start moving but it will just go through the wall and carry on going so we also need to add an if statement to make it change direction on collision with the walls

to do this we add

   If ball.Left <= 0 Or ball.Left + ball.Width >= Me.ScaleWidth Then
      Horizontal = Horizontal * -1
   End If
   
   
   If ball.Top <= 0 Or (ball.Top + ball.Height) >= Me.ScaleHeight Then
      Vertical = Vertical * -1
   End If

this just says if the ball touches the wall then change the direction the ball is going

There is one other thing we need to bounce the ball off when it comes in contact with it and that is the paddles

So also in the timer we add:

   If ball.Top >= Paddle1.Top And _
      ball.Top <= Paddle1.Top + Paddle1.Height And _
      ball.Left <= Paddle1.Left + Paddle1.Width Then
      Horizontal = Horizontal * -1
   End If
   
   
   If ball.Top >= paddle2.Top And _
      ball.Top <= paddle2.Top + paddle2.Height And _
      ball.Left + ball.Width >= paddle2.Left + paddle2.Width Then
      Horizontal = Horizontal * -1
   End If

These two If statements are the same just for the two different paddles so lets have a look at the code

If ball.Top >= Paddle1.Top And _
ball.Top <= Paddle1.Top + Paddle1.Height And _
ball.Left <= Paddle1.Left + Paddle1.Width

This just says if the ball .Top AND .Left is ever the same as the Paddle to execute the if statement

Horizontal = Horizontal * -1
End If

This is the executed bit which we have seen before it just changes the direction of the ball after its hit the paddle

The next part in the Timer is for score keeping and detecting if the ball ever passes the paddle

   If ball.Left < 100 Then
    x = MsgBox("Player 2 Scores!!", vbOKOnly, "Score!")
    Paddle1.Top = 1560
    ball.Left = 3480
    LBLp2score.Caption = LBLp2score.Caption + 1
    ElseIf ball.Left > 7000 Then
    x = MsgBox("Player 1 Scores!!", vbOKOnly, "Score!")
    paddle2.Top = 1800
    ball.Left = 3480
    LBLp1score.Caption = LBLp1score.Caption + 1
   End If

Ok so lets take a little llook at the code:

If ball.Left < 100 Then

Oviously just checks if the Ball.Left is left that 100 and if it is execute the rest of the code

x = MsgBox("Player 2 Scores!!", vbOKOnly, "Score!")

Just tells the user that player 2 has scored and also change the X to what you used at the start of the timer if you used a different one

Paddle1.Top = 1560
ball.Left = 3480

This just resets the ball to a place around the middle

LBLp2score.Caption = LBLp2score.Caption + 1

This just adds 1 to the player2s score label

k Now we also need to do it for player one so we can either do it at an other if or just use Elseif

ElseIf ball.Left > 7000 Then

Same as the begining of the first if but just checks if its greater than 7000

The rest is just the same as the first if just for player1 and paddle1

ok were almost done just 1 last things and you should be able to play a basic pong game

Click on the form so you get your form load up then where it says "Load we need to change it to Key down

and in that we need to add

   If KeyCode = vbKeyZ Then
      Paddle1.Top = Paddle1.Top + 450
      
   ElseIf KeyCode = vbKeyA Then
      Paddle1.Top = Paddle1.Top - 450
      
   ElseIf KeyCode = vbKeyUp Then
      paddle2.Top = paddle2.Top - 450
      
   ElseIf KeyCode = vbKeyDown Then
      paddle2.Top = paddle2.Top + 450

If KeyCode = vbKeyZ Then
Paddle1.Top = Paddle1.Top + 450

this just says if the key a is press move the paddle 450 spaces up

and the same but down for z

so now we can move the paddles player1 uses A and Z and Player2 uses Up and Down

ok thats all for now i will be adding a few more features like stopping after 5 goals and levels

any problems ask:

[suicidity]

This is actually my source, I made this a long time ago for fun.

Never really cleaned up the source, but it works just fine.

Public Class main

    Public Declare Function GetAsyncKeyState Lib "user32" (ByVal vKey As Integer) As Short

    Dim plus_x As Double
    Dim plus_y As Double
    Dim direction_x As Integer

    Dim rand = New Random()

    Dim pong_x As Integer
    Dim pong_y As Integer
    Dim difference As Integer

    Dim score_l As Integer
    Dim score_r As Integer

    Dim m_BufferBitmap = New Bitmap(Me.Width * 2, Me.Height, Me.CreateGraphics())
    Dim m_BufferGraphics = Graphics.FromImage(m_BufferBitmap)


    Public Sub updatepong()
        ball.Left += plus_x * direction_x
        ball.Top += plus_y
    End Sub

    Public Sub detection()
        ' bounding hit detection
        If ball.Right + Me.Left < Me.Left Then
            score_r += 1
            Sound.PlaySound("fail", Sound.SND_FILENAME, 0)
            reset()
        End If
        If ball.Left + Me.Left > Me.Right Then
            score_l += 1
            Sound.PlaySound("fail", Sound.SND_FILENAME, 0)
            reset()
        End If
        If ball.Top + Me.Top < Me.Top Or ball.Bottom + Me.Top > Me.Bottom Then
            plus_y *= -1
            ball.Top += plus_y
        End If
        ' player one hit detection
        If ball.Right > player_one.Left And ball.Top + 7 > player_one.Top And ball.Bottom - 7 < player_one.Bottom And ball.Left < player_one.Right Then
            direction_x = -1
            plus_x += 0.4
            difference = ball.Top - (player_one.Top + (player_one.Height / 2))
            plus_y = (Math.Atan(difference)) * 1.5
            updatepong()
        End If
        ' player two hit detection
        If ball.Left < player_two.Right And ball.Top + 7 > player_two.Top And ball.Bottom - 7 < player_two.Bottom And ball.Right > player_two.Left Then
            direction_x = 1
            plus_x += 0.4
            difference = ball.Top - (player_two.Top + (player_two.Height / 2))
            plus_y = (Math.Atan(difference)) * 1.5
            updatepong()
        End If
    End Sub

