Help making big maps in Game Maker

Carloskhard

Member
Right now I'm making a map for my game and I want to make it big.My problem is that in Game Maker (1.4):

-I cannot move set of tiles or name the layers.
-I cannot move the whole map (if I want to build up for example)

So whenever I have to move multiple tyles or the whole map I get stuck.How is everybody dealing with this?
I want to make some maps like the ones in Hyper Light Drifter or Titan Souls.

So far I'm making the map in photoshop and the importing as a background,but then I have problem with layers because the map is flat..

Any help is welcome and excuse me if my english is not perfect.Thanks
 

obscene

Member
There is a right-facing green arrow icon. This can be used to shift tiles or objects by any amount.

upload_2017-3-24_2-17-56.png
 

Carloskhard

Member
There is a right-facing green arrow icon. This can be used to shift tiles or objects by any amount.

View attachment 8019
That is really helpfull! It isn't perfect since I cannot move a group of tiles but at least now I can move the map.
Thanks for the help!

I would also like to know how people build their big maps.If they use more objects or more tiles and what is better in each case.
I'll write here about that as I look for examples :)
 

Mike

nobody important
GMC Elder
*cough* GMS2 *cough* *cough* :)

Kidding aside, GMS2's room editor is monumentally better than 1.x's.... You should try the trial one and try making a big room. I created one 16,000x16,000 with several tile layers as a test, and its SO much easier and quicker.
 

Carloskhard

Member
*cough* GMS2 *cough* *cough* :)

Kidding aside, GMS2's room editor is monumentally better than 1.x's.... You should try the trial one and try making a big room. I created one 16,000x16,000 with several tile layers as a test, and its SO much easier and quicker.
I know it is better for room editor and sprites editor but I'm not paying a few hundreds more for just that :c Even less knowing that Programs like "unity" and "Unreal Engine" are far superior and still free
 
It is sort of surprising how limited GMS 1.4 room editor is. I guess I am surprised it didn't evolve to have a few more really simple and logical tools included. The green arrow above is nice, though - didn't know about that.

GMS2 looks much better, but I am not shelling out for it yet (I am just getting the hang of 1.4, making a game here already and I already paid for PRO).

I have seen people loading sprites in as their maps (each pixel is a tile), might be easier to manage that way - depending on how complex your rooms are. That said, it doesn't really allow for multiple items per pixel. You could have multiple sprites per level, as layers... maybe easier to manage, but hard to say in the long run. I don't think I will do this, but depending on your workflow, it might be easier.
 
Z

zendraw

Guest
for big maps id suggest to use a grid, even if its platformer. then you simply draw sprites on the grid only in the view, so you dont worry about tiles. and your set to go. also if you can find a way to dynamically load/save grids, you can create an infinity world.
 
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