So while I was snooping around the net for any kind of answer to my sorting problem, I read an article that said one of the best ways to do it is with a double linked list or something.

Now I am just an average guy, what the hell is a double linked list?! lol, I tried reading about it on wiki but it was obviously written by someone a lot smarter than me.

Long question short, does anyone here know if a double linked list would be the answer to this sorting problem and if it's even possible in construct?

Yeah, I still think it would make a -brilliant- addition to the already amazing construct, because while it would help IMMENSELY with a diablo 2 style of game, it would still provide just as much functionality as it does now for other styles of games, if not slightly easier in my opinion. I don't find the current animation editor entirely user friendly, I acknowledge that it's probably largely due to other problems having a higher priority, but animation editors need love too!!

Well for example, creating a 16 direction 2.5d/isometric looking sprite (ala Diablo 2) with multiple animations would be an enormously long task with the editor as it stands. You would have to manually enter each direction, then import every animation for every direction in manually, whether that involves rendering/drawing them as separate animation files/image lists for each angle or having the whole animation and all it's directions in the one long animation, either way it would take ages and require a lot of work due to people like me making mistakes in such a procedure.

You would THEN have to do all of that AGAIN for EVERY sprite/character/npc in the game, amounting to HUGE amounts of time and effort that this kind of method i suggested basically eliminates.

My method would involve:

• Create the animation
• Choose the amount of animation angles
• Import the imagelist/animation file (assuming you've drawn/rendered them all already)
• Choose the correct amount of frames per angle
• Let the importer do it's thing
• Rinse and repeat for each animation

Bingo

Hi dev gang!, I was just thinking, a long time ago, I made a few suggestions to make the animation editor and importing animations a little more streamlined, I'm pretty sure I put them up on the tracker but I did a quick search and couldn't find them. So I'm gonna make this suggestion and see what you think before I add them again.

So yeah, the way I see it, the animation editor as it stands is largely limited in the fact that it is a panel. I was wondering if it was possible, after a large amount of work and grumbling at Arcticus, to make the animation editor similar to that of TGF/MMF? Or at the very least, keep it how it is and then make an 'advanced' button that brings up the window of the TGF/MMF style animation editor.

It would have to break away from being confined to a panel and be a separate window like how the image editor currently works. Something along the lines of this:

<img src="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1289341/AnimatorWindowIdea.GIF">

Having the animation editor displayed in this way opens up a whole lot of more advanced/easier to performs actions, such as:

• preset amounts of directions (which should be possible at the moment anyway)
• a radial display of each direction similar to that of TGF/MMF rather than a list (for those who use animation angles that are VERY close together, there could be a little zoomed in window showing the current direction and the couple adjacent to it). This leads to easy angle selection rather than a huge long list.
• more advanced importing technique (what I mean by this is the idea i had a while ago where, upon importing large amounts of frames, for example, a single animation of a walk cycle that has every direction in the one animation, the user is givin the option to create a new animation angle of X degrees every Y amount of imported frames). Here's a quick diagram of what I mean:

<img src="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1289341/QuickImportDiag.GIF">

• a horizontal display of frame thumbnails like how TGF/MMF and the Construct image editor currently does it. Double clicking on one of the frames could bring up the image editor of that frame.
• animation controls such as speed, loops, etc could all be displayed in the window rather than being on the other side of the screen in a different panel.
• numerous other possibilities that I haven't thought of yet!

That's what I would like to see in the animation editor, I tend to make games with lots of animations and it would be a lot easier this way if you ask me. I know its a lot different to the visual basic kinda feel with the properties and stuff. But if I was presented with the options to choose to use the animation editor how it is now and this suggestion, I would choose this suggestion.

I dunno, gimme your thoughts on it.

I haven't submitted it to the tracker yet, I want to see what you think first, if you think it's not worth it, I won't bother adding it to the tracker.

Construct rules!

Hahaha I'm sorry!

Stupid 2.5d/isometric games looking so cool but being so uncreatable!

I'm determined to try and beat this though. I'm thinking of trying that whole 'if statement within an expression' type thing.

