The entire idea of this project is to make a 2D platformer creator that makes it easy to make actual 2D platformer games.
Summary: Currently you can import image files and select what type of object you would like it to be. You can choose between platform, hazard, and prop. Then further you can select how you want your object to interact with the player, from spawning an item, to killing the player after an amount of time. Further you can add moving enemies, players, events, special objects like loops, and extras like custom UI, start screens, or even adding your level to a level sequence.
Now all that is what's planned for the future, right now you can currently:
- Add images to the level file
- Select which color in your image you might want to be transparent.
- Delete, Copy, and Place level objects
- Save level object's placement
- Add characters to the game with their own options like if the second player is a follower (sidekick to main character), player, or a bystander (person who stands there, basically).
- Save level object's options (if its a platform, and you select the checkbox detailing "spawns object" that will save to the level file.
- Level Objects are now viewable in the game client itself.
- Drag, Shape, and save level objects making level creation simple and intuitive.
- Search for a level object by it's display name.
There is much more to come!
Download: Stay tuned. When a download is available it will be posted here.
Originally level files were going to be stored as an XML file. However I thought that going into this, I would write my own file structure called NLFile.
NLFile is different from XML because it uses line numbers to identify the Level Creator object. The reason why I decided to make NLFile was because 1. This project is all about curiosity. I wanted to see if I could pull something like this off. 2. It would make it easy for me to add features that make development easier. 3. I would have direct access to NLFile.cs to change any aspect of it I choose. Meaning that as I go along, NLFile will evolve as well.
NLFile updates, NLFile can now do the following:
- GetNode() Gets the value of the Node Type inputted, on a certain line.
- FindNodeByNode() searches the file's selected node to search for, and if it matches the value inputted, it will return the line number of the first occurrence after a selected line number in the file.
- GetAllObjects() used by the Level Creator. Finds all available Text nodes in the selected file. //Recursively Search replaced this!
- AddNode() adds the selected node type to the next open line in the file. It also adds the inputted value into the newly created node.
- AddtoObject() adds the inputted value, and node type to an already existing object. It finds the object by doing a search for the object's text node.
- EditNode() If the node exists in the object, it finds it and replaces it's old value with a new value.
- EditModifier() If there already is a modifier in the object, it replaces the old value with a new one.
- Delete Object() If it finds the selected object, it deletes all the object's data.
- RecursivelySearchNodes() Finds All Nodes and adds them to a list.
- CheckNodeExists() Checks if a node exists and sends back a Boolean value.
- CopyObject() Takes an object and duplicates it any number of times.