    Public Sub control()
        ' controls players
        If GetAsyncKeyState(Keys.L) <> 0 And player_one.Bottom + Me.Top <= Me.Bottom Then
            player_one.Top += 2 + (Math.Abs(plus_y) / 4)
        ElseIf GetAsyncKeyState(Keys.O) <> 0 And player_one.Top + Me.Top >= Me.Top Then
            player_one.Top -= 2 + (Math.Abs(plus_y) / 4)
        End If

        If GetAsyncKeyState(Keys.A) <> 0 And player_two.Bottom + Me.Top <= Me.Bottom Then
            player_two.Top += 2 + (Math.Abs(plus_y) / 4)
        ElseIf GetAsyncKeyState(Keys.Q) <> 0 And player_two.Top + Me.Top >= Me.Top Then
            player_two.Top -= 2 + (Math.Abs(plus_y) / 4)
        End If
    End Sub

    Public Sub computer()
        ' controls computer
        If GetAsyncKeyState(Keys.A) = 0 And GetAsyncKeyState(Keys.Q) = 0 Then
            If ball.Left < (Me.Width / 2) And direction_x = -1 Then
                If player_two.Top + Me.Top >= Me.Top Or player_two.Bottom + Me.Top <= Me.Bottom Then
                    If ball.Bottom + 5 > player_two.Bottom Then
                        player_two.Top += 2 + (Math.Abs(plus_y) / 4)
                    ElseIf ball.Top - 5 < player_two.Top Then
                        player_two.Top -= 2 + (Math.Abs(plus_y) / 4)
                    End If
                Else
                    If ball.Top < player_two.Top Then
                        player_two.Top -= 2 + (Math.Abs(plus_y) / 4)
                    ElseIf ball.Bottom > player_two.Bottom Then
                        player_two.Top += 2 + (Math.Abs(plus_y) / 4)
                    End If
                End If
            ElseIf direction_x = 1 Then
                If player_two.Top + Me.Top + 29 < Me.Top + Me.Height / 2 Then
                    player_two.Top += 2 + (Math.Abs(plus_y) / 4)
                End If
                If player_two.Top + Me.Top + 29 > Me.Top + Me.Height / 2 Then
                    player_two.Top -= 2 + (Math.Abs(plus_y) / 4)
                End If
            End If
        End If
    End Sub

    Public Sub cheat()
        ' Clear the new bitmap.
        m_BufferGraphics.Clear(Me.BackColor)

        Dim ball_point As System.Drawing.Point
        Dim end_point As System.Drawing.Point

        Dim slope As Integer

        If plus_y = 0 Then
            slope = 0
        Else
            slope = plus_x / plus_y
        End If

        ball_point.X = ball.Location.X + Me.Location.X
        ball_point.Y = ball.Location.Y + Me.Location.Y
        If direction_x = 1 Then
            end_point.X = ball_point.X + (Math.Abs(slope) * 58)
            end_point.Y = ball_point.Y + (Math.Abs(slope) * 58)
        Else
            end_point.X = ball_point.X - (plus_x * 58)
            end_point.Y = ball_point.Y + (plus_y * 58)
        End If

        m_BufferGraphics.DrawLine(Pens.Blue, _
            Me.PointToClient(ball_point), _
            Me.PointToClient(end_point))

        DrawForm(Me.CreateGraphics())
    End Sub

    Public Sub reset()
        direction_x *= -1
        ball.Top = Me.Height / 2
        ball.Left = Me.Width / 2

        player_one.Top = Me.Height / 2 - 29
        player_two.Top = Me.Height / 2 - 29

        plus_x = 2
        plus_y = 0
    End Sub

    Private Sub main_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
        Dim screen_point As Point
        screen_point.X = (My.Computer.Screen.Bounds.Width / 2) - (Me.Width / 2)
        screen_point.Y = (My.Computer.Screen.Bounds.Height / 2) - (Me.Height / 2)
        Me.Location = screen_point

        direction_x = -1
        reset()
    End Sub

    Private Sub DrawForm(ByVal gr As Graphics)
        If Not (m_BufferBitmap Is Nothing) Then gr.DrawImage(m_BufferBitmap, 0, 0)
    End Sub

    Private Sub updateCall_Tick(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles updateCall.Tick
        pong_x = ball.Left + Me.Left
        pong_y = ball.Top + Me.Top

        score_left.Text = score_l
        score_right.Text = score_r

        control()
        detection()
        updatepong()
    End Sub

    Public Class Sound
        Declare Auto Function PlaySound Lib "winmm.dll" (ByVal name _
          As String, ByVal hmod As Integer, ByVal flags As Integer) As Integer

        Declare Auto Function PlaySound Lib "winmm.dll" (ByVal name _
          As Byte(), ByVal hmod As Integer, ByVal flags As Integer) As Integer

        Public Const SND_FILENAME = &H20000 ' name is file name 
    End Class

    Private Sub form_exit_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles form_exit.Click
        Me.Close()
    End Sub
End Class

It features directional hitting, scoring, a computer(forget how hard i made it), a test-scrap of my cheat that tells you where exactly the balls going, and it plays sounds when you fail and miss the ball.

[Murdok]

Nice, thought for a minute you said my code was yours

[suicidity]

Yeah I guess it would seem that way now reading it , but I figured I'd post to compare.

I just made mine when I was bored and was doing some tests with math and stuff.

[Murdok]

yeah its amazing at what you can make when your bored :P