If only there was a oldschool software developer lurking on the forums somewhere that knew isometric code like the back of his hand.... *tries to lure oldschool software developer out of hiding*

Yeah I came to the same conclusion, if there was no height, easy sorting. Even with larger objects. The only reason I'm using physics is to get a control feel similar to that of an old game called, 'Infantry' if you dunno what that is, the same engine is used in Subspace and Chaotic Rift or whatever it's called.

I also thought that I -could- try and sorting event for EVERY SINGLE object in the game, but I tried to avoid even trying out that solution like it was the plague. I was aiming for a family based loop or nested loop that somehow sorted everything lol

Why is this so difficult? wah

Confusing bastard is an understatement. Oops about the physics, I didn't even think of that!

You're welcome to not help out on this anytime! lol

I would even get those moments where you've just gone to bed, about to fall asleep, then this idea HITS you and you run back to the computer to try it out ...only for it to fail

I always thought a loop that sorted by .y AND 'fake height' (kinda like how in databases how you can sort by two criteria) would do it, but I'm not 100% clever on that stuff and haven't been able to try it out to see if it would even work due to lack of knowledge on how to code such a thing. Cause right now, just plain sorting by .y works fine IF you don't want height ....

I think I tried something like that on my one. It kinda worked, but there were still really weird sorting errors, at least on mine, not sure about Madsters. Not telling him not to try though!!

I'm thinking it didn't work on mine because, while I have a variable stating the 'fake height' of the BOTTOM edge of the objects, I never could figure out a good way to tie in the variable that I use to show the TOP edge of each object as well. Surely you guys have seen my example? I'll try and find my link just in case some of my code can help in any way.

Ah here it is:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1289341/REALTEST.cap

(sorry I don't think it's very commented )

I was trying a different idea for sorting in that cap, the original sorting that I fall back to when my ideas fail is in there too, just toggled off

Hey Madster

Lookin pretty slick! Have you seen my attempt at 2.5D? If you want I could find the dropbox link I have for it, it -is- however, still on the forums somewhere

Its relatively ancient by now and I haven't been able to do much on it lately. It's not a plugin or anythin. I've got most things sorted cept for a strange bug with disabling physics collisions allowing the player to walk through walls. The only other problem is the dreaded sorting with height. I CANNOT get past that, my brain just won't handle it.

I've looked at like developer's logs on isometric games and even they say it's a killer and they used a cop out solution here and there saddening. It's like there's an isometric sorting secret that some games have figured out, and aren't telling anyone about.

Hi all, I'm back lol (for those who remember me)

Ok so I never really left, I just stopped posting for a while. I kinda had a break from Construct after numerous and constant attempts to try and sort out this isometric sorting problem I had, that could never really get resolved unfortunately. Man I wanna make an isometric game...

How are you all? There are some REALLY talented people here, you guys are awesome! Just throwin it out there. Sometimes I'm like, 'Holy Moses, imagine what kind of game it would be if (person A) and (person B) put their heads together!'

Anyway, just thought I'd say hello to everyone again (not sure if this belongs in open topic, feel free to move it, like i have a choice )

...incidently.... I don't suppose there have been any breakthroughs in the realm of isometric sorting with height? haha

Have a nice day!

I'm not entirely sure if this is what you wanted, but for the 'bullet time/super speed' demo I made ages ago, I just used (1 / timescale) to make something look as though it wasn't affected by timedelta and slowing down and all that.

For example:

global TimeFix = (1 / timescale)

.x = (.x + MovementOffset * timedelta) * global('TimeFix')

Something along those lines. I'll post the cap

http://files.getdropbox.com/u/1289341/SuperSpeed.cap

(I'm also experimenting with that listbox replay method I believe Linkman made up ages ago too, I just wanted a way to do everything in slow mo, then replay it in realtime)

i have made a couple of requests similar to this, I think it is a necessary addition to construct, especially for us renderheads who like to have isometric sprites.

Granted, I've yet to get isometric to work...

But it would even speed things up for people who aren't using many directions for their animations