3.5 Creating Complete Projects

Planning Your Project

Before you start coding, it's important to plan your project. Good planning makes the development process smoother and helps you stay organized.

1. Define Your Project

• What will your project do? (Game, story, animation, etc.)
• Who is your target audience?
• Why are you creating this project?

2. Break It Down

Divide your project into smaller, manageable parts. For example, a simple game might include:

• Player controls
• Scoring system
• Win/lose conditions
• Visual effects
• Sound effects

3. Create a Storyboard

Sketch out the main screens and interactions in your project. This helps visualize the user experience.

Structuring Your Project

1. Organize Your Sprites

• Give your sprites clear, descriptive names
• Group related sprites together using folders (in Scratch 3.0+)
• Use costumes effectively for animations

2. Use Broadcasts for Communication

Broadcasts allow different sprites to communicate with each other:

// In one sprite:
when this sprite clicked
broadcast [game start v]

// In another sprite:
when I receive [game start v]
show
start sound [game music v]

3. Create Custom Blocks

For complex behaviors, create custom blocks to keep your code organized:

define jump (height)
repeat (height)
    change y by (2)
end
repeat (height)
    change y by (-2)
end

// Then use it:
when [space v] key pressed
jump (10)

Project Ideas

Debugging Your Project

Even experienced programmers make mistakes. Here's how to find and fix issues:

1. Common Issues

• Sprites not moving? Check if their x/y positions are changing
• Events not triggering? Verify the event blocks match
• Variables not updating? Look for where they're being changed

2. Debugging Techniques

• Use say [ ] for (1) seconds to display variable values
• Add comments to explain complex code sections
• Test small parts of your code separately
• Take breaks if you're stuck - fresh eyes help!

Sharing Your Project

Once your project is complete, share it with others!

1. On Scratch

1. Create a free account at scratch.mit.edu
2. Click "Share" in the top-right corner
3. Add a title, instructions, and notes
4. Click "Share" to make it public

2. Exporting Your Project

To save a copy on your computer:

1. Click "File" in the top-left corner
2. Select "Save to your computer"
3. Choose a location and name your file (it will save with a .sb3 extension)