What would you like to see in a brand new JJ2 level editor?
 

In no particular order:

• Ability to use 511 characters long text strings instead of 127
• A counter showing how many more characters may be used in a text string
• An easier way to browse through the text strings
• Displaying the text string contents in a box rather than a long line
• Ability to have a level start with lighting higher than 100 (I've seen this in some hacked levels)
• Replacing the animation FPS/level lightning bars with textboxes (not a big deal but can get annoying)
• A counter displaying how many animations can be stored in a level
• Convertion to 2.02 (1.23) level compression from 2.00 (1.10o), 2.01 (1.20), and 2.03 (TSF)
• Easier and clearer tileset compression (displaying the exact error once one happens for example)
• Less cumbersome event listing
• A windows (or Mac if someone would port the editor?) color picker for the 16-bit Textured Background color fade
• Removal of all the useless and redundant functions from JCS (like Bonus Level field)
• A more advanced Multiplayer Level option, able to choose Battle, CTF, Treasure as possible options
• Searching for desired events with desired properties in a level?
• An option to export the level to BMP or some else format a'la VCR?
• random level generator
• An ability to have multiple levels opened at once in different "frames", for the lack of better word
• Browse buttons for Next Level, Secret Level and Music fields instead of annoying textboxes
• Ability to go to the Next/Secret level without having to using the open function
• Some function which disables choosing music files bigger than 2MB (and 1.5MB for multiplayer?)

That's all I could think of, and I may come up with more. If you have anything to say, keep in mind that this is for plausible stuff, not "adding more layer's to jcs". And no replies like "oh my lanmeisters this wil never get done, ahahahahha newb" unless you want to look stupid.

I think 511 characters in a string would be just disturbing. As if 127 wouldn't do it.

127 tends to be annoyingly short on most occasions, especially when one uses a lot of colored text.

LI3K W0RK!ING TW33DLE PLZ

Seriously though, you pretty much summed up the features I'd like to see, but...

What's with the weird version count?

A list of MCEs and that other thing that generates weird effects.

And a sound effects option that lets you hear ambient sounds before you add them.

Better working scrollbars.
Multiple music choice with a special event that changes the music when a player crosses it.
Ability to copy and paste level parts.

7 things I want to see in a new JJ2 level editor:

1. Ability to insert not just more than 15 Text events but an unlimited amount.
2. Unlimited coin costs in warps. No 255 limit. I tried to use 1000.
3. Ability to use MP3s, WAVs and any other formats in JCS. (Though I can't see it happening)
4. Allow more than 31 Trigger events. Oh, yes I didn't count 0 as one.
5. Simplify speed setting in Sucker Tubes, Wind etc. to V. Slow, Slow, Medium, Fast or V. Fast.
6. Change the Boss music option to allow music of ANY format and specify in the text box what file you want. Also have a "Browse..." button next to it.
7. Simplify direction setting in Sucker Tubes to Up, Down, Left or Right. Horizontal/Vertical would be better actually. 2 options instead of 4.

Huh? The J2L compression verson count is perfectly fine :HMCE'sImpossible.Impossible, impossible, impossible, impossible (there are 32), may be useful for Wind, impossible, how about Horizontal and Vertical?

Ablity to play/preview the song you want to use in the level.

So you find textboxes for the animation FPS and the like to be more important and convenient than an inbuilt list of something you would otherwise have to open in a seperate browser window?

Well I do. But that's because I never use MCE's with misplaced sprites myself :H

Hey, Cooba, you beat me to picking apart SPAZ18's list D=

I wish I wrote down everything I told Pyromanus... Anyway, some sort of flood fill/paint bucket tool for tiles and (random) tile patterns would come in handy.

Well yeah. If Pyromanus would be able to use all of this in his project, it would be really great.

I thought of another:

Add the ability to choose the Start Position of Lori. The position of Jazz/Spaz can be chosen but why isn't there one for Lori?

Could use an explanation...

Blur i wrote those down.
and this thread is great \ '=' /

This would be possible? Interesting.

Xobim and others: This is not a topic about features to add to JJ2, but things that could be in a level editor that are already possible but are not exploited. No reprogramming of JJ2 is involved here.

Well I probably didn't make myself too clear. There would be a box where one can choose the gametype for his level, with a "Multiplayer Level?" checkbox which enables more options once checked, such as a selection field with Battle, CTF, and Treasure options. There would be also an "Apply" button which once clicked looks through the entire Event Map, and looks for "wrong" events. So if one would choose Battle and click Apply, the editor would look for things such as enemies and asking to delete them (or replace them with appropiate MCE's and their respective Ambient Sounds, but that may be a lot of coding work) or Multiplayer Start Positions and replacing them with Jazz Starts (you should always use Jazz Starts in battle), and etc.

Try pressing B, selecting the part and press B again. Then, if you want it in another level, open that level and click. Theres your copy and paste! if you want events on empty tiles pasted with it, hold shift.

