The Full Screen Map Editor

This is part of a series of pages describing the Edit Maps Dialog. This page describes the Full Screen Map Editor.

The full screen map editor has a very simplified user interface (because user interface implementation is not so easy when every detail must be handled manually). The map is presented according to the map display parameters set for the map. Moving the mouse pointer to the edges of the screen will scroll the map. As the mouse moves, the currently selected tile or TileMatch draws itself on the current layer as it would if you clicked the mouse to change that layer. The coordinates of this tile are indicated at the top left corner of the screen. You can only edit one layer at a time. To switch to editing another layer you must exit the full screen editor, select a new layer and click Edit.

Some keys you can use while editing the map:

• Arrow keys scroll the screen quickly (depressing an arrow key jumps a number of tiles in that direction)
• Control-S saves a screenshot of the current display
• Scroll lock engages the player. If a player sprite is defined, the map scrolling follows the player as it would while playing the game. You can continue to edit the map in this mode using the mouse. The inventory display will also be turned on.
• Escape exits the full screen map editor.
• Alt-Tab can be used to switch between the editor and the desktop.

Holding the right mouse button will present the menu. This is where you can either select a new tile or another command to perform within the full screen map editor. If the tileset is taller than the screen, moving the mouse to the bottom of the screen while holding the right mouse button will scroll down to display more tiles. The following describes each of the commands:

• Close: Close the full screen map editor. The current state of the map is retained in memory, except for the sprites which are always created from the sprite definitions when the map starts.

• Copy: When this tool is selected, you may drag a rectangle around any area of tiles. This rectangle of tiles then becomes the current "brush" until another tool is selected. This does not put anything in the clipboard; it simply starts the process of selecting a range of tiles as a "brush". Whenever you click after having selected the rectangle of tiles, that same rectangle of tiles will be "pasted" onto the map under the mouse pointer.

• Tilematch: This menu lists all the Tilematch objects defined for the tileset referenced by the current layer. Each Tilematch object has an associated eraser which can be used to (as cleanly as possible) erase tiles within areas composed of the tiles in the Tilematch. The eraser cannot always erase tiles cleanly, though. Tiles can only match if they are within a 2x2 block of similar tiles. Selecting a Tilematch automatically draws coherent objects composed of the tiles in the Tilematch when dragging the mouse or generating a maze.

• Maze: This menu has two selections, Normal and Large Scale. Selecting one of these makes the maze generator "tool" current. After selecting one, drag a large rectangle over the map and that rectangle will be filled with a maze. A large scale maze has larger, longer passageways than a normal maze. This tool is best when used with a Tilematch.

• Paths: New path will prompt for a new path name; this name must be unique in the space of paths in the whole map (press Enter when entry is complete). Then you will see the path point cursor under the mouse pointer. Click out new points on the path and terminate the path with the right mouse button. The right mouse button does not add the point under the mouse. It terminates the path at the last point clicked. Many types of sprites will only require a one-point path. To do this, just click once on the point and then right-click. Each point in the path corresponds to the destination for the top left corner of a tile. If your path is designed for the center of the tile you can offset it with the "Offset Path" button in the Sprites and Paths Dialog. The "Show All" item toggles between "Show All" and "Hide All". This makes all paths on all layers in the current map visible or invisible. (Drawing paths can get slow if there are too many.) Reset Sprites will terminate all sprite instances and recreate sprite instances based on the sprite definitions. Toggle Grid will snap the path cursor to the top left corner of map tiles. If your sprites are the same size as map tiles this can be useful in creating a path point that will start a sprite right up against a wall, floor or ceiling. New as of version 1.4: pressing the P key while creating a path will add a pause point in the path. You will then be prompted for a number of frames. After reaching the last point added to the path at that point, a sprite will pause for the specified number of frames before heading toward the next point. Pause lengths are displayed as numbers drawn near the point where they are defined. It is not recommended to add sequential pauses at the same point in the path because the numbers will be drawn over each other and be illegible.

• Add Special: Prompts for a special function name; this name must be unique in the space of special functions in the whole map (press Enter when entry is complete). Then the special function block will follow the mouse pointer around until you drag out a rectangle for the special function. All other existing special functions on the current layer are displayed in this mode. Special functions are always aligned on tile boundaries for the current layer (they are stored in tile coordinates rather than pixel coordinates). You have one chance to drag out the rectangle for any special function. If you ever need to do further maintenance on an existing special function, you must use the Special Functions tab on the Edit Maps Dialog.

That wraps up about everything there is to know about the full screen map editor.