The
Main Editor Menu Bar
File
New
Game:
Clear the current game and begin designing a new game.
Load:
Clear the current game and load a previously saved game.
Merge:
Merge the current game with a newly loaded game. (If the loaded game
has an Actor with the same name as an Actor in the currently loaded
game, the results will be unpredictable.)
Save:
Save the changes you've made to the current file.
Save
As:
Save the current game with a different location or filename.
When
saving a game, all animations, fonts, and sounds are moved into a folder
that is automatically created named "data". This folder is
located in the game directory.
Export:
Create the final executable game and pack the data.
Game Editor exports a game as a single executable file or a single data file (iPhone/iPad).
This file includes all of the game's data (animations, sounds,
...).
Available
Export Types are:
Windows
Executable: Windows executable file (Compatible with ).
Windows
version supports:
- Windows
95, 98, Me, NT, 2000, 2003, XP, Vista, 7
Minimum System
Requirements:
-
Windows 95
- 32MB RAM
- x86 compatible processor (Pentium, AMD, ...)
- 200MHz
Pocket
PC / Handheld PC Executable: Executable file compatible with Pocket
PC, Handheld PC, Windows Mobile (2003, 2005, 6, 6.5).
Windows
Mobile-based Smartphone Executable: Smartphone executable file.
Pocket PC, Handheld PC and Smartphone version supports:
- Windows Mobile (2003, 2005, 6, 6.5)
- ARM processors (ARM, StrongARM, XScale, OMAP, PXA, ...)
- Full screen mode only
- Ogg Vorbis, wav, mod, s3m, it and xm music files
Minimum
System Requirements:
-
Pocket PC 2002
- Less than 10MB RAM (need to test the game)
- ARM processors (ARM, StrongARM, XScale, OMAP, PXA, ...)
- 200MHz
A MMC/SD expansion card is recommended
Linux
Executable: Linux executable file
GP2X
Executable: GP2X executable file.
GP2X
version supports:
- Firmware 2.0.0 and later
- Full screen mode only
- Ogg Vorbis, wav, mod, s3m, it and xm music files
Game Data Only (iPhone, iPad or game level without the executable engine): Exports only the data file without game engine. This format
is used if your game has been distributed in numerous game files or for make games for iPhone and iPad.
In order to create games for iPhone or iPad, first you need to export the game (or the game levels) as "Game Data Only".
The first level must have the same name of the Product Name (your game name).
For example, if the product name is "TheGame", the first level file must be "TheGame.dat".
After get the exported .dat files, add the files in the xcode project (as a new resource), update the custom info you want (game icon, your name, game name, ...)
and build the project.
Game
Data Only for Pocket PC, Handheld PC, Smartphone or GP2X: Exports
only the data file with optimizations for Pocket PC, Handheld PC,
Smartphones and GP2X devices.
Custom
extensions:
If
you don't want to use the .dat extension, just rename to anything
you want.
File
Association:
If
you distribute several games, you can save space by exporting only
one with the executable engine.
Rename the .dat files to .gedx extension and use a installation
tool to associate the .gedx extension with the location of engine.
So, the other games will be executed by the system when the user
click in .gedx files.
Exit:
Close the Game Editor program and exit to the system.
Add
Actor
In
the Game Editor universe, all game objects are referred to as Actors
(is it a background, rocket, ship...).
Actors populate the game and can be given behavior scripts
using Game Editor Events and Actions.
Adding
Actors to the game
For
a step by step walk through of how to create a Normal Actor
see the Tutorials
section.
Name:
Use this box to name an Actor. Actor names must begin with characters
and must be followed with characters, numbers, or '_'. Script functions
and variable ("vars") names are not allowed.
Allowed: MyActor, ball, dog_catcher
Not Allowed: /right, CreateActor, fgets
Type: Choose the type of new Actor to be
created from the drop down box: Normal, Canvas, Wire Frame Region or
Filled Region.
Normal: An Actor that can receive animations
(image files that are associated with the Actor). This Actor can be
used to create the widest variety of behaviors in a program.
Canvas: Think of yourself as a budding
Picasso when you use the Canvas Actor. Draw on this Actor using the
Drawing Functions.This Actor
allows for the drawing of lines, circles, etc.
A Canvas Actor is depicted within the Game Editor as a cyan rectangle.The
Canvas Actor can be moved or resized freely. The rectangle is invisible
when the game is running in game mode. For a step by step walk through
of how to create a Canvas Actor see the Tutorials
section.
Wire Frame Region:
The Wire Frame Actor is used as a sensor to carry out Actions
like "Open the door" when , for example, a Normal Actor enters
the Wire Frame Region. It can also be used to create a barrier that
repels game objects like balls. As an example, in a pinball game, the
ball might bounce off of a wire frame barrier. The Wire Frame Region
doesn't register mouse clicks.
A Wire Frame Region Actor is shown within the Game Editor stage as a
green rectangle. It can be moved or resized freely. The rectangle is
invisible when the game is running in game mode.
Filled Region:
Unlike the Wire Frame Region, the Filled Region Actor registers mouse
clicks, like normal actors. This allows for the creation of hotspots
or sensors that respond to mouse clicks without use normal actors.
A Filled Region Actor is shown within the Game Editor stage as a blue
rectangle. It can be moved or resized freely. The rectangle is invisible
when the game is running in game mode.
Path
Add
a new path, or select a existing path to view and edit.
Add
Path:
-
Enter the path name and the path duration in frames.
- Click on the "Draw" button to begin drawing the path.