JCS could use.. a basic tileset with useful tiles in all 9 Jazz2 palette colors.. like the RR training tileset (which you obviously haven't seen)

Also, how about this: You could highlight a group of tiles in the level and tell the editor to paste a chosen tile/event or randomly chosen tiles/events from a group there.

What about this?

Copy & Paste tiles from one JCS window to the other.

That's what I had in mind with multiple level windows opened at the same time, actually ;D

ability to use different letters ( like big ones )
and easier commands for using single color then |||||||||t||||||||h||||||||||||||||||||i|||||||||| |s :P

like %snz%%snz%%snz%%snz%%snz%%snz%%snz%%snz%%snz%%snz% t%snz%%snz%%snz%%snz%%snz%%snz%h%snz%%snz%%snz%%sn z%%snz%%snz%%snz%i%snz%%snz%%snz%%snz%%snz%%snz%%s nz%%snz%s ?:P:lol:

[img]http://forumpics/lol2.jpg[/img]

ROFLMBO @ Stijn's pic! :lol: I just can't stop laughing!!

Derby: Acronym clearance.

Oh I didn't realise stuff like that wasn't allowed. But the abbreviation still works. Laughing my butt off.

ah well. now at least we know the truth about stijn's.. nvm that's a baby joke :r


nice pic man! :D

A BABY JOKE

HAHA FUNNY

Ontopic >:(

ooh ebil red eyez

A hotkey for copy and pasting events. (For example: press "c" when the cursor is over a specific event to copy it, then press "v" over the area you want to paste the event.)

Have the preview window show icons (or something) that indicate specific events. So if there's a spring on a specific tile, have it show a little spring icon on that tile in the preview window.

Have the ability to start Jazz/Spaz/Lori at any position in the level when you use Save/run. This would be useful for testing a specific section of a level. For example, if you hit save/run, it would display a dialogue box with text boxes to enter the specific position you want to start at. If no coordinates are entered, it would start you at the Jazz Start position or position 0,0.

I don't really know if this is possible, but let Bolly use Endtexts other than 0.

I actually find the idea of a new JCS quite intriguing. And many of the ideas actually seem quite creative too, and would be really useful for a new JJ2 level editor. Needless to say, much of the ideas stated are already possible since the J2L format has been mostly figured out, and all that's left in an interface. So, really, what I would like to see is an enhanced GUI over the original JCS, which might include:

General Interface

• Tabs for different levels (a'la Firefox)
• Skins
• Proper scrollbars
• Change everything about the "Level Properties" form
• A hex editor mode if you really want low-level access to editing your levels (i.e. editing the binary of the level)

Level Editor Interface

• MSPaint-style tools (Line, rectangle, flood fill)
• Standard edit functions (Copy&paste, Undo&redo)
• Ability to view more than one layer at once
• Goto function and bookmarks, to jump from one position to another (or even between layers)
• Fullscreen level view - probably also the ability to dump as BMP/other

Additional Functions

• Tileset extractor/editor
• A more advanced tileset compiler (think TilesetPal)
• A file manager *
• (Refer to JCSref article on tile cache) Ability to manually set tile caches such that foreground layers will use the same tile cache as layer 4 etc.
• Save as version 1.23 or version TSF.

Miscellaneous

• A help file which incorporates everything in JCSref
• Appendices for the MCE list and ambient sounds and other lists

* The file manager is a concept I've been working on. It basically goes through a folder, and gives details for each level and tileset. Basic details such as name, tileset for the level, next level. Maybe also some subtle details like whether its missing a start position or certain warp targets.

That's about all I can think of for now. I'm sure I had more before I started writing, but oh well.

There is actually a simple process to add this feature to JCS already.

1. Enter JCS.ini.
2. Replace all uses of the word "Spring" with "Elizabeth".
3. Save. Enter JCS.
4. Load a level. Make sure the "Bonus Level" field reads "Oft-Documented Feature."
5. Find an event you would like to copy. Move the mouse over it. Press Ctrl+E.
6. Find the area in JCS where you would like to paste the event, and press or hold Shift+E.

I dunno what you mean with the elizabeth stuff, but 5 and 6 will do just fine.


Neo's ideas are nice.. but what's wrong with the scrollbars? they work just fine to me :S

Iam Canadian: To copy and paste events, hover over it, press b twice, go to where you want it and hold shift and click ;)

You can do that with multiple events, and tiles.

I think maybe he means like proper Windows style scrollbars or something.

It's just that one scrollbar that annoys me. The one in the tileset box. If your mouse accidentally leaves the scrollbar the combobox disappears.

...you know, although it's struck-out in Cooba's list, wouldn't a random level generator technically be possible? I imagine it could be a nice idea for something like a lightning game of JJ2, like a randomly generated arena, a short level chock full of enemies and stuff, with different difficulties.
But I guess it wouldn't be possible to implement that into JJ2 itself the way I picture it.. choosing a level from the Homecooked Levels list that is actually blank and automatically generated by JCS...