Version 0.8 Plans & Suggestions

[ChevyRay]

CLOSED. Version 0.80 now released, chat about it here.

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Alright, I'm working on V0.8 now, which will have a bunch of big changes, bug fixes, and whatnot. Some of the highlights so far:

• TileMap class improved to allow for way, way larger TileMaps, added a loadFromArray function, and they have collision functions also.
   
• Improved collision speeds, pixel-perfect collisions now faster and also will collide properly with Grids and TileMaps.
   
• Camera is now a class of its own, not just a Point, and has a few functions. I plan on giving it customizable following behaviour, etc. as well. Thinking more on this first though.
   
• Default FlashPunk preloader.
   
• Exposing Entities' collision rectangle and mask properties, so you can manipulate them yourself without using setCollisionRectangle().
   
• Regular text support for system and embedded TTF fonts.
   
• Entity recycling functions for World, so you can re-use Entities easily to keep memory usage and garbage collector sweeps to a minimum.

Other than the bug fixes, is there anything else you guys want to see in the next update while I'm on a roll? If so, here and now is the place to say so

[easyname]

Could you add a default preloader?

[ChevyRay]

Sure thing that's a good idea actually.

[Exarmaster]

View_angle as discussed by broxter
Possibly a blend variable of the acrobat class, more like GM's image_blend.
A changes file / documentation (For necessary changes to the wiki)
A global class that stores global variables.
A class much like my SpriteCollection class, where you import all resources into it,
and can then access them from any object.

Edit: And perhaps change the FlashPunk logo, so that it also functions as a link to the
FlashPunk homepage.

[ChevyRay]

A global class that stores global variables.

You can do this with any class using static variables, having a pre-made empty class just sitting around isn't really necessary.

Possibly a blend variable of the acrobat class, more like GM's image_blend.

I will tackle blending modes later on, once I get more base stuff complete. I also plan to set up a particle system around the same time I implement this.

View_angle as discussed by broxter

I left this out as I didn't think it'd be that used, but if it is that wanted, I'll toss in an option for it.

A class much like my SpriteCollection class, where you import all resources into it,
and can then access them from any object.

Could do this, I suppose, I'd make it an option for the link to be there or not though.

[Exarmaster]

Ok, thanks.
Going to have to tinker with it more to find out what it doesn't have.
And the link would be a good way to spread FP more.

[Noel]

Not sure if this is a bug or not, but in the TextPlus, I'm unable to make the colour anything else besides white. Setting the "color" variable to anything else (such as 0x000000 or 0xD8D8D8, etc) doesn't seem to work. Am I confused as to how the variable is supposed to work?
Either way, I think having an easy way in TextPlus (and the normal Text as well) to change the colour would be really great .

EDIT:

Oh, and, for backgrounds, it would be awesome if there was a way to scroll them. Currently it seems that you can set a "scroll factor", but that just makes it move with the camera. However, an effect where it would slide out of the view and then come in on the left would be awesome as well (like in game makers background).

[MattThorson]

Not sure if this is a bug or not, but in the TextPlus, I'm unable to make the colour anything else besides white. Setting the "color" variable to anything else (such as 0x000000 or 0xD8D8D8, etc) doesn't seem to work. Am I confused as to how the variable is supposed to work?
Either way, I think having an easy way in TextPlus (and the normal Text as well) to change the colour would be really great .

I haven't tested this, but maybe it's supposed to take an 8-value hex, with the first two digits being the alpha? So for 0x000000 you would use 0xFF000000 and for 0xD8D8D8 you'd use 0xFFD8D8D8. I've had that problem before so it's possible that's what is happening.

[Noel]

Not sure if this is a bug or not, but in the TextPlus, I'm unable to make the colour anything else besides white. Setting the "color" variable to anything else (such as 0x000000 or 0xD8D8D8, etc) doesn't seem to work. Am I confused as to how the variable is supposed to work?
Either way, I think having an easy way in TextPlus (and the normal Text as well) to change the colour would be really great .

I haven't tested this, but maybe it's supposed to take an 8-value hex, with the first two digits being the alpha? So for 0x000000 you would use 0xFF000000 and for 0xD8D8D8 you'd use 0xFFD8D8D8. I've had that problem before so it's possible that's what is happening.

Nope, that doesn't seem to be the problem I have been encountering. Looking at the TextPlus.as file, it looks like "color" is set as an integer, and is said to be the "wash out" colour?

[ChevyRay]

Will fix that. I thought I already did, but I must've just been crazy. This should go in the bug reports thread anyways. But thanks, noted down

[Noel]

oh, sorry.

You may have already fixed it. I haven't downloaded V0.74 yet.

[Cagey]

For the TextPlus color issue, check the bug report thread.

I'm liking the sound of 0.8 so far

[ChevyRay]

I just did some more updates to collisions with entities, after a spur of creativity. I made it so that TileMaps are included in the regular collision searches by types, so if you have a bunch of Solid entities, and a TileMap entity, and you've setCollisionType("solid") for both of them, going...

Code:

collide("solid", x, y)

...will search against both of those types appropriately, meaning it'll check against the regular entities as usual, and then it'll do a grid-check against the tilemap, which is much faster. It's also just... so pleasant to code.

[ChevyRay]

Just added in normal font-face Text support. Adding in ability to use embedded TTF fonts now too...

[Broxter]

Just added in normal font-face Text support. Adding in ability to use embedded TTF fonts now too...

Brilliant.