- Click on the "Close" button when the new path is finished.
Right
click in path point:
- Linear: Set the current node to linear.
- Curved: Set the current node to curved.
- Delete: Delete the current node.
Note:
Dragging the first path point with the mouse will move the entire path.
Regions
Add
Activation Region:
Activation
Regions are screen areas that are defined by a bounding box and include
game Actors.
A Region, and your actors, is loaded only when the View Actor intersects
it.
The Region and all actors within the Region are destroyed when the View
Actor no longer intersects it.
Activation
Regions allow your game to have many levels, each level in a game can
be defined in a different Activation Region.
The entire game, along with all of its levels, is saved in an single
game file.
Activation Regions make envisioning an entire game easy.
An Activation Region is shown within the Game Editor as a yellow rectangle.
It can be moved or resized freely. The rectangle is invisible when the
game is running in game mode.
Right
click on the Activation Region's bounding box edge to initiate a pop-up
selector that will allow the removal of the Activation Region from the
game..
If
an Actor moves outside of the Activation Region, it will be destroyed
only when the Activation Region no longer intersects with the "View"
Actor.
An
Actor will be destroyed by the Activation Region when it and your ascendants
are outside of the "View".
Numerous Activation Regions with overlapped regions can be defined.
All
of an Activation Region's Actors load inside of the defined region.
The Actor's parents, and Actor reference through script is also be loaded.
Actors
created with "Create Actor" will be assigned to a visible
Activation Region.
If
the "View" Actor leaves a region and later it comes back,
all Actors will be reloaded, except those destroyed explicitly with
the "Destroy Actor" Action.
Any
Actor can be loaded with "Create Actor", even if has been
destroyed explicitly.
If
no Activation Regions have been defined, all game Actors will be loaded
when the game starts.
Below,
a multilevel game with 3 Activation Regions:
Show/Hide
Regions:
Show
or hide Activation Regions and Region Actors
Script
This
menu give quick access to Global code and all actor's scripts (The last
five used scripts will be shown first).
Use the Global Code option to freely add any 'C' code (arrays,
structs and functions).
'C'
Language Programmers will appreciate being able to harness the full
power of 'C' directly from the Script Menu.
More
about script here.
Game
Mode
Switch
the Game Editor to game mode to run/test a game.
Hitting the <ESC> key exits from the "Game Mode" and
returns you to the Editor.
Configuration
Game
Properties:
-
Game resolution: Select the machine detected resolution or enter
a custom resolution. On Pocket PC you can change the screen orientation.
- Safe margin: This margin increases the view region used in
Out of Vision event.
- Mode: Specify "Window" or "Full Screen"
mode.
- Frame rate: Specify animation velocity (speed).
- Show mouse: Specify whether the mouse cursor should be shown.
- Suspend game if lost focus: Set "Yes" to
pause the game when the window focus is lost on the desktop or to receive
system messages on Pocket PC, Handheld PC and Smartphones.
On the Pocket PC and Smartphone it will show a game screen shot and
a menu to continue or exit the game.
On smartphones this option is always active to receive phone calls.
- Use ESC key to exit game: Select "Yes" to
exit game when use press the ESC key.
If you don't want use ESC key to exit, select "No"
and use the ExitGame() function in any action in your game to exit.
This option will works only in your exported game.
- Motion Compensation: Select "Yes" to correct
actor velocity if real framerate is slow than game framerate.
- Audio format: Set audio frequency, mono or stereo and maximum
simultaneous sounds in game.
- Icon file: Specify the icon file to be used when exporting
a game. To show the icon in Windows or Pocket PC files, specify an .ico
icon file.
- Game title: Specify the game title to be used when exporting
a game.
- Game background color: Specify the game background color
- Pocket PC and GP2X Keys: Use to remap Pocket PC or GP2X keys
to the desktop keys used in a game. The key position can be different
on different machines.
Preferences:
-
Show Grid: Show or hide the grid.
- Grid Snap: Set grid snap to mode.
- Main color: Set the grid line color.
- Resolution: Set the color that symbolizes the game resolution
perimeters.
- Grid Size: Set the grid size.
- Enable tool tips: "Yes" to turn on the tool
tips. "No" to turn off the tool tips.
- Persistent undo: If you select "Yes" Game Editor will search
for the corresponding .undo file and recover your game history in next
game load.
- Maximum undo levels: Number
of undo levels to record. This setting will take place only if the "Persistent
undo" box is set to "Yes". Reduce the "Maximum undo
levels" setting to decrease the size of the undo file.
- Image Editor: Select an image editor to edit your animation
frames. The image editor need to handle transparent PNG image files.
If you don't have an image editor, use a search engine and put the query
"Image Editors with PNG Support" to find a good image editor.
Help
Documentation:
Go to Game Editor's documentation files.
Tutorials:
Choose a tutorial topic to see an animated movie of one or more aspects
of Game Editor's Game Design features.
Get
New Tutorials:
Select this option to get the newest multimedia tutorials. You must
have and active internet connection.
Check
for Updates:
Select this option to get the newest latest updates
to Game Editor.
Game
Demos:
Download game
demos from numerous
example files that have been created by the Game Editor user community
and by Game Editor programmers.
User
Forums:
Go to the Game Editor forum
and learn more about Game Editor.
About:
About Game Editor's development and the programmers behind Game Editor.
Info:
-Mouse
coordinates are relative to the game center.
-Show an Actor's coordinates relative to its Parent by clicking on the
Actor.
- Actor snap status.
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