Main menu Screen

A menu system consists of different set of states like main menu, options, and help. In this tutorial we are going to discuss about using three main states. Start, Game, Exit.

For the Game state you need to add some images to show the user inputs.

You can add those files in to the content folder.

Then you are able to write a code to create a menu system in a XNA game.

In the Game1.cs file initialize these variables.

KeyboardState mykeyboardstate;

//create a keyboardstate  object to get the state of the keyboard

 MouseState mymousesatate;//get the state of the mouse

 SpriteFont myfont;//add spite batch and spite font as explained in tutorial 01-hello world

Texture2D mytexture, mytexture2;//creating texture object

float Position = 0.0f;//initializing up down position

float Position2 = 0.0f;//initializing left right position

float mousex = 0.0f;//initilizing mousex position 

float mousey = 0.0f;//initializing mousey position

Using enum we can define the different game states.Then we sets the initial stage as start state.

enum Mygamemode

        {

            start,

            game,

            exit

        }  //define game modes start,game,exit

Mygamemode mygame = Mygamemode.start;//assign start mode as initial mode

Now in the LoadContent() method write code to load the assest

Window.Title = "Using menu system";

myspitebatch = new SpriteBatch(graphics.GraphicsDevice);//setting spite batch for graphic device

 myfont = Content.Load<SpriteFont>("Arial"); //loading font

mytexture = Content.Load<Texture2D>("pic");//loding image

 mytexture2 = Content.Load<Texture2D>("cursor");//loding cursor image

Then in the Update() method you can chack for keyboard and mouse inputs.

mykeyboardstate = Keyboard.GetState();//capturing the state

 mymousesatate = Mouse.GetState();//capturing mouse state

mousex = (float)mymousesatate.X;//getting the x position of the mouse

 mousey = (float)mymousesatate.Y;//getting the y position of the mouse

// Move 400 pixels each second

 float moveFactorPerSecond = 80 *

                (float)gameTime.ElapsedRealTime.TotalMilliseconds / 1000.0f;

//chage the position according to the key pressed up,down,left,right

if (mykeyboardstate.IsKeyDown(Keys.Up))

                Position -= moveFactorPerSecond;

if (mykeyboardstate.IsKeyDown(Keys.Down))

                Position += moveFactorPerSecond;

 if (mykeyboardstate.IsKeyDown(Keys.Left))

                Position2 -= moveFactorPerSecond;

 if (mykeyboardstate.IsKeyDown(Keys.Right))

                Position2 += moveFactorPerSecond;

In the Draw () method you can see the Changes by drawing the images.

 if (mygame == Mygamemode.start) //chack whether you are in the start mode

  {

 myspitebatch.Begin();

 myspitebatch.DrawString(myfont, "Welcome to the demo ", new Vector2(30.0f, 30.0f), Color.YellowGreen);

myspitebatch.DrawString(myfont, "Press Enter to continue..... ", new Vector2(30.0f, 80.0f), Color.YellowGreen);

                myspitebatch.End();

  if (mykeyboardstate.IsKeyDown(Keys.Enter))//chack whather user press enter key while he/she in the start mode

 mygame = Mygamemode.game;  //if(true) assign game mode

  }

if (mygame == Mygamemode.game)//chack whether you are in the game mode

 {

  myspitebatch.Begin();//start process

 Vector2 position = new Vector2(200.0f + (int)Position2, 200.0f + ((int)Position));

//setting position with variables (Position1) and (Position2)

  //those variables change the position of the image according to the key pressing

myspitebatch.Draw(mytexture, position, Color.White);//drawing the image

  myspitebatch.DrawString(myfont, "Use Arrowkeys to move the image&use mouse to point", new Vector2(10.0f, 10.0f), Color.Gold);//drawing text on the screan

myspitebatch.DrawString(myfont, "Use Esc to exit demo", new Vector2(10.0f, 30.0f), Color.Gold);//drawing text on the screan

 myspitebatch.Draw(mytexture2, new Vector2(mousex, mousey), Color.White);

