Optikon Level Editor - Feedback Required

[ironsheikh]

Love is a great game framework, but there is a need for user friendly tools that allow users to build levels quickly and easily. Optikon is a simple, visual, drag-and-drop level designer which will open up stunning 2D level design in Love to everybody.

Optikon generates Love Lua code in real-time as you create your level, without the need to edit or write a single line of code. Simply copy and paste this code straight into a .lua file to run your game immediately, or just click "Run" in Optikon to play your level in seconds. No XML files. Just all lua code!

This software was conceived by me as a personal project, to facilitate quick and easy level design in Love Lua and was not ever intended for public release. It's been a pleasure to be part of a community of like minded game enthusiasts, and having benefited from being here, I think it is only right that I can give something back.


https://love2d.org/imgmirrur/Fy2WdUG.jpg

Optikon generates Love Lua code in real-time as you create your level, without the need to edit or write a single line of code. Simply copy and paste this code straight into a .lua file to run your game immediately, or just click "Run" in Optikon to play your level in seconds.

I'll release Optikon in due course. OSX and Linux versions will follow on release or some time thereafter. It will be a Beta software. It will, obviously, be free. Depending on community feedback, I will continue to support it with your help, adding new features and creating a visual designer that can bring the joy of Love Lua to a wider developer community.

To increase it's chances of success, I need your feedback. What features do you want to see in a simple Love level designer that would help you as a developer?


https://love2d.org/imgmirrur/ZA70LNt.png

Here are just some of the features which you can expect in addition to the above:

1. Ability to save scenes to a native Optikon file;
2. Export direct to a Lua file to run in Love, without editing a single line of code;
3. Build and run scene in Love at the press of a button;
4. Built-in code editor;
5. Clone objects in your level for quick level design;
6. Layer objects in the level;
7. Anchor object to the game window;
8. Add sound;
9. Modify Window Resolution and Game Title;
10. Disable or enable the cursor;
11. Specify which image is the player character and enable the camera to follow the player.

[grump]

Looks neat, good work. What UI framework does it use?

Optikon generates Love Lua code in real-time as you create your level, without the need to edit or write a single line of code. Simply copy and paste this code straight into a .lua file to run your game immediately, or just click "Run" in Optikon to play your level in seconds.

So it generates all required code. Does that mean I can/have to edit the code in your level editor? What happens if I edit the code externally, then change the level in the editor?

[ironsheikh]

Looks neat, good work. What UI framework does it use?

Thank you Grump. In terms of the UI framework, Windows Forms on Windows, Gtk# on Linux and OSX. This bizarre arrangement is down to the fact that my OS of choice is Windows and the software was not intended for public release or cross-platform use. It is now being ported and eventually all versions will probably use the Gtk# framework for ease of development.

So it generates all required code. Does that mean I can/have to edit the code in your level editor? What happens if I edit the code externally, then change the level in the editor?

Optikon will allow you to edit the code in-software, and changes will be reflected in the level.

If you change the code externally, but then decide you want to go back into Optikon and make changes to the level, you can just copy and paste the updated code generated by Optikon back into your lua file whilst working around your changes. Optikon just makes it easy to keep track of all the drawing in the scene and takes care of all the tedious stuff for you.

[D0NM]

Wow! I like such approach.

[grump]

If you change the code externally, but then decide you want to go back into Optikon and make changes to the level, you can just copy and paste the updated code generated by Optikon back into your lua file whilst working around your changes. Optikon just makes it easy to keep track of all the drawing in the scene and takes care of all the tedious stuff for you.

I can't imagine how this workflow will work out, and how convenient it will be to make manual changes (if they are at all necessary), but I'm stoked to see it in action.