Level editor issues/planned features
 

Hi guys I'm just making a new thread to track future updates to the level editor.

I'd like to know what the current problems with the editor are, and what features people would like to see in the future.

I think the current issues are:

* A couple of levels crash or corrupt after being re-saved?
* Align to grid is buggy?
* Check boxes and things don't keep their state between opening/closing a level
* Issues with adding motion sensors
* Issues with adding electric walls
* Issues with adding other objects that are not in the cam or lvl

Future features
* Allow editing of FG1 in AO and AE
* Allow editing of LCD message board text in AO and AE
* Allow custom CAMs in AE
* Undo/redo
* Include the Object Encyclopedia 101 in the xml somewhere for display in the editor
* Document more AE objects properties
* Better alignment of objects, e.g if we change door from "Foreground" to "Background" its size should auto change
* Rename some properties in AO objects to things that make more sense
* Mac OSX / Ubuntu builds?
* A tool so people can easily edit the XML to add improvements?
* Export the map as a huge image
* Translations of the editor?
* Recent files
* More grid stuff for collision paths because editing them properly requires extreme mouse skill!

I don't know if other people are having this problem. But once I have opened a level in the editor I cannot open another one otherwise the program will crash. I can to close the program then reopen it to open another file. Also I find that the cam extractor crashes a lot. Whether I am trying to extract a cam or place one. Only other thing I can think of is that we need to see more pictures for the objects. For example. When I place a Scrab all I see is a red box. I would like the red box to be filled with a picture of a Scrab.

How will you do that ? LCD/hint fly messages are saved within the AO exe :l

oh and yeah... Awesome work ^^.

A few things I've had is with the Cam extracter extracting a cam from a different screen than the one I chose to extract.
The Grid I've gotten used to, it's just the collision paths are a bit awkward but that's probably unfixable...
Main thing is it slows down everything when it's open. I can't do anything else whilst the editor is open.

Still, it's great that we've actually got a level editor. Just these things that will make it awesome!

LCD screen editing? Will that be done with custom patches?

So if you open the same .lvl twice in two editors? In 0.6? I don't think the cam extractor is part of the editor? Try the Decoder app from my website instead :)

Also if you feel up to the task of making new images then please feel free ;) All you have to do is name it like the others and make sure its a sane image size. If you get a nice collection of images for objects send them to me and I will include them in the newer versions.

By using a hookdll, this is the only way AE back grounds can be done. But its not that simple because there are many game versions so it will have to search for the function that may have moved around.

For the messages we can use high id values outside of what the game is using. The the hook dll will have to do something smart by hooking the functions that get the text, and then return its own text if its out of range.

Say for example I am editing path 1 of Scrabania. Basicly if I wanted to edit path 2 I would need to close and reopen the editor. If I click open when a level is open then it will crash. Also I would be willing to help you with the pictures. If you could PM me the details I will see what I can do.

Is this in the same instance of the editor? Or do you mean you open two copies of the editor editing the same .lvl? Also is it an actual crash or an error message? And which version of the editor?

I think that happens just because the file is already open, it happens with other stuff as well...

Good, so I won't have to hex edit things that only I can see.

Sounds about right, I can fix this though I guess by allowing more than one path to be edited at once. That way one editor instance can edit many levels all at once. And then I could limit the editor to only running one copy at once, or lock the lvl file.

No it's not when I try to open the file. It happens when I just click the open button in the editor.

I'll likely be rewriting most of the editor for the next version, I'll include debug logging so I can trace problems like that.

Do you feel up to making images for each object ;)?

I like the fact that you can drag the collision paths over multiple screens, it's really handy because I end up with about 20 spares. Also, adding cams was a nice thing.
Maybe a bit unusual, but why is it that the stockyards almost never crashes when you edit it. Any other level I've edited comes up with a problem about half way through editing. Especially RuptureFarms.

Crashes how exactly? The game engine or the level editor?

The game, it just stops and closes down then says Abe's Oddysee has stopped working... and then that dialog closes. I don't have any idea why. Stockyards is excellent though.

That will only happen because something is wrong with an object, like triggering something that isn't present etc

Well sometimes I put down a mine and it works, I copy the same mine to the next screen, set the Screen to Load in right, and it crashes upon entry to that screen. :confused:

So then if you delete that mine it no longer crashes?

Yes, but that was an example. It happens with any object.

Maybe you've hit the games limit for the amount of objects in one path?

Can't be. In RuptureFarms, I delete all of the lights and all that but it does the same thing.

Abe portals are hard to be placed!

No they're not, just make sure the grid alignment is on and make sure the top of the box is the underside of the collision path. Simples.

THaNKs

If you pop us a PM for the details and stuff so I can send them to you and stuff.

The objects I am creating an image for, the problem I have is that I don't know what size to make them since each one is different. Another reason I'd like you to PM me.

Main one's that I would really want first. Of course there maybe a few difficulties but these are one's that I think are most important (for me, dunno who else :p).

I'd like a Mac build. It may seem silly because it's a Windows game, but I like to do all of my work-y stuff on my Mac because it's so much faster. My Windows computer nowadays is reserved for gaming.

Paul, the things you've said you'll do look amazing! But will you get electric walls to work properly in your next editor version?

Thanks Paul. +rep :)

Electric walls.
I WANT THEM!!! I WANT THEM!!!

Maybe you could extract a cam that have electric walls, rename it and change cam image... Like a path made of E2P02C4....

(Wrong thread sorry. but I'll finish my answer...)

...while waiting for PLE 0.7