//drawing the cursor image, acording to the mouse position

                myspitebatch.End();//end process

 if (mykeyboardstate.IsKeyDown(Keys.Escape))//chack whather user press escape key while he/she in the start mode

  mygame = Mygamemode.exit;      //if(true) assign exit mode

 }

 if (mygame == Mygamemode.exit) //chack whether you are in the exit mode

 {

                myspitebatch.Begin();

   myspitebatch.DrawString(myfont, "Goodbuy from the demo ", new Vector2(30.0f, 30.0f), Color.YellowGreen);

 myspitebatch.DrawString(myfont, "Press Q to exit..... ", new Vector2(30.0f, 80.0f), Color.YellowGreen);

 myspitebatch.End();

  if (mykeyboardstate.IsKeyDown(Keys.Q))//chack whather user press enter key while he/she in the start mode

   this.Exit();          //if(true) assign game mode

}

Now you can run the project by pressing F5 or by clicking the ‘run’ button.

Final code of Game1.cs

/*

 content created by -uditha sampath bandara

 udithamail@yahoo.com

 uditha.wordpress.com

*/

using System;

using System.Collections.Generic;

using System.Linq;

using Microsoft.Xna.Framework;

using Microsoft.Xna.Framework.Audio;

using Microsoft.Xna.Framework.Content;

using Microsoft.Xna.Framework.GamerServices;

using Microsoft.Xna.Framework.Graphics;

using Microsoft.Xna.Framework.Input;

using Microsoft.Xna.Framework.Media;

using Microsoft.Xna.Framework.Net;

using Microsoft.Xna.Framework.Storage;

namespace menu_example

{

    /// <summary>

    /// This is the main type for your game

    /// </summary>

    public class Game1 : Microsoft.Xna.Framework.Game

    {

        GraphicsDeviceManager graphics;

        SpriteBatch spriteBatch;

        KeyboardState mykeyboardstate;//create a keyboardstate  object to get the state of the keyboard

        MouseState mymousesatate;//get the state of the mouse

        SpriteBatch myspitebatch;

        SpriteFont myfont;//add spite batch and spite font as explained in tutorial 01-hello world

        Texture2D mytexture, mytexture2;//creating texture object

        float Position = 0.0f;//initializing up down position

        float Position2 = 0.0f;//initializing left right position

        float mousex = 0.0f;//initilizing mousex position 

        float mousey = 0.0f;//initializing mousey position

        enum Mygamemode

        {

            start,

            game,

            exit

        }  //define game modes start,game,exit

        Mygamemode mygame = Mygamemode.start;//assign start mode as initial mode

        public Game1()

        {

            graphics = new GraphicsDeviceManager(this);

            Content.RootDirectory = "Content";

        }

        /// <summary>

        /// Allows the game to perform any initialization it needs to before starting to run.

        /// This is where it can query for any required services and load any non-graphic

        /// related content.  Calling base.Initialize will enumerate through any components

        /// and initialize them as well.

        /// </summary>

        protected override void Initialize()

        {

            // TODO: Add your initialization logic here

            base.Initialize();

        }

        /// <summary>

        /// LoadContent will be called once per game and is the place to load

        /// all of your content.

        /// </summary>

        protected override void LoadContent()

        {

            // Create a new SpriteBatch, which can be used to draw textures.

            spriteBatch = new SpriteBatch(GraphicsDevice);

            Window.Title = "Using menu system";

            myspitebatch = new SpriteBatch(graphics.GraphicsDevice);//setting spite batch for graphic device

                myfont = Content.Load<SpriteFont>("Arial"); //loading font

                mytexture = Content.Load<Texture2D>("pic");//loding image

                mytexture2 = Content.Load<Texture2D>("cursor");//loding cursor image

        }

        /// <summary>

        /// UnloadContent will be called once per game and is the place to unload

        /// all content.

        /// </summary>

        protected override void UnloadContent()

        {

        }

        /// <summary>

        /// Allows the game to run logic such as updating the world,

        /// checking for collisions, gathering input, and playing audio.

