25/10/2011 - Progress: Programming language and initial tests.

One of the main concerns with carrying out this project is having to learn a new programming language in a short space of time.

I attempted this last year with my previous project. I planned to build and program the interface in Visual Basic which I had never used before. I started researching and practicing with Visual Basic at the beginning of the project hoping this would give me time to become familiar and confident with the language. However this was not the case. I had underestimated just how much work would be required in learning a new language to achieve what I had planned. This did not have a major detrimental effect on the project as I had a good contingency plan in place.

I do not have the option of resorting to a different interface platform for this project which means that if I cannot program in C# then I will not be able to do my project.

As part of good project management practice this risk has been assessed and mitigation plans have been put in place. It is expected the actual programming aspect of the project will not take place until the second semester. In the mean time I am required to build a game as part of the Creative Computing unit. To build on my knowledge of C# programming I have decided to build my game using this programming language.

It is hoped this will provide me with enough real-world problems and issues to resolve using C# and should stand me in good stead for implementing my main project using this language.

Testing: I have downloaded the drivers and software for running and programming the Kinect. There have been no connectivity issues and all software has installed correctly. The installation came with a demo game. This has been studied to get an idea of folder structures and hierarchies within the game - i.e. graphic elements, sounds, code, methods etc. It has also provided much needed insight in to how much work is required for what is quite a simple game. In viewing this demo it is clear that a vast amount of programming will be required to implement a basic game. Also, as the game interface will be a NUI great emphasis will be placed on the HCI aspects and subsequently the graphics for the interface and the game itself. This aspect of the design stage will require a considerable amount of work and will also take a good deal of time. This must be factored into the project plan and adequate time set aside for this task.