Blitz3D Developer Hiring Guide

Hiring Guide for Blitz3D Engineers

Ask the right questions to secure the right Blitz3D talent among an increasingly shrinking pool of talent.

Blitz3D is a programming language developed for the creation of 3D and 2D games. It was designed to be simple and intuitive, making it accessible for beginners while still powerful enough for more experienced programmers. Blitz3D provides a comprehensive set of commands for handling graphics, sound, input devices, files and more. It supports Direct3D as well as DirectDraw rendering, allowing developers to create both 2D and 3D applications. The language itself is BASIC-like with additional features specifically tailored towards game development like collision detection or physics simulations.

First 20 minutes

General Blitz3D knowledge and experience

The next 20 minutes of the interview should attempt to focus more specifically on the development questions used, and the level of depth and skill the engineer possesses.

What is the purpose of the 'Graphics3D' command in Blitz3D?

The 'Graphics3D' command in Blitz3D is used to set the screen resolution and color depth for 3D graphics.

How would you handle errors in Blitz3D?

Blitz3D has a built-in error handling system. You can use the 'Try' and 'Catch' commands to handle errors.

Describe the difference between a Type and an Array in Blitz3D.

A Type in Blitz3D is a user-defined data structure that can contain multiple fields of different data types. An Array, on the other hand, is a collection of elements of the same data type.

What are the basic data types in Blitz3D?

The basic data types in Blitz3D are Integers, Floats, Strings, and Types (user-defined data types).

How would you initialize Blitz3D?

To initialize Blitz3D, you would first need to install the software and then use the command 'Graphics3D' to set the screen resolution and color depth.

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What youre looking for early-on

Does the candidate show a good understanding of the overall development process?

Understanding the bigger picture, not just their specific role, is important for a developer. This can help them work more effectively within the team and contribute to planning and strategy discussions.

Has the candidate demonstrated a willingness to learn and adapt?

Technology and development tools are constantly evolving. A good candidate should show a willingness to keep their skills up to date.

Does the candidate have experience with similar projects or tasks?

Previous experience with similar work can indicate that the candidate will be able to quickly adapt to the requirements of this role.

Is the candidate able to communicate effectively?

Communication is important in any role, but especially in development where they may need to explain complex concepts or issues to non-technical team members.

Has the candidate shown problem-solving abilities?

Problem-solving is a key skill for any developer. They should be able to demonstrate this through their responses to technical questions or scenarios.

Does the candidate have a solid understanding of Blitz3D?

This is crucial as the position is specifically for a Blitz3D developer. They should be able to demonstrate their knowledge and experience with this tool.

Next 20 minutes

Specific Blitz3D development questions

The next 20 minutes of the interview should attempt to focus more specifically on the development questions used, and the level of depth and skill the engineer possesses.

What are the steps to optimize a game's performance in Blitz3D?

To optimize a game's performance in Blitz3D, you can use techniques such as reducing the number of polygons in your 3D models, using lower resolution textures, and optimizing your code to reduce unnecessary calculations.

How would you implement collision detection in Blitz3D?

In Blitz3D, collision detection can be implemented using the 'Collisions' command, which sets the collision type for an object, and the 'EntityCollided' command, which checks if a collision has occurred.

Describe the difference between the 'LoadMesh' and 'CreateMesh' commands in Blitz3D.

'LoadMesh' is used to load a pre-existing 3D model from a file, while 'CreateMesh' is used to create a new, empty 3D mesh.

What are the key principles of game development in Blitz3D?

The key principles of game development in Blitz3D include understanding the Blitz3D language and syntax, mastering the use of 3D objects and animations, and knowing how to handle user input and game logic.

How would you create a 3D object in Blitz3D?

To create a 3D object in Blitz3D, you would use the 'CreateMesh' command, followed by the 'AddMesh' command to add vertices to the mesh.

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The ideal back-end app developer

What you’re looking to see on the Blitz3D engineer at this point.

A skilled Blitz3D engineer should demonstrate proficiency in 3D modeling and programming, troubleshooting skills, and familiarity with Blitz3D's unique features and syntax. Red flags would include lack of specific project experience, struggle with problem-solving, or inability to articulate technical processes.

Digging deeper

Code questions

These will help you see the candidate's real-world development capabilities with Blitz3D.