        /// </summary>

        /// <param name="gameTime">Provides a snapshot of timing values.</param>

        protected override void Update(GameTime gameTime)

        {

            // Allows the game to exit

            if (GamePad.GetState(PlayerIndex.One).Buttons.Back == ButtonState.Pressed)

                this.Exit();

            mykeyboardstate = Keyboard.GetState();//capturing the state

            mymousesatate = Mouse.GetState();//capturing mouse state

            mousex = (float)mymousesatate.X;//getting the x position of the mouse

            mousey = (float)mymousesatate.Y;//getting the y position of the mouse

            // Move 400 pixels each second

            float moveFactorPerSecond = 80 *

                (float)gameTime.ElapsedRealTime.TotalMilliseconds / 1000.0f;

            //chage the position according to the key pressed up,down,left,right

            if (mykeyboardstate.IsKeyDown(Keys.Up))

                Position -= moveFactorPerSecond;

            if (mykeyboardstate.IsKeyDown(Keys.Down))

                Position += moveFactorPerSecond;

            if (mykeyboardstate.IsKeyDown(Keys.Left))

                Position2 -= moveFactorPerSecond;

            if (mykeyboardstate.IsKeyDown(Keys.Right))

                Position2 += moveFactorPerSecond;

            base.Update(gameTime);

        }

        /// <summary>

        /// This is called when the game should draw itself.

        /// </summary>

        /// <param name="gameTime">Provides a snapshot of timing values.</param>

        protected override void Draw(GameTime gameTime)

        {

            GraphicsDevice.Clear(Color.Black);

            if (mygame == Mygamemode.start) //chack whether you are in the start mode

            {

                myspitebatch.Begin();

                myspitebatch.DrawString(myfont, "Welcome to the demo ", new Vector2(30.0f, 30.0f), Color.YellowGreen);

                myspitebatch.DrawString(myfont, "Press Enter to continue..... ", new Vector2(30.0f, 80.0f), Color.YellowGreen);

                myspitebatch.End();

                if (mykeyboardstate.IsKeyDown(Keys.Enter))//chack whather user press enter key while he/she in the start mode

                    mygame = Mygamemode.game;            //if(true) assign game mode

            }

            if (mygame == Mygamemode.game)//chack whether you are in the game mode

            {

                myspitebatch.Begin();//start process

                Vector2 position = new Vector2(200.0f + (int)Position2, 200.0f + ((int)Position));//setting position with variables (Position1) and (Position2)

                //those variables change the position of the image according to the key pressing

                myspitebatch.Draw(mytexture, position, Color.White);//drawing the image

                myspitebatch.DrawString(myfont, "Use Arrowkeys to move the image&use mouse to point", new Vector2(10.0f, 10.0f), Color.Gold);//drawing text on the screan

                myspitebatch.DrawString(myfont, "Use Esc to exit demo", new Vector2(10.0f, 30.0f), Color.Gold);//drawing text on the screan

                myspitebatch.Draw(mytexture2, new Vector2(mousex, mousey), Color.White);

                //drawing the cursor image, acording to the mouse position

                myspitebatch.End();//end process

                if (mykeyboardstate.IsKeyDown(Keys.Escape))//chack whather user press escape key while he/she in the start mode

                    mygame = Mygamemode.exit;      //if(true) assign exit mode

            }

            if (mygame == Mygamemode.exit) //chack whether you are in the exit mode

            {

                myspitebatch.Begin();

                myspitebatch.DrawString(myfont, "Goodbuy from the demo ", new Vector2(30.0f, 30.0f), Color.YellowGreen);

                myspitebatch.DrawString(myfont, "Press Q to exit..... ", new Vector2(30.0f, 80.0f), Color.YellowGreen);

                myspitebatch.End();

                if (mykeyboardstate.IsKeyDown(Keys.Q))//chack whather user press enter key while he/she in the start mode

                    this.Exit();          //if(true) assign game mode

            }

            base.Draw(gameTime);

        }

    }

}

This is the end of creating a Menu system in a PC game tutorial.

Also source project is attached with this article. http://digit.lk/files/GameDev-menu_example.rar

Form the next tutorial you`ll learn about working with MP3 music files in a XNA game.

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