Xcode 4 Template Documentation
UPDATE:
You can get the Xcode 4 Template Documentation here!
The Xcode 4 Template Documentation has grown to nearly 40 pages (PDF) now, with only a few images and just reference material. The reference materials are nearly complete, including placeholders, variables and explanations for the use of every key available for Xcode 4 templates and a FAQ section. I still have to add the step-by-step tutorials (including example templates) for creating your own File Templates and Project Templates, and final proof reading and corrections.
Because the Xcode 4 Template Documentation has grown so big and I’ve already invested 50+ hours in it I want to try an experiment to see if creating documentation at this level of detail is sustainable. I’ll charge a small fee for access to the document, the standard price will be $15 and I’ll start selling it at an introductory price for a short period of time.
If this works out well in terms of revenue vs time investment I will likely offer more such in-depth documentation in the future. I was thinking that 50+ sales per month at $15 is a reasonable goal, and at this rate it would certainly be a welcome incentive for writing more documentation - next to me being generally inquisitive and interested in digesting challenging and diverse subjects.
I think the success of my book also ought to tell me that I can provide such in-depth treatments of game development topics. There’s certainly a lot of need for documentation on Cocos2D in general, but also there’s a big gap in general between what online documentation and tutorials offer (which often are only written for absolute beginners and/or to capture search engine traffic) versus the need of developers to learn more about a challenging niche subject in detail, including hard facts, recommendations, tips and tricks.
Cocos2D Podcast: coming soon …
Mohammad Azam aka @azamsharp recently approached me with the idea of creating a Cocos2D Podcast series. Azam has a lot of experience with creating podcasts and screencasts for the .NET crowd, and he has been a Cocos2D developer for about 6 months now with 4 kids apps already published to the App Store.
Two weeks ago we had a first dry run using Skype and liked the results, so we’re ready to record our first podcast this weekend if nothing gets in the way. I’m excited to try and see where we can take the Cocos2D Podcast and how you will like it.
The first podcast will be an introduction about ourselves and how we ended up working with Cocos2D, before we move on to trending topics in the Cocos2D space. If you have a suggestion for what we should discuss, or if you have a particular question that you like to get answered, please let me know (write a comment).
An apology
Lastly I wanted to apologize for missing last week’s update and not having much to report on this week. I was sick with a bad cold for the last ~10 days so nothing much happened in terms of Kobold2D or the Xcode 4 Template documentation. I’m still working on both of course.
I’m also responding to fewer and fewer emails, comments and forum posts as I’m getting swamped with them while spending a lot of time on other tasks. I realized I have to face the fact that as I gain popularity (much of it thanks to my book) I can no longer tend to everyone. Instead I’ll focus on listening in and providing value for a greater number of developers rather than responding to individual request. I’m sorry and I hope you understand.