What does the following Blitz3D code do?

Graphics3D 800,600,32,2
SetBuffer BackBuffer()
Color 255,0,0
Text 100,100,"Hello, World!"
Flip
WaitKey

This code creates a 3D graphics window with a resolution of 800x600 and a color depth of 32 bits. It then sets the back buffer as the current drawing buffer, sets the drawing color to red, and draws the text 'Hello, World!' at the coordinates (100,100). After that, it displays the back buffer on the screen and waits for a key press.

What will be the output of the following Blitz3D code?

Dim myArray(5)
For i = 0 To 5
myArray(i) = i * 2
Next
Print myArray(3)

The output of this code will be '6'. The code declares an array of size 6, fills it with multiples of 2, and then prints the fourth element of the array, which is 6.

What does the following Blitz3D code do?

Type Player
Field name$
Field score
End Type

p = New Player
p\name$ = "John"
p\score = 100

This code defines a new type called 'Player' with two fields: 'name$' and 'score'. It then creates a new instance of 'Player', assigns the name 'John' to the 'name$' field and the score '100' to the 'score' field.

What does the following Blitz3D code do?

Global counter = 0

Function IncreaseCounter()
For i = 1 To 100
counter = counter + 1
Next
End Function

CreateThread IncreaseCounter
CreateThread IncreaseCounter
Print counter

This code creates a global variable 'counter' and a function 'IncreaseCounter' that increases 'counter' by 1 a hundred times. It then creates two threads that run 'IncreaseCounter' concurrently. The final 'Print' statement prints the value of 'counter'. However, due to the nature of threading, the exact final value of 'counter' is not deterministic.

What will be the output of the following Blitz3D code?

Type MyClass
Field a, b
Function Sum()
Return a + b
End Function
End Type

mc = New MyClass
mc\a = 5
mc\b = 7
Print mc\Sum()

The output of this code will be '12'. The code defines a class 'MyClass' with two fields 'a' and 'b' and a method 'Sum' that returns the sum of 'a' and 'b'. It then creates an instance of 'MyClass', assigns 5 to 'a' and 7 to 'b', and prints the result of the 'Sum' method, which is 12.

What does the following Blitz3D code do?

Type Node
Field value
Field left:Node
Field right:Node
End Type

root = New Node
root\value = 10
root\left = New Node
root\left\value = 5
root\right = New Node
root\right\value = 15

This code defines a 'Node' type for a binary tree, where each node has a 'value' and two children 'left' and 'right'. It then creates a root node with a value of 10, a left child with a value of 5, and a right child with a value of 15.

Wrap-up questions

Final candidate for Blitz3D role questions

The final few interview questions for a Blitz3D candidate should typically focus on a combination of technical skills, personal goals, growth potential, team dynamics, and company culture.

How would you implement artificial intelligence in a Blitz3D game?

Implementing artificial intelligence in a Blitz3D game would involve creating algorithms for character behavior, such as pathfinding, decision making, and learning from player actions. This could be done using a combination of built-in commands and custom code.

Describe the difference between 'FreeEntity' and 'DeleteEntity' commands in Blitz3D.

'FreeEntity' removes an entity from memory but does not delete it from the world, while 'DeleteEntity' removes an entity from both memory and the world.

What are the best practices for memory management in Blitz3D?

Best practices for memory management in Blitz3D include freeing up memory by using the 'FreeEntity' command when an object is no longer needed, and avoiding the creation of unnecessary objects.

How would you create a multiplayer game in Blitz3D?

To create a multiplayer game in Blitz3D, you would need to use the 'CreateServer' and 'CreateClient' commands to establish a network connection, and then use the 'SendNetMsg' and 'RecvNetMsg' commands to send and receive data between the server and clients.

Describe the difference between 'UpdateWorld' and 'RenderWorld' commands in Blitz3D.

'UpdateWorld' updates the state of all entities in the world, including their positions and animations, while 'RenderWorld' draws all visible entities to the screen.

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Blitz3D application related

Product Perfect's Blitz3D development capabilities

Beyond hiring for your Blitz3D engineering team, you may be in the market for additional help. Product Perfect provides seasoned expertise in Blitz3D projects, and can engage in multiple capacities.