InkyBlackness news: v0.7.0 - Texture and level properties

[67f49dc7093dbdertseha]

° InkyBlackness
This release focuses on texture and level properties. After going through the list twice, I believe this release now includes all major level (archive) specific stuff; Modify hazards (such as radiation levels), surveillance sources, and others. Map mode has also been extended to include all (known) properties of the map - which also finally allows for modification of the grid colour in cyberspace  If you ever considered starting a mod on your own, now is a good time...

Initially not planned, I added texture property editing as well as otherwise the level-specific texture animation groups would not have made much sense.

Also, the tool "chunkie" allows for better image import, with a flag to enforce transparency. This comes from identifying the last unknown field in bitmap resources. I was able to figure this out while helping manlil with their translation project to Italian.

Here's the link to the release: https://github.com/inkyblackness/deck/releases/tag/v0.7.0
Documentation on the new texture mode: https://github.com/inkyblackness/shocked-client/wiki/GameTexturesMode
Have also a look at some details on level control mode: https://github.com/inkyblackness/shocked-client/wiki/LevelControlMode -- Note to level editors: modifying the level height is a serious matter.

https://github.com/inkyblackness/deck/releases/tag/v0.7.0

Next up I'll have a look on how to provide user-friendly editing of logs & emails. Or, to be more precise: A good solution between development-complexity, necessity, and usability
I also figured out a nice way on presenting otherwise raw numbers - the hazard levels in level control mode are listed in LBP/% instead of their raw values. This was easy to add and greatly improves usability. The same could also be applied to various other properties. (Read: Yes, since the unknown things in the resources become less and less, I'm now starting to look at usability  )

[67f49dc70950cfascinate4]

Oh,man, u are so cool.  Thanks for update, I hope soon we can make a lot of mods with your editor.

[67f49dc7096b2icemann]

So currently could you say, create level "a" that links to level "b"?

Or have multiple destinations? Like, an elevator with multiple level destinations. That kinda thing.

I'm pretty sure you had switches working a few releases ago. So having a switch that lowers/raises a tile is already in, if I'm remembering right. If not, add these to the wish list / todo list for features.

Just throwing out the challenges :p.

[67f49dc709a2edertseha]

So currently could you say, create level "a" that links to level "b"?
Or have multiple destinations? Like, an elevator with multiple level destinations. That kinda thing.

All of this is possible, and available for editing:
* Teleport within a level (standard teleporter behaviour)
* Teleport between levels (hardly used in game, only for death scenario in the groves, to teleport back to restoration chamber on lvl 6)
* Teleport into cyberspace (yup, that's possible as well, though not used in game)
* Elevator (setting one up properly has a few requirements)
* Cyberport into cyberspace (the regular way of doing it )

I am toying with some ideas on creating short how-to videos, each focusing on one area of the engine's features. With the intention of making the created archives available as well, the two main thoughts so far are
a) Create a dedicated archive per video/topic
b) Create one "museum" archive, where the levels have separate rooms/sections per topic.

As I am writing these words and re-thinking the whole thing, the museum approach seems to be better. Because then everything is in one file and one doesn't have to exit the game or the editor & copy files around to experience them.
(Crazy ideas: In the full-blown variant of this museum, augmented by extra resources, an audio guide could walk you through the museum )

[67f49dc709c20dertseha]

Want a sneak peek for the upcoming v0.8.0?

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B74wu_2eEeTxbEFlUUowaXEwQ0E/view


Tomorrow is a public holiday, so I'm planning to implement changing of message text within the editor as well. Proposed method: drag & drop of .txt files to the corresponding text fields. This way I can avoid implementing a text-field/-box/-editor and the user can benefit from their favourite editor & spelling checker
At best I can also manage to squeeze in changing of the side-bitmaps as well, though this may be tricky.

(edit: I again fail to properly link from google drive...)