Coding Fundamentals Overview

Before beginning this course, you should have basic knowledge of Highrise Studio, as demonstrated in Introduction to Studio.

Introduction

In this section, you will learn the basic concepts of coding and scripting in Highrise Studio. For detailed information on Lua scripting, refer to the Lua Scripting section. Understanding coding fundamentals is essential for creating interactive worlds, implementing game mechanics, and developing engaging experiences for players.

Lua Scripting

Lua serves as the primary scripting language for Highrise world development. It's lightweight, easy to learn, and powerful enough to handle complex game logic. Users can write Lua scripts to control various aspects of their worlds, including player interactions, environment behavior, and game mechanics.

Highrise Studio

Highrise Studio is the integrated development environment (IDE) where users design, build, and script their games. It provides a user-friendly interface for creating 3D environments, importing assets, and writing code. Within Highrise Studio, users can access a variety of tools and resources to bring their game ideas to life.

Objects and Instances

In Highrise, everything within a game world is represented as objects and instances. Objects are entities such as parts, models, and scripts, while instances are specific occurrences of those objects within the game. Users manipulate objects and instances through scripting to create interactive elements and gameplay mechanics.

Event Handling

Event handling is a fundamental concept in Highrise scripting. Users can define functions (callbacks) that are triggered in response to events such as player input, collisions, and time-based actions. By handling events effectively, developers can control the flow of gameplay and create dynamic experiences for players.

Properties and Methods

Objects in Highrise have properties and methods that can be accessed and manipulated through scripting. Properties represent characteristics of an object (e.g., size, position, color), while methods are functions that perform specific actions on the object (e.g., move, rotate, clone). Understanding how to work with properties and methods is essential for controlling the behavior of game elements.

Scripting API

Highrise provides a comprehensive scripting API (Application Programming Interface) that allows users to interact with the game engine and manipulate game objects programmatically. The API includes functions for tasks such as spawning objects, detecting collisions, controlling player movement, and managing game state.

Community Resources

In addition to official documentation and tutorials, Highrise has a vibrant community of developers who share resources, scripts, and tips for game creation. You can leverage Discord, forums, tutorials, and asset libraries to learn new techniques, troubleshoot issues, and collaborate with other creators.

Are you ready to dive into Lua scripting and create interactive worlds in Highrise Studio? Let's get started with the basics of coding! YouTube Series or Writing Your First Script. ⭐