level editor suggestions

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filbo
Posts: 647
Joined: Fri Jun 20, 2014 10:06 am

level editor suggestions

Post by filbo »

(1) as you mouse around the level, the bottom row displays:

Level position: 1, 27

or whatever. Or, if you hold Ctrl, it displays:

Grass
Yam Yam (starts moving down)
Bomb
etc.

It would be better if it displayed both (always, without holding any special key):

16, 27: Grass
13, 22: Yam Yam (starts moving down)
12, 28: Bomb
etc.

(2) as you mouse around the level, it would be nice if same-elements would highlight. e.g. I'm on a Grass element -- let every Grass on the entire playing field be highlighted a bit.

Especially helpful when the levelset's graphics have the same image for multiple elements (including different-direction Yams / spaceships / etc.)

(3) perhaps extend (1):

16, 27: Grass (614)
13, 22: Yam Yam (starts moving down) (5)
12, 28: Bomb (8)

-- giving how many of that element exist on the level.

For (1) / (3), use constant width fields for the coordinates (%2d, not %d or %02d -- and if a level has >99 rows or columns, I'm OK with the field dynamically expanding to 3, not a fixed %3d). The element count could appear on the far right and be covered by the element name when sufficiently long; have the count rise to the top when holding Ctrl, like the element names do today.

The constant display of coordinates + name + maybe count seems uncontroversial. The same-element highlighting would probably be an option (on by default).
filbo
Posts: 647
Joined: Fri Jun 20, 2014 10:06 am

Re: level editor suggestions

Post by filbo »

Also similar changes when mousing around the elements tray. Instead of just showing the element name, show name, count, and highlight instances of the element on the playfield.

I can imagine a specialty extra option, default *off*, which says to count all instances of certain things together. i.e. if I mouse over a 'Yam Yam (starts moving up)', it would show me the count of and highlight all Yams (4 directions + random). All logically-same items which automatically transmute into each other (so, *not* rock vs. rock (BD style), or different skinned steel walls; only monsters which are the same thing except startup options...)
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