The Molemash Is An Important Project To Work On As It Allows

The Molemash Is An Important Project To Work On As It Allows You To St

The MoleMash is an important project to work on as it allows you to start working with some of new functions and components that we haven’t explored yet. This includes working through images, random settings, allowing users to have control over timing, labels and other options.

Instructions: • If you haven’t already, log into the MIT App Inventor and download the AI2 Companion App if you have an Android device. If you don’t have access to an Android, you can use the online simulator. • Complete the MoleMash app as a starting point in MIT App Inventor and make sure it works correctly. You’ll now focus on customizing it as part of the assignment this week. • Once you have completed the tutorial from Chapter 3, it is now time to customize it by changing and altering the following: o Change the image that is used for the mole. o Add buttons to let the user make the mole move faster or slower. o Add a label to keep track of the number of times that the mole has moved. o Add a second ImageSprite with an image that the user should not hit. If the user touches it, the user should have their score reduced. o Change the color of the background (or use an image). o Change the font and text to make the app look more professional. o Use a new block of your choice to add some unique feature to the game.

CIS290 – Mobile Application Development MoleMash - Enhanced Requirements: • Submit a zipped file that contains all your apps that you’ve created. • Include screenshots to demonstrate what your app looks like.

Paper For Above instruction

The MoleMash game is a classic example utilized in mobile application development courses to introduce new functionalities and enhance user engagement. The core idea is to modify and extend this basic game, creating a more interactive and visually appealing application that demonstrates mastery over the development tools and concepts taught in CIS290 — Mobile Application Development.

Initially, the project requires logging into MIT App Inventor and familiarizing oneself with its interface. The first step involves ensuring that the basic MoleMash game functions correctly, which includes processing touches on a single sprite representing the mole, updating scores, and controlling the mole’s movement within the app. Once the baseline functionality is achieved, further customization begins to improve the user experience and introduce new features.

Customizing Visual Elements

One of the initial modifications entails changing the image used for the mole. Instead of the default sprite, a user can upload a more engaging or themed image aligned with the game's playful nature. Enhancing aesthetics can be further achieved by altering the background, either by changing the solid color or importing a thematic background image that enhances visual appeal.

Adding User Controls for Mole Speed

To add interactivity, buttons can be integrated to control the speed of the mole’s movement. For example, one button could increase the speed, making the game more challenging, while another could slow it down for a less intense experience. These controls involve adjusting timing variables within the blocks editor and provide users with a customizable challenge, elevating the standard game mechanics.

Tracking the Score with Labels

Incorporating a label to track the number of successful mole hits helps in motivating users and providing immediate feedback. Each successful hit increments the counter, which is displayed prominently. Additionally, a second label or indicator could be added to show penalties or reductions in score when the user erroneously hits the wrong sprites.

Introducing Additional Sprites and Penalties

A significant enhancement involves adding a second ImageSprite, which the player should avoid hitting. This sprite might represent a harmless object or obstacle; if touched, it reduces the score, thereby increasing the difficulty and strategic thinking. This requires detecting collisions between the user's touch and the sprite and implementing conditional logic to modify the score accordingly.

Enhancing Visual and Font Styles

Beyond functional improvements, aesthetic modifications such as changing the font style, size, and color of textual elements contribute to a more professional and polished app appearance. Similarly, styling the app background—either through a color palette or an image—helps in creating a cohesive and visually engaging interface.

Adding a Unique Feature

To make the game distinctive, a new feature could be included, such as a time limit indicator, special power-ups, or animated effects upon hitting the mole or obstacles. Using a custom block, for example, to trigger a special animation or sound effect when a certain score milestone is reached, can provide uniqueness and improve user engagement.

Submission Requirements

Finally, the project culminates with packaging all completed apps into a zipped file, including screenshots that demonstrate the app’s visual design and functionality changes. These deliverables showcase the student’s ability to modify and enhance a basic app creatively and technically, aligning with learning objectives of the course.

Conclusion

The MoleMash project exemplifies a fundamental development process of customizing and elevating app functionality. By integrating new visual components, controls, score tracking, obstacles, and stylistic improvements, students develop a comprehensive understanding of mobile app development tools and principles. These exercises foster creativity, technical skills, and aesthetic sensibility crucial for advancing in mobile application development.

References

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