D2D Map Editor Beta 2.5.0 Users Manual

Table of contents.................................................................................................................... 2

Introduction............................................................................................................................ 3

About the D2D Map Editor................................................................................................... 3

Already a D2D user?........................................................................................................... 3

The License............................................................................................................................ 4

GNU General Public License (GPL)...................................................................................... 4

Getting started........................................................................................................................ 5

System requirements.......................................................................................................... 5

Is the .NET 2.0 Framework installed?.................................................................................... 5

Pre-release versions of .NET Framework v2.0........................................................................ 6

Download the latest version.................................................................................................. 6

Installing the application.......................................................................................................... 7

Navigating the interface............................................................................................................ 9

Common tasks..................................................................................................................... 11

Creating a set of tiles......................................................................................................... 11

Creating a map................................................................................................................. 12

Outputting the map code.................................................................................................... 13

Working with layers........................................................................................................... 13

The Layer Palette.............................................................................................................. 13

Layer Properties................................................................................................................ 14

Credits............................................................................................................................. 15

About the developers......................................................................................................... 15

Introduction

About the D2D Map Editor

The D2D Map Editor enables the rapid creation of multilayered tile based map grids. It’s easy to learn and can be used by programmers and non-programmers alike. The maps generated can be deployed in games and applications developed in C++, C#, Actionscript and XML.

D2D Map Editor has been developed in C# and is currently released as a Beta 2.5.0 version.

For the latest news and project updates visit:

http://www.dannylum.com/D2DProject/index.html

To download the latest release visit:

http://sourceforge.net/projects/d2dmapeditor/

Already a D2D user?

If you’ve used D2D to develop a project, let us know and we’ll be happy to feature your work on the D2D site. Submit your project details to the team leader:

dannielum@users.sourceforge.net

The License

GNU General Public License (GPL)

This file is part of D2D Map Editor.

D2D Map Editor is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or any later version.

D2D Map Editor is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details.

You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with D2D Map Editor. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.

Getting started

System requirements

Supported operating systems:

Windows XP Service Pack 2
Windows Server 2003
Windows 2000 Service Pack 3
Windows ME
Windows 98 Second Edition
Windows 98

Required software:

Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 (see section 4.2)
IE 5.01 or later
Windows Installer 3.0 (3.1 or later is recommended)
Windows Installer 2.0 (for Windows 98/ME)

Disk space needed:

280 MB (x86)
610 MB (x64)

Is the .NET 2.0 Framework installed?

To check which version of the Microsoft .NET Framework is installed on your machine, type the following line of JavaScript code into the IE address bar, press ENTER, and a you’ll see a popup similar to the one below.

javascript:alert(navigator.userAgent)

Fig 1. Pop up window - .NET 2.0 is installed

.NET CLR 1.1.xxxxx = .NET 1.1 is installed

.NET CLR 2.0.xxxxx = .NET 2.0 is installed

Note: Some machines might have more than one version of .NET installed.

Pre-release versions of .NET Framework v2.0

IMPORTANT: Pre-release versions of the .NET Framework v2.0 such as Beta 1, Beta 2 or Community Technical Preview (CTP) must be uninstalled with Add/Remove Programs in the Control Panel before installing the final release version.

Download the latest version

Before installing, check for the latest version of the application at SourceForge.net

http://sourceforge.net/projects/d2dmapeditor/

Installing the application

The wizard will guide you through the installation of the D2D Map Editor.

Fig 2. Initial installation screen.

Fig 3. Installation screen – ‘Browse’ for a custom folder or ‘Next’ for the default selection.

Fig 4. Final installation screen – Installation successful!

Navigating the interface

Fig 5. D2D Map Editor – JingZhou map loaded

The main menu

Access the main functions here.

The design view

The main work area, where tiles are placed, selected and rearranged.

The map

This view shows the full extent of the map.

The toolbar

These tools are used to select, draw and delete the tiles in the design view.

The tile library

Displays all the tiles currently loaded.

The code type

The output code type is selected here.

The tile property menu

Properties set here effect the matching tile in the Library, and every instance of the tile in the Design View.

The map property menu

The size of the map and tiles are set here.

The layers menu

Create, delete, select and order layers.

The view tabs

These tabs switch between Design and Code views.

Common tasks

Creating a set of tiles

A tile is the fundamental unit of all maps. Tiles are created from single graphic image, referred to as a Sprite Sheet.

Sprite Sheets are imported into D2D which then splits them into individual map tiles and generates an accompanying piece of code - containing information about the properties of each tile.

To create a new set of tiles from a Sprite Sheet navigate to the main menu and select Tiles > Import Tiles.

Fig 6. Import tiles screen

Name the new Tile Set.

Load the Sprite Sheet - D2D accepts any standard image format.

Set the Vertical and Horizontal grid size.

Select a tile output format - BMP, Jpeg, PNG or GIF.

Select ‘Import Tiles’.

Browse to an appropriate folder or create a new one, select ‘Yes’ and the new Tile Set will be created.

D2D now gives the option to load the new Tile Set into the library of the current map.

Tip: If the Tile Set appears blurred, check that the Tile Width and Height in the Map Properties menu matches the size of the Tile Set in the library.

Creating a map

Pasting a Tile into Map Cell

1. Select a Tile from the Tile Library.

2. Use the Paint tool to paste the Tile into a Map Cell.

Pasting a Tile into multiple Map Cells

1. Select a Tile from the Tile Library.

2. Use the Selection tool to draw a boundary around a group of tiles.

3. With the Fill tool paste the selected Tile into all of the selected Map Cells.

Clearing the contents of Map Cells

1. Use the Selection Tool to highlight the Map Cells.

2. Press DELETE to remove all the tiles in the selected area or use the Erase tool to clear the contents of a single cell.

Outputting the map code

Maps can be defined in four programming languages: C++, C#, Actionscript and XML. XML Lite is an optimized version of the XML markup whereas the XML setting is a legacy from earlier releases of D2D and produces more verbose code. The language can be selected in a number of ways:

Using the Code Menu

From the Main Menu choose Code > Generate Code > [Select language]

Working with layers

Multiple layers can be used to form complex maps, allowing a level designer to group common objects such as obstacles, NPCs and power-ups.

D2D allows the properties for individual layers to be set independently. Working with layers involves using the Layer Palette and Layer Properties Menu.

The Layer Palette

Using the Layer Palette you can add, delete and order layers.

The current active layer is indicated by the blue highlight. Clicking on the layer name will activate the layer.

Layer Properties

This menu is used to set individual layer parameters.

Tip: When naming layers use only upper and lower case letters, numbers and underscores.

Credits

About the developers

Danny Lum began working on the D2D Map Editor as part of a college project back in 2006. The project was a tile based game which required lots of map design. Without being able to see the map rendered graphically Danny had to ‘draw’ each tile in an array – slow work.

Enter the D2D Map Editor.

After completing a prototype version of the editor the decision was made to share it with the Open Source Community - in return for all the help received from other people over the years.

You can contact Danny at the address below with suggestions and feedback:

dannielum@users.sourceforge.net

This manual was written and edited by Matthew Byrne. Any comments or amends please contact me at:

matthewbyrne@users.sourceforge.net