level editor suggestions
Posted: Sat Jan 23, 2021 9:57 am
(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).
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).