Level Editor

Tiling is fully integrated in the new version of the level editor. Tiles can be of any square size with nice zoom-in zoom-out functionnality. Next step is to create a video tutorial on how to use tiling within the level editor.

Sorry I don't post as often these last days, but my daily job is keeping so busy that when I come home I just want to sit and watch TV. I should get back into it during the next week.

Cheers all.

Tiling

I added the supports of tiles in the level editor which looks really nice. Tilling is available on all layer independantly. Tile format right now is square only based on 256 x 256 pixel put with a yummy auto-dectect spritesheet frame based on a left to right, top to bottom system. So this permits the user to create tiles 256x 256 pixel but he may put has many frame on the spritesheet that he wants and the system will automaticaly navigate in the pgn file est extract the frame within the spritesheet.

I also added the "Zoom" functionnality to zoom-in and out on the level the user is creating. I added this because even myselft when creating level wanted a more global view of the level (zoom out) and some times I really wanted to get close in for detail checkup.

Slow weekend

Thing have not move during the weekend. I polished a little bit some code but not real enhancement done for the project. I will start producing environment art asset to put together a real test level with the beach theme.

This will permit to test out the new features added for the project and also to fine tune the engin.

Art style

Well in the last 2 days we concentrated more on arts, the style to used, color palette and art guide lines for the game. As a programmer I have little to say on this topics since it is not my level of expertise. Kory has been doing most (in fact all) the job regarding arts.

Good news is that things are taken shape. Hopefully during the weekend I will be able to work on rain and fog particules.

Emitters

Hi all,

The emitters system is now fully functional in the level editor. Simply click and drag your emitter, select the type of particule to generate, the color, the size and the life span and it is applied. The level editor also show the animated particule system using the user's parameter.

Other than that I have been mostly doing project management these days to bring back the team together.
Some confusion arose within the team due to communication problems.

Hopefully thing should get back on track really soon as this is my main focus right now.

It's been a while

Sorry for not updating my blog for a while.

Let say that my daily job drained me this week, I felt like a zombie when I came home and this each nights.

I advanced a little bit the game design document. Kory has created artwork which looks awesome so art is taken shape.

On my side, I returned to coding and my main goal these days is the emitter system which will permit to place particule emitters on the map and displpay to beautifull particules. Right now I have done smoke and fire and next one is the rain particules that Kory that will be added.

This new emitter system will be fairly expandable permitting to change size, color, activation, scripting and trigerring of particules throughout the map.

I should be done on particule during the week and next target is the trigger system and after that yummy shaders. Once all this is accomplish, I will integrated all this in the game engin and we will finally be able to go on with creating the game UI, AI etc...

Game Design and tools

I worked on the game design document most of the week (when I had spare time, job is draining me these days). So this to let you know things have more more slowly this week. I was able to produce also a new Animation editor tutorial.

During the week I'll get back to coding a little bit, I want to finish the particule system and also add stuff in the game design document.

Our forum has been down most of the week due to provider issues. So we decided to try out Google Wave for communication. Google wave seems like a nice tool for file sharing, communication MSN - forum style.

Hope this will simplify are communication (which is the teams biggest challenge as of now).

Have a good weekend all.

Game design

Latetly I've been working on the game design.

Things are going pretty well and the game design is taking shape. Levels themes have been defined, monsters, our hero actions, Saving and load system are defined. Main story of the game is written.

This week I will continue to work on the design of the game and also on tutorials so the artists can understand the toolset better.

Ho we also have a new artist on board, welcome to JnXc.

Game design

These last days I worked mostly on the game design and scenario, defined all the moves that Geck will have, the mobs he will encounter and the story behind the game. We needed this information before we went on because All basic stuff was defined but not the main goal line of the game.

This week I will continue to work on the game design and maybee I will have some time for some more coding goodies.

Cheers all!

Triggers and Particules

I have finally figured out the architecture to use for the triggers which will be related to the particule system. This will permit to setup trigger to launch particles in the game engin.

I am also looking into level scripting for rain, fog , cinder (for the volcano level), Clouds, Sun rays and Water with refraction.

All this is still at an early level, thus only 70% of the classes have been done and all implementation in the level editor is to be done.

Hopefully during the weekend , I will be able to more code in there so the level editor support these new particule emitters and triggers.

Design and Architecture

Well scripting is completed (probably new command will be required on the fly but those will be easy to implement).

Right now though, I am in reflexion regarding the architecture and design for "Triggers" in the game engin. I want these triggers to be flexible and dynamic without hard-coding if possible. I know that triggers can be launched for various reason and generate various actions.

I want a trigger system that can be applied in the animation editor to tell the engin to generate a particule of some sort, to be able to attach a trigger to map object from which specific condition would launch a script to execute based on the condition.

So I am still trying to figure out the architecture to use to make the triggerring system correspond to my needs.

So no coding accomplish in the last few days.

Sorry :(

Weekend activities

No major coding done this weekend except for some small bugs corrected in the level editor.

This weekend I installed the Live Mesh folder so we can all work on a synchronize folder and permits easier sharing. Live Mesh is a Microsoft tool currently in beta but I must say I am pretty impressed with it. Easy to use, really straight forward and the power of the tool to keep document (of any type) synchronize is really good. Also the notes system when files are modified is a must for small development team like ours.

Once the Mesh was done and everyone invited, I installed a small tool (free) to create video tutorial of the level and animation editor. So far I was able to create 3 tutorials in flash format so the guys can better understand the tool.

I will get back to coding this week, but first I need to create a couple of tutorials and fix the test game engin so the guys can try out their new maps.

Later all.