Z-axis?

[DesignerSpecial]

Hi everyone. I just finished going through the included tutorials and I'm starting to like this program a lot. However, I have a question that might make or break my using Game Editor for a particular project. Hopefully someone can help.

I'm looking to create a simple beat-em-up, such as Final Fight or Streets of Rage, but I don't see a way to move actors on the Z-axis (into the background). Is this even possible with this program? I know I could move them up and down, but then the characters could not jump and also not pass in front or behind each other like they could using a Z-axis. Any advice is appreciated.

Thanks in advance

[DilloDude]

There is no z-axis in game-editor. However, there is z-depth, so you can change how far back or forward an actor is drawn (choose which ones are in front of each other). You can also create your own z-variable, and use that to effect things.

[Fuzzy]

You could have several versions of the actor, and use the z-depth to set the animation too.

[DesignerSpecial]

Thanks very much for the replies. Hm, those methods might work if there were only a few Z-levels to move back into (kind of like in the early Fatal Fury games where you had a foreground and background), but for free z-axis movement, I think it might be easier to use a different engine. Maybe Game Editor will add z-axis movement in a future version.

Thanks again, it's appreciated.

[Fuzzy]

You can simulate having only several Z levels by defining them as constants.

define HIDE 0.0
define DISTANT 0.25
define BACKGROUND 0.5
define MIDGROUND 0.75
define FOREGROUND 1.0

then doing this when needed

ChangeZDepth("Event Actor", MIDGROUND);

or even

ChangeZDepth("Event Actor", MIDGROUND+0.1);

if that doesnt suit your needs you can do this:

enum depth { ZERO, LOW, MED, HIGH };

which assigns the values 0, 1, 2, 3. These are perfectly valid values for the Zdepth.

One thing, you dont use depth like a variable. use the contents of the enum type.

ChangeZDepth("Event Actor", HIGH);

You cannot, however, do this:

depth = 3;

[DesignerSpecial]

Fuzzy, I'm not nearly fluent enough in code to understand most of that, but thank you anyway.

I actually was mistaken about needing a true z-axis for a fighter anyway though, the illusion of depth is created because the only 'collidable' part of the characters are their base. I guess this could be simulated by parenting a second object to their feet and adding collision data to that? Still not sure how a character would jump (unless it's not a true jump and just an animation), but creating this type of game seems to be a little more feasible now.

Thanks.

[Sgt. Sparky]

or you could make a var called depth, and on the draw cator Event Have this script ->
Depth = animpos;(you can also have it * somthing or / somthing)
if the actor has an animation that gets smaller,
and on collision with your varios actors:
if (depth == whateverdepth you want for the other actor)
{
have a phisical responce ect;
}
and on the create actor events for the other actors:
depth = the depth you want;