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Acmlm's Board - I2 Archive - Programming - Looking for editor help | | | |
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Dish Spiny Level: 38 Posts: 428/596 EXP: 355646 For next: 14801 Since: 03-15-04 From: Disch Since last post: 18 days Last activity: 18 days |
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Quite frankly -- I hate making editors. The 'making editor' portions of my game projects seem to always kill all my motivation, and eventually the project. I'm actually taking a break from my main game project (which, suprise suprise, is in the editor developing phase) to do a simpler game project. I'm keeping it very simplistic -- only thing I need an editor for is maps. SO! I'd like to request aid in the form of a map editor! Any language will do (even VB!) The map format is painfully simple: - Only one layer -- no multi-layered maps - No tile animaion - Tiles are 16x16 pixels, completely opaque -- no transparencies - Tile ID is 8-bits -- only 256 tiles can be on a map - Maps can have configurable width/height (no less than 20x15 tiles -- limit within reason -- I doubt it will get very large though) - the "tileset" is nothing more than a 256x256 bitmap -- each 16x16 pixel block is a tile ID number. There are no further properties that need to be edited for the tiles. - Map compressed with a simple RLE method. I can provide the compression/decompression code if you really want (assuming C/C++) -- or I can explain it if you want to do it yourself (it's very simple) - Misc objects will be placed on map -- each object only needs 3 things: ID number, X coord, Y coord. No further properties need to be edited for those objects. - Number of objects on the map needs to be configurable - The player doesn't count as an object -- so the player also has a starting point in the map (just X,Y position) - Graphics for each object don't have to be in the editor. If you want you can just put a star, or some other indicator at the location of each object. That's all. I'm not picky about how the editor works as long as it works. I don't even care what it's written in as long as it's not a pain to use. This doesn't have to be a commercial grade editor -- it doesn't even have to be user friendly. Further details and the actual detailed map file format will be posted on request if anyone is interested in taking up this project. There is no reward or anything for making the editor. All you get is the satisfaction of knowing you contributed to a moderately entertaining game, and my eternal gratitude. Due to this project being very simple, it has a full head of steam -- contrary to some of my other projects I see this one actually being completed in the semi-near future -- and not just fizzling out. So you can be pretty confident that your editor will be put to good use and won't be a complete waste of your time -- however I am moving halfway across the country soon, so there might be a decent sized pause in my activity in the near future. The editor may or may not be publically available -- it's completely your call. The game will be open sourced on completion and will be free. I'm leaning towards mashing together all the individual map files into one big file for all the maps for the final release of the game -- but I'd prefer individual files (1 file = 1 map) for the developing phase. It's easier on the editor and it's easier for making/editing the levels -- so it's possible your editor may not be operable on the final release of the game unless you tweak it. I have a small demo up and running, but I'd rather not show it here due to it being less than impressive. There's no animation (outside of the player moving and the screen scrolling), and no objects on the map -- and no sound -- however I have the player moving about the map and all the wall collision and crap working perfectly (which actually is the hardest part -- the rest will flow like wine for me). If you're interested in making the editor but are unsure and seeing the demo may sway you -- I can slip you a copy. I'm not interested in adding anything to the map other than what I specified. If you have further ideas on the game, that's great, but I likely won't be interested. I'm restraining myself on this project and keeping things simple -- further ideas just complicate things, and once you add one thing you think of another thing and then you have all these ideas and I have to redo all the code I did. If you'd only be interested in making the editor if you have some say-so of how the maps operated -- then you probably aren't interested. To be frank... it's "my way or no way" when it comes to how this particular game works. At least for now -- in the future I might be open to suggestions (but then again I may not). That's it! If you have further questions, or have any interest at all -- please reply. I'd really love to avoid making an editor if possible (I hate making editors). Any help appreciated! Thank you for your time. EDIT ---- The file format:
Tileset ID will load a file "ts_xx.bmp" where 'xx' is the hex value of the ID. So an ID of $05 will load "ts_05.bmp" for its tile graphics. ANOTHER EDIT!!!!! Just realized I'll need additional info for some of the objects I have in mind -- so I added a 16-bit var to the objects section. (edited by Disch on 06-10-05 12:37 PM) (edited by Disch on 06-10-05 01:08 PM) (edited by Disch on 06-10-05 01:11 PM) (edited by Disch on 06-10-05 02:36 PM) (edited by Disch on 06-11-05 11:17 AM) |
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dan Snap Dragon Level: 43 Posts: 607/782 EXP: 534516 For next: 30530 Since: 03-15-04 Since last post: 20 hours Last activity: 14 hours |
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I am interested in making an editor for you. It should be relatively easy. Do you have any sample files/tilesets, as that would make the whole thing a lot easier. (edited by dan on 06-10-05 11:24 PM) |
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Dish Spiny Level: 38 Posts: 429/596 EXP: 355646 For next: 14801 Since: 03-15-04 From: Disch Since last post: 18 days Last activity: 18 days |
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http://www.geocities.com/disch_/TestLevel.zip The test level, the tileset it uses, and a png with how the result should look (with a cute little mouse to indicate where the player starts) Nothing in the map is compressed since I made it in a hex editor -- so hopefully an editor would shrink the file after loading and saving. Also --- after I posted this, jman on IRC said he was interested as well -- I believe he already started working on it (he said he'd have something by the end of today). So I might not need you. I'll meet up with him as soon as I can and make sure he's really doing something -- then I'll get back to ya. Thanks ^^ |
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