TGB Isometric Add-On Pack - Part 5
by Neo Binedell · 02/19/2007 (6:21 pm) · 29 comments
- TGB Iso Builder -
Continued from my previous blog post
Something that had bothered me for quite some while was having to constantly switch between the Iso builder GUI and the level editor, and I thought that I should really look into integrating it directly, and when I was asked to participate in the TGB Closed Beta I thought it would make an excellent testing project and it gave me the push I needed to just get it done. The iso builder is now fully integrated with the level builder and I must say it is so much more productive. I will flesh out this plan a bit more later but for now here is a movie and some screenies of the highlights :
THE MOVIE (9MB)
Level Builder Integration
Pixel Perfect Selection
Selection of map elements are pixel perfect (with an adjustable alpha tolerance, etc):
Texture projection
The engine can project a normal square image map or animation onto a terrain tile which saves all the
headaches of converting images and allows one to use existing image maps and animations. Here is an example using the excellent shore animation from the Adventure Kit from the SickHead lads...
And lastly a pretty pic of a quick little getaway for kork at the shore...
I'll update this plan a bit more later in the week, enjoy...
#3
Also i'm curious if the AdvKit AI works in the iso environment. Seems like it could as it doesn't really rely on any special topology.
02/19/2007 (7:09 pm)
Wow... that looks fantastic Neo! Can't wait to see you ship this add-on!Also i'm curious if the AdvKit AI works in the iso environment. Seems like it could as it doesn't really rely on any special topology.
#4
02/19/2007 (7:11 pm)
This clearly rocks. 
#5
02/19/2007 (7:15 pm)
Nice work! The ability to add square tiles without having to reformat them is genious. Your editor is looking pretty slick, too.
#6
02/19/2007 (7:55 pm)
Continuing to look great. 
#7
02/19/2007 (8:45 pm)
Very, very awesome, great feedback from the beta as well. I know a lot of us have wanted to do this and we've all gotten a huge thrill out of seeing you implement it (and see your progressive plans) and how well you are doing so. 
#8
02/19/2007 (9:24 pm)
Nice progress there Neo. When you finish this I will have a reason to get TGB ;) 
#10
Have been waiting since part 4 for an upgrade. Where would it have ended without the closed beta :D
02/20/2007 (6:45 am)
Looks very good.Have been waiting since part 4 for an upgrade. Where would it have ended without the closed beta :D
#11
02/20/2007 (10:41 am)
Cool stuff. TGB needs pixel perfect selections badly - I shouldnt have to click 3 or more times to get the right object selected. Your projected tiles is a very smart choice. 
#12
02/20/2007 (12:05 pm)
You make my technology tingly stand on end :)
#13
I haven't tried it yet but will have a look when I get a chance. If by topology you mean it works in normal TGB screen space, then no. All items are placed with 3D coords and bounds, but from what I skimmed over the aiGoal/Player stuff it would be trivial to change to allow a Z coord, or if the map is not multi-level can just rely on the sub cell blocking (I'll add this to the plan later too)
Something I have not mentioned in the plan (yet) is that all elements can be assigned a class and superclass so it would be quite trivial to port. An iso map is really more like a scenegraph as it owns all the elements in it and manages all interaction. I did not make it a real scenegraph as I wanted to allow users to overlay other scene objects for UI, etc, as well as the fact that you can mount scene objects to map elements and they will follow the element (something else I will elaborate on in this plan), which is useful for displaying user created overlays, health bars, whatever...
02/20/2007 (12:42 pm)
@Tom:I haven't tried it yet but will have a look when I get a chance. If by topology you mean it works in normal TGB screen space, then no. All items are placed with 3D coords and bounds, but from what I skimmed over the aiGoal/Player stuff it would be trivial to change to allow a Z coord, or if the map is not multi-level can just rely on the sub cell blocking (I'll add this to the plan later too)
Something I have not mentioned in the plan (yet) is that all elements can be assigned a class and superclass so it would be quite trivial to port. An iso map is really more like a scenegraph as it owns all the elements in it and manages all interaction. I did not make it a real scenegraph as I wanted to allow users to overlay other scene objects for UI, etc, as well as the fact that you can mount scene objects to map elements and they will follow the element (something else I will elaborate on in this plan), which is useful for displaying user created overlays, health bars, whatever...
#14
02/20/2007 (12:57 pm)
@Neo - That makes sense. I'll have to think about how to abstract the coordinate system from the implementation next time i update so that it may be used in cases like yours.
#15
To explain a bit, instead of querying the sort point directly you would have a method that found the distance to another object, leaving the implementation up to the connectors.
02/20/2007 (1:05 pm)
Perhaps provide an environment interface base class that can be overridden for different spaces, e.g. queries are done on that interface and and implementation can be made for the default TGB screen space and leave the others up to the integrators ;pTo explain a bit, instead of querying the sort point directly you would have a method that found the distance to another object, leaving the implementation up to the connectors.
#16
02/20/2007 (1:24 pm)
@Neo - Yea... have some sort of pluggable "navigator" object that takes care of all coordinate stuff and distances between things.
#17
How does the adventure kit and this project relate. I thought the adventure kit is isometric also.
Can this add-on have altitude for flying items where as the adventure kit does not?
Both look great, I can hardly wait until I have time to work with these add ons.
Super work.
02/28/2007 (4:46 am)
This looks like a lot of fun. How does the adventure kit and this project relate. I thought the adventure kit is isometric also.
Can this add-on have altitude for flying items where as the adventure kit does not?
Both look great, I can hardly wait until I have time to work with these add ons.
Super work.
#18
The Adventure Kit is a top down engine that shows how to use TGB sprites, tilemaps, etc, to full effect and provides a good bunch of imagery too. It has some images that are rendered in a psuedo isometric perspective but all movement and world space occur in normal TGB 2D screen space.
The Iso Kit is a full C++ source engine that provides an isometric map which is more like an isometric scene graph and all map items exists in a full 3D space, so yes flying items, multi-level structures, stacking etc are all quite easy.
03/01/2007 (9:04 am)
@Rob:The Adventure Kit is a top down engine that shows how to use TGB sprites, tilemaps, etc, to full effect and provides a good bunch of imagery too. It has some images that are rendered in a psuedo isometric perspective but all movement and world space occur in normal TGB 2D screen space.
The Iso Kit is a full C++ source engine that provides an isometric map which is more like an isometric scene graph and all map items exists in a full 3D space, so yes flying items, multi-level structures, stacking etc are all quite easy.
#19
Good luck with this, looking forward to it.
smiles . . .
03/01/2007 (11:07 am)
Thanks for the clarification. The multilevel aspect would be so much fun to work with. The story possibilities are huge. I remember how engrossing a game called Zaxxon was because it had an isometric view and the hieght indicator, which played an enormous factor into completing a level. Good luck with this, looking forward to it.
smiles . . .
#20
I've been dying to get my hands on a good Iso engine, something that you can use to build the likes of X-Com, Arcanum or Fallout with. Keep it up. Also, is it possible to download this resource somewhere or is it strictly payed for?
03/05/2007 (7:01 am)
If this sees the light of day in a workable fashion, then wow, just wow!I've been dying to get my hands on a good Iso engine, something that you can use to build the likes of X-Com, Arcanum or Fallout with. Keep it up. Also, is it possible to download this resource somewhere or is it strictly payed for?
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